Your business might have great products, excellent customer service, and a solid marketing strategy, but a single negative review can still influence potential customers’ decisions.
The reality is that what people say about your business online carries more weight than what you say about yourself. With nearly 97% of consumers searching online before choosing a business, their decisions are influenced by reviews, ratings, and social media mentions.
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So, how can you ensure that your brand is perceived positively and stands out for the right reasons?
That is why online reputation management is important.
Read this blog to learn about:
- What is online reputation management?
- Why it matters?
- How to manage your online reputation?
What is online reputation management?
Online reputation management (ORM) is the process of monitoring, influencing, and improving how your business is perceived across various digital platforms. In simple terms, it’s about making sure your brand’s digital presence reflects your values and keeps customers coming back.
These days, almost everyone does a quick online search before choosing a product or service. In fact, about 97% of consumers look up businesses online before deciding whether to purchase something from a brand. That means what people see about your business online can directly impact their trust, perception, and buying decisions.
Your online reputation is influenced by a mix of things—customer reviews, social media activity, search results, news mentions, and even user-generated content. Reputation management helps you stay on top of all this by managing your social media presence, responding to customer feedback, handling potential crises, and ensuring your brand is portrayed positively across search engines, review sites, and social platforms.
Importance of online reputation management for businesses
For businesses of any size and industry, online reputation management is crucial for several reasons. A positive online reputation can directly impact customer trust, search rankings, sales, and overall brand success. Here’s why ORM should be a priority:
Builds brand awareness & credibility
Before making a purchase, potential customers are more likely to research brands online and check reviews, ratings, and testimonials. If your brand’s online reputation is good, it means positive content dominates search results, increasing your credibility. Customers are more likely to trust and choose businesses with a strong online presence.
Influences purchase decisions
Reviews and online feedback influence customer decisions. According to ScienceDirect, nearly 70% of customers check online reviews when they want to purchase something. If there is even a single negative review, it can drive away potential customers. Actively managing your reputation ensures that positive experiences outweigh negative ones, encouraging more sales.
Boosts search engine rankings
A strong online presence with positive reviews and high engagement improves your SEO rankings. Search engines like Google prioritize businesses with consistent, positive reviews and relevant online interactions, making them more visible to potential customers. Higher rankings mean more traffic, more leads, and ultimately more conversions.
Enhances customer trust & loyalty
Customers trust brands with a good online reputation. Engaging with customers, responding to feedback (both positive and negative), and addressing concerns promptly shows that your business values its customers. This builds loyalty and long-term relationships, turning customers into brand advocates. This is why customer feedback management is essential for businesses.
Gives you control over your brand image
Without ORM, your brand’s image is left in the hands of online users, competitors, or even trolls. Proactively managing your reputation ensures that your brand is represented accurately and fairly across digital platforms. If negative content appears, you can address it quickly before it spreads.
Helps in crisis management
Negative feedback, bad press, or a viral complaint can severely impact your brand. ORM allows businesses to monitor mentions, respond quickly, and take control of the narrative before a situation escalates. If you have a well-prepared crisis management strategy, it can prevent reputation damage and restore customer confidence.
Encourages customer engagement
Responding to reviews, answering questions on social media, and interacting with customers shows that your business values feedback. Engaged customers feel more connected to your brand, which can result in better relationships and repeat business.
How to manage your online reputation management?
Managing your online reputation is not a one-time task; it is an ongoing process that requires proactive monitoring, engagement, and strategic action. Whether you are a small business or a global brand, maintaining a positive online presence is crucial for building trust, attracting customers, and staying ahead of the competition.
Here’s how you can effectively manage your online reputation:
Select an online reputation management tool
You might be wondering why you should select an online reputation management tool. That’s because it is like a one-stop tool for managing your brand’s online reputation.
You can select the timeframe and see how your brand is doing across various online platforms like Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, and more. The tool will show the reviews, average ratings, and the commonly mentioned topics, sentiments behind the reviews, and more.
Encourage customers to leave reviews
When a potential customer wants to contact your team or purchase something, they are likely to check online reviews. This is why it is best to ask your customers and clients to share how their experience was with your brand in the form of reviews.
How to encourage customers to leave reviews?
- Ask for reviews right after a customer interaction (e.g., after a purchase, service completion, or customer support chat).
- Provide an easy-to-use link to review platforms like Google, Yelp, or Facebook.
- Offer incentives (discounts, loyalty points, or small giveaways) for customers who leave honest feedback.
- Run email or SMS campaigns requesting reviews from satisfied customers.
- Place QR codes on receipts, packaging, or business cards, directing customers to review sites.
Pro Tip: Make sure you don’t pressure customers for only positive reviews—authentic feedback is more valuable than manipulated ratings.
Understand and respond to negative customers
Receiving negative reviews is inevitable, but how you handle them can make or break your brand’s reputation.
Why does responding to negative reviews matter?
According to a Yelp survey, 88% of customers (almost 9 out of 10) are likely to overlook a negative review if the business responds and resolves the issue.
Best practices for handling negative reviews:
- Respond quickly – Don’t ignore or delay your response. Aim to acknowledge the review within 24 hours.
- Stay professional & polite – Avoid defensive or emotional reactions. Apologize for the customer’s negative experience and offer a resolution.
- Take the conversation offline – If possible, provide an email or contact number so you can resolve the issue privately.
- Offer solutions – Whether it’s a refund, discount, or correction of a mistake, show that you’re willing to improve.
- Follow up – Once the issue is resolved, politely ask the customer if they’d be willing to update or reconsider their review.
Monitor brand mentions & social media comments
Your reputation isn’t just built on reviews—it’s also shaped by what people say about your brand on social media, forums, and blogs.
Why is this important?
According to research, 79% of social media users expect a brand to respond within 24 hours. If they don’t get a response, they might switch to a competitor, leave a negative review, or publicly criticize the brand.
How to monitor and respond to brand mentions?
- Use social listening tools like Google Alerts, Mention, and Hootsuite to track brand mentions.
- Regularly check comments, tags, and messages on social media.
- Respond quickly and professionally to customer questions and concerns.
- Engage with your customers through likes, comments, and shares.
Focus on the content
It is important to promote various forms of content related to your brand. By consistently posting valuable, informative, and engaging content, you can establish yourself as a trustworthy brand.
Ways to use content for reputation management:
- Customer Testimonials: Showcase positive customer stories and case studies on your website and social media.
- Educational Content: Write blogs, FAQs, or guides that solve customer pain points.
- Behind-the-Scenes Posts: Share insights about your company culture, values, and team.
- User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage customers to share their experiences with your brand.
- Video Content: Product demos, explainer videos, and customer interviews add authenticity.
Develop a crisis management plan
Even the most well-managed brands can face reputation crises—be it a negative viral post, product recalls, bad press, or customer complaints gaining traction online. Having a predefined crisis management plan ensures you can respond swiftly and minimize damage.
Try online reputation management with piHappiness
Online reputation management has become an invaluable asset for businesses. What people see, read, and hear about your brand online can make or break your business. By actively managing your reputation, you can ensure that your brand is seen in the best possible light, attracting more customers and fostering long-term success.
piHappiness is a full-fledged customer experience platform that can help you create surveys, collect real-time feedback, analyze the sentiment behind customer feedback, and manage your online reputation. If you would like to try piHappiness, schedule a demo right away.
Remember: Your online reputation is a reflection of your brand. Manage it well, and your business will thrive!
