Every Business Needs Online Reputation Management Services

Yes, Even Your Business Needs Online Reputation Management Services

If you own a small business online reputation management (ORM) is crucial to business growth. Business owners must be proactive with and responsive to reviews and maintaining their online presence. First impressions are critical. Online reviews are a potential customer’s first impression of your business and you need to make them count!

If your business is in any kind of service industry you must take your online reputation very seriously. I often hear reasons and excuses small business owners don’t think they need ORM services and each one of them has the wrong kind of thinking.

Excuse	Reality
“Our customers don’t search online for our services”	Bright local in 2016 did a study that showed almost every single industry had a significant percentage of potential customers searching for them online 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2017, with 12% looking for a local business online every day
“Reviews aren’t that important to us.”	They may not be that important to you but the data proves that reviews are very important to customers. 74% of people state that reading positive reviews about a company makes them more likely to try new business with them. 60% of people state negative reviews make them question the quality of the business Only 5% of people say they don’t pay much attention to reviews
“Why is it important to continue to get new reviews even with a currently good reputation?”	Recent survey data shows that the recency of reviews impacts a consumer’s decision to do business with a company. Most people want to see reviews that have been posted within the last month.
“We don’t have a negative reputation online.”	Even if a business does not have a negative reputation, survey data proves that customers want to see at least 6 recent positive reviews in order to feel comfortable doing business with the company they’re researching.
“We’re doing fine without online reputation management.”	You may be doing ‘fine’ but reputation management services can take you to the next level and make you ‘great.’ 74% of people say that positive reviews make them feel better about a company and they would be more likely to give them their business.
“We can’t afford reputation management services.”	Maybe you can’t see yourself affording reputation management services right now. But what if your competition increased their reputation online and they gained more business instead of you? Social proof is huge (how do YOU make up your mind about a local business? Where to eat? Which plumber to call?). Increasing your reputation will drive in more business and ORM will pay for itself.