ORM Problems
Up until recently, all Internet Marketing professionals could do to help you was to “manage” your online reputation. Online reputation management meant that they WAITED for a negative review to be posted and their only means of “repairing the damage” was to leave a reply to the negative comment.
Online Reputation Management Problem #1:
Minimal online reputation management is simply responding to negative reviews. Leaving a response is good but not fully effective for repairing and building a positive reputation. The response only helps when someone is reading your company’s reviews and opts to read the response. Unfortunately, when the reviewer is completing the form they, also, choose a star rating. The response has zero effect on the star rating. For many directory and review sites, those star ratings show up on the search results page. If you have three stars or less and your competitor has four or five stars. Your response will do nothing to help the searcher choose you over your competitor.
Online Reputation Management Problem #2:
You never know *WHO* is going to leave you a review. Competitors paying for other people to insult your business as if they used your services, disgruntled employees anonymously posting negative results or people who used your services and you have a misunderstanding. Unfortunately, these are all sources that are out there posting on review sites.
With our existing clients, we have seen too many reviews left that were not an accurate picture of their businesses. One business, on Angie’s List, had a review left by user stating that they had used my client’s business services. The user stated they did not like my client’s services and found that another company provided better results. Well to us, it was blatantly obvious that a competitor had paid this person to try to push our client down while marketing their own business. The client had never provided services to the alleged ‘user’.
Another client, a medical office, received a negative review with Yellow Pages complaining about service provided by the doctor. When I contacted the doctor, it turned out that the person showed up without an appointment and demanded a free consultation on the spot. Because that is not the protocol of this office, they stated such and recommended making an appointment. The lady went home and opted to leave a negative review instead.
Yet another client had a review that read, “BEWARE!!!!! If I could give them 0 stars I would. EXTREMELY unprofessional and RUDE! Gave 3 different prices for our wedding and then told us last minute that they can’t work with us! I don’t know how this company stays in business and don’t waste your time go for Online Reputation Management Services with REPUTABLE, HONEST, TRUSTWORTHY company and not these scam artists!”
Sounds horrible, right? Until you hear the business owner’s side, “This is a classic case of NO GOOD DEED goes unpunished! She started out BELOW my minimum hours. So as a NICE THING, We charged her below my normal minimum rate. She kept changing her requirements, so We kept adjusting the price accordingly, upsetting and frustrating us both. We finally told her I was going to pass on her event and she got mad.”
Go Beyond Reputation Management!
If you have 3-stars or less in negative reviews or no reviews at all, work to build up your 5-Star reputation before people leave negative reviews. BUT do it right! Biphoo Marketing Solution (BMS) use insider strategies for our clients to build their reputation legitimately and then market that reputation. We use real reviews from your real customers. While managing your reputation for any chance a negative review will hit, but working to push down the existing ones. We, also, train your staff how to cultivate an ongoing positive reputation.Let us build a 5-Star Reputation for Your Business!