Reputation Managers: What They Are and Why You Need One

An online reputation manager is groundbreaking software to manage how the world perceives your business. Online management manages everything from positive to negative reviews and reputation analysis. It perfectly responds to online reviews to prompt damage limitation and crisis management. However, it also helps you to utilize customer feedback and crawls sites for feedback you might not otherwise find manually. In short, investing in software is one of the most effective ways to boost your business.

Regarding digital image, the best way to act is quickly and efficiently. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about managing your online reputation. It will include everything from what exactly reputation management software is to its primary roles and benefits. Ready? Good, because automating your management will be a massive weight off your shoulders.

What Is a Reputation Manager?

Reputation management was traditionally a role held by a person. You could hire someone to crawl through customer feedback and online reviews manually. However, the answer to “what is a reputation manager” has changed dramatically in recent years. Now, business owners can download software that automates this process instead. Rather than relying on a physical person, you can use relatively cheap online software to complete the reputation management process.

There is an overlap between in-person and software reputation management. An online reputation management software crawls through everything online to review sites and any form of customer feedback. This thorough crawling collects data and builds tremendous insights into how customers feel about your business. Analysis is vital for handling your public image. So this software acts as a collecting tool (think of massive fishing nets) to grab everything onto a single database.

Aside from crawling the web, a software manager also automates customer feedback prompts. For instance, sending feedback forms to past customers and forming a dashboard with insights. This is where the ‘management’ side of things comes in. You don’t only get software that collects feedback but also software that guides you in utilizing customer feedback. Downloading management software gives you a sense of direction and gathers everything you need to gain insight. It is a vital piece of software if you want to invest in your public reputation. It is also a perfect way to get more customers to your restaurant.

Why Use an Online Reputation Manager?

So, why use an online reputation manager? What critical benefits set software apart from hiring a person for this role? There are many benefits to downloading software over hiring, and reputation management software is particularly well-suited to restaurant businesses. These are the top reasons why you should consider reputation software for your business.

• Online reputation management is cheaper.

Reputation management through software is much cheaper than hiring a full-time staff member. Hiring a reputation manager is usually challenging since most restaurants are small to midsize businesses. Downloading software is a fantastic way to manage your image and stay within a reasonable financial budget.

• Online reputation management is more thorough.

When crawling for reputation analysis, the software is much more thorough than the average person. This is no individual’s fault because the internet is complex and deep. Some things are almost impossible to find. Especially if they rank so low on Google that they’ve been lost in seas of websites. Reputation management software is perfect for fishing out these obscure reviews.

• Online reputation management runs constantly.

Similarly, online reputation management runs constantly. Your software will crawl review sites at 3 am or 1 pm. It works around the clock to boost your online image - something that’s nearly impossible to beat.

• Business owners can link online reputation management to other software.

Finally, if you already have software for your business (like captive portal wifi), then you can link your software. This creates an entirely automated running of your marketing and digital presence. You may take the plunge if you already have software for one aspect of your business.

5 Main Roles of Reputation Manager Software

So we’ve looked at the basic definition of a reputation manager. But it is essential to have a solid understanding of online reputation management’s leading roles. This way, you can determine how reputation management can help your business. While exact roles vary per software choice, there are some basics that you can expect across the board. You can expect software to perform these top five roles.

1. A Reputation Manager Crawls Review Sites

Reputation software crawls review sites to collect customer feelings about your business. The software thoroughly reviews every mention of your business online and checks all the major review sites. This process is automated and runs 24/7 as constant background monitoring. Constantly crawling review sites is essential as it keeps you well-informed and up-to-date with customer feedback.

2. A Reputation Manager Helps With Crisis Management

Reputation software also has a primary role in helping with crisis management. As much as we hate to appear dramatic, your online image is make or break. It’s easy to let negative reviews slip through the cracks accidentally; your reputation is shattered before you know it. To avoid this, you need something constantly on hand for crisis management.

Reputation management is fantastic for better crisis management. The software first highlights the situation immediately - allowing you to act quickly before the situation escalates. This could be as simple as responding to a negative review to reinforce your image as a friendly, professional business. Some software may provide suggestions or tools to rebuild a positive public image.

3. Reputation Management Monitors Negative Feedback

Another massive role of reputation manager software is how it constantly monitors negative feedback. Negative feedback is not necessarily the most pleasant thing you deal with while running a business. However, more feasible options exist than burying your head in the sand when managing your online image. And as we mentioned above in the crisis management section, acting quickly is essential.

To act quickly and recalibrate your image as a professional and friendly business, it’s essential to monitor negative reviews. The software does this 24/7. It plays a significant role in its management tactic and immediately automates notifications if it finds any negative reviews. This constant monitoring is so important. This is the most crucial role of reputation management software. Admittedly, being so hyper-vigilant about negative reviews wouldn’t be healthy. But software can easily take on this responsibility.

4. Reputation Management Prompts Customer Feedback

A good reputation manager software prompts customer feedback and collects already volunteered reviews. The point is to act as a net between the customer and the internet. By encouraging customer feedback through forms, you invite reviews directly before they enter the public domain. Think of it as damage limitation.

Like how you use captive portals to request surveys in exchange for internet access, you can use reputation management software. The software can send out prompts and collect answers to customer feedback surveys. This way, you get a constant flow of fresh insights and reviews. And excellent management software will display this on an easy-to-interpret dashboard.

5. Reputation Management Analyzes Your Public Reputation

Finally, while it may sound general, the central role of reputation management software is to analyze your public reputation. The key defining part of this role is how software comprehensively considers your digital image. It casts a wide net and painstakingly crawls every relevant mention of your business and review site. Because it takes this thorough stance, it effectively and accurately depicts your reputation.

Staying up-to-date with your public image is vital when running any business. It helps you understand your customers and your relationship with consumers better. It also enables you to address any marketing gaps or hindrances preventing business growth. Your image can be likened to an indicator of the healthiness of your customer relations. A positive reputation is vital for success

Signs You’d Benefit From a Reputation Manager

Every business would benefit from a reputation manager. But what signs could you do with investing in reputation management software? The first sign is that you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of addressing your digital image. Reputation management will immediately ease the pressure if you feel burnt out monitoring online reviews. This alleviation of digital reputation pressure is one of the best things about investing in software. So if that sounds like a breath of fresh air, know you are a prime candidate for reputation software.

Other main signs include wanting to grow your business exponentially over a short period. If you’re going to grow your business quickly, having a positive, healthy digital image should be an absolute priority. And our final sign that you’d benefit from reputation management software is you feel ready to take the next step. You know yourself best. Are you prepared for a challenge and some new growth? Your business should be something that excites you, so taking the next step should be natural.

Are you looking for some extra guidance about getting a reputation manager? At Beambox, we are always happy to help. As experts in content marketing and growing your business, we can help start your journey with reputation management. Outsource to us, and let’s take the following steps together.

Let’s get the ball rolling today. Beambox offers the best all-in-one wifi marketing platform. We leverage a dynamic approach to connect, capture, and get more customers. Start your Beambox free trial today, and let us help you maximize your business potential.

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