Everyone in business knows the power of reputation. It has the potential to make — or break — your venture. And, in our 21st-century world, a whopping 88% of consumers check reviews before engaging with a new business. You’ve got to consider how your company is portrayed, and free online reputation management tools could be the way forward.
These tools are part of software that helps monitor how your business is presented online. They crawl the web for things like online reviews, social media posts, and more. This helps flag potential issues so you can quickly nip them in the bud. Overall, while we’ll dive into a deeper definition in just a second, for now, know that it enables more control.
In this guide, we’ll evaluate whether cost-free online reputation management tools are worthwhile for you and your business. Is it worth cutting corners financially? Should you splurge on paid software?
We’ll cover definitions, typical budgets for reputation management, the benefits of this approach, and some free software examples to get started. Read on, and you’ll be an expert in no time!
What Is Online Reputation Management?
Online reputation management is the practice of monitoring your business’s digital footprint. You either manually or automatically (through software) crawl through third-party review sites, websites, and social media to track your reputation. Doing so gives you a taste of authentic customer reviews and how they feel about your company.
There’s always an online presence that demonstrates and reveals the reality of your customers’ experiences. The trick for business owners is to track and monitor this before potential customers do. It’s amazing what responding to negative reviews can do for your company.
It demonstrates your professionalism and brand values, and it can also create the possibility of customer retention and restore severed or damaged relationships. By paying attention to the issues negative feedback raises, you’re more likely to collect positive reviews in the future. We’ll talk about this approach’s widespread benefits later; it can be a total game changer.
But what about how to actually manage your reputation? It can seem like a complex task, and it certainly involves a lot of vigilance and juggling. It’s important to understand the different ways you can approach managing your business’s online presence. There are two main methods to consider:
- Human reputation managers (e.g., freelancers, part-time or full-time staff members).
- Software reputation managers (e.g., free or paid subscription software or tools).
You can invest in a human reputation manager, but paid or free tools for online reputation management are an alternative.
These are often more appealing for small-scale businesses, who might be looking at lower budgets and more independent approaches. These tools crawl social media platforms, online reviews, and more, gathering information — usually displaying the results on an analytical dashboard.
For the purpose of this article, we’ll be teaching you all about the best tools you can find totally cost-free.
What Do Businesses Typically Spend On Reputation Management?
The answer could be anything from under $100 to over $30,000 monthly. Will you choose software or a whole team? There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the cost of managing your reputation as a business. However, let’s look at the averages:
- A full-time reputation manager could earn between $31,000 and $95,000 annually.
- The average reputation management software, like Brand24, starts at around $100 monthly for basic packages.
- Some tools, like Hootsuite or Rankur, are free but require a significant time investment and have limitations for non-paying users. Set aside at least a few hours a week instead.
You can find online reputation management tools free, but for the best quality software, you’ll need to pay. It’s like investing in SEO tools or social media marketing; you get what you pay for.
If you decide to go down the free tools route, be prepared to do most of the legwork yourself. These tools are best for getting initial insights and then dedicating your own time to handle the rest.
Otherwise, expect to pay around $100 a month as a starting point — guaranteeing high-quality subscription-style software. With this approach, you reduce the number of hours you need to spend on reputation management, outsourcing at least 90%.
While business owners might be reluctant to part with this money each month, the good news is it’s tax deductible.
Who Needs Reputation Management?
In short, everyone. There are different levels of how much reputation management is needed for your business. However, if growth’s a priority, start now; it will serve you in the future.
With so many online reputation management free tools floating around, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make a start. Let’s take a closer look at who should most definitely look at investing in this form of management, though.
Medium or large businesses regularly receiving product reviews and operating as online businesses should especially look at prioritizing reputation monitoring. These are the most vulnerable to losing profit depending on customer relationships online. You’d be surprised how quickly things can go downhill.
You may think that it’s only medium to large-sized businesses that need to worry about reputation management. This isn’t the case; small businesses should also consider this strategic investment.
For instance, start-ups might suffer from a lack of positive reviews simply because they have little feedback yet. It’s a classic conundrum: “Would you take a gamble on a service with no reviews?” In this case, it might be wise to invest in proactive reputation management immediately as part of your launch.
Introducing solid infrastructure and systems early on also saves you a job later on. It gives you the chance to perfect your services and products, building a close-knit relationship with customers. Then, if you expand later, you’ll already know how to best manage your reputation to achieve corporate success.
So, in summary, while all businesses should be proactive in monitoring how customers portray them online, these should especially:
- Businesses are reliant on product reviews and online presence.
- Any company planning to grow.
- Businesses that have yet to collect many positive reviews (e.g., start-ups).
- Anyone who is currently struggling with an underachieving reputation online.
3 Benefits of Online Reputation Management
Before we go any further, it’s important to understand why people even invest in reputation management to begin with. Understanding the value of something is an essential prerequisite to effective budgeting.
You need to know whether cutting corners for free tools is worth it. Or should you set aside money instead for a more advanced paid option? Here are the three top benefits of investing in online reputation management tools as a general rule.
1. A Better Brand Image
Keeping your finger on the pulse and tracking reviews in real-time upholds a better brand image. There’s nothing worse than piles of unaddressed negative reviews stacking up before you get a chance to address them.
Keeping track of what’s going on online helps you maintain a better public image. You can swiftly reply to any negative comments and demonstrate how adept your business is.
2. More Profit
It’s simple: the better your online reputation, the more profit you’ll make. People love businesses with glossy reviews and a great rep. Five-star reviews (or understandable, well-addressed, and resolved negative reviews) make for a trustworthy image.
If potential customers see positive results and happy previous customers, they’re more likely to take the plunge. This will result in more profit for you in the long term.
3. Boosted Loyalty
When you listen to your customers — both offline and online — you establish greater trust and better long-term relationships. Who doesn’t want that? Proactively managing your reputation is a fantastic way to boost loyalty.
Boosting customer loyalty is a one-way ticket to loads of other benefits, like increased profitability and regular engagement. But, overall, it’s a huge win in its own right, creating a tight-knit community that guarantees income.
Now you know all about this strategy, what about the best free online reputation management tools?
As promised, we’ve collected some top picks for you to consider. These tools will help you to curate a better system online and, better yet, don’t cost a penny. Here are our three most recommended options:
- HootSuite is great for managing your social media reputation with scheduled posting features and subsequent customer engagement analysis.
- Google Alert allows you to receive an email every time your brand is mentioned online.
- Rankur helps you monitor your business online with an analytical board and general insights.
Beambox: Collecting Reviews Through WiFi
Great reputation management isn’t just about monitoring online reviews; you’ve got to be proactive. That means getting stuck in and asking customers for reviews to ensure you can build a positive reputation online. There are many ways to do this, but perhaps the most effective is through your WiFi. Have you heard of captive portal marketing?
A captive portal is a type of technology that you can sync with your guest’s WiFi network. You simply enable it in your router settings and purchase a software subscription.
Once it’s up and running, it triggers every time a customer clicks to join, redirecting them to a webpage form. This form requests details of your choice, granting them full access after they comply. You can request anything from email addresses for future marketing campaigns or reviews to boost your reputation.
It’s a great way to collect feedback and reviews. Just think how many people expect WiFi when they visit a business; you’ll accrue a whole portfolio in no time.
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At Beambox, we offer an all-in-one WiFi software with a built-in, customizable captive portal. We can help you take your business to the next level.
Start your Beambox free trial today and collect more to measure with your free online reputation management tools!
FAQ
Don’t rush off just yet — there are still some insights to come on how to save your online reputation through WiFi. But before we get there, let’s recap what you’ve learned. It can be overwhelming taking so much information in; can you answer these top FAQ?
What is online reputation management?
Reputation management is the process of monitoring how customers feel about your business by crawling information online. It involves proactive monitoring of social media networks, review sites and websites. It may also involve responding to and addressing any negativity.
Online reputation management comes in two forms: a part or full-time human role and a technological tool or software.
Popular free online reputation tools include HootSuite for social media monitoring, Rankur for wider management, and Google Alerts. These options all provide a level of reputation management, primarily alerting you to problematic information online.
These provide 24/7 vigilance, raising awareness so that you can act on the information. If you want a more reactive solution, you’ll have to invest in paid software or hire a reputation manager.
The primary benefit is how accessible they are; anyone and everyone can use them. This means that small businesses with a lower budget can still proactively manage their image online. You don’t need to hire an expensive new staff member to make a start!
Of course, there are all the usual benefits, too, like improving the chance of future customers engaging. A glossy public image is a one-way ticket to more profit.
