For businesses and brands, it is all too easy to put online reputation management on the backburner—but doing so can result in significant damage to the brand’s integrity. Such is the thesis of a recent article in Forbes, which underscores the important role of online reputation management in today’s increasingly digital world. The Forbes article notes that, for companies, the Internet is either an ally or an enemy, with no middle ground; either a company enjoys a strong, positive online image, or a negative one. The trouble, according to Forbes, is that actively managing a business’ online reputation can prove time-consuming and sometimes expensive, which is why companies often ignore it. This article has won the attention of Reputation Changer, itself a leading name in the online reputation management industry.

In a press statement, Reputation Changer CEO Cliff Stein weighs in on the points made in the article. “Forbes is correct in both of its points—that online reputation management is very difficult, and that it is nevertheless essential,” comments Stein. “The second point more than outweighs the first, however; difficult though it may be, online reputation management is critical, because neglecting it can result in dire consequences for businesses and brands.”

Stein elaborates on just how dire these consequences can be. “At Reputation Changer, complaints and negative online reviews are seen as potential business-killers,” he says. “It is no exaggeration to say that a negative online reputation can bring a business or brand to ruin. We have seen it happen, time and time again.”

The reason why online reputation management is so important is simply that consumers are placing more and more emphasis on online reputation. “These days, people have plenty of avenues to rate, review, and seek information on businesses, brands, products, and services,” says Stein. “It is the easiest thing in a world for a consumer to head to Yelp.com or to conduct a Google search—and if that consumer does not like what he or she sees about your company, it can result in lost sales, lost clients, and, ultimately, a major hit to your bottom line.”

Stein says that no company can prevent bad reviews and consumer complaints from happening, but they can seek to minimize the damage done. This is where the time-consuming work of online reputation defense comes into play. “In order to ward off bad reviews and consumer complaints, businesses must invest in producing high volumes of compelling, brand-enhancing content, as well as maintaining robust social media channels,” comments Stein.

This is easier said than done, perhaps, but Stein suggests that businesses do not have to take a DIY approach to online reputation management. “Some companies go the DIY route, and it works well for them,” he says. “For businesses that simply do not have the time or resources to create so much online content, there are companies like Reputation Changer.”

Reputation Changer and other online reputation management agencies work to create the vast amounts of content needed for businesses to defend themselves against defamation. “We cannot prevent bad reviews from happening, but we can negate their impact and render them non-issues,” says Stein. “We do this by flooding out these bad reviews, burying them under mountains of brand-enhancing content.”

In the end, online reputation management companies take on the difficult work of reputation monitoring and repair, on the client’s behalf. “At Reputation Changer, complaints and unwanted online listings are resolved quickly and aggressively,” concludes Stein. “The goal is always to establish the client’s brand as a brand of choice among consumers—period.”

 
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