Online Reputation Management Important for Businesses

 

 

"by : WSI Research and Management Division"

 

As discussed, consumers use search engines to gather information. When they undertake a search for your company name or brand, your hope is that your own website is high up on the search results list. If your company name appears in the top 10 lists, hopefully your customers won’t be distracted by the other 9 listings. 

Online customers searching for your company name will often look at all results provided not only your business website, but by review sites, discussion forums, etc. When their eyes skim down the list, what stands out about your company? Is it all good, relevant, up-to-date information? Are there any negative listings saying bad things about your brand or company? Are there sites with outdated information about your brand in the list? What are people saying about you on industry forums and blogs? People looking for your company in the search engine results will scan all this information. 

People from all walks of life use search engines to research and gather information, so that they can make informative decisions. If the information they come across during a search relating to your brand is adverse, it can affect the decisions they make. Negative information can ultimately lead to problems in many areas including sales, investor relations, recruitment, financials, image and reputation. In other words - damage to your brand. 

 

 

Domino’s Pizza ORM Case Study
The below video attracted around 2 million viewers with many comments. This video was uploaded on YouTube by 2 employees of Domino’s Pizza showing themselves performing unsanitary acts while on the job. Domino’s Pizza employee (referred to as Michael) is seen spitting in food, putting cheese in his nose before placing it on a sandwich and rubbing a dish washing sponge on his nether regions.

 

 

 

To avoid such negative matters, an online reputation management control system is vital. ORM helps you maintain a fine reputation of your business, and an effective ORM requires three main processes.