What’s the Average Cost of Internet Reputation Management?

It makes sense for businesses to look for ways to reduce their costs. Some may think that the average cost of internet reputation is too high. You might think that, instead of investing in online reputation management software, the money would be better spent elsewhere. But think about it—your online reputation is your biggest asset. Is it not worth protecting it at all costs?

In this article, you will learn about the average cost of internet reputation management. As well as helpful tips on boosting your reputation, you’ll find easy solutions to protect your online brand’s reputation.

What Is Internet Reputation Management?

Internet reputation management is a strategy to build a positive digital public image. Managing your reputation online is an ongoing task. It involves promoting positive information about your business and suppressing anything negative. Managing a reputation consists of getting positive reviews and dealing with negative ones.

Your internet reputation is every piece of information relating to your business online. This could be what’s published about your product, service, employees, and even you. Your reputation could be linked to what people read on your website, blogs, social media sites, and review sites. Even employees can leave their opinions about your business on sites like Glassdoor.

Essentially, your internet reputation is the digital version of word of mouth and what people think of your business.

Imagine you create a blog piece, and customers share it on their social media page. This share gets likes and comments. These comments make people perceive your business in a positive light. What about if someone leaves a negative review? It’s vital to respond to negative reviews in the best way to protect your digital reputation.

While many people only focus on online reputation, you can’t forget that face-to-face interactions also contribute to your internet reputation. The first impression when someone walks into a physical store and their experience still matters. An excellent customer experience encourages the person to leave a positive review—a boost to your internet reputation.

How Important Is Your Internet Reputation?

Your internet reputation is crucial if you want to succeed in a competitive market. And online reviews play a big part in your reputation. Studies show that 84 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as their friend’s opinion. And this figure is higher among millennials.

Before making a purchasing decision, consumers want to make sure they make the right decision. Online reviews, in particular, are a good way for them to see the good and the bad.

Having a good internet reputation encourages more customers to your website. It’s not just your website that will receive more visitors. Your physical location can also get more foot traffic. The more traffic you get, the higher your sales— naturally leading to higher revenues. On the contrary, by neglecting your internet reputation, potential customers will walk past your door or scroll past your website. How much can a poor internet reputation cost? One survey found that 80 percent of customers won’t buy from businesses that have bad reviews.

Related reading: How to delete bad reviews on Google.

The importance of your internet reputation doesn’t stop with your customers. Employees working for a company with a poor reputation are less satisfied and more inclined to look for a new job. Glassdoor stated that 84 percent of job seekers felt that an employer’s reputation was important. A poor reputation can cost a company 10 percent more to hire staff.

Related reading: How negative reviews can affect your business.

How Can Online Reviews Help Your Internet Reputation?

Online reviews are the backbone of your internet reputation. They instill a sense of trust in your business. After all, those who write reviews have no reason to lie. If you have done a great job, people want to share their experiences. Readers have more confidence in their purchasing choice and, in turn, may leave their own positive reviews.

Even a small handful of negative reviews can have a positive impact on your internet reputation. Negative reviews show readers that you aren’t perfect and you make mistakes. People are more likely to trust a company with some negative reviews—a “perfect” reputation is too good to be true. If you have a perfect review profile, readers may think you buy positive reviews. Additionally, negative reviews can contain feedback that allows you to make the necessary improvements, so your product or service is even better.

The way you respond to your online reviews also positively impacts your reputation—when handled the right way. Specifically, the way you deal with negative reviews manages your online reputation at no cost. For example, apologizing, taking responsibility for any mistakes, and providing solutions show readers that you are committed to providing the best possible service.

What’s the Average Cost of Internet Reputation Management?

There are three things to consider when looking at the average cost of internet reputation management.

First, you need to understand how much not managing your reputation will cost you. Not managing your reputation can lead to negative reviews, poor SEO rankings, reduced traffic to your website, lower sales, and more challenges hiring. This is a price that no business can afford. Unfortunately, the only ones to benefit if you don’t invest in a reputation management strategy are your competitors.

Next, you need to consider how much it will cost to try and improve a damaged reputation. According to Forbes, it can cost five times more to attract new customers than to look after those you already have.

Finally, the average cost of internet reputation management can cost anywhere from $100 to over $300 per month per location. It’s widely agreed that this is a highly worthy investment considering all that one piece of software can achieve.

Why Is Internet Reputation Management Software Worth the Investment?

Internet reputation management software can handle a wide range of tasks that would otherwise occupy a lot of your time. Your internet reputation depends on online reviews.

Here are simple ways to get more reviews at no cost:

• Ask customers to leave feedback
• Send reminders if customers forget to leave a reviews
• Monitor your new reviews from multiple review sites
• Reply to every review.

To make your task easier, internet reputation management software is the solution. It can send out automated review invitations as well as automated email and text reminders. Many solutions have a dashboard where you can find all the reviews from different sites in one location. To help you stay on top of your reviews, you receive notifications, and, in many cases, you can respond from your dashboard.

Aside from review management, some software has advanced features such as survey generators, negative review management, sentiment analysis, and detailed reports.

How Can Starloop Help with the Average Cost of Your Internet Reputation?

Many successful local businesses use Starloop as a cost-effective tool to manage their internet reputations. They find that Starloop is easy to use and doesn’t cost as much as other reputation management solutions.

Here are a few ways that Starloop can benefit your business.

First, Starloop reputation management software only costs $194 per month, regardless of the number of clients or locations you have. Second, Starloop sends automated messages inviting customers to leave feedback on Google. You also get notifications when new reviews come in. Third, Starloop is one of the most easy-to-use internet reputation software available.

Starloop is an easy way to get new, genuine reviews and fast. How does Starloop help its members to triple the number of reviews they receive? Starloop plants a tree for every review you receive. This ethical and eco-friendly incentive motivates your customers to leave a review. Customers know that when they complete the simple review process, they are contributing to a healthy planet.

What’s the Average Cost of Internet Reputation Management— Conclusion

Today’s business climate is full of uncertainty. Due to the massive digital transformation, competition is higher than ever.

The question shouldn’t be: “what is the average cost of internet reputation?” Rather—can you afford not to be on top of what people are saying about you online?

Internet reputation management software such as Starloop is an investment. This investment can save you a great deal of time while generating a steady flow of new and positive reviews—boosting your internet reputation and revenue.