What is online reputation management?In a nutshell, online reputation management, or ORM as it’s known, is the practice of making people and businesses look their best on the internet. To accomplish that, people need to control their online search results because they frequently contain inaccurate, misleading, or outdated material which can adversely influence how web searchers view them.

Online Reputation StatisticsImpact of Online Reputation on Business

• Corporate reputation accounts for 33% of the FTSE 100′s combined market value, an increase of 9% over 2011. Shell, Diageo and Unilever head the table with combined reputations worth £118bn. (Echo Research, 2012)

• Corporate reputation accounted for c.£520bn of market value across the FTSE 350 at the start of 2012, an increase of 18% over 2011 (£440bn) and versus a 3% decline in the overall market value of the FTSE 350. (Echo Research, 2012)

• Reputational risk has overtaken regulatory compliance risk as the primary concern of corporate directors. Survey respondents identified the various risks that were most important to their boards, with 69% identifying reputational risk as most important. (EisnerAmper, Second Annual Board of Directors Survey, 2011)

• The average traveler visits approximately 22 travel-related sites during 9.5 research sessions prior to booking. 85% of leisure travelers consider the internet their main source of travel planning. (Google, 2011)

• 74% would most likely refuse to interact or do business with a person or company if they found negative info about them online (Harris Interactive, 2010)

• Executives have an 82% chance of confronting a corporate disaster over the next five years, up from 20% a decade earlier. (Economist, 2010)

• Company managers rank Reputation Risk as the top risk facing their companies. (Risk Management 2010)

• Companies with leading reputations achieved shareholder returns 100% higher than competitors and outperformed the S&P 500 by over 100%. (Prophet, 2010)

• Reputation management is forecast to be a $3.1 billion global market by 2013. (BIA/Kelsey, 2009)

• 4 million SMBs are forecasted to use online reputation platforms by 2013. (BIA/ Kelsey, 2009)

• 50% of comments about a brand come from Internet sources that are not directly related to its business. (Digimind, 2010)

• 25% of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content. (Socialnomics, 2009)

• Reputation risk is the greatest risk facing companies, with as much as 75% of a company’s value based on reputation. (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008)

• 50% of comments about a brand come from Internet sources that are not directly related to its business. (Digimind, 2010)

• 25% of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content. (Socialnomics, 2009)

• Reputation risk is the greatest risk facing companies, with as much as 75% of a company’s value based on reputation. (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008)

Search Engines as Reputation Validators

• More than 80% of reputation damage risks come from a mismatch between the buzz and the reality. (Digimind, 2010)

• 80% believe online identity is now as important as “offline” personal or professional reputation. (Intelius, 2010)

• Nearly 1 in 4 adults have posted something online that they wouldn’t want an employer, future employer or teacher to see. (Symantec survey,  2011)

• Over 80% of Internet users search online for health information, and 1/5th of their searches are about a specific provider. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2011)

• 53% of users do not go past the first 2 results for any given search. (Google, 2009)

• 89% of users do not go past Page 1 for any given search. (AOL, 2010)

• 78% of executive recruiters routinely use search engines to learn more about candidates, and 35% have eliminated candidates based on the information they found. (ExecuNet, 2009)

• 83% of recruiters admit to using online search engines to uncover information about candidates, and 43% admit to eliminating candidates based on the negative information they found. (Youngmoney.com, 2009)

• 78% of U.S. adults believe it is very important to look up info about people and/or businesses online before deciding to interact or do business with them. (Harris Interactive, 2010)

• 25% of admissions officers admit to googling college prospects before offering admission. An estimated 54% of college admissions officers use search engines to learn more about applicants. (Kaplan Test Prep, 2011)

• 70% of women and 63% of men use Google and other online tools to screen potential dates. (DailyMail, 2011)

• 7 in 10 online adults have searched online for information about other people. (Pew Research, 2010)

Online Reviews

• 85% of consumers conduct online research before making a purchase and 89% trust online reviews, which is second only to word of mouth. (Cone Inc., 2011)

• Consumer reviews carry more search weight than a business’s website. (Marchex, 2011)
  Consumers are 25% more likely to research online reviews for high-cost purchases. (Cone Inc., 2011)
  Auto dealerships with few online reviews or negative average scores saw their search referral traffic drop by as much as 86% when Google started placing reviews under business websites in July 2011. (DealerMarketing.com)
  A difference of one star in the average rating of a typical online business can lead to a 5–9% difference in revenues. (Harvard Business Review, 2011)

• 92% of Internet users read product reviews and 89% of people say that reviews influence their purchasing decisions. (e-tailing group, 2010)

• 21% of consumers change their minds about buying a product or service after reading two bad reviews, 37% after reading three negative reviews. (Lightspeed Research, 2011)

• 87% of consumers disclose that a favorable review has confirmed their decision to make a purchase. (Cone Inc., 2011)

• 70% of consumers use online reviews to find local services. (Search Engine Land, 2011)

• “Did you know that your online reputation is in the hands of just a few people? Only 1 out of every 20 patients post an online review of his physician, but nearly half of all patients use the Internet to learn about the prospective physicians and other healthcare providers.” (Outpatient Surgery, 2011)

Online Privacy & Cybercrime

• The median annualized cost of cybercrime to a business is $5.9 million. (Ponemon Institute, 2011)

• 431 million adults worldwide were victims of cybercrime in 2010. (Norton Cybercrime Report 2011)

• Total direct costs of cybercrime worldwide totaled $114 billion in 2010, or approximately 50% of the $288 billion black market for marijuana, cocaine, and heroine. (Norton Cybercrime Report 2011)

• Sites offering counterfeit versions of major sports brands’ products have taken some 28% of search terms, pushing up prices for legitimate goods. (MarkMonitor, 2011)

• 580 million annual visits are being siphoned away from the hospitality industry by brandjackers, representing millions in lost revenue. (MarkMonitor, 2011)

• The average value of an identity to cybercriminals is $5,000. (Javelin Research, 2011)

• 9 million Americans’ identities are stolen each year. (Javelin Research, 2011)

• Direct costs of identity theft to American consumers in 2010 was $37 billion. (Javelin Research, 2011)

• 100% people surveyed had incorrect privacy settings on Facebook. (Columbia Univ, 2011)

Reputation Management:  Comprehensive Tools for a Changing Business WorldFlexible technology to differentiate you from the competition.

The first holistic platform to manage every aspect of your business’s online reputation, from reviews and social media to local/mobile search visibility and business listings.

Key Features

• Inclusion in multiple online business listings for greater local search visibility.

• Manage Facebook and Twitter profiles in real time from the platform.

• See all reviews across multiple review sites and business locations.

• Automatically request reviews from customers following each sale.

• Alerting for new negative reviews and social media mentions.

• Analytics and reporting tools, as well as patented Reputation Score for a high-level perspective.

• In-store kiosks to maximize review generation.

• Website widgets and landing pages to increase the impact of positive reviews.

Software PlatformCompiled, Sortable Reviews From Multiple Sites
All reviews automatically compiled from across the Internet. Scrolling view of all reviews across all sites. Data sortable by rating history, review volume history, and score breakdown over time.
Powerful, Review-specific Analytics
Wide range of standard and customized analyses. Quick access to score breakdown, rapid declines/inclines, and strength/weakness vs. competitors. Drill down by any region or set of variables. Compare nearby locations to each other. Compare individual locations to local competitors.
Custom Reports & Automatic Distribution
Create reports based on any set of variables. Distribute reports automatically to custom email lists. Schedule periodic reports and/or event-triggered reports.
Maintenance-free, Cloud-based Interface
Minimal upfront investment. No hardware, no software. All patches, upgrades, and enhancements included. Separate interfaces for corporate and franchise users.

Web Presence BuilderBusiness Listings Profiles
List business locations across the most prominent online profiling services, making sure customers find correct information, including address, hours, phone number, website and more.
Landing Pages
Create customized landing pages, highlight positive reviews and helping you to rank in the local search results.
Website Widget
Customizable review widgets allow you to display recent positive reviews on your websites, encouraging other customers to write their own reviews.
Review Generation & Management
Review-request Email Campaigns  
Create customized email campaigns and request reviews from your customers following each sale. Our sophisticated email engine automatically processes opt-outs and schedules follow-up emails as needed.

Strategic Responding to Customer Reviews
Monitor the reviews and social media for your business. When a customer posts a negative review, respond to defuse the situation, directly from the platform. Post public or private responses as appropriate to maximize goodwill.

Social Content Creation & ManagementSocial Media Site Creation
Set up Facebook and Twitter accounts (as needed), adding images and other custom content to match your branding.
Social Media Management
Schedule daily, industry-specific posts, consisting of unique, custom content designed to actively grow your business’s social community and increase customer loyalty.

Review Request KioskIn-store Review-request Kiosks
Customized tablets or software for in-store use. A simple, one-screen interface encourages customers to review. Negative feedback goes to store management team or to your representatives. Positive feedback prompts the customer to post a review online.
3G Connectivity
Businesses without in-store wifi can still kiosks, which can be equipped with 3G connectivity as required.
Survey Functionality
The kiosk software also allows you to create and conduct customers surveys.

Reputation AssessmentReputation Scored Against the Entire Industry
Your reputation scored against the industrywide national average and local competitors. Specific suggestions provided on how to improve your online reputation. Patented scoring algorithm weighs a wide range of factors to come up with one of the most accurate scores available anywhere.

Get Started NOW to Select from any of our five services:Reputation Defender, Reputation.com for business, Executive Privacy, Executive Privacy Plus or Athlete On-line Privacy Protection Program.