Why eCommerce Businesses Need Reputation Management

The eCommerce industry has grown exponentially over the past few years. Consumers are now more inclined to buy items online rather than from a physical store. With the industry’s growth, online reviews for eCommerce products have also skyrocketed. And today, it’s no secret that most people read reviews before making a purchase. 

Detailed retail reviews, product reviews and social media testimonials are now some of the most helpful and trustworthy resources online consumers have. And any eCommerce store can either gain or lose revenue because of negative or positive reviews. This is why brand reputation management and reputation monitoring is vital for the success of an eCommerce store.

Online retail stores need the best online reputation management campaign possible to ensure an excellent review rating. With eCommerce integration added to Google Search in the form of Google Shopping, consumers can search for a product keyword like “pressure washer,” and Google returns a list of eCommerce stores selling the product, highlighting its review rating. 

Another reason why reputation monitoring and management is important for eCommerce is because of its strong impact on search engine optimization (SEO). Moz reports that online reviews make up 15 percent of Google’s ranking factor. So, the more eCommerce product reviews you have, the higher your business will rank on search engine results pages (SERPs).

What Is Online Reputation Management?

Reputation management is a way to manage your brand’s perception to maintain a positive image to your audience. Online reputation management (ORM) manages reviews, including retail reviews, eCommerce product reviews and social media reviews, to maintain high review ratings on review platforms and search engines.

 Online review reputation management, when applied to eCommerce, can include the following:

• eCommerce reputation management
• eCommerce review management
• Brand reputation management
• Online brand monitoring
• Amazon review management
• Shopify review management
• WooCommerce review management
• Review response service
• Review monitoring software
• Reputation repair

Most retail businesses and eCommerce stores are able to manage their ORM in-house. However, if you don’t have the resources, you can choose to get these eCommerce reputation management services from an eCommerce review management agency like Rize. At the end of the day, what is online reputation management if not another way to sell more? If your eCommerce company wants to discover how ORM can work for you, you can hire experts to guide you through the process.

Rize is an eCommerce review management company that offers the reputation management services listed above and more. Our brand reputation management is expertly tailored to fit your business. With Rize, you can be sure you’re getting the best online reputation management services in the industry.

Why Online Reputation Management is Important?

Retail reputation management and online brand monitoring are now a must for all eCommerce sellers. In the past year, consumers have shifted from buying from physical stores to ordering online. With this change, eCommerce businesses need to amp up their marketing efforts – especially their eCommerce reputation management strategy. 

People trust online eCommerce product reviews as much as a friend or family’s recommendation, which is a strong indication that eCommerce stores should have a plan for generating positive reviews and managing negative ones. This is usually done with an online reputation monitoring system that allows business owners to see everything being said about their business online.

There’s no question: Having a reputation management team, hiring an eCommerce review management company or investing in online reputation management services is a must for any eCommerce store.

Here are the most important reasons why eCommerce should have the best online reputation management plan in place:

1. Reputation management improves how your business is perceived. If your customers love your product, they are likely to leave glowing reviews. Business practices such as fast delivery and personalized packaging are some aspects of your eCommerce store that can make a lasting impression on new customers and help with generating positive reviews for your brand. Having a customized retail reputation management plan put together with the help of a team of online reputation monitoring experts not only boosts your bottom line but increases your customer satisfaction.
2. Reputation management improves how your products are perceived. Unlike when shopping at a brick-and-mortar store, customers cannot see or touch your products. It requires a level of trust for a consumer to order something without seeing it in person. That’s why online product reviews like the ones on Amazon are essential to the customer’s decision to buy. 
3. Reputation management builds customer trust. Customers need to have something to assure them that they are buying from a legitimate company. Through online reviews, people learn about your company and read about other people’s experiences with you. When potential buyers read reviews, they are able to proceed with their decision to either buy from you or choose a different seller.
4. Reputation management helps you improve your products and services. As an eCommerce seller, you might believe that you’re selling the best product that meets your customer’s needs. Online reputation monitoring of your brand will quickly reveal that this is not always the case. Reviews provide you with actual customer feedback that gives insight into how you can change or revise your products to work better. Getting valuable customer feedback is part of an effective retail reputation management strategy.
5. Reputation management helps improve your search engine rankings. Google considers online reviews as a ranking factor for businesses, including eCommerce stores. Google Shopping also lists product snippets on top of search engine results pages (SERPs) and shows the review ratings for each. Having positive eCommerce reviews can result in better visibility online, which leads to more traffic and sales for your store.
6. Reputation management is great for brand awareness. Unless you are a national brand, chances are people have never heard of you. However, when people go online to talk about your brand, you are getting social proof and exposure. Ideally, your brand should have positive feedback, but even a couple of negative eCommerce reviews won’t affect your brand recognition. Getting an efficient online brand monitoring system helps you become aware of what most people think about your brand.
7. Reputation management counters fake customer feedback. Fake eCommerce reviews continue to be the enemy of businesses, more so for eCommerce companies. Often posted by a competing brand, fake reviews can be destructive to your reputation if not handled properly. It’s important to have an eCommerce reputation management system and review monitoring software to prevent fraudulent information from spreading and damaging your brand’s image.
8. Reputation management is crucial to eCommerce. eCommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce are now adding more integrations to ensure that reviews are seamlessly added to a product page. This illustrates how important online product reviews are for an eCommerce store. The casual shopper might not really pay attention to product descriptions, but they may be more likely to read online product reviews. A review monitoring software can be helpful in monitoring your reviews and replying to them within 24 to 48 hours.

As an eCommerce seller that knows the answer to “what is online reputation management?” and everything it entails, you might feel like it’s a complicated process that takes time. This is often true, as online reputation management does require resources to implement, and results are not achieved overnight. 

The good news is that you can hire an eCommerce review management agency or an online reputation management agency to take care of your business’s online reputation. Rize is a reputable online reputation management agency that can help with anything from Amazon review management to review generation – you get expert guidance to reach your goal.  

To learn more about online reputation management services, contact Rize today.