Reputation Management Tips and Examples by Industry

There are different audiences for each industry, which means that some online reputation management strategies might be more effective in one sector than others. It usually takes time to find which methods work best for your industry, but we took the guesswork out of that with our own research.

Restaurant Reputation Management

The key to online reputation management for restaurants is visibility.

This starts by claiming listings on popular restaurant review sites like Yelp, OpenTable, Google, and Facebook. Not only does this give you a solid foothold in terms of online presence, but it even gives you an advantage on the competition. Report data from BrandMuscle revealed that only 46 percent of its partners claimed their listings on Yelp, which attracted over 100 million unique visitors in Q3 2018.

That’s plenty of eyes that could be looking at your restaurant. To keep them hooked on your restaurant, make sure that you continue to accrue reviews and respond because over 55 percent of consumers view online reviews as influential when it comes to choosing a new restaurant. The right review along with your response can mean the difference between a massive party of patrons or an empty service on Friday night.

You can even boost your online reputation outside of review sites, specifically on social media. Use it to show off review, deals, special events, and behind-the-scenes content. But don’t forget to also engage with customers.

Constant engagement, even if it’s about the simplest question can be a deciding factor for a customer. If they mention you on social media as part of a positive review make sure you direct them to your listings so that their feedback influences the purchase decisions of future customers.

Healthcare Reputation Management

Survey data revealed that 80.3 percent of providers know of the importance of a strong online reputation, but many miss the first steps for effective reputation management for doctors.

A basic outline for healthcare reputation management involves improving the overall patient experience and driving an increase in patient engagement.

Doctors and hospitals alike can use HCAHPS or custom surveys to gauge the current level of patient satisfaction and use it to improve various parts of their daily operation.

Doing so creates loyal patients, and a 10 percent increase of loyal patrons means that a hospital can see an increased revenue of $22 million.

Review responses are also especially important for providers, but they will need to adhere to HIPAA guidelines when responding to avoid legal and financial penalties. Fortunately, we have a guide that should help you create a caring and professional response that fits well within HIPAA rules.

Financial Services Reputation Management

Reputation risk management for any financial institution can be the difference between a successful business and one that doesn’t serve its customers well.

In fact, the idea of damage to the overall brand and reputation to any financial business is a top concern according to a 2017 global risk management survey. Fortunately, there are a few ways to safeguard a financial institution’s reputation.

You can and should leverage online customer feedback as a way to improve not only operations, but the customer experience as well.

People trust your business with their finances and you need to provide a service and experience that is worthy of their patronage. Anything less means that you’ll lose customers faster than you can acquire them, and it costs over $300 to get new customers through the door.

This also means that you need to engage with customers in person, on reviews, and through social media. People need to see the business as more than just a place where they put their money so that it’s the first thing on their mind when they have financial issues or questions.

None of these initiatives are possible without a foundation of trust. That can be through a strong and secure system to prevent data breaches, philanthropic events, or eco-friendly processes.

These all show that each customer is not just a number but rather an integral part of your financial institution’s success, and that you’re keeping their interests and concerns in mind even while they do business with you.

Dentists Reputation Management

Dental reputation management is the key to bringing in more patients. In fact, survey data reveals that 87 percent of U.S. respondents view online reviews as a trusted recommendation source for dentists.

The first steps to getting a healthy dental reputation management is to distribute patient surveys, which can show any crucial issues in your dental operation. With those changes made, you can then start asking patients to write reviews about the practice on multiple review sites (where you claimed your listing) or even on your own website.

Make sure that you respond to these reviews as well, but be mindful of HIPAA guidelines when creating a response. If you’re unsure about how to respond, you can check out our list of sample responses. You can also try and take the conversation offline by providing an email address or phone number where patients can leave more valuable and detailed feedback.

Automotive Reputation Management

Reputation management for car dealers is vital to their success because an overwhelming 95 percent of those buying a car will use digital channels as their main source of information. With a notable online presence, you can have a strong auto dealer reputation management strategy that can convert online prospects into actual customers.

If your dealership website already has significant user traffic you can use it to your advantage, specifically in the form of video content. Google research shows that 40 percent of shoppers who watch video content about cars or trucks end up visiting a dealership afterwards. Just make sure that the video you produce is appealing and compelling enough to convince customers to make that purchase as soon as possible.

Reviews are also important to dealerships because they heavily influence 65 percent of consumers, which makes it the third-most influential industry for online reviews. Encourage customers during and after the sale to leave a review on one of your many claimed online listings, and continue to stay engaged with them by responding with their review.

Remember, even responding to negative reviews makes it more likely for 45 percent of consumers to visit a business.

Hotel Reputation Management

The percentage of consumers who would leave a review after a positive experience at a hotel is now over 40 percent. That makes hotels the second-most likely business where customers will leave a positive review after their stay. This recent jump in the likelihood of leaving a positive review is because hotels are taking charge of their online reputation.

One of the most important hotel reputation management tools is TripAdvisor, specifically the photos displayed on your listing. Research data shows that hotels with at least one photo on their TripAdvisor page will get 225 percent more booking inquiries than a listing no photos at all. That number goes up to 238 percent for listings with more than 100 photos.

Once a guest books their stay, make sure that your staff and managers are engaging with them in a friendly and professional manner during their visit. An unforgettable experience and excellent staff service are key drivers for customer reviews.

When those reviews pour in make sure that you do spend enough time writing a high-quality response because it helps you out in the long run. A TripAdvisor study revealed that a hotel responding to at least one review saw a 17 percent boost in customer engagement, and that engagement level only goes higher if hotel management responds to more reviews.

More importantly, review responses also contribute to your overall rating. The same study found that hotels with a 5 to 40 percent response rate had an average rating of 4.0 out of 5, and those with a 65 percent response rate or higher had an average 4.15 out of 5 rating. On the other hand, hotels that didn’t respond at all had a lower average rating of 3.8 out of 5.

Apartment Reputation Management

Apartment hunting is more than just finding the right place that fits a budget; it’s also about looking at the experiences of previous tenants, most of whom will make their opinions known through online reviews. That’s why apartment reputation management can deliver a big ROI for property management companies.

According to recent research from Zillow, reviews are important to 53 percent of consumers looking to rent, and it’s important to show these customers that you are engaging with current and potential tenants.

You should make an effort to showcase the property as much as possible in the form of pictures or video. Similar to hotel properties, giving people an idea of what they can expect allows them to make better inquiries.

You also need to make an effort in being transparent about specific things like the terms of the agreement or additional information about deposits. Showing these important documents to future tenants is one of the most important factors when making a rental purchase decision.

Employer / Employee Reputation Management

Job seekers are using sites like Glassdoor to gauge a company’s reputation. Specifically, Glassdoor shows that 84 percent of job seekers place high importance on the company’s reputation as an employer. That’s on top of the 83 percent of people who are likely to check out employee reviews and ratings when looking for a new job.

But you shouldn’t just rely on employee reviews alone to get candidates. Effective employer reputation management requires you to be actively pushing the employer brand. This means listening to feedback from current employees on how to improve conditions in the office to being active on the company’s social media channels.

You shouldn’t just answer questions but also extend your network and find the perfect candidates for open positions. Doing so not only increases the likelihood of applications to 94 percent, but it also leads to a 28 percent increase in retention and a 50 percent decrease in the cost per hire.