Think Reputation Marketing - Not Management

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Jan. 25, 2015 - PRLog -- Webmaster For Hire recently launched a new reputation management service to help companies manage and maintain their online reputation. This service is a direct response to the need to proactively maintain a positive online reputation to engage in effective reputation marketing. Rather than passively waiting for online reviews and dealing with negative reviews after the fact, this service legitimately sorts customer reviews before they appear online, giving companies more control over their online reputation.

Elizabeth Varian, President of Webmaster for Hire, describes the value of reputation marketing: “Reputation Marketing builds a following and keeps consumers connected, increasing the opportunity to sell more than one product, or service, in the future. The more you invest in your reputation and branding, the more ‘connect points’ you create on the World Wide Web. Each one will increase your opportunity to make future sales, which is the reason most people are in business.” Reputation marketing is also one of the cheapest forms of marketing, especially considering its direct client focus.

Negative reviews often result from angry customers, disgruntled employees, and competitors. Webmaster for Hire refers to these individuals as “trolls” because their goal is to harm businesses, and they are often very successful. These reviews may not even be legitimate, but they can harm businesses regardless. Elizabeth Varian explains that "a single negative review can cost a company 30 customers."

Roughly 80% of adults are either "very" or "somewhat" more likely to at least consider buying products when friends and family recommend the product. Additionally, 90% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they would trust a recommendation from their friends and family, making online reviews an extremely powerful tool. Customers are also much more likely to purchase a product from a website that has user reviews.

When reviews go unfiltered, companies occasionally chose to address them in a way that puts their business in a negative light. For example, charging customers an additional fee for a negative review may result in extreme social media backlash. In addition, replying to the review can be even more damaging to the business than the review itself, or it is completely ineffective. Generally, removing the review is not an option.

Webmaster For Hire allows companies to get real reviews from real customers, and then sorts them before they are posted online. The 3-star (or less) reviews are sent directly to the company to address. Anything 4 stars or above is pushed out to legitimate review websites. It is possible that a negative review gets posted outside of the system, but it will be buried by the steady stream of positive reviews from satisfied consumers, resulting in an overall dampening of its effect.

Some companies and competitors create "fake" reviews to either boost their own products or harm their competitors. Some companies even go as far as hiring outside companies to write these reviews for them. But, Webmaster For Hire’s service goes to real customers for real reviews, so the service does not compromise the company’s integrity.

Webmaster For Hire’s new service will allow companies to have more control over their online reputation by avoiding fake and malicious reviews. Webmaster For Hire is now accepting new businesses to take part in this service.