There are plenty of online review management companies out there, but not all of them are as qualified as they would have you believe. So, with so many companies to screen, how do you spot a reputable company? As a top online review management company ourselves, here at Online Presence Manager, we know what a reputable company looks like from the inside out. That’s why today we’re sharing some tips with you to help you to distinguish a reputable company from a less than reputable one.
Online Review Management Companies: Spotting a Reputable Company
So, how do you distinguish the reputable companies from those that are less than reputable? Take a look at these top tips…
Look For a Company That Doesn’t Make False Promises
Online review management companies often offer a range of services that include improved search engine ranking. One big advertising point for many of these companies is that they will “get you the #1 ranking on Google”. The truth is that no company can make that kind of promise. A company can promise that they’ll use their tools to get you the best results and a good company can get you on the front page of Google. No company can guarantee a #1 placement on Google, however, not unless they are running a very intensive and very expensive pay per click campaign which will send your advertising budget through the roof.
Do us a favor and pull up Google.com in a new browser tab. Type “Tampa movers” in the search box and search. Now, look at the top search results. Do you see how those top results all have a small “Ad” button beside the website URL? That means that those spots on Google were purchased. These purchased ads always display before organically listed results. The current CPC rate for this particular term is $18.57. That means that you must bid a minimum of $18.57 per click in order to reach these top listings in Google. Any company that promises that they can get you to a #1 listing without demanding a huge advertising budget is deceiving you.
Could these companies mean that they will get you to the #1 organic spot in search engines? It could be, but the problem here is that all they have to do is reach that top spot once and they’ve met their claim. This doesn’t mean that your business is going to remain as the number one listing. In fact, as often as search engine algorithms update and as many other competitors that are competing for the same listings, your company listing is going to be continually jockeying back and forth with your competitors.
They Promise Immediate Removal of Negative Reviews
Part of an online review management company’s job is to manage your negative reviews. This can mean getting reviews removed or it can mean responding to negative reviews and managing your online image.
What these companies don’t tell you is that there are rules as to when reviews can and cannot be removed. The websites that host these reviews have to respect the freedom of speech of the people leaving the reviews so unless the review in question meets specific criteria, it will not be removed. Even when reviews do meet those specific criteria, it can sometimes take an attorney demanding removal for a review to be removed. This is not a process that takes minutes, it can take weeks if not months.
There are companies who will flat out lie to you and tell you that they’ll get the job done in minutes and there are companies that will send fraudulent attorney letters demanding review removal. Neither of these companies is going to provide you with the service that your company deserves.
What can a reputable company do for you in this type of situation? Here at Online Presence Manager, we do everything in our power to work things out with the websites that host these reviews. If negative reviews of your business do not meet the necessary criteria for removal, we will manage those reviews professionally and diffuse the situation. We don’t believe in breaking the law or lying to our clients in order to get the job done, we believe in doing things the right way so that your company and ours both maintain a positive image and our integrity.
They’re Vague About Their Rates
When you sign up with an online presence manager, it’s important that you know exactly what you are going to be paying them each month. Some companies don’t believe in transparent pricing, though, and this can cause unexpected bills that you haven’t budgeted for. You deserve to have control over what you pay the companies you hire. That’s why you should always select a company that charges a flat rate fee or that provides you with a complete breakdown of your monthly cost before the month begins.
It’s true that some elements of being an online presence manager have variable costs, but those costs should always be within the budget range that you dictate. A good manager will make sure that this is the case.
Tired of Scouring For Online Review Management Companies?
Tired of trying to weed through the many online review management companies out there and ready to hire one with the reputation and experience you deserve? Online Presence Manager has got you covered! To arrange for your consultation just give us a call today at 727-475-6460 and let us take control of your online reviews for you.
