Anyone investing in an internet reputation manager in order to repair their reputation needs to know a few things before committing to one agency. The first thing to be aware of is that reputation repair is never a quick fix. Maybe you’ll see results quickly, and that’s great. Always remember that once those results come in, the job still isn’t finished. Nowhere close to finished, actually.
If a reputation manager tells you that the job will be completed in 3 months, 6 months, 9 months – any definitive time frame, really – be weary. Maybe the agency means that the results will show up within that time, but an agency that knows what it’s talking about understands that the work is never truly finished.
It might not be something you want to hear, but investing in online reputation repair is a long-term project. Finding an agency that is willing to make the initial push to see results but then maintain those results is an important aspect of the hiring process. Here’s why online reputation repair should always be considered a long-term project that needs regular maintenance.
Customer Reviews Need Active Participation
One of the most important aspects of reputation management is review monitoring. Review monitoring isn’t something that is done once, twice, or three times. It is constant and is even more important as your company grows. Gaining customer reviews should be a goal of yours, but it is something you can do while you kick back and relax. It requires active participation.
There are plenty of tools and resources that can help you to monitor and respond to customer reviews. Keeping track of reviews is made even more difficult when you have an omnichannel selling model, like if you sell on Amazon, Etsy, and your own eCommerce store.
The World of Mobile Experiences Constant Innovations
Even if your current website is fully optimized for mobile use, it’s important to stay on top of it. More and more consumers are browsing for services and products from their mobile devices, so if your website is not functional on a phone or tablet, you’ve fallen way behind. An online reputation repair agency can help to develop your website so that it is more mobile-friendly.
Search Engine Optimization Is Never Ending
What’s even more important than a website optimized for mobile is a web site that is optimized to rank high on search engines. If your brand name doesn’t show up within the first page of related search results, it’s time to step up your game. A common reputation repair service is SEO; experts can help you optimize your site by filling it with keywords, creating an active blog section, and investing in backlinks.
To see the initial results, you’re looking at 3 to 6 months. If you’re lucky enough to rank high on Google within 3 months, you can pull back a bit on your SEO strategy, but never forget about it entirely. SEO is yet another service that requires constant attention.