Online reputation management involves managing your digital presence by overseeing your online reviews at each location. It usually includes a strategy to monitor and respond to reviews on relevant review sites where your business locations are listed. Popular platforms include global sites like Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Facebook, and Foursquare, as well as regional ones like Zomato, Talabat, and ReserveOut.

First, ensure all your business listings are complete and accurate. Before starting reputation management or review management, claim and verify your Google Maps listing by creating a Google My Business account, claiming each listing, and setting up Google alerts. Verification processes allow you to update your Google listings and respond to reviews, which can be tricky but companies like Localyser can assist you. Google My Business improves your SEO and your brand’s online image.

Other platforms are easier to set up, but distinguish between a Facebook brand page and location pages—your location listings should be under the brand page so customers leave reviews in the right place.

Once your profiles are set up, begin tracking reviews—pay attention to negative feedback, positive comments, and everything in between. Online content is your direct link to content marketing and helps build a positive reputation. Reputation management companies help you get started with review management.

Develop suggested response templates for different sentiments (positive and negative). For example:

Positive review responses:

• “Hello {Name}, thanks for your positive feedback! We’re always happy to hear good things from our customers. The {Brand} team.”
• “We’re glad you enjoyed your experience at {Brand}. Come back soon! The {Brand} team.”
• “Greetings from {Brand}! Thanks for your review, {Name}. We look forward to seeing you again soon. The {Brand} team.”

Negative review responses:

• “We’re sorry to see your negative review and would like to learn more. Please let us know how to contact you here: {contact info}. The {Brand} team.”
• “Hello {Name}, we’re truly sorry your experience wasn’t as pleasant as we hoped. We take negative feedback seriously and want to make sure your next experience is better. The {Brand} team.”
• “Hello {Name}, we regret to hear about your experience. Please share how we can contact you to help resolve this: {contact info}. The {Brand} team.”

For better accuracy, create additional templates addressing specific issues like food quality or service. This improves your reputation score and review management.

Use your reviews to enhance social media platforms and create content. Connect to your social accounts and take control by posting positive content. Leveraging reviews across search engines and review platforms boosts your SEO. Social media posts are a simple way to do social marketing. Digital marketing is the future of restaurant marketing—stay connected to your customers and use their feedback to enrich your social presence. Review management optimally uses customer feedback on social profiles—this is called social proof.

Be aware of your customer experience and use online reputation services. It’s crucial to know what consumers say daily about your business. Online reviews and feedback are a gift. If your restaurant delivers a negative experience, you’ll find out through online reviews. A bad experience can turn a happy customer into a negative reviewer. Stay updated on review platforms and social media. Online reputation monitoring lets your business fix mistakes. Fake reviews are tricky—knowing the difference between genuine and false negative experiences is vital for your online business and can mean the difference between a bad reputation and a 5-star rating. Most responses happen online. Using reputation management companies like Localyser can be the missing piece in your overall reputation plan.

Leverage automation for multi-site online reputation management. If you run a chain or group with multiple brands and locations, consider using a reputation management tool to automate review tracking and content strategy. For example, Localyser offers clients a single dashboard to monitor and respond to all online reviews, saving time and resources. This makes managing your online presence easier, improving your reputation faster than you might expect.

Also, consider decentralizing reputation management—allow each restaurant or store manager to respond to reviews for their own location. This ensures each site sees customer feedback in real time and can take immediate action, boosting positive reputation and scores.

Online reputation management is ideal for any business receiving online reviews. If you get reviews on at least one site, as most businesses do, you need an online reputation strategy. This is especially true for brands with multiple branches receiving reviews across various sites. It helps attract potential customers, monitor negative content, and encourage positive content. Some businesses are busy and lack time to manage reputation work themselves—that’s where Localyser can help by managing your online reputation services, providing positive reviews, filtering fake reviews, and enhancing your overall online image.

Restaurants, hotels, healthcare, and entertainment businesses especially benefit from reputation management solutions that help them listen to and address customer needs by monitoring review management.

After all, if you’re not tracking, you’re not learning. It’s all about review management.

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