Online reputation management services encompass methodologies, tools, and strategies designed to help improve your brand’s image online so that people can see your business as trustworthy and reliable. Moreover, ORM services enable you to take control of your narrative and highlight the unique selling points (USPs) and values that your brand stands by. For this purpose, ORM for e-Commerce is essential.
Globally, there are approximately 12 to 24 million eCommerce websites, with the number increasing daily. The competition is immense, with each business wanting to stand out and gain loyal customers. In this blog, we will explore, what ORM for e-Commerce entails in detail.
Importance of Online Reputation Management For E-Commerce Businesses In 2023
Due to the level of digitization present in today’s marketing endeavors, customers are craving more personalization in brand communications. In 2023, this is predicted to be a vital indicator of a business’s success.
Research backs up this statement, as 76% of customers state they are attracted to brands if they receive a personalized message from them. Therefore, eCommerce businesses must utilize ORM services, as they can help offer personalized responses to customers. With a good ORM strategy in place, your business can appeal to customers by making them feel heard.
Using ORM for your e-Commerce store can help you invite new customers to your website. Additionally, these strategies can also help in building loyalty with existing customers.
Different Types of ORM Services Available For E-Commerce Businesses at Digital Caterpillar
Digital Caterpillar is an all-inclusive digital marketing company offering comprehensive ORM services for all kinds of businesses, including e-commerce stores. Let’s take a look at what we offer:
ORM Monitoring Services
E-commerce requires ORM services that track online discussions about your business and its products. This service alerts you whenever your e-commerce brand is mentioned in the digital space, so you can respond instantly.
ORM monitoring services also analyze your brand’s performance on different platforms, including review sites, socials, and emails. This gives an insight into internet users’ responses to your business.
ORM Consulting Services
E-commerce ORM consultations entail an audit of the current state of your online reputation and the strategies and tools that will be needed to improve it.
ORM Content Management Services
ORM in SEO has a lot to do with content marketing. Therefore, content marketing services and ORM go hand-in-hand. The services included in ORM content management are GMB optimization, on-site optimization, and promoting positive content.
ORM Crisis Management Services
ORM crisis management services are an excellent option for stores needing severe damage control when facing online backlash. Backlash can stem from a misinterpreted marketing strategy, fake reviews, or untrue claims regarding your brand. The ORM specialists remove the fake and offensive content and deal with the negative reviews tactfully.
The Impact of Negative Reviews and Feedback on E-Commerce Sales
Protecting online reputation is necessary for eCommerce businesses as it directly impacts your sales. When a business of any kind has negative reviews, they are seen as untrustworthy. Statistics show that 86% of potential customers hesitate to purchase goods from a company with negative feedback.
Potential Consequences of Neglecting ORM for E-Commerce Businesses
E-commerce businesses can miss out on many opportunities if they do not have a proper ORM strategy in place. For example, brands with at least 200 reviews on their services produce twice the revenue. Your e-commerce store can benefit from this as well, as ORM services can request customers to leave reviews on your products. According to research, 72% of customers leave reviews when asked.
So, essentially, by having an ORM for an e-commerce service provider, you can organically get a mix of reviews posted on different platforms and sites. This can boost your sales effortlessly.
The Increasing Competition in the E-Commerce Industry
Since COVID-19 hastened digital adoption due to the erratic and extreme change in consumer behavior, there was eCommerce occurred in just 90 days.
Regardless of their age, shoppers started buying everything online, from clothing and groceries to home furnishings. As a result, there are over two billion online shoppers at the current times. Furthermore, it is predicted that by 2040, approximately 95% of purchases will be made through digital or online channels.
So, there is an exceptional amount of competition in the eCommerce industry, with each business needing to pull out all the stops to make its mark.
Importance of Standing out And Building Trust with Customers
Gaining new customers is a great thing. However, building trust and retaining them is more advantageous. Studies show that you can boost profits by a maximum of 95% by having a 5% rise in customer retention rates.
That can be a huge improvement in sales for a negligible investment of time and money. Furthermore, 83% of consumers state that they would recommend a company they have trust in other people. Therefore, taking the time to build a relationship with your customers and seeming personable can go a long way in increasing ROI.
Role of ORM in Building and Protecting an E-Commerce Brand’s Online Reputation
ORM plays a massive role in building and protecting the online reputation of an eCommerce brand. This is because 83% of people consider customer service a huge factor in their purchase decision-making process. Therefore, treating customers well and making them feel heard is integral.
Benefits of Investing In ORM for E-Commerce Businesses
There are innumerable benefits of ORM for e-commerce businesses. Here are some of the major ones to consider:
- Increased Sales
According to Google, 59% of people research businesses online before purchasing to ensure that they’re making the right call. ORM services can guarantee that consumers perceive your brand positively and choose it as a priority.
- Improved Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction evaluates how happy your customers are with your products, services, and customer support. By having an ORM team respond to customer queries in a timely manner, you will ensure that customer satisfaction is achieved.
- Increased Brand Awareness
Through ORM, you can actively stay in touch with customers. Engaging with them through blogs and social media posts will help increase brand awareness, helping to strengthen your company’s reputation.
- Enhanced Credibility
Pursuing tried-and-tested ORM strategies can be a great way to enhance your credibility as an eCommerce business. Research shows that 68% of people like to see a balance of positive and negative reviews. This is because a business with only positive reviews is deemed suspicious.
Therefore, it is essential to publish all kinds of reviews on your eCommerce store. That said, the negative reviews should not be left as-is. With ORM services, a team of experts can moderate your reviews and provide a suitable response to each common.
- Increased Search Engine Visibility
When you receive professional SEO services as part of your ORM strategy, you will inevitably start ranking higher on SERPs. SEO optimization will include uploading valuable, credible, and helpful content, which is always a positive for search engines. When you rank higher in the SERPs, your customers are more likely to trust your brand.
- Competitive Advantage
As mentioned earlier, eCommerce businesses are dealing with increased competition and will need to stand out in every way possible. By conducting a robust ORM campaign, your store will be highlighted positively, making customers more inclined to choose you over competitors.
6 Promising Tips for Effectively Integrating ORM into Your E-Commerce Marketing Strategy
To market your eCommerce strategy, investing in ORM services can make a world of difference. Here are six tips to help you integrate ORM practices within your eCommerce marketing strategy:
- Monitor Your Online Reputation
Monitoring the state of your online reputation is key to improving customer perceptions of your brand. Simply keeping track of every time your business is mentioned online can help you take control of the narrative and emphasize the positives.
- Respond To Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is integral in helping you improve your brand and satiate your customers’ demands effectively. Responding to them timely and authentically can be a simple and effective way to enhance your reputation and market yourself as a business that cares for its customers.
- Create and Manage Positive Online Content
Content is a more important component of ORM than it may seem. Essentially, when the content posted by or about your brand is positive, the better your reputation will be. Keeping an eye on the narrative portrayed through the posted content will help position your business online.
- Utilize Social Media to improve ORM for your eCommerce
Approximately 82% of people in the United States using internet facilities are also on social media platforms. It is predicted that when 2023 ends, there will be over 257 million social media users in the US. Therefore, social media is at the forefront of all marketing and ORM endeavors and should be utilized appropriately.
- Implement SEO Best Practices
By implementing the leading SEO practices, you can get to a higher rank on SERPs and be considered an authority in the industry. Due to this, people will seek your business out for advice and trust you more, making them want to invest in your offerings.
- Seek Expert Guidance
By consulting with e-commerce ORM experts, you can develop an effective, cohesive strategy that will guarantee improved reputation and brand awareness online.
10 Real-Life Examples of Successful ORM Strategies for E-Commerce Businesses
To gauge the effectiveness of ORM for e-commerce businesses, you should look at some real-life examples. Here are 10 of the best ones, in no particular order:
- Wayfair
Wayfair is a residential décor company that used ORM crisis management services to respond to negative reviews appropriately. This helped improve sales and customer satisfaction.
- Zappos
Zappos is an online clothing and shoe retailer with a great customer service strategy. This has helped them become well-reputed, as the brand is known for responding to feedback and reviews promptly.
- Patagonia
Patagonia is an outdoor gear e-commerce business that uses ORM content management services to develop and publish brand-aligned, positive content. This helped increase sales and brand awareness.
- Glossier
Glossier is a cosmetics brand that utilizes social media for customer engagement purposes. They address all customer issues, increasing loyalty and satisfaction.
- Apple
Apple is an electronics company that uses a comprehensive SEO strategy for enhanced search engine visibility. With this approach, it experienced increased sales and traffic.
- Sephora
Sephora is a beauty retailer which utilizes social media for customer engagement. The brand addresses and resolves client issues timely. As a result, it has great customer satisfaction and loyalty levels.
- Chewy
Chewy is an eCommerce business that makes pet supplies. The company utilized ORM consulting services, which crafted a personalized ORM strategy. This approach led to increased sales and enhanced online reputation.
- Expedia
Expedia is a travel company that uses ORM monitoring services to track and analyze the state of its online reputation. This has helped the brand improve customer loyalty and increase sales.
- Ikea
Ikea is a furniture retailer that has utilized ORM to increase brand recognition and awareness. This initiative has resulted in increased customer loyalty and sales.
- Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is a jewelry company that consulted an ORM firm to manage its online reputation activities, leading to improved sales and customer satisfaction.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations by DC’s e-Commerce ORM Experts
ORM for e-commerce is necessary to drive sales and protect your business. There are a variety of ORM reputation management services you can take advantage of, so you must choose the ones that meet your specific goals and needs.
So, whether you’re looking for ORM consulting, monitoring, or crisis management services, you will need to research and choose service providers that adhere to your budget and eCommerce business needs. Digital Caterpillar offers a wide variety of ORM services that can help e-commerce businesses grow and stand out.
ORM can be a fruitful investment as it helps in protecting online reputation, build customer trust, and drive sales. For further information, feel free to contact us.
