Online Reputation Management For Hotels And Restaurants: Getting It Right!

by Corinne Manzatucci published 16th May 2011

Online reputation management is the new buzzword in hospitality. But what exactly is reputation management and what does it entail?

With so many questions unanswered and so much to do, many hoteliers and restaurateurs are casting the topic aside simply overlooking the importance of online reputation management for business success.

Here we try and shed some light on this essential marketing area.

What exactly is online reputation management?

Similarly to SEO, online reputation management, or ORM, is the process of monitoring and increasing the presence of your brand and business on the web. In hospitality this not only means ensuring you're found on a lot of websites, but making sure that all of this information is both factually correct and positive. The goal is to show your hotel or restaurant in its best light.

With so many websites acting as a platform for imparting information and an increasing number of customers sharing their good and bad restaurant and hotel experiences with the world, the importance of online reputation management cannot be underestimated.

Comments on the web can make or break a business so we recommend proactive reputation monitoring and building for your hotel or restaurant. This can be achieved by following Ignite's reputation management tips.

Ignite's 5 simple reputation building tips

1. Evaluate your current listings

Put in a search for your hotel or restaurant in a search engine and see what sites you're listed on. Draw up a spreadsheet with this information, going forward you will need to refer to this and update it as listings are altered and changed.

2. Monitor and update existing content

Monitor all the content on your current listings and make sure this is accurate and up-to-date. If the content is professionally generated contact the site owners to update any information that is out of date. With user-generated content, make sure you monitor any feedback and respond to all positive and negative feedback immediately to avoid public criticism.

3. Add listings

Find out where you're not currently listed, this can be done by putting in a generic search for your competitors. Approach any site where you don't appear and ask to be listed or simply add information about your venue to the site by completing an online form.

4. Create online content to promote your venue

Use social media to generate content and promote your hotel or restaurant. Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, YouTube and blogs are great social media tools for promoting your venue with potential customers. They also work well in raising your profile in search engines.

5. Encourage your customers to leave feedback

To build a strong presence on the web it's important to encourage customers to leave feedback on websites such as TripAdvisor. This can be done through incentives such as offering free products to prominent reviewers.

To find out more about how we work with hotels and restaurants to help them manage their online reputations, contact us on 020 7275 8682 or drop us a line at nick@ignitehospitality.com. You can also read up on Ignite's SEO and online work here.

Author : Corinne Manzatucci

Corinne's inquisitive nature, marketing knowledge and love of travel and great food means she's well placed to help meet the needs of budding entrepreneurs and companies in the hospitality industry.
View Corinne's team page...

Tags : Branding | Strategy | Online