Online Reputation Management for Hotels - All You Need to Know

In this article, we discuss the importance of online reputation management (ORM) in the hospitality industry and how it can significantly impact a business's ability to attract new customers, retain existing ones, and maintain a good image among industry peers and partners. We provide insights on setting up an ORM system, the advantages of reputation management, and the tools available for managing online reviews and ratings.

The article also emphasizes the importance of optimizing hotel listings on major booking platforms, utilizing guest satisfaction surveys for better customer experience, and leveraging AI technology to improve ORM efforts. By actively managing online reviews, adhering to best practices, and utilizing the right tools, hotels can build a strong online reputation that benefits their business in the long run.

What is online reputation management?

Online reputation management (ORM) is the process of monitoring and improving the perception of a business on various online review sites. This is especially important for businesses in the hospitality industry, such as hotels and restaurants, as 52% of people will not even consider booking a hotel without reviews and 94% of customers will refuse to do business with a company based on a negative review. ORM is essential for businesses to ensure that their online presence is strong and that they can properly respond to both positive and negative feedback.

Neglecting an ORM strategy can have far-reaching consequences. A bad reputation will impact a hotel's revenue, make it difficult to attract new customers, damage employee morale and retention rates, and hurt the hotel's image among industry peers and partners. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to dedicate resources to monitoring and improving their online reputation. Doing so will help them reach their goals and thrive in the hospitality industry.

Discover all the details here: What is Online Reputation Management in Hospitality

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How do I set up online reputation management?

Hotels can get started by setting up an online reputation management system that helps them to track, analyze, and manage the public perception of their business. This system should include features such as the ability to monitor reviews on major travel and review sites, respond to customer feedback, and analyze customer sentiment. It should also provide tools to help the hotel understand their online reputation and customer experience, allowing them to make data-driven decisions that can help to improve customer satisfaction. Additionally, hotels should set up a process to respond to customer feedback promptly and accurately, as well as to actively monitor customer sentiment on social media. Lastly, hotels should regularly review their online reputation, looking for areas of improvement and taking action to address customer concerns. By taking the time to set up an effective online reputation management system, hotels can ensure that their customers have the best possible experience and that their online reputation is managed in the most effective and efficient way possible.

What is the importance of online reputation management in hospitality?

ORM is important because it can have an enormous impact on a hospitality business's ability to attract new customers, retain existing ones, and maintain a good image among industry peers and partners.

Having a positive reputation is essential for any hospitality business to thrive. A good reputation can lead to increased sales, loyalty of customers, and better employee morale and retention rates. On the other hand, a bad reputation can damage sales, make it difficult to attract new customers, and hurt the business's image among industry peers and partners.

For this reason, it’s important that hotels have a strategy in place to keep track of their online reputation. This may include responding to negative comments with positive ones, resolving customer issues quickly, and ensuring there is a strong online presence. Skimping on an ORM strategy can have far-reaching consequences that could be detrimental to the success of any business operation.

ORM is even more important in the current environment. A survey found that 52% of people would never even consider booking a hotel without any reviews, and nearly all customers (94%) will refuse to do business with a company based on a negative review. It's clear that having a good reputation is vital for hospitality businesses to remain competitive.

Keep reading to learn more: Why is online reputation management Important?

What is the advantage of reputation management?

Online Reputation Management (ORM) can be (but don't have to be) a time-consuming process, but can bring many advantages, such as increased website and social media traffic, enhanced customer service, SEO-driven lead generation and the building of trust with potential and existing guests.

ORM can attract more guests to the website and social media pages by improving online visibility through sites such as TripAdvisor, Expedia, Google and Booking.com. It can also help to track customers' interactions and understand their needs, so the company can provide an optimal guest experience. Additionally, ORM can help generate leads through SEO, as it increases organic traffic when guests leave positive comments. Finally, it can build trust with guests by showing that the company is willing to improve their experience.

To make the most of ORM, businesses should proactively request reviews and actively share and link reviews on public platforms. ORM can be a great tool for companies in the digital age, so it is important to take full advantage of its benefits.

Discover all the details of the advantages in this article: What are the benefits of ORM?

What are Online Reputation Management tools?

Reputation management tools are designed to help hoteliers manage their online reviews and ratings across booking platforms. These tools offer features such as a review inbox, analytics, competitor analytics, templating, guest satisfaction surveys, review widgets and ticket routing.

Review inboxes provide a central location to access and manage customer reviews from multiple sources. Analytics dashboards powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) analyze sentiment and topics from reviews to give hoteliers an understanding of guest needs and wants. Competitor analytics help hotels keep track of the competitive landscape and their pricing, services, and marketing efforts. Templating allows for quick responses to reviews, but it should be used with caution to preserve the hotel's online reputation. Surveys and review widgets help publish positive reviews.

ORM tools are essential for any hotel business that wants to monitor and improve their online reputation. Popular tools include Customer Alliance, ReviewPro, TrustYou, Revinate, and GuestRevu.

Want to know more? We understand. Check out this article: Online Reputation Management Tools

How do ratings and reviews impact search results?

Ratings and reviews significantly impact search results and play a crucial role in shaping a business's online visibility and reputation. Online reviews and ratings are essential for improving search engine optimization. Positive reviews contribute to better rankings, and even a one-star improvement in a business's rating can lead to a 5-9% increase in revenue.

Reviews affect both unbranded and branded searches. In unbranded searches, reviews help search engines understand the quality and relevance of a business, making them more likely to appear in search results. Positive reviews provide social proof and credibility in branded searches, improving click-through rates and rankings.

Businesses should actively collect customer reviews through various strategies and platforms, including Google Reviews, booking websites, social media, and their websites. Google Reviews, in particular, significantly impact search results, especially in Google Map searches and Google My Business profiles. High star ratings and relevant keywords in reviews positively affect rankings in Google Maps searches.

To boost search visibility, businesses should actively collect, monitor, and manage reviews, promote positive reviews on their website and social media, and address negative reviews professionally. Using AI review reply generators can help businesses respond to reviews efficiently and strategically, incorporating SEO keywords to improve search engine rankings.

To learn more about this, read our article: How Ratings and Reviews Impact Search: A Comprehensive Guide for SEO

How to manage your hotel reviews?

Managing online reviews for your hotel is crucial for maintaining a positive online presence and attracting potential customers. As statistics show, a significant percentage of travelers rely on online reviews when choosing accommodation, and Google Reviews play a particularly important role in influencing their decisions. Therefore, it is essential to respond to both positive and negative reviews in a timely and personalized manner to enhance customer trust, improve SEO rankings, and ultimately increase bookings.

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To manage reviews on various platforms such as Google, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and Expedia, it is vital to follow the proper steps for each platform and ensure prompt and professional responses. Removing negative reviews may be necessary if they violate the platform's standards, and gathering more reviews can be achieved through sharing review links, offering incentives, and directly asking guests for feedback.

Best practices for responding to reviews include being thoughtful, genuine, and professional, and using tools like AI Review Reply Assistants to save time and maintain consistency. Responding to each review individually demonstrates commitment to customer service and helps build trust with customers. Keep in mind the importance of SEO optimization when crafting responses and consider using templates for efficiency.

Time-saving strategies for responding to reviews include process improvements, using review management platforms, and utilizing AI Review Reply Assistants. It is crucial to strike a balance between saving time and maintaining the authenticity and personal touch in review responses.

By actively managing your hotel reviews and adhering to best practices, you can build a strong online reputation that will benefit your business in the long run.

interested in learning more about how to respond to your online reviews? “How to Use Online Reviews to Your Advantage – The Ultimate Guide”

How to optimize your hotel listings?

To optimize your hotel listings and increase bookings, it is crucial to focus on the most important booking sites such as Google Hotels, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor. Here's how to optimize your listings on each platform:

1. Google My Business: Ensure all information is up-to-date and accurate, including amenities, services, room types, and more. List businesses within your hotel, highlight special features, and encourage customers to leave reviews. Respond to reviews promptly and professionally.
2. TripAdvisor: Claim your business profile and provide clear, up-to-date information. Ensure accurate rates across booking platforms, add high-quality photos, encourage guests to leave reviews, and enable online booking. Respond promptly to all reviews and display TripAdvisor awards. Consider promoting your listing with paid ads for better visibility.
3. Booking.com: Provide precise and complete descriptions, fill out the FAQs section, provide exact check-in and check-out times, and add high-quality images. Include all amenities and make sure your prices are competitive. Offer flexible cancellation policies and payment methods, actively collect and respond to reviews, and join programs such as the Genius program and Preferred Partners Program for better visibility.

For more information on optimizing your hotel listings, check out the full article "Optimize Your Hotel Listings to Increase Bookings - All You Need to Know".

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What are the different kinds of rating systems used by online review websites?

Online review websites use different types of rating systems to calculate review scores. The most common methods include:

• Star Ratings: Customers rank a business on a scale from 1 to 5, reflecting their overall experience. These ratings significantly impact customer decision-making and conversion rates.
• Point-Systems: Some websites use a point-based ranking system, where customers rate their experience numerically. This method quickly gathers consumer feedback and provides measurable data for businesses to improve their offerings.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Big websites like Airbnb and Amazon use NPS, which classifies customers as promoters, passives, or detractors based on their likelihood to recommend the company. NPS helps businesses tailor their offers and services to different customer segments.
• Customer Satisfaction Rating (CSAT): CSAT measures overall satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5 and is expressed as a percentage. A score above 75% is typically considered acceptable across most industries.

The ROI of online reviews is significant, as positive reviews build trust, boost SEO and local ranking, offer insights for business improvement, and increase sales and revenue. Businesses should actively invest in review management to optimize their online reputation and increase customer engagement.

To learn more about this, read What are the different types of online review ratings?

What is the ROI of online review ratings?

The ROI of online review ratings lies in their capacity to influence customers' decision-making. Positive reviews can create a positive impression on potential clients, increasing trust and loyalty. Customers are more willing to spend at businesses with excellent reviews, directly impacting revenue and growth. Moreover, 88% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, highlighting their importance in building a brand's reputation.

Conversely, negative reviews can significantly impact a business's credibility, with 54% of consumers avoiding products and services with suspected fake reviews. Responsibly addressing negative reviews is vital for demonstrating a commitment to customer satisfaction and fostering trust and loyalty.

Investing in online reviews offers numerous benefits, including generating valuable insights to improve offers, boosting SEO and local ranking, providing opportunities for scalability, upselling, and cross-selling, and creating high-converting marketing assets. Reviews also help mend relationships with dissatisfied customers and rebuild online reputation.

To learn more about the metrics, KPIs, and other factors influencing the ROI of online reviews, read our complete article Understanding the ROI of Online Review Ratings

Why are recent reviews important for businesses?

Recent reviews are vital for businesses as they directly impact consumer trust, credibility, and visibility. When potential customers seek information about a business, they want the most recent reviews to make informed decisions. Current reviews demonstrate active customer engagement, enhancing a business's credibility and trustworthiness. Outdated reviews can deter customers, and Google prioritizes businesses with recent reviews, affecting search result rankings. Additionally, the "recency effect" makes recent reviews more influential in decision-making. To maintain review recency, automate review requests, align with the peak-end rule for positive experiences, and respond to reviews. AI tools like MARA can streamline responses, saving time and improving efficiency. Review recency is crucial for a positive online reputation, influencing purchase decisions and boosting a business's trust and visibility.

While maintaining the element of recency across your online review platforms may be tricky, it's not impossible. Check out our article Why is Review Recency Important for Your Business? to learn ways to drive new reviews for your business consistently.

How to collect more online reviews?

Boosting online reviews requires a thoughtful approach to maintaining positive customer experiences while enhancing your business's reputation. To encourage more client reviews, employ creative strategies that engage customers without intruding on their satisfaction. There are numerous reasons why you should always find ways to collect reviews: they establish trust, enhance SEO, offer feedback for improvement, and foster customer engagement. Creative review-gathering methods are crucial because they encourage authentic and favorable feedback. Leverage visual content by requesting video testimonials from satisfied customers, adding a personal and authentic touch. Utilize the power of social media to share positive feedback and interact with customers. Incorporate QR codes within your store to make leaving reviews convenient and swift. Embed review reminders across your website and offer incentives, such as discounts, to motivate participation. Train your staff for in-person requests and write engaging responses to reviews to showcase customer appreciation. Additionally, employing AI, like the MARA AI Review Reply Generator, can efficiently manage responses and elevate engagement. Through these inventive techniques, you can effectively gather a diverse range of online reviews while nurturing your customer relationships.

To learn more creative ways to collect online reviews and boost your online reputation, read our complete article Boost Your Business with Clever Review Collection Strategies

How to write the best subject lines for review request emails?

Crafting effective subject lines for review request emails can significantly impact your open rates and customer engagement. With the ever-increasing number of emails flooding inboxes, standing out is crucial. To maximize the impact of your review request emails, consider the following strategies:

1. Use Personalization: Incorporate the recipient's name or reference recent interactions to create a personal touch. For example: "Your Feedback Matters, [Name]."
2. Keep it Concise: Keep subject lines short and to the point, ideally under 70 characters, to ensure they're fully visible in email previews. For instance: "Share Your Experience – Get Rewarded!".
3. Express Gratitude: Show appreciation to your customers for their support. A subject line like "Thank You for Being a Valued Customer" can create a positive tone.
4. Highlight Incentives: If applicable, mention incentives like discounts or exclusive offers. For instance: "Rate Us and Get 10% Off Your Next Booking!”.
5. Spark Curiosity: Use subject lines that pique curiosity, such as "Discover the Impact of Your Feedback."
6. Incorporate Data: If you have impressive statistics or data, use it to your advantage. For example: "Join the 95% of Happy Customers – Share Your Thoughts".
7. Evoke Emotions: Craft subject lines that tap into emotions, like "Help Us Make a Difference – Your Opinion Counts!".
8. Avoid Excessive Punctuation: Minimize excessive punctuation marks that might trigger spam filters or seem clickbait.
9. Warm Up Your List: Send value-driven content before the review request to nurture relationships.

To read more industry-specific subject lines for review request emails, read our complete article Quick Guide to Writing the Best Subject Lines for Your Review Request Emails

What is review gating and how does it impact businesses?

Review gating is a review management process in which businesses selectively solicit positive feedback while discouraging or blocking negative reviews from customers. Essentially, it involves curating an artificially positive online reputation by showcasing only favorable feedback while concealing less favorable experiences. This method, akin to admitting only well-dressed patrons into an exclusive club, creates a skewed perception of a business's reputation.

However, despite its widespread use, review gating comes with significant drawbacks. While it may initially boost a business's online presence, it undermines authenticity and poses a substantial risk to brand reputation. Engaging in review gating can lead to severe penalties from review platforms, including account suspension or removal. Moreover, filtering out negative feedback means missing valuable insights that could drive improvements in products or services.

Thinking of adding review gating to your review management strategies? Read Weighing Review Gating: Assessing its Pros and Cons in Reputation Management.

How to leverage AI to improve your online reputation management?

Businesses seeking to enhance their online reputation can leverage AI technology to construct personalized and prompt responses to customer reviews. AI review response generators such as MARA can help businesses generate individualized answers to reviews with a simple click, saving time and money in the process. Additionally, AI-powered ORM tools offer a comprehensive solution for reputation management, providing features like a centralized review inbox, analytics, competitor analytics, guest satisfaction surveys, review widgets, and ticket routing.

Using AI for online reputation management has a multitude of advantages. Firstly, it can save time and money by automating the process of composing individualized responses. Secondly, it guarantees that each answer includes a personal touch, as generic responses can damage a business’s online reputation. It also helps boost response rates, increases overall ratings, and preserves mental energy for higher priority tasks.

Want to know more about review response generators? Here you go: Review Response Generator: What Is It and What Is It Not?

What are the best practices when using AI Review Replies?

Here are six best practices for utilizing AI-powered review replies to optimize outcomes and enhance customer satisfaction. Firstly, striking a balance of automation is crucial; identify tasks with high volume but low complexity for AI, while allowing human intelligence to handle nuanced emotions. Personalization is emphasized, showcasing the AI's ability to adapt to a brand's unique voice. It's recommended to feed AI with business knowledge, utilizing features like 'Smart Snippets' to customize responses based on recurring patterns in reviews.

Choosing a user-friendly AI tool is a golden rule, ensuring easy adoption and positive team engagement. Gaining confidence in AI involves a gradual approach, starting with a small portion of reviews and expanding responsibilities as trust builds. The article stresses the importance of AI as a helper, not a replacement, advocating for a balanced synergy between automation and human touch.

Lastly, the call to action encourages businesses to get started with AI-powered review management, using tools like MARA. The conclusion underscores the transformative potential of AI in streamlining workflows, learning from customer feedback, and crafting impactful responses. In a world where 98% of consumers read reviews before purchasing, embracing AI for effective review management becomes a strategic imperative for businesses looking to navigate the digital landscape successfully.

To learn more about this, read Mastering AI Review Replies: 6 Best Practices You Need to Know

What is the best Revinate alternative for hotels?

MARA emerges as the top alternative to Revinate for hotels aiming to elevate guest experiences and manage online reputations effectively. MARA offers streamlined review management, integrating seamlessly with major platforms like Google and TripAdvisor, allowing for timely and personalized responses. Its AI-powered efficiency enables hoteliers to respond three times faster to reviews, maintaining a consistent brand voice. Additionally, MARA provides actionable analytics tailored to each hotel's needs, empowering decision-makers to identify trends and areas for improvement. Its advanced brand voice customization ensures personalized communication while maintaining brand consistency. With an intuitive interface and robust features, MARA stands out as a sleek and efficient solution, delivering exactly what hoteliers need without unnecessary complexities. For those seeking personalized yet efficient guest responses and robust analytics, MARA proves to be the ideal Revinate alternative.

Interested in learning more about alternative ORM tools to Revinate? Check out our article “Best Revinate Alternative: Enhancing Guest Experiences”.

What is the best Medallia alternative?

The best alternative to Medallia is the MARA AI Review Reply Generator. MARA stands out for its comprehensive solution tailored to guest review management. Its intuitive interface and AI-powered features streamline the process, making it effortless and efficient for hoteliers. Notably, MARA enables personalized responses to guest reviews within seconds, fostering greater customer satisfaction. Moreover, its actionable analytics provide valuable insights into guest feedback trends, allowing hoteliers to make informed decisions to enhance guest experiences. With MARA, hoteliers can effectively manage reviews across multiple locations, ensuring consistent and personalized interactions with guests. Overall, MARA emerges as the top choice for those seeking an alternative to Medallia, offering simplicity, effectiveness, and innovative AI-driven solutions for guest review management.

To further learn how MARA AI fairs compared to Medallia, read our article "Best Medallia Alternative: Boosting Guest Feedback and Review Management".

What is the best Yext alternative?

The best Yext alternative, particularly for the hospitality sector, is the MARA AI Review Reply Generator. Offering similar functionalities presented in a user-friendly interface, MARA stands out with features like its intuitive Review Inbox, simplified Review Analytics, Group Analytics Overview, and the most personal response AI. MARA streamlines review management by automating responses, optimizing time and resources while ensuring personalized interactions with customers. Its capacity to elevate overall ratings, amplify response rates, glean insights from customer feedback, and economize both time and money makes it a game-changer for over 2000 customers. Other notable alternatives include Podium, Birdeye, Broadly, Cloutly, BrightLocal, and Review Trackers, each offering unique features tailored to meet diverse business needs. By evaluating features, benefits, and pricing, businesses can make informed decisions to effectively manage their online reputation.

Using Yext on your business? Read our complete article The Best Yext Alternative: Elevating Online Reputation Management

What is the best Birdeye alternative?

The best alternative to Birdeye is the MARA AI Review Reply Generator. MARA offers similar functionalities to Birdeye but stands out due to its streamlined Review Inbox, straightforward Review Analytics, and simplified Review Automation.

MARA's Review Inbox provides a comprehensive view of all reviews from multiple sources, allowing businesses to respond quickly and efficiently. The Review Analytics feature provides actionable insights tailored to the business, enabling better decision-making. Additionally, MARA simplifies review automation, allowing businesses to set up auto-response rules easily and customize responses to align with their brand voice.

With MARA, businesses can effectively manage their online reputation, automate review responses, and gain valuable insights from customer feedback. Its user-friendly interface and AI-driven features make it a top choice for businesses seeking an alternative to Birdeye.

While MARA is indeed a top-notch alternative to Birdeye, there are also other platforms that could assist you in managing online reputation. To learn more about them, read our article Best Birdeye Alternative: Exploring Efficient ORM Solutions

Easy and efficient online reputation management with MARA

Responding to online reviews can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be with our AI Review Assistant of MARA. This intuitive tool is designed to ease your Online Reputation Management process, making it more efficient, personalized, and time-saving. It offers the best and most personalized AI for responding to and analyzing your guest reviews.

AI-powered Review Inbox

One of the key features of this tool is the Review Inbox. Your review inbox makes responding to reviews as simple as hitting "Generate reply" and clicking "Send". The Review Inbox connects to multiple review sources, including Google, Booking.com, and Tripadvisor, giving you a panoramic view of all your reviews. And you can even configure review response automation: Why not allow MARA to automatically respond to simple reviews, like 5-star Google reviews with no text, ensuring you never miss a review? Daily notifications about new reviews keep you updated and in control.

Advanced Review Analytics

To help you understand and analyze the multitude of reviews, the Review Assistant also incorporates Review Analytics. This provides actionable, easy-to-understand insights that are tailored exclusively to your business. With MARA, you can quickly get the gist of all your reviews without needing to read each one. The analysis is so detailed that you can find out about specific issues like "water in the pool is too cold" or "lack of vegan breakfast option”. These insights help optimize guest experience without requiring you to be a data expert.

Personalized responses for your online reviews

MARA's AI isn't just about efficiency; it's about personalization too. The Brand Voice feature allows the AI to adapt to your tone, making sure your responses sound authentically you. Plus, with Smart Snippets, you can "teach" the AI how to respond to recurring praises or complaints. Your AI then incorporates this information into its responses, but always with different words, providing more personalized, relevant replies.

This review response assistant has quickly become a game-changer for over 2000 customers. Its promising capacity to elevate your overall rating, amplify response rates, glean insights from customer feedback and economize both time and money, is the reason behind its growing popularity.

Final Thoughts

An outstanding online reputation management is essential for any hotel looking to stay competitive. Managing online reviews need not be an overwhelming task. With the appropriate software, not only can you streamline the process, but you can also personalize your responses, and derive valuable insights from the reviews. So, why hesitate to give our AI Review Assistant, MARA, a try? It's completely free for testing, doesn't require a credit card, and can be fully operational in less than five minutes.