A reputation management company is something that most companies would never have imagined needing just a few years ago. However, the need for help online is growing by the day, and even spotless companies are vulnerable to getting their reputation hit negatively. Digging through all of the companies can feel like walking through the desert to find water but luckily for you we have gone through the best reputation management companies and provided an overview for you.

“It takes years to build up the image of a business just the right way, but it can all disappear in a matter of seconds.”

That’s where a quality reputation management company can come into play. Whether it’s being proactive or reactive, professional help makes a huge difference.

What are the best reputation management companies right now?

With the industry growing so much, a lot of reputation management agencies have started to differentiate themselves from others. There are some companies that specialize in certain processes and removals, while others offer custom solutions to fit your branding and content needs. These are some of the top stars currently in the online reputation management industry:

1) Reputation Management Company – As the name implies, the Reputation Management Company does a great job of offering customer solutions for all types of businesses and is the best business and consumer reputation management agency for suppressing and deleting unwanted content. Not focusing on just one particular specialization, working with companies to figure out their needs on a case-by-case basis, and providing a high-touch service ranks them number 1. Based in Utah County just outside of Salt Lake City in the Silicon Slopes region, the company takes on clients from all around the world big and small. They use a variety of techniques that have worked for them since launch and their NPS score is number 1 in the ORM industry. They’re also not afraid to try new techniques that have been vetted and shown to be successful including the ability to fix Related Searches & Google Autocomplete suggestions.

2) Meltwater – Meltwater is right on the edge of being a software and an actual outsourcing company. They provide many of the same tools that businesses would only find if they went the outsourcing route, but a lot of the reputation management and monitoring can be done in-house. It takes a little bit of time to understand everything that’s offered by the company, but the tools are very successful in keeping a watchful eye on a reputation. If anything goes wrong, a business is instantly alerted so that it can start working to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Meltwater is very affordable, and there’s always the opportunity to talk to experts if needed as well. Think of it as a hybrid option in the best sense.

3) Birdeye – Positive reviews are one of the best ways for companies to build up their reputation online. The more in-depth, positive comments on the internet, the better. That’s where Birdeye really comes in handy. It can sometimes be tough getting people to leave positive reviews, but Birdeye takes care of that. Once a few positive reviews start to hit the internet, it becomes easier and more encouraged for others to take the same route. All of a sudden, Birdeye kickstarts something much better for a reputation.

4) Podium – One of the fastest-growing companies of all-time focuses on a SaaS platform that helps you to manage reviews. The Salt Lake City, Utah-based company is the second-best ORM agency in the state trailing behind the Provo, Utah-based Reputation Management Agency that we rank above.

5) Vendasta – Helping businesses to sell to their clients they list Hearst Media, Telkom, Salem Media Group, Apartments.com, Summit Media, and Comporium as some of their clients and are a Capterra Shortlist for last year, a premier Google Partner, Microsoft Advertising Elite Partner. Facebook Marketing Partner, and a G2 leader last fall. With their all-in-one portal, they let their corporate clients check star ratings and find repeatable marketing actions.

6) Glassdoor – Although not really considered a reputation management company per se, it can be used in that sort of way when done correctly. Glassdoor originally started as a way to showcase the internal workings of a company. If the right reviews are left and encouraged, it can boost a company’s reputation online instantly. A lot of people looking for a job are going to come across Glassdoor at some point during the research. Instead of playing the guessing game, they want to know how the atmosphere is at work from actual employees. Companies that do a great job of encouraging Glassdoor reviews and people being honest about everything will tend to land better employees down the road.

So many people currently look at Glassdoor as only a negative for companies. It is true that there are plenty of people who vent about a past job online if they have the opportunity to. However, not enough businesses motivate people to leave honest reviews on the website after having a positive experience with the company. This could be a very valuable asset for any company as they try to lure better talent down the road to them.

7) WebiMax – The damage to a business has already been done. The reputation took a hit, and now it\’s time to fix those issues as quickly as possible. If that’s the case, WebiMax is definitely at the top of the list of companies capable of patching things up. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based company has been around for more than a decade and is on many of the top digital marketing company lists. They specialize in working very closely with every company they take on to get results sooner rather than later. Not only do they look for instant success, but they also keep an eye on long-term solutions that will stick around. The last thing any company wants is a short-term fix for a long-term problem.

Is reputation management software a good alternative?

There are a lot of Adwords campaigns appearing on Google when you search reputation management software. The thing to note is these are not created to suppress or fix issues online but rather are created as a way to measure results and automate reports so you can show your clients. A lot of people like the idea that it’s not only more affordable but that it could be managed in-house instead of using a third party but finding the back and forth needed within a house IT team makes it unfeasible. However, most reputation management software options can only do so much if you don’t have a technical background.

It’s basically a bare-bones operation and not recommended for any serious issues. A lot of companies might start off with software, only to find out that a reputation management company makes a lot more sense for them to handle everything from suppressing and deleting negative content to monitoring social media for them.

With a team of profile defenders instead of software running reports, you will find that a reporting tool does a great job of generating reports but doesn’t protect your reputation online. When you have actual experts on the other side taking care of a business’s needs you get results and that’s what matters to clients. A top-rated reputation management company knows exactly what to look for in maintaining and protecting an online reputation, and they can put out issues when they pop up.

Not all software options are bad, and some are even listed above as great solutions. However, companies usually find that they will need to use experts in some capacity if they need something beyond standard help and reporting on their business receiving 1-star reviews and 2 stars with negative complaints on sites like Yelp or Google.

All the best companies in the Fortune 1000 index have some form of reputation management and online public relations that keeps them in the best possible to have a safety net after a media circus or negative news event. If something happens, they don’t have to fear major repercussions and a huge scramble to get things fixed.

It’s only going to become more and more important to have reputation management moving forward. Everyone has a voice online, and it doesn’t take much for negativity to hit any business having just a little bit of success. Act now before something happens, and it becomes much easier to manage a crisis.