There is so much data out on the internet, and for digital brands, some of this data could be reviews dropped by past or current customers. Sometimes these reviews are positive, and other times, they are not.
But generally, brands that do not keep an eye on their product or service reviews end up paying the price. In the best case scenario, this price could be the loss of a few customers. Worst case scenario, this price could be losing several customers, a damaged reputation and sinking revenue.
Either way, the price is not something any digital business would like to pay. This is why review monitoring exists. Some brands do this all-important job themselves, while others outsource the task. The most important thing is to keep a constant eye on where the brand is being mentioned and respond accordingly, all to prevent any form of loss and to foster prosperity.
However, even a job as noble as this is not without challenges, with one of the major challenges being geo-restrictions – or the inability of some brands to reach some parts of the internet because of where they reside.
Today, we will see what review monitoring is, why it is important for every digital brand, and what challenges brands face when performing these tasks.
What Is Brand Review Monitoring?
A brand review monitoring campaign can be defined as the process of consistently and regularly watching for reviews and feedback about a brand across the internet, making it one of the most important activities that a digital brand needs to perform as regularly as possible.
The process involves several tools and techniques of watching and observing what is being said and discussing a particular brand. These could be negative or positive but are generally distributed across several platforms, search engines, and websites. This means that review monitoring has to occur across more than one platform at once.
Also, the process is automated to make it less tedious and more relevant. When a review is detected, the data is collected and sent to the brand for quick analysis. Next, the brand decides the best way to treat the review to prevent irresistible damage or promote more sales.
Consequently, companies that prioritise review monitoring and treat it as a very important activity tend to do better than their counterparts and grow or adapt more readily.
Why Do Companies Need Review Monitoring?
The reasons below are why digital companies need to perform review monitoring regularly:
- To Prevent Damage To Reputation
Knowing how to handle reviews and feedback online is critical to preventing damage to one’s business. This is because when reviews are made, others stand back to see how the brand will respond. When brands handle the reviews well enough, other potential customers are convinced to trust the brand, and when they fail to handle the reviews well, their reputation is stained either temporarily or permanently.
- For Better Customer Service
Monitoring online reviews is important for brands that want to produce better products or render better service. Knowing what former customers are saying is an important ingredient that can direct what the next products or services should look like.
All these are important to deliver optimal satisfaction to buyers, which, in turn, is important for boosting growth and revenue.
- For Expansion
Brands monitor reviews to know when it is time to penetrate new markets or break into old ones. Reviews are generally spread worldwide, and by monitoring what people are saying, a business can know when there is demand for their product or service in a new territory. This information can both guide and hasten positive growth in the form of business expansion.
Challenges of Review Monitoring
The relevance of this important activity does not exempt it from challenges with some of the most common challenges, including the following:
- High Cost of Operation
Review monitoring is like most online operations – it does not come cheap. It requires sufficient resources to both acquire the necessary tools and regularly implement the operation.
And the fact that this needs to be a regular and continuous process does not help at all. Sometimes, it can cost so much that smaller brands cannot afford it.
- Geo-Restrictions
One thing that makes review monitoring difficult is that it needs to be done throughout the entire internet space. People discuss businesses across the web, and data floats from one end to another. For this reason, brands need to look everywhere. However, this can be impossible when geo-restrictions are implemented. Geo-blocking usually makes it hard for brands from certain regions to look at some servers.
The Solution
The process, regardless of the challenges, is still a very crucial matter for businesses on the web. For this reason, a solution is required. The best way to circumvent the above challenges and carry out review monitoring smoothly is to use a proper proxy.
Proxies help to bypass geo-restrictions easily, and most of them run automatically and are very affordable. So that not only do you not have to worry about technologies that can block monitoring, you also do not need too many resources or expertise.
For instance, in trying to monitor reviews within the United States from any part of the world, all you need to do is employ a US proxy, and the rest is taken care of. If you consider performing review monitoring in the United States, learn more about the US proxy.
Conclusion
Review monitoring helps companies satisfy customers more, protect themselves and stay ahead of the competition and business. It can get tricky and difficult, but there are several proxies you can use to easily scale through.