White-label reputation management companies: Comparing 4 options
The online reputation management (ORM) space is valued at about $200 million per year—and it’s growing by leaps and bounds (Digital Journal). Given that, it’s not surprising that there are plenty of white-label reputation management companies.
Download “Why reputation management matters: A churn study” for data-based strategies on retaining clients longer using online reputation management.
If your agency is looking to add reputation management to your services, you may run into a small problem. Which company should you choose to work with to deliver reputation management services and products to your clients?
We’ve rounded up the best of the best to help you narrow the field. With this guide, you can find the right white-label reputation management companies to work with.
The importance of reputation management
Before looking at the best white-label reputation management companies, it helps to have a clear idea of why reputation management matters. It’s easier to know what to ask of your partner vendor when you know why you need to manage your clients’ online reputations.
The short answer is that reputation is more important than ever for local businesses. Reputation is responsible for up to a quarter of a brand’s valuation (Forbes). It also plays a part in convincing new customers to buy. After all, 54 percent of shoppers say they read reviews before they make a buying decision (Digital.com). They also feel strongly about good reviews.
Reputation is a cornerstone of a digital sales and marketing strategy. Why do you need to manage your clients’ reputations? Simply put, it’s a big job. There are many different aspects of your clients’ reputation that you need to look after:
- Getting new customer reviews
- Responding to customer reviews
- Monitoring Google Q&A
- Keeping online directories up to date
- Monitoring online conversations about your clients’ brands
- Reporting on improvements and revising strategy
Your team might feel overwhelmed by so many different tasks. That’s why it makes sense to partner with white-label reputation management companies.
Why white label?
The next question most agency owners have is: why white label?
White-label products and services let you build your brand and fulfill services without the employee overhead. The vendor provides reputation management services using their expertise and specialized tools.
White-label reputation management companies deliver their services under your brand. Your clients only ever see your name and logo. In turn, you can build deeper trust with those clients.
Your team can also spend more time on the tasks that really matter, like refining strategy.
White-label revenue
Another reason to consider white-label reputation management is that it creates a new revenue stream.
White-label solutions often provide good margins for agencies. In turn, you can increase both sales and revenue by delivering services you wouldn’t normally be able to offer with your in-house team alone. At the same time, you can make a margin on the products and services you resell.
If you offer other white-label products, you already know this. White-label reputation management services can be a great complement to:
- White-label PPC management
- White-label website solutions
- White-label social media marketing
- White-label content creation
- White-label SEO tools and services
Do you offer some of these products or services to your clients already? Combine them with white-label reputation management to create bundles for your clients.
White-label reputation management companies: What to look for
What should you look for when you’re researching white-label reputation management companies? The best of the best have a few things in common.
The top white-label reputation management companies are customer-focused. In this case, that means both you, as the reseller, and your clients. Their services focus on what your clients need. Their products empower customers manage their own reputations online more easily. They also have extensive industry expertise. If you can find a partner who specializes in the same niches you do, you’ll be able to drive more success for your clients.
Look for companies that allow you to be both proactive and reactive. A good example is that they provide tools to respond to negative reviews (reactive). At the same time, they offer tools that let you and your clients request more reviews from clients (proactive).
Finally, look for a company that offers a good margin. You want to be able to turn a profit on the services you’re offering.
Top picks for white-label reputation management companies
Now you have a crystal-clear picture of why reputation management is crucial for your clients. We also saw why white label is often the right choice for agencies. We’re ready to look at the best white-label reputation management companies. We used the criteria above, as well as our own expertise, to identify the top contenders you should consider.
1. It’s in the name: Reputation Management from Vendasta
Reputation Management is a white-label platform that offers ORM for your agency clients. The platform features:
- Review monitoring and management
- Review tools to make getting reviews easier
- Online directory listing management
- Google Q&A activity management
- Tools to find and track online conversations
- Business intelligence tools to analyze the data and generate reports
- Real-time notifications to help you stay up to the minute
With this robust platform, you and your clients will be able to manage all aspects of reputation management, all in one place. If your team needs additional help with tasks like responding to reviews, you can call on Vendasta’s reputation management services. It's the easy way to get a team of ORM experts on your side.
Reputation Management pairs well with Vendasta’s Customer Voice tool. This tool helps your clients collect more reviews from their customers.
2. GatherUp helps you gather up feedback
GatherUp is another reputation management company to consider for your agency. The platform offers most of the tools you’ll need to provide effective ORM for your clients.
A team of marketers built the platform for marketers. As a result, it focuses on the marketing side of reputation management. Unfortunately, the customization options are somewhat limited. Finally, the price tag may be a deal-breaker for some agencies.
3. Make the grade with Grade.us
As white-label reputation management companies go, Grade.us is a reputable choice. They provide an expert team made up of reputation management specialists.
One unique feature of Grade.us allows negative reviews to hit your inbox before they go live. That gives you and your clients a chance to “make it right” before a reviewer vents in public. Unfortunately, Grade.us is on the pricier side. It may be out of reach for some of your smaller business clients.
4. Reviewshake offers review management tools
If most of your reputation management efforts focus on reviews, check out Reviewshake. This white-label reputation management company is a strong contender when it comes to tools for your clients.
The platform does offer quite a few other features, but it is primarily focused on software. If you’re looking for services, you may need to team up with another vendor. Like Grade.us, Reviewshake lets you segment negative and positive reviews. Also like Grade.us, the price tag may mean this platform isn’t the right fit for smaller agencies or their clients.
Find the right reputation management partner
Reputation management is crucial to your clients. That's why it’s so important to choose the right white label reputation management company.
There are many white-label reputation management companies to choose from. This shortlist should help you narrow the field.
Take a deeper dive into what reputation management and review management tools are on offer from any white-label vendor before you bring them on board. The right solution is out there.
