NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 01/02/13 -- According to a recent study, reported at MarketingProfs.com, online reviews and complaints matter a great deal -- especially within the travel industry. The study finds that, among those who say they are likely to travel in the coming year, three out of four consumers say they believe the reviews submitted to travel sites, by fellow travelers, to be trustworthy. For the owners of hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the travel vertical, then, the implication is clear: Online reviews can prove make or break, as more and more travelers take those reviews seriously and use them to guide their travel plans and their purchasing decisions. The new study has won a comment from Reputation Changer, a premier reputation management agency.

Reputation Changer has issued a new press statement, responding to the article and to online review trends in particular. "More and more, consumers are coming to use the Internet to do their homework and to conduct all the research necessary for making prudent, informed purchasing decisions," says Reputation Changer CEO Cliff Stein. "This is especially true when it comes to travel. When individuals are making their travel plans, they do not want to leave anything to chance. As such, they make it a priority to consult with other travelers, and to assess the feedback provided on sites such as Travelocity and TripAdvisor, even Yelp.com."

Stein continues by noting that the implication of this is clear. "Because consumers use these online reviews to inform their travel plans, businesses live or die by what these online review sites say," he explains. "At Reputation Changer complaints and negative online reviews are taken very seriously, because in truth, a single complaint or bad review is all it takes to utterly sink a company's reputation, and with it the company's sales."

Stein says that the consequences of bad online publicity can be dire. "At Reputation Changer, complaints posted to travel review sites are seen as potentially lethal to any business," he offers. "A single bad review can have a toxic effect on your hotel, your local business, or your restaurant. It can lead to sharp declines in the number of customers who walk through your doors. It can lead to lost sales, diminished revenues, and more. In fact, Reputation Changer has seen hotels and restaurants brought to utter ruin by these online review sites."

As such, the ReputationChanger.com CEO advises that companies invest time and resources into online reputation management. "The first step is monitoring," Stein says. "Businesses need to know what is being said about them at these review sites, and to be able to respond as quickly and as decisively as possible. As such, business owners or managers should take the time to set up profiles on TripAdvisor, on Yelp, or on whatever other review sites are applicable."

Stein also says that hotels, restaurants, and other consumer-oriented businesses can solicit positive feedback. "Bad reviews can be suppressed and outshone by good ones, so one thing business owners can do is to ask their best, most loyal clients to provide some feedback at these online review sites," he says.

Additionally, businesses can enlist the services of an online reputation management agency, like the one Stein leads. "What a company like Reputation Changer can do is to help establish a business or brand as reputable and authoritative in the eyes of consumers," he explains. "This is done through suppressing bad review and online complaints, and through highlighting the positive and appealing aspects of the brand in question. Ultimately, we are committed to making our clients shine in the eyes of consumers."

ABOUT:
Reputation Changer was founded in 2009 by a group of online marketing professionals and SEO experts. The company quickly established itself as the leading online reputation management agency in the world. Delivering brand-enhancing services to businesses, brands, and individuals alike, the agency is zealous for giving companies and people control over how they are portrayed on the Web. At Reputation Changer complaints and bad reviews are suppressed, and positive online content highlighted.