by Ben Dwyer In conjunction with Womply, credit card processor Vantiv (now Worldpay) has announced that it offers a tool called BizShield, designed to assist small- and medium-sized businesses. BizShield helps with social media oversight and reputation management, market trends, and competitor analysis.
Note: Vantiv was acquired by Worldpay, which was itself acquired by Fidelity National Information Services (FIS.) You’ll likely see the name Worldpay more often and Vantiv less, including in relation to Bizshield.
In the digital age, small businesses can’t afford to ignore reviews, but it can be time-consuming to scour different sites for mentions of your company. BizShield provides 24/7 monitoring with an email alert system that will let you know when something needs your attention. Read on for more details to see if it’s a good fit for your business.
- What is BizShield?
- How much does it cost?
- Is BizShield required? How do I opt out?
- I don’t use Vantiv. Can I still use BizShield?
What is BizShield?
BizShield is a reputation management solution that can help you monitor and respond to reviews, competitor changes, information inconsistencies, and more. Womply refers to these as “threats” to your business. You can set alerts to be notified when you have a new “threat” – such as a review that needs your attention – helping you get ahead of negative press. Once you receive an alert, you can choose to take action to address the “threat.” For example, if you receive a negative review, you can try to make it right with the customer.
The company offers this video introduction about BizShield:
Womply references its team of experts that are available to help you create the correct response to business threats like negative reviews.
BizShield offers 24 hour monitoring of major ratings and review sites, including Yelp, Google Reviews, Trip Advisor, Facebook, and more. BizShield offers three simple steps: detect threats, alert you to threats, and help you manage the situation.
Features
While the core component of BizShield is the review management capabilities, BizShield also offers helpful tools like market insights, competitor insights, and inconsistency alerts. If your business hours are listed differently online, BizShield can alert you so you can update the information. You can also be notified if your competitors change their hours or implement new marketing strategies.
Why is reputation management important?
When it owned BizShield, Vantiv stated that 80% of consumers may change their mind about making a purchase if they read a negative review, but that 70% of consumers will continue to do business if their complaint is addressed and they’re satisfied with the response.
All of this means that reviews and your online presence can have big impacts on your bottom line. Negative reviews aren’t the end of the world if you’re proactive about fixing the customer’s issue. BizShield alerts you to those situations.
How much does it cost?
Expect to pay aroudn $19.99/month when using BizShield.
Note that BizShield is also offered by Womply independent of Vantiv / Worldpay. If you choose to purchase BizShield outside of a merchant agreement with those companies, you’ll choose between two plans.
Is BizShield worth it?
BizShield’s biggest pro is the potential to save you time while still maintaining an active presence in the online world. These days, many businesses find that addressing reviews can take a lot of time. If that’s you, BizShield could offer a way to streamline the process.
However, other businesses may feel that it’s not worth paying a monthly fee for alerts and reputation management assistance. Some businesses already set up their own custom alerts through search engines and are notified when someone mentions their business.
Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. Some business owners enjoy engaging with clients online, and prefer to manually check review sites and write responses. Others would rather be alerted only to the situations that require attention.
Have you used BizShield at your business? Would you recommend it to others? Let us know in the comments below!
Is BizShield required? How do I opt out?
In the past, Vantiv auto-enrolled some businesses into the BizShield program, but did not require it. Businesses can opt out by contacting their processing company.
I don’t use Worldpay. Can I still use BizShield?
Yes. Businesses that don’t use Worldpay for credit card processing can still choose to implement BizShield through Womply.
Need a credit card processor, or currently using Worldpay but considering a switch? Check out CardFellow’s free processing rate comparison tool to find the best credit card processor for your business.
