Vendasta vs. Chatmeter
Comparing leading reputation management solutions
Vendasta and Chatmeter offer two of the most cutting-edge reputation management solutions on the market. Although both companies have developed comprehensive platforms for agencies and local businesses, there are notable differences that help distinguish between them.
Overview
Vendasta has been involved in the reputation management industry for a long time; in fact, we pioneered one of the first white-label reputation management solutions in 2008. As such, we bring a lot of experience as a proven platform. Over the years, we’ve also grown to include a lot more than just reputation management in our product suite.
Founded in 2009, Chatmeter also originally aimed to assist businesses with improving their online presence and reputation.
The key differences that will be emphasized throughout this comparison are the capabilities of Vendasta and Chatmeter’s respective platforms. Chatmeter’s platform is focused on local seo and reputation, which includes review management, social listening, listings management and ranking. Vendasta’s platform does all that and then some, offering a host of additional best-in-class solutions to our partners.
Steve Weir
Co-founder, Thunderburst Media
“The Vendasta team is like a fresh cup of coffee in the morning – it always leaves you feeling better! Not only are they knowledgeable about their products and the needs of our customers, they understand that every time I call it is a ‘client needs it now’ situation and they give me a very prompt response. They are smart, professional and responsive, a great combo.”
Vendasta vs. Chatmeter: The Platforms
Vendasta and Chatmeter both offer numerous services to help local businesses succeed. Since both companies offer well-established solutions, it’s fitting to compare their high-level features right off the top:
Key Platform Features
| Platform comparison |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Online reputation management | ||
| Local listings management | ||
| Social media management | ||
| Competitor monitoring tools | ||
| Reporting Tools | ||
| Notifications | ||
| Industry Specialization | ||
| Review generation tools | ||
| White-label marketplace | ||
| Lifecycle marketing | ||
| Sales pipeline management | ||
| Managed services |
Reputation management solutions
Reputation management is increasingly important for local businesses, especially given the impact that reviews and social media have on revenue. Businesses want to see what is being said about them online without having to search all over the web to find it.
Effective reputation management solutions are the foundation upon which Vendasta and Chatmeter have been built. Both companies are considered industry leaders regarding reputation management, and their respective platforms illustrate why.
Vendasta and Chatmeter each have online reputation management tools designed to monitor reviews and online conversations. For small businesses that lack online reviews, Vendasta’s Review Generation and Chatmeter’s Review Builder solutions enable businesses to reach out to customers for new reviews, which can in turn then be used to promote their online presence.
Key Reputation Management Features
| Reputation Management | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Review monitoring | ||
| Competitive analysis | ||
| Social media management | ||
| Online mention monitoring | ||
| Analytics | ||
| Review requesting | * | ** |
** Review Builder
Online listings and local presence management
Seventy-three percent of people say they lose trust in a local business when online listings— which include addresses, phone numbers, store hours and more — are incorrect (Search Engine Watch). Listings management tools provide businesses a way to correct their listings, and in turn forward the accurate data on to major data providers that push information to online directories.
Vendasta’s listings tool goes right to the source of the problem for business owners. Our Listing Distribution software enables local businesses to provide correct listings information directly to the major data providers that source online directories. Chatmeter’s listing tool allows users to monitor listings for accuracy, but lacks a proactive means to avoid listings mistakes in the future.
Furthermore, through Vendasta’s Listing Sync & Listing Sync Pro solutions, agencies and media companies can help their local business clients update listings in real time on major websites like Google and Facebook. Chatmeter’s solution is also able to update listings in real time, but only on the “big three” search engines: Google, Bing and Yahoo.
Key Online Listings Management Features
| Managed Services | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Online listings management | ||
| Listings accuracy tracking | ||
| Location pages optimized for local search | ||
| Listing submission to the four major data providers | ||
| Real-time listing sync to numerous sites, including Google and Facebook |
Competitor Monitoring Tools
Small and medium business owners crave competitive insights. What’s the buzz around town? How’s the business across the street doing? Who’s saying what, and about whom?
Vendasta and Chatmeter both offer customers customizable options for competitive insights, allowing business owners to keep an eye on competitors in their dashboard.
Vendasta’s Reputation Spy solution puts priceless competitive info in the hands of business owners. In one tool the reviews, listings, mentions and social profiles of all the competitors they are interested in are available. Chatmeter’s tool offers similar results, but automatically designates five local competitors for each individual location to use as a benchmark.
The stark difference between Vendasta and Chatmeter’s platforms is the control provided to business owners. Vendasta’s solution allows the user to pick which businesses they are interested in, and insights are available for as many businesses as you’d like.
Key Competitor Monitoring Tools
| Competitor Monitoring Tools | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Customizable competitor list | ||
| Competitor analytics tools | ||
| Intel on competitor deals & promotions | ||
| Share-of-voice comparison with local search terms | ||
| # of competitors | Unlimited | 5 |
Reporting tools
With the hustle and bustle of everyday operations, business owners don’t always have time to analyze their reputation management’s proof of performance. They need the results to come to them.
Both Vendasta and Chatmeter offer email notifications for users, bringing new reviews, mentions or listings to their attention immediately.
Additionally, Vendasta’s platform makes life easier by offering one dashboard sign-in for multiple products, including third party applications. This is where users are able to view their activity, reports and metrics in one place — talk about a handy way to see proof of performance!
| Reporting tools | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Email Notifications | ||
| Single Dashboard Sign-In for Multiple Products | ||
| Activity from All Purchased Products | ||
| Reports and metrics from third parties | ||
| Integrated Proof of Performance |
Industry Specialization
Vendasta’s platform offers assistance to a wide range of cohorts, including traditional media outlets that need to adapt to the digital takeover. The Chatmeter platform provides solutions for agencies and franchises, but only to select industry segments. Vendasta’s system is currently in use across virtually every industry, including the verticals Chatmeter focuses on.
Key Industry Specialization Features
| Industry Specialization | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Automotive | ||
| Multi-Family | ||
| Restaurant | ||
| Retail | ||
| Newspaper | ||
| Radio companies | ||
| Financial Services | ||
| Health/Personal Care | ||
| Insurance Services | ||
| SEO Specialists | ||
| Social Agencies | ||
| TV Networks | ||
| Big Brands | ||
| Web Agencies | ||
| Startups (No products, No customers, No Revenue) |
Pipeline Management
To sell their services, agencies need to make sure they’re building a pipeline of local businesses to contact. But sales quotas and cold calling can get messy, which is why Vendasta has developed a way to take the guess work out of prospecting.
Vendasta’s pipeline management tools ensure that sales reps don’t waste time searching for contacts to reach out to. Our Snapshot Report delivers all the essential information prospects need to know about their own business, and Vendasta’s platform offers a one-stop solution.
Sales reps are instantly notified when prospects engage with campaigns or collateral material, and those hot leads are the opportunities sales reps need to close accounts and crush quotas.
| Pipeline Management | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Local pre-sales diagnostic report | ||
| Hot lead generation / notifications | ||
| Sales activity log | ||
| Sales collaboration (The Loop) |
Lifecycle Marketing Automation
As times passes, the needs of businesses and customers will change, and depending on their position in the pipeline, the marketing needs of customers will differ.
Vendasta’s marketing automation platform provides ready-made campaigns for all stages of a customer’s journey: acquire, adopt and grow.
Our customizable email templates deliver the information customers want in the form of appealing content, allowing you to leverage online data about your clients and maximize engagement.
| Lifecycle Marketing Automation | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-use campaigns (templates with content) | ||
| Customer acquisition campaigns | ||
| Product adoption campaign | ||
| Product upsell campaigns | ||
| Engagement tracking |
Managed service models
Most local businesses don’t have the time to manage their online reputation while trying to run their business full-time. Managed services take the weight off business owners’ shoulders by allowing third parties to manage their online reputation for them.
Vendasta offers a task-management tool called Concierge for agencies and local media companies looking to manage their clients’ listings, reviews and social activity on their behalf. Chatmeter’s platform also offers workflow management solutions, which provide managed and recommended tasks for each business location.
If an agency wants to manage their clients’ online presence, but doesn’t want to hire the staff to do it, Vendasta also provides a white-label option through our in-house Digital Agency. We take care of the heavy lifting, and your secret is safe with us.
Key Managed Service Features
| Managed Services | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Offers DIY services | ||
| Offers DIWM services | ||
| Offers complete managed services from digital agents. |
White-Label Marketplace
Business owners have a lot going on, and utilizing multiple tools and applications through numerous sites and platforms can get tricky. Vendasta figured there had to be a better way…
Enter Marketplace, Vendasta’s solution to become a full service agency in no time at all!
Marketplace is full of useful tools and applications for agencies and businesses, all of which have been curated and approved by Vendasta’s product team. Everything is fully integrated with Vendasta’s existing platform, and available products can be bundled and customized to fit your brand’s unique needs.
| Marketplace | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Complete go-to-market solutions in hours, not months | ||
| Curated third party solutions | ||
| Powered by smart campaigns | ||
| Customizable packages and solutions to match your brand | ||
| Integration with sales platform | ||
| Integration w/ sales automation | ||
| Sales and marketing collateral for each product | ||
| Weekly product training webinars |
Summary
At the end of the day, Chatmeter offers a useful reputation management tool, but Vendasta offers all of that and then some. Both companies are successful for good reasons, but when agencies and local media companies want to offer more than online reputation management, Vendasta is the better fit.
| Section | |
|
Reputation management |
|---|---|---|
| Listings management | ||
| Online review generation | ||
| Reporting tools | ||
| Pipeline management | ||
| Lifecycle marketing automation | ||
| Managed services | ||
| Competitor monitoring tools | ||
| Industry Specialization | ||
| White label marketplace |
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