This thesis will focus on the online reputation industry and answer the questions:
What is the monetary value of a young professional’s (18-30 yrs. old) positive online reputation, and is there opportunity for businesses to enter the online reputation space and profit? The market as of today is segmented by two main variables; buying power and each individual’s unique circumstances. In terms of buying power, companies within the online reputation industry (ORM) charge anywhere between $0 and $100,000 for service. The findings of this thesis show that while an individual may value their online presence significantly different, it is in a firm’s best interest to offer a software service to young professionals that charges about $8.33 per month. This price point provides an opportunity for a new business starting in the space to potentially be worth up to $143 million in five years if certain assumptions are made. An A/B test and financial model developed in excel were used in order to help draw these conclusions.