Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, and other review sites have changed the way businesses operate online. This is definitely a good thing–it gives more power to the consumer. Unfortunately, like all power, it is occasionally misused.

While the growing realm of reviews is adding more outlets for consumers to sound off, it’s also expanding the virtual landscape companies must sift through to protect their reputation. One local orthodontist filed an FBI fraud complaint after someone trashed him online. From posting a review of a plumber on Angie’s List to rating a restaurant on Urbanspoon, everyone is now a click away from being a critic.

In a recent study of social media users by Nielsen and NM Incite, most social media said they give online reviews to give companies recognition, but 58 percent said they give negative feedback to protect others from bad experiences. Among 18- to 34-year-olds, 42 percent expect customer support within 12 hours of such a complaint.

This is where web reputation management firms come into play–they are essential to the accuracy of the Internet’s reviews. Reversing overly negative reviews is an important way to correct this issue.