I recently had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful woman who is in the business of breeding dogs. Her dog breeder website is self-made and not too shabby, getting decent rankings on Google because of the plethora of information she has on it. Come to find out this gal (and many unsuspecting folks like her) has been taken for THOUSANDS of dollars by scamming Web Consulting companies portraying themselves as upstanding Web Site Developers and SEOs.
I know my profession is riddled with many ‘flakes’. I have come to the rescue of small business owners and companies who have hired them in the past and I’m sure it won’t stop any time soon. The greedy know how to get on the bandwagon of taking advantage of businesses who need to get a web presence. They cold call these business owners who are desperate to get business in the failing economy and take advantage of their desperation to build their businesses, provide for their families and pay their bills.
My amazement lay in the audacity of these scamming web companies…making promises of 1st page rankings or building websites that are supposed to be premium sites but are lacking in every respect for the client.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO AVOID BEING RIPPED OFF
BY A WEB DEVELOPMENT COMPANY OR SEO COMPANY
- Do YOUR research
Don’t just hap-hazardously hand over your money because someone makes you a promise. - Google the company
Look for reviews about them by typing in “Company Name Reviews”. IF they are unscrupulous they will definitely have many reviews to substantiate their lack of ethics. - Check out the BBB in their area
Whether or not they are a BBB member, the BBB acts as a mediator and will post complaints and whether or not they’ve been resolved. - Visit Google’s Webmaster Recommendations
Specifically for SEO (search engine optimization companies). There is some very good advice in their content that alerts you to scams.
Remember, if it’s too good to be true, then don’t get hoodwinked. There are many reputable web development companies out there, do your research and you will definitely find them.
Amen! That’s what I did and I found you Anita Anderson, best thing that has happened to my website yet!
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superb post! keep doing this neat stuff
Dee Evers liked this on Facebook.
Hi Anita,
Thanks for sharing these points online and I hope every reader will like your posting and I must say that today there are lots of web development companies in market but it’s difficult to differentiate between good and bad. I believe that after reading your posting every reader will get a little idea to search for good web development company.
Keep doing this great work of sharing informative articles online.
Regards,
James
It may also be beneficial to inquire about the company’s amount of experience. Companies that have been in business for a good many years may just have a bit more experience than newcomers to the web design scene.
Glad to see a blog on this topic. Half of my clients come to me after being ripped off by somebody else and it takes a lot of effort to convince them that I am not that kind of guy. I always advise client to educate themselves a little to avoid being ripped off in the future.
Hello Anele, I would be interested to see your article and publish if it carries information valuable to the internet audience.
Blessings,
Anita
ACA Web Consulting