5 Hidden Ways an Unethical Internet Marketing Company Can Dupe Its Clients
For small businesses, not having a digital marketing budget is not really an option. While there is no denying that the internet is a great marketing platform to promote your business, choosing a partner who can help you achieve that can be tricky. Hundreds of sites spawn into existence every day making bold statements like “best digital marketing experts at lowest rates”. As you would have already guessed it by the title of this post, not all of them deliver on those promises.
A good internet marketing company would take the time to understand your industry and study your competitors. Most of all, they would never guarantee a certain Google ranking in a hurry.
That’s enough about the good guys. In this post, we take a look at 5 hidden tactics internet marketing companies employ to cheat their customers.
They Lie About their Success Stories
Right from fake client testimonials to name-dropping big clients without having worked with them, unethical SEO and digital marketing firms are often found guilty of lying. If you suspect foul play, don’t shy away from asking for client contacts to verify their claim.
They Set Goals That Do Not Help Their Clients
Any reputed internet marketing firm would align themselves to match their client’s goal. If your target is to get customer enquiries, then the online marketing company should work towards that goal. An unprofessional marketing firm would try and measure their campaign success using metrics that don’t really make sense for the client. For example, if your website is getting a lot of traffic but you are witnessing an abysmal conversion rate, then the digital marketing company should work on the on-site content and design. They should never announce their success based on the traffic numbers and call it a day.
They Promise Extraordinary Results at Rock-Bottom Prices
This one holds true for all business deals, but more so when you are hiring an internet marketing company. Here’s what you need to know before you hire a company that makes unbelievable claims. Experienced SEO experts, website designers, and content managers do not come cheap. If a company offers a heavily discounted rate, then there is a good chance they lack the quality manpower to generate any kind of positive results.
They Talk About a “Secret Sauce” that Boosts Ranking
If a company says they have a secret method to manipulate Google’s algorithm, then run away from them faster than Usain Bolt. If you are lucky, they are lying about having any secret at all. Mainly because plenty of “secret” Blackhat techniques can get your website deindexed from Google’s search or lose ranking preference. Any good internet marketing company would not only employ ethical techniques to improve website ranking but also be open about the methods they are using to their clients.
They Outsource Most of the Work
A lot of time, internet marketing companies have no employees or office. They are primarily focused on reeling in new clients and getting the work done by outsourcing all or most of its work. You typically want a firm that has a dedicated team that will be assigned to your project.
