Over Promise and Undeliver - Website Wolves

Today, I am writing to the small businesses out there. Many of you out there hire me to get your business organized. Set up filing systems so you can retrieve things, help you organize and manage your papers, and help with receipts and tax preparation and other paper management tasks to keep things going.

During the pandemic, many small businesses have closed, thrived, stayed on course while others have been trying to find ways to bring in new customers—tasks like getting new business cards or new headshots to redo your business cards. I updated my Quick books and started blogging on my website. Others I know have been updating their websites. Thus the "Website Wolves" show up. 

Over the last several months, I have gotten numerous calls from companies I don't know to redo my website. They promise to "do it all," and I will be getting 100 customers a day. The price they quote is my whole marketing budget for two years. 

In 2019 I was contacted by two companies that promised the MOON and undelivered. I got none of the benefits they promised. There was no flick of a switch and bringing on new leads. Some leads worked out; others were just ghosts-never to be heard from again. Something with scrolling the internet with a glass of wine, and they decide I want to get organized. They fill out a profile, send it over, and then when I would call-no answer. They never called me back. I find it weird and rude. Broken promises are costing hundreds. 

In a reading article from AARP Bulletin, Dec 2018, on Website Wolves talks about growing concerns of "web designers" that prey on seniors, moms who want to work from home while kids are in school (before Covid 19 obviously), or small businesses that want a new website.  They were all promised a job/website for little money down to bring in the customers. Some folks gave a lot of money only to receive a less than good website. In both instances, the websites did not deliver. They did not get their money back, and the companies are making millions.

This past summer, I contact Leaf Guard to install new gutters. They came with a 3-inch binder with all of their clients who were willing to speak on their behalf. I called 4 or 5 people. It made me feel - like they do a good job. Put my mind at ease.
I make my policy if you want to do business with me, I need three paying customers. People I can speak with and check out this company. Amazingly enough, many of these companies do not supply these names? Why? What are they hiding? 
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To protect my marketing dollars, my reputation and avoid being taken advantage of, I only work with companies that let me contact their customers. Just like the old saying, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Check out this article on AARP, see the millions of dollars costing all small businesses and consumers by these shysters. (If you can't find this article -reach out to me.)