Making Executive Decisions

 
 

TACKLING THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR BUSINESSES

MAKING A DIFFERENCE EVERYDAY

Watch out for Fakes

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“If you only read one post today, read Jim Connolly’s post, “Spotting the Fakes.”

Spotting fakes is a skill that business professionals need to be aware of.  I actually think companies are getting desperate for revenue.

Recently, I talked to some professionals at an SEO Company who told me that their system could build my search traffic at rates I have never seen. My first question was, “Can you provide me with an example of such a company?” It turns out this company owned a mobile app development site too. However, a closer look at the numbers showed that the site was build within the last 3 months and had 10 sites linking to it”. Also, the site did not have a formal xml sitemap. These are basic traits of a good SEO site. Also, by the time the conversation ended, I had talked the price down by 50%. Do you think this service was a little overpriced and underserved?  Wow!

Once again, check out this post “Spotting the Fakes”  You need to read the whole article!

Here is a little excerpt from it.  I think this list of fakes is awesome and funny!

Some common examples we see all the time include:

  • The web designer, who talks every day about the need for great design, yet whose own site has rookie design errors.
  • The leaders on Twitter, who ask you to follow people on Fridays because that’s when everyone does it.
  • The thought leader, who never shares an original thought.
  • The business development expert, who feels compelled to scream “TGIF!” to everyone who follows them every Friday, because they can’t wait to get away from their own business.
  • The marketing expert, who uses social media to pester people for their attention, rather than attract their interest.
  • The social media guru, who shows they have no idea about being social.
  • The business networking expert, who works behind an avatar photo that was taken 15 years ago.
  • The copywriter, who is unable to write interesting social media updates.
  • The work-life balance gurus, who go missing for months, because their own work-life balance is totally out of control.

Be safe, do your homework by doing the following:

  • Ask for examples of the person or company’s work and then check it out to determine if it is valid. Nothing speaks louder than words and analytics.
  • Has the company been in business very long?  Typically fakes are trying to get their company off the ground fast.
  • Conduct a Google Search by typing the name of the company and look for any reviews or comments
  • Ask someone else at work or outside of your business if they have heard about this company.
  • Test, Test, Test – Don’t sign-up right after a phone call or after reading information on a site. Give yourself at least 24 hours to think it through.

All of us have been burned by companies in the past. The best thing we can do is learn from our mistakes and become more proactive.