Buyer Beware: Marketing Scams (Part 2) We’re continuing our blog about marketing scams, if you’d like to read part 1, click here. Unfortunately, many agencies prioritize revenue over ethical customer service. The Identity Dental Marketing team takes pride in providing our clients with integrity, treating them with the respect and honesty they deserve. Directory Deception We regret to say we’ve seen clients come to me after being targeted with directory deception. To be clear, a directory is a business listing site. Assimilate it to the old-fashioned phone book, except it’s online. Think Google or Yelp, for instance. There are companies, some with well known names, that will generate reports using fabricated data. These reports show a particular business has poor rankings on search engines. Some will compile a list of directories where the business has missing or incorrect information listed. These companies use these reports as a scare tactic to get businesses to purchase their service which, for a fee, will fix these “problems.” But what business owners are failing to see the deceptions behind the reports. They come in a few different forms, some include all and others just one or two. Here are some of the deptions that can occur: List of unknown directories. The reports show a long list of directories, and most of them are ones that no one has even heard of. Why? Because they’re not real directories. They’re fabricated websites–often owned by the company running the report–all so someone could make a buck off the uneducated, unsuspecting business owner. It’s a temporary ‘fix.’ Some of these schemes get their repeat customers because listings are only temporarily “fixed.” When a client is actively paying for the maintenance service, the directories are correct. However, once the payments stop rolling in, these directory listings will mysteriously revert back to having errors. And the cycle will repeat itself because the unknowing victim doesn’t know any better. Duplicates. Some of these pay-to-fix schemes will actually duplicate listings on reputable directories. Why? Because they’re doing what’s easy. They’re using a quick-fix method that only makes things worse for the business. Duplicate business listings mean that reviews are split between the real business listing and a duplicate listing. Not only that, but SEO rankings become skewed and ranking will likely plummet. Takeaway Be sure to do your due diligence. Understand what a company values, whether it’s their customers or just the money they bring. Be aware of the data source–make certain the data is coming from a reputable third party resource. If you’re ready to breakup with your lying, cheating, good-for-nothing marketing company and want to have an honest and open business relationship, contact Identity Dental Marketing today. Remember, with Identity Dental Marketing, “Your success is our success.”
