Avoiding the Bait and Switch in Marketing
As a new business owner you are extremely busy; this makes it easier for marketers to take advantage. A new business owner is like a neon sign for sketchy “advertising agencies” to come out of the woodwork and attempt to con their way into your business bank account.
First things first, take a step back and look at you from the eyes of an outsider. You are busy, strapped for cash and lack marketing expertise. You need a quick solution and don’t know much, but are hesitant to invest. This opens the doors for “marketing firms” to pull the old bait and switch. They leverage the fact that you don’t have time to go out and research and come in with a price that is too good to be true.
Let’s say you are between two marketing firms, Company A and company B. Company A is offering to build a new website all for two thousand dollars, while Company B is offering to build a new website for ten-thousand. “Wow”, you think to yourself. “Surely a good website can’t possibly cost more than $2,000.” Maybe you’ve heard of people paying $99 for a website.
Before you make any decisions, ask yourself the following:
- What is included? Do both include copywriting?
- Are both custom solutions?
- Are there revisions included for both?
- How hands-on do to I have to be with each?
At this point, you might discover that for $10,000 you are getting a wealth of services that extend beyond what was offered for the $2,000. With Company A you might believe you are getting these services, but end up paying well over the $10,000. Doing it right the first time won’t only save money, but it will save time as well.
It isn’t uncommon for companies to lure you in by offering a great price, then once they have control of your website or marketing,demand more money. In other instances, they might con their way out of doing any work at all.
The $2,000 may sound great, until you realize that it didn’t include copy; you were responsible for the copy, but you don’t have the time or expertise to write. Now the firm you hired has your money and you have no website to show for it. By not providing copy, they have put the blame on you. Now you have to go back and find another company.
Unfortunately, there are companies who make their money preying on new business owners who are lacking time and the financial resources. I’ve seen it more times than I care to recall, and it’s always the same. It starts with a price that is really low and ends with an incredibly steep price tag or unfinished services. In some cases, the website gets done, but it is amateurish and functions quite poorly.
For the $10,000, you might have gotten incredible added-value in the form of excellent design, customization, better functionality, a solid process, and an overall better product. Not to mention, it might have come with a much greater level of service.
How to avoid the bait and switch in marketing:
- Calling references
- Taking the time to have several in-person meetings
- Thoroughly reviewing proposals received
- Asking a lot of questions on the scope of work
- Meeting the team of people working on your project
- Checking out their office
- Investigating their process for marketing
A company that isn’t trustworthy wants to keep you in the dark as much as possible. They will often use a lot of industry jargon (or even made up words) to keep you in the dark. They will likely list out services that need not be listed, as they are compelled to make you feel you are getting a ton of value. Their goal is to be impressive and elusive. They may appear to be giving you plenty of attention at first, but don’t be fooled. Time will usually wean them out, as they don’t want to have to answer a lot of questions or go through a lengthy process to get hired.
Arming yourself with good questions also scares those trying to take advantage of the business owner who isn’t very knowledgeable in marketing. It makes it harder for them to trick you.
Be ready to ask some of the following:
- Who does your copywriting? The goal of this question is to discover if they have someone who specifically writes copy. If they don’t any copy they provide might not be worth it.
- Do you have a search engine professional on staff? This will tell you how important SEO is when they are creating and designing your website.
- What are the techniques used in your SEO? If their answer discusses the use of keywords exclusively, it is a bad sign. The response should relate to content and programming to ensure the page is search friendly.
- Will the website be responsive? The answer must be yes. If your website isn’t mobile friendly, be prepared to get poor search results and lose business viewing your site on a mobile device.
- What kind of research will be conducted before building the site? Before your website is built, they should take the time to adequately research your company and its needs. Building a website without a plan could end up quite meaningless. Every website must have a purpose. The goal after all is to capture leads.
For a full-list of questions that should be asked prior to hiring a marketing firm please contact Keenability.
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Other Posts by Laura Ure:
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Laura Ure is the CEO of Keenability, a marketing agency specializing in lifestyle marketing targeting the affluent buyer. She is also a marketing consultant, mother of two, and a Millennial thought-leader looking to change perceptions about Millennials. #MillennialUpgrade