Check References

Check References

Check References – Charles Snyder Raw #111.  So I’m thinking about a conversation with a friend that I had over the weekend in regards to SEO.  Basically, I’m trying not to get distracted by their very big, very messy problem.  In a nutshell, her client was robbed by a so-called SEO “guru” and she doesn’t know what to do about it. So she asked me for some advice.

Since hinting at this situation before, I’m diving a little deeper into making sure you know who you are dealing with.  I mean when it comes to your business, make sure the service providers you use are reputable ones.  Because once you hand over money, it may already be too late to do anything about it.

So know who you are dealing with before money changes hands. Also, the moral of this story is to do your research before you pay. Otherwise, you may find yourself in this kind of situation as well.

Do your due diligence!

Without going into too many personal details, the victim paid close to $10,000 for “SEO services” over a year ago.  And I gave her client the bad news; she really got zero work out of the guy.  But that’s only just part of the story.

Secondly, the other part of the problem is that the guy isn’t returning anyone’s phone calls.  So understandably my friend’s client is extremely upset right now. Wouldn’t you be too?

Check References: some practical advice

Here are some basic steps you can take, Checking References is just the first step. Due diligence is defined as a reasonable person taking all the steps to satisfy all requirements before buying or selling something. So I would also recommend doing the following:

• Check their resume – Do they have some form of proof of skills or expertise in SEO?
• Check their portfolio – Anyone worth doing business with is going to have some form of a portfolio, contact some of those listed.
• Definitely check with anyone listed as references or giving testimonials – They do have testimonials, right?
• Do they have a registered business?  Obtaining a basic state business license is pretty easy, quick, and cheap to do. No license = no way!

What this means is that you as the business owner must do your homework before handing over your money.  What I mean by due diligence is this; do what you have to do to protect yourself.  Maybe even get a second opinion if you think something is not right.  Last but not least, trust your instincts; if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

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