With so many websites selling services and “stuff” on the internet these days, it can be difficult for consumers to make a decision as to which is the best to do online business with.
One thing is certain, if your website gives visitors even the slightest inkling that it is a scam site, you are bound to lose lots of potential customers. Take a look at these common characteristics of shady online businesses and be sure that you are not guilty of appearing spammy or scammy.
Too! Much! Emphasis!
The first thing you might notice when you click on a spammy site is lots of vibrant colour, different sized fonts, text in all capital letters, cheesy graphics for emphasis, and flashing lights. It may remind you of a disco dance club with all of its visual stimuli trying to pull your eye immediately to the ‘BUY!’ link.
While there is nothing wrong with drawing attention to your call to action, if you make it more subtle it will denote a professional, trustworthy company. Stay away from an annoying mixture of too many vibrant colours and varying fonts. Use classic combinations and keep graphics to a minimum; they should enhance, not overpower the text. Try to refrain from using exclamation points where they are not required.
Pop-Ups
A pop-up message that tries to convince a visitor to stay on your site, make a purchase, or join a subscriber’s list can be an excellent tool to increase conversion rate. However, if they are not done right, they could be viewed as a real annoyance and evidence of a site that is going to send spam email messages in the future.
The worst sites keep pop-ups appearing from the moment of entrance to the home page until the unlucky visitor entirely shuts down their computer. Use more than one pop-up and risk being viewed as a scammer.
Make pop-ups appear only at the last possible moment – when the visitor is about to leave the site. Restrain yourself from adding them to each link or when someone first lands on the home page.
Free Offers That Aren’t Really Free
Your site is bound to get a bad reputation if you fall back on that old scam standby of offering something for ‘free’. We’ve all seen these websites. They offer something of great value complimentary, then ask for a credit card to pay for future orders. Of course you can cancel your subscription at any time – if only you can figure out how to do so.
When you offer a free item, be sure there are no strings attached other than the visitor providing a name, address, and perhaps a brief bit of personal information such as interests or hobbies. The idea is to induce the visitor to take their free item, but then come back again and again to make future purchases. If your initial visitor finds a reason to trust your company, it is much more likely that they will become a loyal customer.
Perhaps the best way to figure out what you don’t want your site to be is to visit some of those obvious scam websites. Use what you see and read as a template of everything wrong – then do the opposite and enjoy a better online reputation. Becoming trusted by your clients is the best way to win their confidence and trust so that they do buy from you when ready.
Have a most outstanding day.
Sean RasmussenAussie Internet Marketing
www.AussieSEO.com 2010
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Quite right, Sean.. it takes just a nano-second to guage the impression given when landing on a page, and there are some that are clicked off before they are even fully loaded..This is good, practical advice, thank you.
Jo Carey-Bradshaw´s last blog ..Empowering Mindset – Mindfulness
First impressions are everything online Jo. Some of these people must have some very high bounce rates, but that does not seem to stop them for some reason.
Great stuff Sean.
And even more annoying for me is being on a list and getting bombarded with offers every day, somethings several times a day. When this happens its to the unsubscribe button.
Sometimes the unsubscribe button can be a wise move Gee.
How spooky is this – I went to a link from Facebook yesterday and the website was set up with two cheesy looking photos (one of super hot guy in a cartoon character and a skinny girl that again looked like a cartoon).
It was about weight loss. I was tried of hearing the long boring speech which was accomplished with words the whole way through the clip – not images just word for word what the guy and the girl was saying.
After five minutes I couldn’t take anymore but YOU GUESSED it – pop up after pop up kept on coming and I had trouble getting the tab to close. The only way was to give my email address for a Free report!!
It was so frustrating (ops fascinating) so no I will not be purchasing from that website. You have made every point here about websites that look like scams – colours, cheesy photos, boring text, change of text colours, pop up windows, a product that is too good to be true.
Sorry that i clicked on that link from facebook, and now will be on the lookout for how NOT to set up a website
Perfect Information
Thanks Sean
Lisa Wood´s last blog ..Searching For Gratitude Rocks
It certainly sounds like a website you could learn a lot from Lisa…. learn exactly what NOT to do
Which is quite important as well to learn
I think it helps to see and take note of what annoys me personally so I can make sure I don’t do that on my offers – I don’t want to annoy myself
Renee´s last blog ..Definition Of Motivation
Good idea Renee, typically, what you find annoying will also be annoying to others.
Thank God for my Firefox which blocks all pop ups! Always have it activated!
Great advice Sean. Seeing the common traits of a ‘less than above board’ website is nauseating. Too many capital letters, too many fonts. Plus they usually want you to provide every bit of information imaginable so they can spam you.
If in doubt, I usually Google the name of the website to see if there are any remarks about its authenticity.
David Moloney´s last blog ..What is a Brand Name? It’s Everything.
Yes, you can normally pick the scammers out pretty quickly David. Googling a website is a great way to find out what other people are saying about it. I recommend doing so before you purchase any type of questionable product online
I so agree …… If I click onto a website that is flashy, glitzie and messy – “I”m outta there!!” If I cannot see what I am looking for in a split second – then it is not the place for me. I must admit that is how I shop as well. Scan the shop from the door and if I do not see the color or style I am looking for – “I”m outta there!!”
So when building a website remember to consider the age and era in your demographics. Eg. Babyboomers vs Generation Y. Not a chance they will mesh easily. Good luck.
Dianne Pearce´s last blog ..Affiliate Millionaire Review
Sounds like a good way to shop Dianne, if you don’t like the look of the store (on or offline)… move on
I enjoy reading your articles Sean!
Sandra Sentance´s last blog ..Time Management
Thanks Sandra, that’s great to hear. I hope you can use some of the tips, strategies and suggestions to help build your online business.
Free must be Free.
If you set out to cheat people you get a bad rep very quickly. What is that old saying, “one happy customer tells 3 friends, one unhappy customer tells 10″.
Cemil´s last blog ..Add Custom Footer to Thesis Theme
Exactly Cemil, if you want news to spread quickly all you need to do is make your customers unhappy
That’s so true Cemil, both your statements.
I have come across too many sites that claim to give you something for free – just to find out that you will get the “free” part only after you purchased something else.
Definitely a way to put me off!
Renee´s last blog ..Improving Self Confidence
I would like to know who really likes these scammer pages. Or if people just feel too intimidated to just leave without buying anything. They must achieve something, otherwise no one would do it anymore. It’s a strange world …
Renee´s last blog ..Definition Of Motivation
Hi Sean,
I agree with everyone else. You can tell a site that is just waiting to scam you the minute you land on their page. I don’t want to do anything that will give people the impression that I’m going to scam them.
Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Learn and Earn – It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint
Very good advice here Sean, I think we are aware of the spammy looking sites and you have pretty well covered it here.
There are other sites which we also need to be aware of. The sites that are well presented and offer you a months trial of something. One excellent, very esteemed stock market company did this and they wanted my bankcard details, just in case I decided to join after the 30 day period. I had no problem with giving my bankcard details to them.
At the end of the 30 day trial, they don’t ask me if I want to continue or not, they just start taking subscriptions out of my Bankcard at the highest subscription rate and it is all automated.
It took me 2 months and over 50 emails to stop them. It was a completely automated system so once they start deductions, you can’t contact them. That was until I threatened legal action and by magic I got a humanoid contact me and got my money reimbursed!
Hi Elly,
I’m amazed at this behaviour from such a prominent stock market company. You’d think in this day and age successful companies wouldn’t have to stoop to these kinds of tactics.
It’s great that you could get it resolved. It’s amazing what the threat of a little legal action will do.
Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Internet Marketing Success – Make It Happen
It’s amazing what kind of companies use that kind of methods. If they have a good reputation they should try to keep and honor that, as they can loose it very quickly.
Good for you that you were persistent, but I guess there are enough people out there who just give in and let them take their money.
Renee´s last blog ..Improving Self Confidence
Yes I think we have all been to those annoying websites which won’t let you leave or have so much hype and hooha on there it makes you cringe. These sites are fantastic learning tools to what not to do on your own site.
Jackie Stenhouse´s last blog ..Anxiety Separation in Children
ahhh- this is brilliant advice- I don’t want to be a spammer or a scammer- but it is easy to not know what that might look like and go overboard, or at least, I think it could be easy. I think this is great advice for beginners and those established- don’t confuse me for a scammer- I just wanna help people so best I avoid dolling up my blog too much. Tx for the sage wisdom.
Boy do I relate to that paragraph on Free offers that aren’t really free – got caught with a Acai trial – the T&C, whose link was almost impossible to see, did say to cancel – only via letter or phone – within 14 days – trouble was it took 15 days to get here. Then there was so much BS. Never again.It is a good product and so totally unnecessary to use such disingenuous tactics.