Online Scams: How to Make an Educated Purchase Decision

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In the previous two articles we investigated two common internet scams featuring Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Fake Online Reviews.  Each of these had their own individual tips on how to avoid falling for suspect marketing techniques.

But how can an a savvy consumer reduce the risk of being taken by an Online scammer when making a purchase?

Online Scams: Google SEO Promises Over the Phone

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently, we had an unsolicited phone call from 818-420-4298 asking if we were interested in being on the front page of Google if we qualified.  Of course the offer was for free.

The whole call seemed fishy to us. The caller identified his company as a "Google Partner" in his noticeably scripted  spiel.  At no time did he mention his name or his company's name. With a waft of other voices in the background it sounded like one large telemarketing scheme as opposed to a genuine SEO Marketing company. So what was the full story?

Online Scams: Faking Online Reviews

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

CBC Marketplace recently aired two segments investigating online reviews both on review websites (i.e. TripAdvisor and Yelp!) and company websites (i.e. Amazon, TigerDirect, etc.).  CBC Marketplace found that many of the posted reviews were from either regular average customers, paid marketers or even average customer reviews that have been edited.

The original intentions of online reviews both on review websites and company websites were to allow average people to provide authentic reviews on their experiences in purchasing goods and/or services.  For quite a while this was the case until marketers researched the influence of these reviews and how they impacted consumer purchasing. Marketers quite simply found the more positive a product or service was reviewed positively the higher sales increased. This finding resulted in marketers writing their own reviews on review websites and possibly editing customer reviews on company websites as needed.  Excellent examples of marketer's using these tactics can be found in the aforementioned CBC Marketplace segments.

What are some tips that business owners and consumers use to avoid falling for these fake review tactics? 

CLIENT PORTFOLIO: D. Castro Bookkeeping Services

D. Castro Bookkeeping Services is an Ottawa area full service bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and tax service provider that focuses on small business and the non-profit sectors. The company focuses it's attention on listening to client needs, developing an accounting process that works for the client and yet meets or exceeds government and industry regulations.

Dayani Castro founded the company to share her expertise in making bookkeeping and tax preparation processes customizable to the average business owner whose booking experience rangesf from very little to a lot. As part of promoting D. Castro Bookkeeping Services, Dayani provides bookkeeping courses that help introduce business owners to the needs of having a good set up financial records as well as some tips on how to do it.

CLIENT PORTFOLIO: Big Guide to Condos

BigGuideToCondos.com is the main website for Toronto area realtors Chris Dawson & Elizabeth Machula. These leading Toronto area realtors specialize in buying and selling condominiums in the Downtown Toronto area.

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) realty market, serviced by the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB), is quite competitive with plethora of real estate agents and condominiums available.   How can one overcome this and easily be found?  One way is to leverage the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to make sure your website appears at the top of search engine listings in a variety of search terms.   This was exactly the tactic Big Guide to Condos aims to take advantage of.