Analyzing A Legitimate Online Business
Monday, December 21st, 2009You have read all the headlines, seen all the videos on YouTube of amateur internet entrepreneurs selling a profit generating business. But did you know that most of these businesses are scams. My article for you and my clients who have decided to stop searching for jobs in Ohio, is to help you discern which internet businesses are scams and which are not.
My method of analysis is based on personal experience with some of these products and from research on consumer protection sites such as the Better Business Bureau’s website, RippOff Report, and various unnamed sites that rate online business opportunities. For those of you who are venturing into to internet space for the first time and trying to decide what business platform to choose to launch your home based business, I will educate you in the same way I enlighten my clients who couldn’t find ideal jobs in Ohio my home state.
My first question: Where you intently searching for the internet opportunity during using a search engine key word search, or where you searching for a subject completely unrelated to the online business opportunity? The reason why I ask is that often clever internet marketers may employ a tactic called “redirection”. They can achieve this in various ways, the most popular is the domain-name redirect. For example , you type into your Google search window the term “cheap business cards”, your instant Google search results list the top ten internet sites that make cheap business cards. You feel confident choosing the business that is occupying the first place results ranking called ,”
Waycheapbiznezzcards.com, you click on the link and you are redirected to a completely different website with different domain name called,” MLMbusiness4You.com”. This is the perfect example of the “redirection” method. You were not intently searching for the MLM opportunity, you wanted business cards. Any marketer that has to bait and switch you to a completely unrelated topic of your original search is more than likely to swindle you out of your money, and I have fallen prey to this tactic before. So, ignore these offers that appear as a result of redirection techniques. My second question: Where did you find the internet opportunity? If you were reading the pages of your favorite website and the offer appeared as a “pop-up banner” or “floating banner” across your monitor screen, forget about it.
If the internet opportunity was an actual skyscraper html or text advertisement on the sidebars of your favorite website, then it may be worth investigating further with my following questions. Third question: How long has the website making the internet opportunity been live on the internet. You can review registrant information at Whois.net. If the website has existed for more than 3 years and there is public information of the owner of the website with contact email, working phone number, and street address [no p.o. boxes] then the offer may be worth considering. But let us explore more questions about the websites appearance. Fourth Question: Is there contact information readily available on the first page of the website making the internet opportunity.
Specifically a tab that is marked “About US” –which may list contact info, or “Contact Us” where there should be listed a working phone number, physical address and a name of a real person, however “sales support”—as a generic contact identity is sufficient. I recommend that you do not purchase anything from any site that does not have sufficient contact information. You should have a conversation over the phone or sufficient correspondence with sales support through email with detailed answers to detailed questions. Fifth Question: And possibly the most vital that has been in business for a couple of years or more will have some natural complaints from customers or subscribers who did not know how to use the offered product or service or were unsuccessful in their marketing efforts to launch an internet business and wanted refund well passed the policy’s 30-day window. Sixth Question:
Is the offer described in the text of the website clear and sufficiently detailing HOW you are going to generate money? If the offer rambles on about how other people have made money in “just 1 month”, or “1-year a six figure income was achieved” these are all falsehoods, and you should avoid the offer. Your internet business profitability is highly dependant on your website’s search engine ranking (the first page is ideal for certain keywords) and how strong your website’s offer is to converting potential customers. You should not buy an internet business opportunity that a) does not have contact info b) no refund policy c) does not clearly describe how you will be making money AND uses the words, my program or my system. Often, internet entrepreneurs are suckered into buying an MLM blueprint, or program or system—only sadly to discover what they bought was a four CD set and workbooks discussing strategy about internet marketing and perhaps some more information you have to purchase once again for a fee. You didn’t buy a system or a program, in actuality you bought information for $350 dollars! You have just been ripped off.
The best money making program clearly describe how you will be earning your internet income, have marketing support and have a solid return or refund policy in place. In addition you can find viewable testimonials on YouTube and other online video hosting sites if you are willing to search for them. Your ability to manage a successful online business is dependent on one thing only, your ability to market your website and offer—period. So, don’t be fooled into overnight riches and or one month campaigns that will stuff your Paypal account with orders. There is no such system or program, otherwise everyone would be rich and there would not be any recession or unemployment in America.
Please take my recommendations with caution, there are exceptions that do not fit into the framework of obvious scams that actually are profitable and reputable business opportunities that have no contact information, do not adequately describe the business plan and appear to you as redirected websites. Just as I advise my clients who cant find jobs in Ohio, It is your better judgment and gut instinct to detect fraud when you encounter it and no one can guarantee that every offer on the internet is a valid and honest offer.
