How to avoid being scammed by a sleazy marketer or website developer

I LOATHE the traditional marketing professional/website developer! I've had so many issues with clients recovering from someone either holding their information hostage so they have to pay more money, or they could never get a hold of them, or they said they "had" to have x,y,z program if they wanted to be a "serious" business.

Here are a few ways you can be sure they don't advantage of you:

1. Get a proposal with dollar amounts and deadlines. (INCLUDING HOSTING FEES!) and then you both sign it and no changes can be made unless a revision is made and signed by both parties

2. Ensure that you have administrative access to all of your information including your domain and all other apps they sign you up for.

3. NEVER give them your credit card number to use "as needed"

4. Set up regular check-ins to see how they are doing with their promised deliverables

5. Have realistic expectations of what you want them to do

If marketing isn't your cup of tea, be sure you have someone in your corner who can let you know if someone is "full of it" and help protect you from a bad business relationship that will cost you more time and money than you ever imagined.

#marketing #sales #marketingprofessionals #wisdom #businesstips