Web site and print design for ALL Businesses in Texas and around the world

SCAMS OF THE CENTURY

Bench Craft Company has taken me too. I received a call from James Shepherd in the Arlington, TX office. He lured me in with a message making me think he wanted me to design for him. So I called back. I was tired and he told me that Tejas Golf Course in Stephenville, Texas is looking for corporate sponsors. They have two positions left to fill. He said art is due in the next 10 days to 2 weeks making me think they are going to print in the next 2 weeks. He said he just needs me to send him an email with a "Good to Go." He sent an attached contract not signed by me. Apparently my name counts for nothing. I called back thinking I was supporting a great golf course and the price was right. 395 for one year of advertising on the Golf Score Card.

I was told Tejas Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course, 10+ tournaments a year, over 30,000 cards handed out, lots of corporate sponsors. That is fine if you are describing the Legends Golf Course. Tejas is a 9-hole family golf course where you can get some practice in. But there are no tournaments and the owner is still waiting for her benches from Bench Craft. The signs from the sponsors are sitting in the main office. She also told me that she didn't know anything about new golf score cards. According to an employee at Bench Craft, Tejas is only set to print 10,000. I was told by Mr. Shepherd that they were printing 30,000, 10,000 more than last year.

When I tried to cancel within 72 hours, I was told by James Shepherd and his manager James Childress that I am a liar. Then when I spoke with Mark Hogan in Oregon he called me a liar. I reminded them that I am the customer and I write their paycheck. I was told I could not cancel no matter what. However, my credit card company sees this differently. Misrepresentation is punishable and I have begun disputing the charge. In addition, I have followed up with the Art Department regarding a print and ship date. I sent them artwork as a test last week on October 27th, 2008. My contract shows October 24th, 2008. Two weeks are up and there doesn't seem to be an urgency to get my artwork for these golf score cards and they are not answering my questions.

These salesmen are liars and I have no intention of paying for services that don't exist. Further, there are several other companies who have the same problem and they did not pay their bills either because the product was never delivered. BUT I resent the fact that a grown man who should be honest tells me I am a liar and that he trusts his best sales man more than me. I also resent that Mark Hogan also accused me of being a liar. I write their pay check.

I hope you get these scum bags.

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Bench.Craft.Company.503-221-0022

http://local.botw.org/Oregon/Portland/Bench_Craft_Company/33559396.html

http://alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=114&bbb=1296&firm=79000455#ratingdetails

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/278/RipOff0278875.htm

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/bench-craft-company-c51878.html

http://www.myagentgateway.com/2007/09/bench-craft-company.html

VIEW OTHER BLOGS WITH SIMILAR STORIES OR WARNINGS. SPREAD THE WORD AND STOP THIS COMPANY!

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Be aware that I do not promise #1 rankings! #1 rankings are not as simple as paying someone to get you there. You need to have a Unique Selling Point (your product), a plan for marketing and a desire to sell your product or service. My job is to create the online platform for you to sell you product or service. My job is to also provide you with the best customer service possible which means I am going to be up front about pricing, possibility and placement. Every type of business has different needs.

WHAT I WANT TO DO is use his guidelines as framework and add my own thoughts. I want to teach my existing clients and potential clients how to make the internet work for them.

FROM THE BLOG | BUYING A DOMAIN NAME | THE BIG GUYS VS. A DESIGNER

FROM THE BLOG

1. “We’ll Submit Your Website to Hundreds of Search Engines!” – Bad idea. This is one of the worst internet marketing scams. First of all, there are 4 primary search engines that handle about 95% of all internet searches, so submitting to anything other than the primary 4 is pretty much useless. Second of all, search engines don’t like submissions. There is alot of documentation to prove this. "

This is true. It takes 30-90 days for your website to be "found." And this means that your site if properly marketed will come up using the keywords not the actual name of your site. If you type in the actual domain name you will find yourself at the top. You were being specific. The general audience isn't always sure what to ask so they choose keywords that make sense to them. We can only guess that "quarter pony idaho" is going to work. Sorry, Nicki. It was the first set of keywords of which I could think. However, let's use Nicki as a good example. She didn't just tell me to put her at the top. She has made fliers, she updates her site at least once a week, she tells people about her business and no doubt she has quite a strong presence within the horse community.

2. “Get #1 Ranking in Google!” – Of course this isn’t a bad thing… but wait, read the fine print. Do you get to choose your own keyword? I doubt it. No competent SEO consultant is going to guarantee a #1 ranking for a set price for any keyword you choose."

I would like to point out that Google changes the rules every 30-60 days. For the longest time I typed in my keywords with spaces after the commas. Nope. Since last year, that rule changed. No spaces. Of course, can I trust my source on that too? The truth is that Google and Yahoo are just businesses who want to make money. They sell you a promise but forget to tell you that only seasoned coder's will really know how to work the system. This means if you want to get further, you have to pay even more for a 30% guarantee. First, you don't need to be #1. You can make the top ten search results within a matter of months IF you are willing to do the work of marketing your product and your site. The best way to know how to market your product is to look how others in the same industry do it, then take that to the next level. Don't forget that word-of-mouth is free.

3. “Get 2,000 Backlinks for only $39.95!” – This is a scary offer. Too many unknowns. The sad thing is that this will probably hurt your search engine ranking, and not help it. The only way someone could offer this many backlinks is through spammy link sites and/or crappy directories."

Do you even know what backlinks are? No? Well then don't buy it. Research it, but realize that there are companies who specialize in feeding off of smaller businesses. I have seen web designers who feed off of small businesses. Before buying a service, think about how long you want to run this business. Is this just a theory or a reality. If you are seriously interested in building your business with a website, ONLY buy relevant names. For instance, I was the only online english-speaking babysitter resource for Austria. I started with www.kids-days.com. Then I bought www.kidsdaysaustria.com and from there I introduced specific zones, kidsdaysvienna, kidsdaysgraz and so on. I made an executvie decision to stop my free services after 7 years of helping others out. Up until last month I was at the top of the list.

4. “We Will Submit Your Website to Over 1,000 Directories!” — Wow! Really?! That’s amazing! How do you do that? The answer is simple… There really are thousands of free directories out there, but the question is, do you want your site to be included on all of them?"

From where I sit, YOU and only you should be submitting yourself to directories. You are going to know which directories are relevant to your business. If you aren't sure then you contact someone you trust who does know where to get listed. Don't just list for the sake of listing. You want your clients to see that you are working with honest businesses. Most of these other listings are just covers for some other business. Follow the links sometime. You will be disappointed in most cases. Nobody said marketing yourself would be easier.

5." Link Exchange Programs (reciprocal linking) – Many of you already know that I have been very vocal in the last few months regarding reciprocal links. You can read a couple of my articles here, here and here. Link exchange programs can be considered a scam because the companies that push them are either lying, or are ignorant about what they are selling. Why would you pay for something that doesn’t work?"

I agree. What I encourage is creating links with relevant sites. If you are a member of the AQHA, ask them if they have a listing service for their members. As long as you are a member, you can list them. This is a calling card for your horse. The link tells the customer that you are linked with a reputable organization who promotes the development and talent of the American Quarter Horse. Linking to horse directories and other offbeat services is up to you. You have to sit down and think about how you want people to find you. Weed out any source which is deemed contraversial unless if you like a little trouble!

6. Banner Exchange Programs — These are all but dead, but they are worth noting because there are many newb's that still waste their time with these. Bottom line: they pull visitors away from your site, you never know what types of sites will be linking to you (this could be potentially dangerous), the conversion rates are horrible, most banner exchange sites have been proven to cheat customers out of links, and finally i submit that banner ads themselves are dead.

What's funny is that in all my years of designing I have considered at least once a year to post my own banner ad somewhere. Well, I don't. Online advertising is useless in my opinion because you pay a lot of money for a lot of uncertainty. The only clear way to sell your product through online directories is with well-established directories such as yellowbook.com, whitepages.com and your local phone directory service. You don't need to spend a lot of money because you are only asking to be listed in the phone book .... online. I know that when I move somewhere I always go to the yellowpages to find businesses in my area.

NOTE: Also consider your location. If you live in a small town where people still use the phone to communicate, the phone book is a good resource.

7. “Send An Email Ad to 10,000 Opt-In Subscribers” — Can you say illegal? Most of the scams already mentioned probably won’t get you or the company advertising them prison time. But this one could."

I knew that spam mail is a pain, but I didn't know that it could be taken so seriously. Every time I get an ad for Viagra, I will think of the poor fool who is taking a risk to sell me something. You don't have to. If you are ready to design a website to sell your product or service, chances are you have done a little research. You know who your immediate competition is and how to get around them. If not, you ask the girl you hired to design your site how to get around your clients!

8. “We Guarantee Top Search Engine Results Through Professional Meta Tag Optimization!” – Admittedly, this is an older sales technique that isn’t used as much anymore, but it is still pretty common. "

Nobody likes to repeat themselves, but there is no such thing as the perfect keyword, title, site description or meta tag. I can try to help you out. I will throw hidden keywords in to force a stronger search. However I don't even believe in this system as fool proof. For example: I typed in "web design stephenville texas" and an unnamed competitor came up. On every, EVERY page he had in plain site about 100 keywords including States. It turns out that the company sits in Ohio. Yet they came up nearly #1 every time. So you can see how that might work. I also know that a site can come into the top 10 with routine updating, proper linking, proper marketing and a few prayers without the ugliness of 100 keywords per page. A site can fall off the radar if neglected. Nothing is more irritating than finding a site that was last updated in 2006.

9. Boosting a Website’s Rankings Through Black Hat Techniques – This is a touchy issue. But the bottom line is that “Black Hat SEO” uses techniques that try to trick search engines into better ranking."

I will have to research this because there are so many different tricks out there. I do know that "tricking" is a negative action which could lead to a lot of negative reaction. You are better off rolling up your sleeves and do things the honest way.

BUYING A DOMAIN

This doesn't have to be scary...yet it is. Even for a seasoned domain buyer like myself. I usually use Maddogdomains.com for the pricing. However, you really have to examine the information to avoid buying additional useless names, hosting services, protection services, and other new features. You don't need all that stuff. Anybody who has done enough buying of domains knows that you can enter 123 Street Name and it will be accepted. You can keep your information private easily.

Two, in my opinion, YOU should own your domain name. Not me. I buy the domain name and bill you. As your designer it is my obligation to pass the username/password information on to you so that you can access your files. Once you send me the money for that domain name, it is yours. Don't let any web designer tell you different. You may also be tricked into "Package Deals" where the domain is included. That means you don't own your domain. There is also a 50% risk that you were scammed out of money for a less than ideal website. When you try to find the designer, he/she doesn't exist anymore. You can ask any of my clients. They know where to find me even if it is Oberwart, Austria.

Three, when buying your domain take into consideration other relevant names. I don't push this because what works for me may not work for everyone. I like to keep busy so I have:

familienimmrichter.com
nimmrichters.com
graphic-haus.com

kids-days.com
kidsdaysaustria.com
kidsdaysvienna.com
kidsdaysgraz.com
kidsdayslinz.com

sheepwalkwoolworks.com
thesheepwalk.com

Each domain is relevant to the other. Right now I have my kids days sites sitting idle with my graphic-haus site as a holding place. At one point I will rebuild Kids Days with a new direction.

FROM THE BLOG | BUYING A DOMAIN NAME | THE BIG GUYS VS. A DESIGNER | back to the top

BIG GUYS VS. GRAPHIC HAUS

I don't believe in package deals. Every client has a need. Not every client can afford to pay up front. Not every client can afford big fancy sites. Be careful when someone advertises that you can have a 6 page site, domain name included plus 1 year of hosting. Why? You don't own your domain. What is the maintenance per month cost? Is there a contract? What other hidden fees are there? Will you get to choose your own layout for that price? I hate to put myself out there like this, but chances are you will end up in a contract for one year with a flat rate for maintenance even if you don't need it. In most cases as well, you may not get to choose your layout either. Anybody can go to the store and by a box of templates then sell them to you for that much money. There is also a deadline for services. This means if you aren't happy it doesn't matter. You pay. And the maintenance kicks in on day 31 which means you may not even have a finished product, but now have to pay even more for what feels like nothing. My mom knows how this feels.

My timelines are fairly easy to follow. I work when you have the work for me. If the site needs more than two months, then I am not doing my job for you. This means I will try to get everything from you for the site within the first 2 weeks and push for a finish line. BUT I only send a bill when we are at 95% and I don't charge maintenance for at least 2-3 months after the finish. This means that I consider the first round of updates to be a part of the design process. Yes, I lose money! I am not in the business to get rich. Designing websites is something I love to do.

The BIG GUYS will offer you a lot of incentives. Read the first section to see why that is such a scam. You have to wonder why those of who have been designing sites don't use these services too. I know that you can't rely on anyone else to make you successful. ONLY YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN SUCCESS. If you had the idea to start the business, then you have the strength to see it through. This may sound a little bit old world, but I believe we have to be held accountable for our actions. This means that if your site is not at #1, I have to ask myself where I can make improvements as opposed to where I failed. You also have to ask yourself if the site isn't #1, what can you do to make it #1?

Look at your competition. How are they advertising? Why do you think they are successful? Who is their client base?

Look at yourself. How can you do better job advertising? What is going to make your product or service stand out? Who do you want to buy your product? Most important....WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT?

USP for 11N Quarter Ponies: The quarter pony is a relatively unrealized breed. The quarter pony is under 14.2 H, can be solid or multi-colored, and comes from the quarter horse who doesn't reach the AQHA's minimum. The quarter pony has been around for many years. At and before AQHA's origination. The "original" foundation QH's were short & stalky. Pony sized horses. Over time - Quarter Horses (AQHA) have become increasingly taller with much infusion of TB (Thouroughbred) blood.

People just don't call them ponies, as it seems to come with a stigma as being not quite a horse, or an animal for kids only. Spoiled/ruined by uneducated kid riders. They're just small horses - labled "Pony".....I too had that mental stigma of the word "pony", in my younger, more ignorant years.However, there are people who have helped this breed to evolve into one of the most popular breeds in the U.S. You can also find them in Europe as well. 11N Quarter Ponies is one of these unique ranches who breeds for quality not quantity. Her newest star is Watch a Leo Moon. To learn more, please visit her website.

Mission Statement: It's the goal of 11N Quarter Ponies to get the recognition often overlooked for this breed.

Important Facts: AQHA claims they don't have a "required" height, but register AQHA's according to proven bloodlines.

Marketing Strategy: Feature the Stallion, Join all relevant organizations, Hand out fliers, Shout out loud with car window graphics (people following you will read this sign a minimum of 3 times). Yes, people do turn themselves inside out to look back again. Whether they'll ever inquire or not, at least they do know you are there. Get's the word out. Update your website with new information on ponies, foals and stallion showcases, and more.

FROM THE BLOG | BUYING A DOMAIN NAME | THE BIG GUYS VS. A DESIGNER | back to the top

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