5 Web Design Scams to Watch Out For
At Imagefix we don’t like winning work because someone’s been swindled by another web design agency. But unfortunately, it happens all too often. In many cases the person calling us is setting up their own business, and the website is central to their operations. We’re usually able to retrieve the website, and restore it to its owner, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been conned out of thousands along the way.
Too many scammers are getting away with this, and it seems there’s no way to close down their operations. In this blog, therefore, we’re going to outline 5 web design scams to watch out for. We’re also offering tips on how to spot a scammer and stop them in their tracks. The Imagefix team hope that this will save a few people from being conned.
1. I Can’t Get Into My Website
So, you’ve agreed the design, paid your bill and taken receipt of your new website – only you can’t access the back-end. When you ask for the login details you’re told that there’s a fee for providing them. You realise that making changes to your own website could cost you a fortune.
Tip: Make sure that your initial contract/agreement states that you will have administrative access to your site. Alternatively, insist on access to the cPanel, which allows you to give yourself access.
2. I’ve Paid the Deposit and They Haven’t Done the Work
You’re told that you need to pay a hefty deposit to secure the work. Having done so you’re told that they’re really busy, but will be in touch to start the design process. Nothing happens. You call, email, text but no-one gets back. Months go by.
Tip: No reputable business would behave this way, because they would destroy their reputation. Before paying any money to an agency, check out how long they’ve been around and read the customer reviews. Avoid ‘one-man-bands’ without a business structure.
3. They Haven’t Done What I Asked For
The website that’s been delivered doesn’t bear any resemblance to what you thought you were getting. Functionality is poor. Or it doesn’t work on mobile devices. Or you thought it would be WordPress and instead it’s some platform you’ve never heard of.
Tip: Scope out the work you want done, in detail, before giving the go-ahead to your web designer. Otherwise they can always say that you didn’t ask for things you thought were included.
4. My eCommerce Just Doesn’t Work
You want to move your business online because of the Covid-19 pandemic. You’ve found a designer who’ll integrate eCommerce pretty cheaply but when he hands it over it doesn’t work how you need it to. He explains that customising and testing the functionality will cost extra (a lot), but without it you have a useless system.
Tip: Testing functionality should never cost extra, it is part of the basic work of a web design agency. Always get a number of quotes for this kind of work, and check out exactly what’s included in the fee.
5. I’m Being Hacked Constantly
You’ve agreed to your site being hosted by your web designer. You find that you’re constantly being hacked and then it’s costing you to get the site restored. Customers are beginning to fall away and you don’t know how to stop it happening.
Tip: Scammers are able to offer cheap hosting because it’s on shared servers with minimal security. Often the servers aren’t even in Europe, so they don’t have to adhere to European standards. Always ask for the name of the host, and check out their reputation.
About Imagefix
We’re a web design and marketing agency and we’ve been providing our digital services for over a decade. The Imagefix team works closely with clients, getting to know about their business and their requirements. We offer a personalised service, so you’ll always be able to contact us, day or night, and if there’s a problem, we deal with it immediately.
If you’re having issues with your website, call the Imagefix team on 01525 715608. We’ll diagnose the problem, and offer a solution, fast.
