Sunday 14 June 2015

Checks For Genuine Online Businesses

How would a novice know whether any online opportunity is good enough and is not taking him/her for a ride?
Following are few guide posts that I have developed over the years to help you in the decision making process which may not be complete checks but at least can conclude successfully if the business/opportunity is genuine.
To analyze any online business I deploy the following checks:
  • Type the name of the company or opportunity on google and read reviews about it. – If there is a healthy debate about the opportunity, there is a possibility that this could be genuine (I am not don’t yet)
  • Type the domain name at scamadvisor or similar sites that give you info about the domain and it’s evolution – Not always does an old domain mean trustworthiness. If there is too much of concealing or hiding of facts this is a signal that it might be fake, also look for the ratings bar for percentage of trust worthiness. (I am still not done)
  • Look for postings on social media such as FB and watch some you tube videos on reviews and procedures followed by the company. – Look for healthy debates (I am still not done)
  • Look for poor grammar used on the website – This is ignored most of the times by fake sites and can be a good barometer for the honest opportunity seeker (I am not done yet)
  • Look for complaints registered by users against this website. – No complaints does not always mean it is good, it may also mean there is no complaint redressal mechanism. Even if there are complaints, check for redressal speed.(Still require a bit more)
  • Look for whois data about the website owners – Too much concealing is a sign of danger.(One more check left)
  • Check if there are charges to join – Generally if there are charges to join this is no good as most honest online business houses do not charge a fee. Yes it is also true that for business to run there needs to be sales and moving of goods and services, but this cannot be an alibi for charging upfront fees.
If all of the above are negative, the site is fake and may only be collecting your data.
If there is a positive presence of the website or opportunity on all of the above (don’t worry about some negative comments), the site is good to go for and the opportunity great.
Ultimately it is the wisdom of the individual to gauge an online businesses intent or credibility, while the above are guide post from my own personal experience.

Brian Mario Fernandes

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