Unfortunately, there are many examples of so-called “marketing agencies” preying on naive or uninformed business owners and managers. These sham corporations make false claims and prey on people who are trying to expand their businesses. While you might be marketing savvy and aware of common schemes, here are some ways to identify a marketing scam and why it should be avoided.

If they are trusted, high-quality lists, online directories can provide value and enhanced visibility. However, there are a plethora of directories available that will never produce results or provide you with possible leads. Customers normally respect and trust directories such as HomeAdvisor, Houzz, Angie’s List, and even Yelp. Avvo, Justia, and lawyers.com are the ones that matter for attorneys in particular. Depending on the industry, online directories will assist your company in connecting with customers and generating conversions.

Unfortunately, some scam marketers would assure unsuspecting clients that they will send their company details to directories in exchange for a hefty fee. Some of these “trained” companies will then submit your company’s information to hundreds of insignificant directories that will have little effect on your bottom line. Having your company listed on these low-quality pages may also be detrimental to your brand. If your marketing agency mentions submissions to directories, make sure you understand which lists they are referring to and how inclusion in these directories would benefit you.

Although your website is likely not flawless and might have some technical issues, business owners should always be cautious when getting a direct call from a digital marketer claiming to be able to address specific issues. There are churn-and-burn automated companies out there that look for websites that display signs of having “fixes” without knowing why those items on a website’s backend are set up the way they are. Indeed, certain technological improvements that are not considered “conventional” are made on purpose by professional website developers.

If you receive a call from a so-called experienced digital marketer who begins listing the issues on your website, do not immediately get on board. Talk with your web developers directly about any questions you have to better understand why your website is set up the way it is. If you have any technical difficulties, they should be able to address them. Before investing money, you can also contact a reputable digital marketing agency and request a free consultation.

If you are actively searching for a digital agency to assist you with your marketing campaigns, one thing you can carefully consider is the job portfolio of that business. You’ll want to know which organizations the agency has partnered with and what concrete outcomes they were able to achieve as a result of their efforts. After all, you want to make sure you’re recruiting a seasoned firm with a track record of performance.