Steps to See If Website Is Legit
- Search company name
- Check for HTTPS
- Review contact page info
- Verify it with Google Transparency Report
- Validate with Scam Adviser
- Check domain age
- Review BBB for bad reports
- Call them
Search company name
I put this first because if you search Google and cannot find the company listed by its name it is best to avoid doing business with them. There are a few exceptions where you might not find them on the first page of Google. If they use keywords that are very competitive in their name they might not be listed at the top. But if the name is unique like Glenn Website Design they should be listed very high in search results. For example, do some searches that include GLENN in it and you will find how much real estate we control in the Google search results. “Glenn Web Design” – “Glenn Furniture” – “Glenn Madden”
Google prides itself on supplying the most accurate search results. So any company with a unique name should be found listed first when you search for it by name.
Check for HTTPS
This is not a sure sign the business can be trusted or not. Google Chrome flags it very quickly if a website is not using SSL. The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is how computers talk with each other HTTPS means that any data you provide to the site is transmitted in a secure way.
I would not trust any website that has not made an effort to upgrade to HTTPS. It is not a sign of a good company but it is for sure a sign the company does not care about its website if they are still using HTTP. The HTTPS has been pushed onto designers for years now. It is available for FREE and is just a matter of implementing it into the design.
Review contact page info
Some legitimate companies avoid putting actual contact info on their website to avoid SPAM. Instead, they just use a contact form. So not having contact info is not an immediate sign of a bad company. But call me old-fashioned but I like to know who I am doing business with. I always look for a phone number, email, live chat, and a physical address. I follow this policy for the company website CONTACT PAGE. Plus as you may have noticed I even branded our businesses with my name GLENN. I believe business should be done the way it used to be where your customers or also your friends.
Check it with Google Transparency Report
Google’s Safe Browsing system scans billions of URLs every day for potentially dangerous sites. Thousands of new hazardous sites are discovered every day, many of them are legal websites that have been hacked. They display warnings on Google Search and in web browsers when they find hazardous sites.
Verify with Scam Adviser
Is this website or online business legitimate? Are the reviews genuine or fabricated? Scamadviser attempts to answer this question for 2.5 million monthly visitors. Scamadviser employs an algorithm to identify whether a website is legitimate, with genuine reviews, or a phishing site offering counterfeit goods. Its mission is to assist consumers in making informed online decisions.
Check domain age
The age of the domain will give you an idea of when the company was established in most cases. It is possible for someone to buy domains that have been around for many years so you need to double-check here to establish company history.
First, go to ICANN lookup and enter the address of the website. Under Domain Information, you find the date the website was registered. There is other information you might find useful also in researching a company website.
Dates
- Registry Expiration: 2023-03-11 12:07:23 UTC
- Updated: 2022-03-03 04:33:00 UTC
- Created: 2009-03-11 12:07:23 UTC
The domain age alone does guarantee the company owned that website for the period of time it was registered. They might have bought it from the original registering party. So if you really want to see how a company looked in its infancy go to the Wayback Machine. Choose a date and click on it to view snapshots of how the website looked previously.
This brings back memories. Glenn Website Design earliest view is from May 13, 2009.
Review BBB for bad reports
I say bad reports because I just checked and after 14 years Glenn Website Design is not listed with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). We have never registered the company officially since it is privately owned and operates on the internet only. But keep in mind that people rarely say good things about you but will quickly make complaints if you are wrong.
If during our 14 years plus of operation, we had wronged anyone there is a good chance the BBB would have listed a complaint. Being we have a clean record for 14 years plus I say that is A+ standing.
If that does make you feel 100% comfortable give the company a call.
CALL US NOW FOR WEB DESIGN SERVICES
(539) 664-9588
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