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Is joining the Better Business Bureau worth it?

gsamadgsamad subscriber Posts: 2 Member
edited June 2008 in Marketing
Mine is a web-only business and I`m considering joining the Better Business Bureau in order to display their logo on my website.  This is purely a marketing move, so I`d like to hear from you about whether you think it is worth the approximately $400 per year.
Have any of you measured your sales before and after joining the BBB and seen a direct boost?  Do you survey your customers and they say "Yes, being a BBB member matters?"
Remember, this is not a local business, so a listing in their local Yellow Pages won`t do me any good.  I`m purely interested in whether their "BBB Online" logo will help my online sales.
  Thanks!
  Gary
  ContinuingEdCourses.Net

Comments

  • sddreamweaverssddreamweavers subscriber Posts: 5 Member
    I`ve seen mixed results.  Sure having that BBB logo on your front page will give your users that warm fuzzy feeling when approaching your site.  However, so will a properly written privacy policy.
    The BBB used to give direct links to a site but that has since changed as of late.
    What I would do is look up similar businesses to your own in different cities BBB sites and ask them personally if it`s helped them.  I think that would definitely help in your decision making.
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Mine is a web-only business and I`m considering joining the Better Business Bureau in order to display their logo on my website.  This is purely a marketing move, so I`d like to hear from you about whether you think it is worth the approximately $400 per year.
     
     
     
    Save your money. Having the BBB logo on your website isn`t going to affect your sales one way or the other.
     
    Dale King
  • gsamadgsamad subscriber Posts: 2 Member

    Save your money. Having the BBB logo on your website isn`t going to affect your sales one way or the other. Dale King

    Do you have any specific information to share about this?  Are you a member?  Did you measure your sales results before and after?
      Thanks,
      Gary
  • DaleKingDaleKing subscriber Posts: 141
    Do you have any specific information to share about this?  Are you a member?  Did you measure your sales results before and after?
     
     
     
     
    I used to be a member of the BBB many years ago. And yes, I measured my results. I measure everything. Heck, I can even tell you what color postcard pulled the best for me when I did a series of mailings 20 years ago. I also have a 20 year background working with hundreds of small business owners, many of whom were or are members of the BBB.
     
    The point I`m trying to make is, I don`t just arbitrarily dispense business advice. When I say something, I know what I`m talking about. I`m telling you from first-hand experience. Being a member of the BBB will not necessarily increase your sales either online or off.
     
    That being said, you just can`t take someone else`s results with the BBB or lack thereof and transfer them over to your particular situation. Therefore, if you want to join the BBB, you shouldn`t listen to me or anyone else. You should just go ahead and join.
     
    Dale King
    DaleKing6/20/2008 8:21 PM
  • gsamadgsamad subscriber Posts: 2 Member
    Does anyone have experience with whether being a BBB member helps with a web based business?  Do people make decisions based on whether they see the "BBB Online" logo on a site versus a competitor who doesn`t?
    I wonder if I should post this topic in a forum other than Marketing?  Even though it`s really a marketing issue from the business owner`s perspective, customers probably think of it a different way.  What do you think?
      Thanks,
      Gary
  • DougsterDougster subscriber Posts: 4
    I think the BBB is nothing more then a SCAM!
    They called me many years ago to offer selling me a "membership".
     
    After hearing what they offered I politely said no thank you.
    Many months later I had one of my many happy customers call me and tell me that the BBB was "bad mouthing" my business...
     
    They offer a service where you could imput the business phone number & the BBB would offer a recorded voice of their status of that business.
     
    Well, for mine they said they would NOT do business with my business because I had unsubstanciated advertising claims...
    I called them up & asked what they meant by that, they offered some examples & I proved them to be true...
     
    They NEVER changed how they reviewed my business.
    Only saying they would "review" it if I became a member (Pay them off)
     
    They are just offering a "Payoff" way of doing business.
    I strongly ask that no one ever "payoff" that corrupt scam of a service.
     
    What they offer is worth NOTHING...Everything they do is bought & sold in a corrupt worthless way... 
  • USAMerchantAccountsUSAMerchantAccounts subscriber Posts: 0
     I have to agree with dale, I ran a side internet business for about 2 year (still going) mostly its for fun. However, we did end up joining the BB and it did not improve our sales one bit. (actually our sales were down about 5-6% the 3 months after signing up)
     My personal problem with the BBB is they have the same amount of power as you or me, but the try to represent themselves as a federal or government ran organization, They are not.
  • christiancolechristiancole subscriber Posts: 0 Member
    It may add some credibility, if you're newer to the consumer photography market and need it, but otherwise they're pretty worthless. Your prospective customer may not know the difference though. The BBB reminds me of those "Who's Who" directories that you can get your name into, then buy a copy of to impress your friends, I suppose. It's nothing more than a pay to play scenario. I might add I've known a lot of crooked outfits with BBB logos and listings.
  • alicemenezesalicemenezes subscriber Posts: 0
    Na.... I don't think having such a logo would really affect your efforts. Rather invest the same in some market research and some main stream marketing.
  • jerrytan12jerrytan12 subscriber Posts: 0
    Here is a news from Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau obtained around 9,400 grievances last year about fitness professionals, health clubs and fitness centers, a 15 percent increase from 2011. However, there are some symptoms to look for before signing any agreements.
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