There was a time when websites were things that were reserved for big companies. That was because it was costly to have a web designer build, host, update and do everything else related to your website for you. Yes, there are still a lot of professional web designers out there who continue to provide amazing service for website owners.

However, the internet landscape changed a lot when free web realtors like Wix moved into the neighborhood. Now just about anyone who wants to have a website online can do it themselves and create a relatively professional looking website for free. All you really have to do is buy some relevant photos from iStockPhoto and you are instantly online with your business.

What is really amazing about these free websites is that often they look better than those that are hosted by web designers or actual businesses on their own private servers. The free websites often have more current information as well because the other ones may not get updated as frequently.

Entrepreneurs are a crafty bunch.

It is a well-known fact that we are visual creatures. Everything we respond to is reactive to something we see first. That’s where we get our first impressions. You see something and instantly your mind creates a thought on what it was you just looked at. This extends to a car, a house, a musical instrument, food, people… it is the start of everything you form in opinions and beyond. Plus, details matter. In fact, the details play a huge role in what we think about what we see.

It isn’t any different with websites.

Okay. Let’s say you have a terrible drive emergency and you’ve turned to Google for help. You’ve searched ‘data recovery’ and get a number of results that send you clicking on everything you see on the first page. You come across a website that blows you away. It stands out because it is nice and slick. You see a photo of a number of guys in cleanroom suits and the whole feel of the website is sophisticated. It gives you the first impression that these guys really know what they are doing.

This makes you feel that you can trust this company with your data recovery needs, right?

WRONG!

This is the biggest mistake people make when seeking a data recovery firm and deciding solely on the look of their website.

I remember a company called Filetreival that had a pretty amazing looking website and customers were drawn to it like moths to a flame. However, it wasn’t long before they were revealed to be scammers. A bit of research will show that they rebranded themselves three times already and rip-off alert websites were filled with horrible reviews on Filetreival and the rebrands. Notice from the image above and the main article image, both companies are using the same equipment to show off their labs. Well, those are just simple stock images you can purchase on the websites like IstockPhoto or Dreamstime.

Although this is just a single example, imagine how many dishonest people out there will come up with the idea to make a few bucks on the side by installing a phone line and creating a free website to take your data recovery case. Oh, and in order to make the scam work, they would charge you with a number of upfront fees and then turn around and call your case unrecoverable by damaging the drive on purpose.

It’s a hard reality… but it does happen.

I just feel bad for those who get caught up in the web of lies, scam, and deception.

As I have mentioned in several of my previous blogs, before you choose a data recovery firm, even if you are in a panicked rush due to an emergency, do your research. It is always better to be safe than sorry. With this industry growing, and the number of marketing scammers increasing, the number of so-called data recovery ‘firms’ is also on the rise.

Even if you come across a website that looks completely legit, be careful. Google the business name and see what kinds of reviews have been posted online about their work. Don’t expect to see anything but 5-star reviews, either. However, if the reviews are posted on rip-off websites and they are not very kind, you will know that the company you have been researching is probably not a good choice to trust your drive with.

Here is an article that will inform you of the things to look for in a data recovery firm. It includes the kinds of questions to ask and the types of answers to expect. It will assist you in narrowing down your choices to determine the best one for your case and most importantly, a data recovery firm that can actually perform the data recovery that you need.

You know what they say… don’t judge a book by its cover.