The internet age is empowering today’s consumers. Whether it is to make a purchase, give a donation for a charitable cause, work or partner with them , checking out a company’s reputation has become easy. We live in a world full of fraudulent activities and the proliferation of technology has presented opportunities for scams, hacking and threats. Therefore, it is easy to fall victim to fraudulent businesses and scammers. That is why it has come to check out a company’s reputation in order to make informed decisions. From what other customers are saying about them to what Google has to say, consumers are armed with various tips and tools to check out a company’s reputation. How do i check a company’s reputation, let’s dig in:
Peruse the company’s website
For one, a reputable company will have a website. And the website is the best place to begin your research as it can provide insight into the legitimacy of a company.
Poor English grammar or errors: if you see a company’s website with poor grammar and spelling or website contents written with little knowledge of the industry, be wary of it. Poor English grammar is proof of their unprofessionalism and makes one wonder if they would even be able to provide quality service. Poor grammar is usually a sign that a website or company cannot be trusted.
Telephone number and address: If you are finding it hard to find a company’s contact details, who then do you reach if something goes wrong with the products? Then if you do find the telephone number and address, call the number to see if it truly exists. Moreover, run a Google location on the address to see if it’s truly an office
Check the privacy policy: A real company will have detailed terms and conditions and privacy policies. Go through them carefully and check out any red flags like sloppiness, confusing jargon or words, grammatical incorrect words. All these might be put there to discourage you from reading.
Look for other details: The About us page, company’s structure and employees, photos and events, missions, values and visions, histories and much more can provide information on a company’s legitimacy. A company with a lot of stock images and no real pictures can be red flags. A company with no history or years they have been in operation doesn’t sound like one to be trusted. Therefore, check the overall website content for loopholes.
Check if the company is registered
A legitimate company will be registered and have all the necessary documents backing this up. To know if the company is registered:
Visit the office: although not all businesses have a physical office especially in today’s digital age where many run an online company. However, for those where the brick and mortar is stated on the website, visiting the company will be your best bet to know what the company is up to. Then you can get to talk face-to-face with the management, check the documentation and see how they carry out their business.
Check with the government bodies: limited companies, corporations, LLC’S and other business entities are required to be registered at the state where they are operating. Hence
- Check with the secretary of state to see if the company is registered.
- Check the Companies House. Limited liability companies are expected to register their business, and put in their information including address, names, incorporation dates, directors and their details.
- Visit the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for information on the company and have information on companies operating within different communities.
- See if the company is registered with the regulatory bodies. For instance, financial services, doctors, lawyers and other professionals must be registered under certain bodies before they can have the licence to operate.
Read reviews
Reviews are king! And any company will have reviews of customers who have once patronised them or done business with them. One of the easiest way to know if a company is legit is to read reviews.
Some important review sites for this purpose include:
- Yelp
- TrustedBusiness.Reviews
- The Better Business Bureau
- Google Business
- Homeadvisor
- Nextdoor
Google the company: Google is your friend when it comes to researching a company. Check the reviews and ratings to see what others have to say about the company
Check out the social media accounts
Social media accounts are also a good place to see reviews and testimonials. Moreover, it can let you in on some information that will prove whether a company is legitimate or not.
Look into the account activity: a real company will post valuable contents and will also engage with followers. Check out how the company’s engagement with followers and be wary of those that post only contents that seem things that seem too good to be true.
Account history: social platforms like Instagram or Twitter will show how long a profile has been active. You should probably not do business with a company whose social accounts have not been opened for long.
Bottomline
The “How do I check a company’s reputation” question has been made simple with these practical steps. This will allow you to avoid pitfalls and ensure you are dealing with real companies.
