Nice to look at but no substance. Empty between the ears.

I’m not sure how politically correct the term bimbo is so I apologise immediately if you are offended, but you probably typed Bimbo into Google to get here so it’s your own fault if you clicked and arrived here

Bimbo Website – A website that does nothing

Do you have a Bimbo Website?

What would a web professional say if he (well I) reviewed your website?

Looks nice but the text is completely missing any decent keywords, it is probably poorly organised and isn’t trying to capture any sort of action or enquiry from it’s visitors.

Same old, same old – Ker-ching!

For me (and other web consultants) some of these answers become repetitive because business owners almost always ask for a free website review when they are unhappy so it is usually a no-brainer and any chimp trained to sell websites can say the right things:-

1. You need a better, more flashy/professional design
2. You need a Content Management System (CMS) website
3. You need to organise the pages
4. You need to use the right keywords in your text
5. You need calls to action that convert visitors to customers

Even if the chimp in question does actually get as far as step 3 he is already on a mission to sell you a CMS website with a flashy graphic design and move on to the next website, ker-ching!

Trust me, I rescue clients from this situation again and again.

They get into cycles of buying Bimbo Websites that include the first two steps above but completely miss the really important stuff, steps 3-5, because the design ends up taking priority over everything and everyone gives up on the project when it looks nice. You need to beware of the BIMBO WEBSITE ALERT!

Back to Basics – How to get customers online

Simple. Three steps.

1. Get a great website
2. Get some traffic into that great website
3. Look after it to keep it great and bringing in the traffic

Tada! Here’s my bill for consulting… only joking.

A Great Website is nearly impossible

The Reality of Websites

Firstly, step 1 is very difficult and for most of the people who are in the market to build websites it is completely impossible.

“Eeeek” I hear you say? Yes, IMPOSSIBLE. “but Ben, my website looks great”. Yes, I’m coming to that.

Most of the men and women out there building websites for clients don’t really give a fudge about your business.

• They care about their business
• They want to build you a pretty website because that is what will make you happy, it’s a visual thing you can look at and say ah isn’t that nice to your mates and co-workers. This is only a fraction of a great website but is closer to the truth than it should be
• They want a pretty website that they can show to prospective clients who want a pretty website because they don’t know any better and so the cycle continues
• Rubbish website perpetuates the need for more rubbish websites
• Groan

Professional Websites – Do it Right

Don’t let someone dazzle you with flashy graphics and swirling colours. See steps 1 & 2 above…. remember, you run a business!

• You want customers!
• You want income, leads & sales!
• You want success!

The website has to pay for itself somehow. Just looking pretty isn’t worth that much! Yeah!

So getting a professional website is about finding someone who can do much more than a pretty design:-

• thinking about target keywords right from scratch
• getting content organised and written specifically for the web
• laying out pages to turn visitors into leads that become customers

Yeah, yeah whatever – Ben, Design is everything man!

Okay I can imagine some people reading that and thinking design is critically important. Yes, it makes a difference when you’ve got the content, keywords and the conversion approach right but in my view it is nothing more than a component part of the package.

Here are a couple of “ugly” websites… each make a fortune because they do what they are meant to.

1. Take a look at craigslist.com (new window) it is a hugely successful website because it works… it does what people expect.
2. Maximise your metabolism, this is diet package sold by affiliate marketers on clickbank (I’ve done this diet and it works) but read the page…. it seems like the most amazing long dull page but it works. When someone is in the zone to buy a diet this will convert!
3. Ebay, the daddy of badly designed websites. They try but to me it still just looks a bit shabby

Internet Marketing – What can you learn from this?

• Pretty websites without substance are a complete waste of your money
• A website with substance and the right keywords will work so long as the design is okay

From years of experience I can tell you that both substance and design together are a force to be reckoned with, like a money generating super model, you’ll be able to get customers online in no time.

The problem is that as a normal part of the process my company’s contact details are published along with the trade mark details. This is all good really except that I’ve started to receive dodgy junk mail which look like invoices. So far I have received two (I’ll keep this updated)…

1. GAIA almanach – USD1,650

The details above give you a sample registration. In case of acceptance of the offer for registration and listing in the Publication 2009 of “GAIA almanach”, we kindly ask you to pay the sum for the activation and registration in advance, by remitting a cheque or by remitting a bank draft. The fact of transferring the amount indicated means automatical approval of our offer. After printing you will receive one complimentary copy.
If your details change, kindly inform us per e-mail (info@gaiaalmanach.com). You can also get more information on this address.

And then in equally dodgy French.

Automatical….? Nice word.

I pity anyone who doesn’t check their post and accidentally sends these illiterate people money.

2. TM Collection – USD1,650

Left mentioned data constitute a sample registration. By transfering the amount indicated, you approve this offer for listing in the TM-Collection – Edition 2009. In case of any changes, kindly inform us per e-mail (info@tm-collection.com). After printing you will receive a complimentary copy of the publication. Above sum is payable in advance, by remitting a cheque, or by money transfer.

And again written in shocking French.

Can you spot the similarities? They are basically the same prose, the give-away is of course the same mistakes.

So undoubtedly they are scammers…. but to be sure and work out how much effort they’ve put in I visited the websites in the footer of each. Both are pretty similarly shabby, shockingly slow to load and include various atrocities in English grammar.

A whois shows that GAIA Almanach’s office address is very close to, or one and the same as, for the website designer credited on their website, webshark.hu (I won’t link to them)

Economical for scammer..?

A small letter like this would cost $2.05 (that’s AUD) right now thats $1.32 (in USD), click here to ask google (new window). I have no desire to learn Hungarian and wouldn’t know where to start with trying so I’m assuming that the postal service in Hungary costs the same (hey I don’t have all day)….

BREAK EVEN: 1 “SALE” in 1250 ( = 1650/1.32 )

I just count myself lucky that I do my own accounts at the moment. My wife who normally does them is very busy getting ready for our new baby, she’s good but with “pregnancy brain” she might have accidentally paid them!

Conclusions

Make sure your accounts team look out for dodgy post especially when you register a trade mark.

As a small business that is growing I can highly recommend the online accounting system built by SAASU – at saasu.com – you can use it to make sure all payable amounts must have a purchase order number…. i.e. no payments go out without one…. this would stop dodgy invoices in their tracks.

I imagine these Hungarian trade mark scammers are targeting companies all over the world not just Australia. It is clearly economically viable for them to scam people so take care.

Leave a comment if they’ve hit you too.

IP AUSTRALIA’s OFFICIAL WARNING

My searches turned up this document at IP Australia: TRADEMARK APPLICATION KIT (pdf) It includes the following (on page 20)

Warning — unofficial register/services

Trade mark owners may be sent unsolicited documents from companies
which offer, for a fee, to register trade mark information for the
implied purpose of protecting trade mark rights. Some of these
companies identify themselves as
◗ Globus Edition SL, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
◗ Company for Economic Publications Ltd, Vienna, Austria
◗ IT & TAG, Switzerland
◗ Company for Publications and Information Anstalt,
Liechtenstein
◗ INFOCOM, Schaan, Switzerland
◗ Edition The Marks KFT
◗ International Bureau for Federated Trademark & Patent
Register
◗ Gaia Almanach LTD
◗ Commercial Centre for Industry and Trade, Switzerland
◗ European Institute for Economy and Commerce EIEC, Belgium
◗ Institute of Commerce, Trade and Commerce, Switzerland
◗ TM Collection, Hungary
◗ ZDR – Daten register GmbH, Germany
◗ Register of International Patents and Trademarks (RIPT)
These companies are sending documents resembling invoices to trade
mark owners which offer ‘entry’ of trade mark details in an annual
publication. They are usually sent after the trade mark details have
been advertised in the Official Journal.
These companies are not associated with IP Australia and have no
official or governmental authority. The service they offer does not
provide official trade mark registration or trade mark rights in
Australia or any other country.