Yesterday I had the “pleasure” to get another email message about some business on an address I never did anything with but placing on some online platforms. The fact that they called me a subscriber was disgusting since they were collecting email addresses or worse. Because my list of “marketing ways or methods I despise” just grew a bit bigger, I decided to share those that I can’t stand and because of which I have no interest in what the people and companies that execute these have to offer.

1. Collecting email addresses

This is about actually collecting email addresses by the company’s staff, rather than buying huge lists from third parties (which is just as bad). How un-creative and disgusting is to get up on @Medium for example to check profiles and collect email addresses so they can spam you with the so-called future of blackchain and cryptocurrency (from my last encounter).

I’m pretty sure that one who is able to deliver such a technology is also able to create or use a scraper tool for collecting all email addresses, not just the first ones from profile pages.

But one who is able to deliver such a technology surely is smarter than that and this would build a genuine email list.

When it comes to buying email lists, I don’t recommend it! There are a few companies out there that offer “somewhat genuine” email lists, but most offerings are scam. Anyways, a “somewhat genuine” email list would never get as good results as a “pure genuine” one that you built.

2. Not putting effort into an online presence

This is one I face each and every day, I come upon many businesses and their products with websites that stand for everything I don’t like. From poor design to non transparency.

As for me, I simply can’t stand websites that don’t look good. I don’t have to like them, we all have different tastes, but they have to be good. Under “good” I mean those that don’t look like they were made in 2000, those that are made carefully, follow some design standards and rules, possess a visual identity, offer relevant content and reflect some transparency. Without these I’m never in mood of browsing them.

I’m always like “how great that product can be if they aren’t even able to have a decent website” or “how serious the business can be if they aren’t taking the effort to build a website”.

Right, I’m thinking like this because for those that don’t have time to build their website freelancers and agencies exist; for those that don’t have money for a website (which is ridiculous) great quality free tools, free domain names and free hosting packages exist; and for those that aren’t designers / coders awesome free templates and drag and drop builders exist. All the people have to do is search on Google and if they can’t do such a minimal effort why would I waste my time with them?! Building high quality websites take just from minutes to hours nowadays.

2.1. Not being shown on Google? Huh?

The company from my last encounter has a website, apparently, which I could access from their email message. But then I was curios so I did a Google search and I was surprised, I couldn’t find it.

This is shocking because if you don’t do any kind of SEO, but have a “somewhat unique” domain as they do you still end up on Google if you’re active on your website, no matter what. Well, they didn’t until this point. You can’t send “email messages” (spam) before that!

2.2. Not being on Social Media?

Is it even legal to run an online/technology business today and don’t use social media? Of course it is, but WTF?! I couldn’t find a single social media link on their website. More than that, I took the effort to search for them on Twitter, guess what…

…yep, nothing.

3. Fake it till you make it

Lots of businesses succeed by applying this method, however many more fail each day. Honestly I don’t have issues with those that fake success itself (unless it affects me as a consumer), however I don’t like those that fake the products in some ways, the content (reviews, user accounts, etc) that reflects success.

I play around a lot with mobile apps that I discover. Recently I found a “cool” social media app that seemed interesting, however in my eyes it’s a huge flop now. Around 80% of the profiles were fake. From those another 80% were built on behalf of the developer (based on what I saw). Those bots / fake user profiles were acting unrealistically similar, they were all following some rules and carrying on conversations based on some standards. Who else would do this than the developer / company or a third party marketing team working for the same?!

4. Social Media’s massive follow for follow method

We all know those fashion stores on Instagram that follow thousands of people (not even potential customers) hoping they’ll follow back and purchase their products. If at least they would follow those that fit in their targeted audience I would’t say anything, I don’t say I’d like it but I would accept it.

Let me know what makes you avoid businesses. Feel free to support for more articles.