Don’t Choose the Wrong Web Team: This is Why You Need to Get It Right

We’ve seen it time and time again. We’ve seen business owners trusting the wrong people with one of their most important digital assets: their website.

You’re busy running a company. You trust that when you hire a web agency or marketing provider, they’re experts who have your best interests at heart. You assume they’ll deliver quality work, transparently and professionally.

Unfortunately, that trust doesn’t always pay off.

The Fall Out: Two Angry Clients, One Copied Website

One of our most recent clients, ACD Demolition, came to us with an urgent need for leads. On paper, they had a brand-new website, but something felt off. The relationship with their agency had soured, with money being deducted without a clear explanation or reporting.

Before we could launch any campaigns, we did our homework like we always do. We checked that the website was actually ready to convert. What we found, however, was alarming.

At first, we thought it was just another poorly executed template job. But the deeper we looked, the worse it got.

• The client had no access to their own ad accounts.
  
• They were never given a written quote or list of deliverables, only a vague verbal pitch and automatic card charges.
  
• All communications had taken place through a now-deleted WhatsApp chat.

And what did they get?

A copied website. An exact clone, identical to another business’s site. MD Demolition. Same layout. Same images. Same content. Even the same users on the backend.

Yes, you read that right: the competitor’s admin account was still active on their newly delivered site. The competitor could’ve logged in and made changes to our client’s site at any time.

Now both businesses are involved in a dispute. One is accusing the other of theft, the other confused and blindsided. But the truth? Neither of them is at fault. They were both misled by the same unethical provider.

No one wins. Trust is broken. Time and money wasted. Two businesses unknowingly used by the same unethical provider.

It Gets Worse…

As we continued working to salvage the site, more red flags popped up, each one more unbelievable than the last:

• CTA buttons were linking to 404 error pages. That’s right. Potential customers were clicking “Call Now” only to end up nowhere.
  
• No way to download leads from the backend. The client had no visibility, no tracking, and no proof that any reported leads even existed.
  
• Traffic was being redirected to the competitor’s website. You read that right. Some links within the site were still pointing to the original site it was copied from. So the client was paying for traffic that was potentially ending up on someone else’s site… for free.
  
• SEO metadata? Also copied. Titles, descriptions, and keywords were all still referencing the competitor. Any SEO benefit was strengthening someone else’s visibility, not their own.

The worst part? Neither business knew this was happening. And both were paying for it.

Behind the Scenes: A Frankenstein Job

On the backend, things were even messier.

There were dozens of additional content blocks: testimonials, trust logos, images, and USPs. None of which were actually displayed on the live site. Some were styled with different fonts and colours, like pieces from multiple other sites had been Frankensteined together.

A reverse image and content search confirmed that this was a deliberate copy-paste job, resold as “custom work” to multiple clients at full price.

The trust our client had in this company was completely misplaced. And now, they’re left with the aftermath:

• A broken, unfinished website.
  
• A website they didn’t own or control
  
• Branding that didn’t reflect their business
  
• Content duplicated from another site that hurts SEO
  
• Damaged trust with a competitor who thought they’d stolen their IP
  
• Weeks of clean-up, with no way to recoup the money already spent

The Signs to Watch For

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this happen more times than we should. Here’s how to protect your business:

🚩 Red Flags

• No written scope of work or project timeline
  
• No admin access to your own website, ad accounts, or analytics
  
• Verbal-only agreements with no paper trail
  
• Generic templates passed off as custom builds
  
• Slow, vague, or inconsistent communication
  
• Work that feels “too easy” or suspiciously generic
  

✅ What Reputable Companies Do

• Provide full access and ownership of your digital assets
  
• Deliver a clear scope of work with agreed timelines and deliverables
  
• Build your site around your brand and business goals, not someone else’s
  
• Communicate proactively, answer your questions clearly, and involve you
• Protect your data, branding, and reputation like it’s their own

Final Word: The Real Cost of Cutting Corners

There’s nothing budget-friendly about paying for something that doesn’t work. There’s nothing “expert” about copying and pasting someone else’s hard work. And there’s nothing ethical about leaving two businesses caught in a mess that never should’ve happened.

If you’re investing in your digital presence, do it the right way. Work with people who value your business, your time, and your trust.

Because at the end of the day, a reputable company won’t just build you a website, they’ll help you build something that lasts.

Ready to Build a Website You Actually Own and Trust?

Work with a team that’s transparent, experienced, and genuinely invested in your success. Whether you’re starting from scratch or recovering from a bad experience, we’re here to help you take control of your digital presence. Let’s build something real. Get in touch with us today.