WEBSITE SCAMS THAT TARGET PLUMBERS. HOW TO SPOT THEM BEFORE YOU GET BURNED.
The web design industry is full of shady operators who prey on small business owners. Here's what to watch out for so you don't get ripped off.
We need to talk about something nobody in the web design industry wants to talk about.
Scams.
Not Nigerian prince scams. Worse. "Professional" web design companies that specifically target plumbers and other small business owners.
They look legit. They sound legit. They have nice websites themselves (ironic, right?).
But they will take your money and either deliver garbage or disappear entirely.
We've seen it happen to dozens of plumbers who came to us after getting burned. Here are the most common scams and how to spot them.
Scam #1: The "Lease" Website
This is the most common one.
A company builds you a website for "free" or for a very low upfront cost. Sounds amazing.
But you don't own the website. You're leasing it. $300 to $500 per month. For years.
And if you ever stop paying? They take the website down. You lose everything. Your content, your SEO rankings, your reviews on the site. Gone.
After 2 years, you've paid $7,200 to $12,000 for a website you don't even own.
How to spot it: Ask one question: "Do I own the website?" If the answer is anything other than "yes, 100%, forever"... walk away.
Scam #2: The SEO Hostage
A company builds your website and does your SEO. But they register the domain name in THEIR name. Not yours.
When you want to leave, they hold your domain hostage. "Pay us $5,000 to transfer it." Or they just refuse entirely.
Now you have to start over with a new domain. Which means losing all your Google rankings. All your SEO. Everything.
How to spot it: Always register your own domain name at a registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains. Never let your web company register it for you.
Scam #3: The PBN SEO Company
These are the worst.
An SEO company promises to get you to page 1 of Google in 30 days. They use something called PBNs (Private Blog Networks). Basically a bunch of fake websites that link to yours to trick Google.
It works. For a few months. Then Google figures it out and penalizes your website. Your rankings don't just drop. They get buried. Worse than where you started.
And the SEO company? Already moved on to their next victim.
How to spot it: If someone promises page 1 rankings in 30 days... they're lying or using shady tactics. Real SEO takes 60-90 days minimum. Anyone saying otherwise is cutting corners. Learn more about how Google actually ranks plumbing websites.
Scam #4: The Template Bait-and-Switch
A company shows you amazing examples of websites they've "built." You're impressed. You sign up.
What you get is a $50 template with your name slapped on it. Same template they sold to 500 other businesses. No customization. No SEO. No original copy.
And they charged you $3,000 for it.
How to spot it: Ask to see 5-10 live client websites. If they all look basically the same... it's templates.
Scam #5: The Disappearing Developer
A freelancer or small company builds your website. Does a decent job. You pay them.
6 months later, something breaks. You call them. No answer. Email bounces. Website is down. They vanished.
Now you've got a broken website, no access to edit it, and no one to fix it.
How to spot it: Ask about ongoing support before you sign. "What happens if something breaks in 6 months?" "How do I reach you?" "Do you have a support process?"
How to Protect Yourself
Here's the checklist before hiring anyone to build your website:
You own the domain. Registered in YOUR name. At YOUR account. Use a reputable registrar like Google Domains or Namecheap.
You own the website. All code, content, and designs belong to you. In writing.
You have admin access. You can log in and make changes yourself if you need to.
There's no long-term lease. You pay for the build. You own the result. Monthly fees are for hosting and support, not "renting" your own site.
They have real reviews. Google reviews from real businesses. Not just testimonials on their own site. Check out our guide on questions to ask before hiring a web designer.
They offer ongoing support. A real process for fixing things when they break.
At FastLaunchWeb, you own everything. 100%. Forever. Your domain, your website, your content. If you leave us, you take it all. We put that in writing.
Because we think that's how it should work. Not because we're special. Because we're not scumbags.
If you've been burned before and you're skeptical... good. You should be. And if you're wondering how much a plumbing website should actually cost, we break down the real numbers. Book a free audit and we'll show you exactly what you're getting, what you own, and what it costs. No surprises. No fine print.