" Beware the Plumbing Firm That Advertises a Lot ! "

 Wed 06 Nov 2013 

" Beware the Plumbing Firm That Advertises a Lot ! " 

Research Finding : 

Residential plumbing firms that advertised on Google searches tended to be lower-quality companies .  Specifically, the firms that advertised on Google received, on average, more than 3 times as many Better Business Bureau complaints per employee as companies that didn’t advertise ! 

Reason ? 

 Because of an inability to establish lucrative relationships with long-term clients, low-quality firms have a greater incentive to rely on Internet search engines and other forms of advertising to aim at infrequent customers who aren’t willing to devote time to seeking out good companies . 

Research Courtesy :  a study in Illinois by Ryan C. McDevitt of Duke University.

SOURCE: “A” Business by Any Other Name: Firm Name Choice as a Signal of Firm Quality