Yodle, ReachLocal, Yext – Scams or Just Hard To Please Everybody?

SmallBusinessShift ponders the challenges of scaling an ambitious SMB SEM play:

It’s not that Yext is a scam, although they do have some problems. The bigger issue is that there’s a communication and expectations gap when it comes to these big marketing companies and the businesses they’re serving.

• Yext, Yodle, etc. all have lots of venture dollars and high attrition rates. The only way to hit their targets is to aggressively acquire new customers.
• There are a lot of channels available for marketing online. It can get complex, and is often not explained well enough to the business owner (even assuming the salesperson really understands what they’re selling).

The problem seems to largely stem from the fact that most of these salespeople are working for a commission, and business owners are hesitant to commit their money to an untested venue/provider. Therefore, the pitch is all about bringing in no-risk leads.

Definitely worth a read.