Hibu is an international company offering website design and online marketing services for local businesses big and small. Operated by the Yellow Pages, Hibu relies on the brand of its parent company for trust. Used by thousands of businesses across the world, you would be forgiven for thinking Hibu is your one-stop solution to your online marketing needs. However Hibu isn’t necessarily the answer to all of your problems. In fact, they may create a few. Take a look at our Hibu website review to learn more.
We’ve spoken to many present and past Hibu clients and to be fair, some of them are happy with the service Hibu provides. But quite a few of their clients, past and present, are not. They were waiting for their contract to expire so they could move to another web provider. What many people fail to realize however is that once Hibu has it’s claws on you, it’s very difficult to escape. Thousands of disgruntled customers have found that out to their misfortune.
The price
If you are already a Hibu customer, you will be fully aware of how much they charge for their service. Hibu offers a complete package, with everything you would expect from an online marketing package.
For those thinking about using Hibu for their business, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to pay (based on a 12 month contract):
- $599 one-time fee for website design.
- $19 per month web hosting (standard fee for web hosting).
- $29.99 per month support fee (For a lot of businesses, they may only make one or two changes to their website per year, and really don’t need to be paying $29.99 per month for 2 changes to their website).
- $19.99 per month video marketing.
See Hibu’s four pricing plans courtesy of http://hibuwebsitereviews.com/price-of-a-hibu-website/. (Disclaimer – this site was put up by a former Hibu employee. We can’t vouch for its accuracy).
But it doesn’t stop here. These costs keep rolling on, month after month. As you use the service, you can expect to pay the same amount every month, whether you’re getting results or not. If you decide to cancel the service everything goes away, the website, the video, the works.
The SEO is non-existent or “generic”
Hibu promises to get your site on page one of a Google search for your business in your town. They keep their promise but as SEO experts we can spill the beans on that. To get a business on the first page for a single keyword isn’t that difficult and shouldn’t be that expensive. It’s certainly not something you need to pay $100.00 a month for in perpetuity. What about the next town over? You’re out of luck, Hibu will not get your site ranked there.
To compete online you need to optimize the website with the right keywords, meta tags and good quality content. While Hibu SEO efforts have improved marginally in recent times, their sites still have little on-site optimization. There are many gaps which aren’t filled, such as no or incorrect image alt tags, SEO site maps, or poorly used heading tags.
You’re simply “renting” your web properties
We keep referring to “your site”. It’s actually Hibu’s site that they’re renting to you. Where most people’s frustration with Hibu stems from is the fact that in many cases they hold their customers web properties for ransom. If you decide to end your contract with Hibu, you won’t have a lot to show for it.
Hibu still owns your website and claims your online listings such as Google My Business, Bing and other directories. If you want to make any changes, or simply maintain control of your Google listings you’re at their mercy.
Remember that when it comes to local searches, industry experts cite Google My Business as the most critical ranking factor. If you can’t take control of your own Google My Business page, let alone see what’s going on inside it, you’ve got no hope of making changes or improvements. The same can be said for Hibu’s video marketing package, at a steep $19.99 per month, your videos are hosted on Hibu’s YouTube account, minimally optimized and you’ve guessed it, you still don’t own it!
For more information on Hibu, see the Yelp reviews of the King of Prussia office.
Simply put, if you are thinking of using Hibu to get more exposure online, take a little time to consider what you’re getting yourself into. If you are already with Hibu, are you really getting your money’s worth? Shopping around for a reputable and effective web and SEO company is your best strategy. Make sure Elvin Web Marketing is on your list.
We’ve never used Hibu (Why on earth would we?). So we have no firsthand knowledge about Hibu’s business practices. We have quite a few clients who used to be Hibu clients and their stories are similar; lack of results, lack of control and lack of service. Have you had a website with Hibu? What has been your experience? Let us know in the comments below!
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