Spam is an ongoing issue for businesses operating online. Whether it’s through contact form submissions, email inboxes, or phone calls, spam can disrupt operations and create unnecessary frustration. However, it’s important to understand that while spam is a widespread issue, it’s not the liability of the website owner or their digital marketing provider. This guide explains what spam is, how it impacts your business, and the steps we take to minimize its occurrence.
What Is Spam?
Spam refers to unsolicited and irrelevant messages sent over the internet, typically in bulk, to a large number of recipients. In the context of websites, spam often manifests in three primary ways:
Spam Contact Form Leads: Automated bots or malicious actors submit fake or irrelevant information through your website’s contact form.
Spam Emails: Unsolicited emails, often promoting products or containing phishing attempts, sent to your inbox.
Spam Phone Calls: Calls from automated systems or individuals using local area codes to appear trustworthy, which can waste time and cause distractions for businesses.
Why Does Spam Happen?
Spam often targets any publicly accessible communication channel. Contact forms, email addresses, and phone numbers are prime targets because:
Bots scrape websites for vulnerable forms or exposed email addresses.
Poorly secured forms without Captcha or validation measures are easy entry points.
Phone numbers with local area codes are often reused or spoofed by spammers to make their calls appear legitimate.
Some spammers aim to flood inboxes or forms with irrelevant content as a form of harassment.
Is Spam Our Liability? NO!
Spam is an unfortunate byproduct of operating online, and it is not the liability of the website owner or digital marketing provider. Here’s why:
Spam Is Universal: No website is immune to spam. It’s a global issue caused by malicious actors targeting any platform they can find.
Security Measures Are Preventative, Not Absolute: While we implement strong security protocols, no system can offer 100% protection against sophisticated spam tactics.
Responsibility Lies With the Originator: The responsibility for spam lies with the entities creating and distributing it, not the recipient.
Our Approach to Mitigating Spam
While spam is unavoidable to some degree, we take proactive steps to minimize its impact on your business:
Captcha Implementation:
We integrate Google reCAPTCHA or similar tools into your contact forms to distinguish between humans and bots.
This drastically reduces automated submissions.
Form Validation:
Input validation ensures fields like email addresses and phone numbers follow proper formats, filtering out obviously fake entries.
IP Blacklisting:
We block IPs that repeatedly submit spammy content to your site.
Honeypot Fields:
Hidden fields invisible to users but detectable by bots help us trap and block spam submissions.
Email Filtering:
We recommend robust email filtering solutions like Gmail’s spam filters or enterprise-level tools to catch and quarantine unwanted emails.
Phone Call Awareness:
Be aware that spammers often spoof local area codes to make calls seem legitimate. While we can’t prevent these calls, we can advise on tools like call-blocking apps or spam identification services to minimize disruptions.
What You Can Do to Stay Vigilant
Spam is a shared challenge between service providers and businesses. Here’s how you can stay proactive:
Monitor Submissions: Regularly review your contact form submissions to identify patterns of spam and inform us if adjustments are needed.
Avoid Publicly Posting Email Addresses: Use forms for inquiries instead of displaying email addresses on your site to reduce scraping.
Keep Security Updated: Ensure your website software, plugins, and tools are updated to close known vulnerabilities.
Be Cautious with Email and Calls: Never click on links or download attachments from unknown senders. Similarly, avoid engaging with unknown callers and consider tools to identify or block spam calls.
Key Takeaway
Spam is an inevitable part of the digital world, but it is not the liability of website owners or their digital marketing teams. The best defense is implementing strong preventative measures like Captcha, form validation, and email filtering—all of which we provide as part of our services. While no solution can offer 100% protection, our approach significantly minimizes the volume of spam you’ll encounter.
If you’re experiencing spam issues or have questions about enhancing your website’s security, contact us today. We’re here to help ensure your website operates smoothly and securely.
