Our business has been struggling to attain business via the net. A company I have approached gaurantee that by using them we will be on the first page of google every time. They will do this for £300 plus vat per month but more or less gaurantee results. Does anyone know if this sounds reasonable?? Thanks in advance.
All I'd say is that being on the first page doesn't guarantee more business. My band was approached with a similar deal (although a fair bit cheaper) and we tried it for 6 months. Yes, we were on page 1, but in terms of extra business? Zilch.
It will depend on the nature of your business and how much online competition you have. You can also help yourself by getting the right keywords into the head section of your website.
Are they offering to get these placements via search engine optimisation, or pay-per-click? i.e. will you appear in the natural results or the ads?
If it's the natural results then be extremely cautious. There are loads of scams in this area, and the offer you mention sounds like the kind of offer that has a scam (or at best, a clueless company) behind it.
You may rely on that company if it has proven record, strong portfolio and satisfied customers's feedbacks or testimonials. One of the best way to choose the right company is to get in touch with one of its previous client (if contact info available).
Otherwise, there are so many companies make big claims to get your website on the first page of search engine but not all claims are proved to be successful.