Tag: Business Development

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The Connection Between Being Found Online and Being Worth Finding

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According to a Legal Marketing Survey Report conducted by Avvo and Lexblog, the #1 legal marketing subject solo and small firm lawyers are interested in learning more about is search engine optimization (or “SEO”, in internet parlance).  Not how to build an online referral network, stay in better touch with existing clients using online tools or manage their online reputations, but SEO: a series of tools and tactics that attempt to ensure that a firm’s website is near the top of the search results when a potential client searches online for terms relevant to that firm’s practice.

This level of interest is not without reason.  The practice of law is competitive, and lawyers are competitive.  So there is little surprise that, say, a “Boston DUI Lawyer” would want to do whatever necessary to be at the top of the page whenever some poor unfortunate who has had a late-night run in with the BPD turns to Google or Bing looking for legal help.  But SEO is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to client development online, and it helps to know what SEO can – and most likely cannot – do.

SEO’s Little Secret, and an Aside on SEM

Any busy practitioner has no doubt run across SEO consultants.  For a fee, these folks offer to help make lawyers and law firms more competitive when it comes to the web; i.e., likelier to rise higher in the search results.  It’s important to not confuse SEO experts with “SEM” consultants (although many times the same consultants sell both services).  Pitches along the lines of “get on the top of Google search results – guaranteed!” are based on SEM.  The technique has its place, but must be recognized for what it is:  Search Engine Marketing.  SEM consultants make their guarantee because they will buy ads on Google on a firm’s behalf.  That firm then appears – as an advertisement, not an organic result – on the top of whatever search results ads were bought for.  While it’s a surefire way to get noticed, it can also be very expensive, and requires at least as much thought and analysis as any other marketing campaign.

Unlike SEM, SEO involves making “fixes” to a site – and sometimes off-site strategies – rather than purchasing advertisements.  It’s important to think of SEO consulting as having two aspects:  A technical aspect, and a magical aspect.  There are many straightforward technical things that websites must have in place in order to put their best foot forward with the search engines.  Platforms – be they directories like Avvo and LinkedIn, social networks like Facebook or Twitter, or blogging services like WordPress and Typepad – have already taken care of this work, and those using these services benefit from the fact that their profiles or blogs will already be optimized for the search engines.  However, many lawyer and law firm websites fail on this count, and would absolutely benefit from this technical form of SEO help.

The “magical” side of SEO, however, involves the use of other techniques (examples include keyword stuffing and comment spam) in an attempt to take an otherwise search engine-friendly website and make it even more eye-catching to the Googles and Bings of the world.  Over the years, these tactics have yielded enough short-term successes and alignments of marketing spend with dumb luck to keep this side of the business alive.  But consider: Google tweaks its search algorithm over 500 times a year.  And it is a model of opacity when it comes to providing a peek under the hood at how its algorithm works.  Attempting to outwit Google takes a mix of wild guessing, cargo-cultism and blind faith.

And websites do sometimes get lucky, for a while, by frolicking in the magical end of the SEO pool. But they do not fool or outsmart the search engines for long.  Google and Bing are constantly optimizing for – and throwing billions of dollars and thousands of uber-bright minds against – a goal of returning the most relevant search results.  Period.  Assuming a lawyer’s site has already got its technical SEO house in order, the best technique to do better in the rankings is to give the engines what they want:  better, more relevant content.  And the good news is that this is exactly what potential clients want as well.

Standing Out Once You’re Found

This should be a perfect alignment: Potential clients are looking for in-depth information about lawyers and legal problems, and the search engines strive to surface such content.  So why are so many lawyer websites replete with stiffly-worded bios and empty platitudes about the law and legal practice?  Why is there so little substance and personality to be found?

The legal marketplace is competitive, and competence is only the price of admission.  Lawyers and firms that not only want to be found online, but to be selected online, must do more than cite their impressive credentials and wait for the phone to ring.  Here are some high-level starters:

  • Claim online real estate.  Lawyers must let clients find out about them, in depth, wherever they might be looking – directories, social media, etc.  And all of those places can link back to a law firm website.
  •  Lead with passion.  No firm should be satisfied with a by-the-book, resume-format website.  Lawyers who succeed talk about why they love the law, how they make a difference for their clients, what makes them different from all of the other lawyers out there.
  • Write and connect.  Enough with the dry case summaries or (god forbid) lists of local accidents designed for “keyword optimization” purposes. The best material online is crisp, relevant pieces that potential clients or referral sources will want to read or share.

There’s no disputing the superficial appeal of “magical” SEO solutions. But, ultimately, what the search engines are optimized to find – AND what potential clients want to read – is deeply relevant, authentic and differentiated content.  Firms that relentlessly focus on providing that kind of value will be the winners online.

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Are You Waiting to Make Valuable Investments for Your Law Firm?

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At the end of each year, most law firms balance their books and assess the dollars they have spent on advertising and marketing. Every year, many law firms are surprised to see that their returns from carefully planned marketing campaigns have only broken even or produced a minimal return on their investment.

Many lawyers are still pushing hundreds of thousands of dollars into obsolete advertising channels. For example, most law firms have realized that YellowPages advertising is no longer effective. Yet many lawyers continue to advertise in YellowPages directories. With the exception of some rural market areas, most of those yellow page advertising lawyers are continually disappointed that their office phones remain silent. A majority of our clients have virtually stopped all paid yellow page directory advertising.

Similarly, many lawyers have expressed dissatisfaction with their television advertising. The way consumers watch television has changed, especially in the past several years. This trend has been hastened by the advent of new technologies. Netflix and Hulu allow viewers to watch their favorite shows without tuning into a television station. DVR allows television viewers to fast-forward through commercials. According to Motorola’s recent Media Engagement study, more than one-third of weekly TV viewing by Americans is pre-recorded. Roughly three-quarters pre-record their shows to skip advertisements.

With these trends and technologies in place, many of your prospective clients will not see your law firm’s commercial spots. Additionally, most of our Consultwebs clients find that the cost per case for TV is typically four to six times higher than for SEO/organic marketing and fifty to one hundred percent higher than pay per click (PPC) or AdWords advertising.

Are you waiting to make valuable investments for your firm?

Armed with data to guide your decisions, you do not have to wait to invest in Web marketing.  Web marketing has a proven track record of strong ROI. To effectively manage your marketing dollars, your firm must know the return on investment (ROI) from each marketing effort you employ. By consulting the data, you will be poised to make the best decisions for your law firm’s marketing efforts.

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Consumer Financial Services Basics 2013 – September 30 – October 01, 2013

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the upcoming  Consumer Financial Services Basics 2013.

CFSB Sept 30 2013

When

September 30 – October 01, 2013

Where

  • University of Maryland
  • Francis King Carey School of Law
  • 500 W Baltimore St
  • Baltimore, MD 21201-1701
  • United States of America

Facing the most comprehensive revision of federal consumer financial services (CFS) law in 75 years, even experienced consumer finance lawyers might feel it is time to get back in the classroom. This live meeting is designed to expose practitioners to key areas of consumer financial services law, whether you need a primer or a refresher.

It is time to take a step back and think through some of these complex issues with a faculty that combines decades of practical experience with law school analysis. The classroom approach is used to review the background, assess the current policy factors, step into the shoes of regulators, and develop an approach that can be used to interpret and evaluate the scores of laws and regulations that affect your clients.

How to Identify Hidden Referral Sources

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Too often, attorneys sign a new client without having a true understanding of how that client came to them.

How can you repeat your successes if you don’t know what you’re doing right?

If you start examining the ways that new clients come to you, you will begin to reveal referral sources you didn’t even know you had.

Here are some tips for discovery:

Whenever someone calls to inquire about your services, have whoever handles the call ask how they found your firm. If they say on the Internet, ask what search terms they used. If they say they saw an ad, ask where. If they say they were referred, ask by whom (and be sure you follow up with that referral source to thank them promptly!).

Create a spreadsheet so you can track how prospects find you. The idea is for you to be able to tell at a glance what law firm marketing method is bringing you the most leads.

Track how many times you “touch” each lead before they become a client, and what methods you used to keep in touch.

Examine the data for which activities you are currently doing that result in the best quality leads, and which ones are bringing in prospects that are not a good fit for you.

Track costs and how much time you are spending for each of your law firm marketing activities so you can determine your ROI for each activity.

Have your clients provide feedback on your services – likes, dislikes and be sure to ask if they feel good about referring you to friends and family.

Once you are able to tell what you’re doing right, you can then put your resources to work in areas that bring you the best quality leads.

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How to Be Found by Prospects That Are Looking for a Lawyer

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Most people take a four-step approach when choosing an attorney, and this has been validated by recent research.

Savvy attorneys know they need to be accessible at each step in the decision process; here’s how:

Step 1: Information Gathering. Most people turn to the Internet to gather information and you need to be there to answer their questions via a blog or your website. You should have content that specifically addresses the type of situation that would lead someone to hire you and/or why they need legal counsel for their particular problem.

Step 2: Search. An active presence on social networking sites as well as your blog and website can help lead prospects to your door. Many may ask their Facebook friends for recommendations or turn to other social media sites for information about specific firms, so you need to be there.

Step 3: Validation. Having good reviews and posting testimonials (if your state bar allows it) on your website and blog will help put you front and center during the validation process. Don’t forget to beef up your profiles on Avvo, Lawyers.com and other directories as well as LinkedIn.

Step 4: Selection. Offer free consultations at every opportunity and when someone calls your office, return the call immediately. One attorney asked if two days was too long to return a call from a prospect – the answer is, definitely! Research shows that a hot lead can turn cold in as little as five minutes, so if you can’t get to them quickly, make sure someone else in your office can or that you have an automated system to follow up immediately.

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Consumer Financial Services Basics 2013 – September 30 – October 01, 2013

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the upcoming  Consumer Financial Services Basics 2013.

CFSB Sept 30 2013

When

September 30 – October 01, 2013

Where

  • University of Maryland
  • Francis King Carey School of Law
  • 500 W Baltimore St
  • Baltimore, MD 21201-1701
  • United States of America

Facing the most comprehensive revision of federal consumer financial services (CFS) law in 75 years, even experienced consumer finance lawyers might feel it is time to get back in the classroom. This live meeting is designed to expose practitioners to key areas of consumer financial services law, whether you need a primer or a refresher.

It is time to take a step back and think through some of these complex issues with a faculty that combines decades of practical experience with law school analysis. The classroom approach is used to review the background, assess the current policy factors, step into the shoes of regulators, and develop an approach that can be used to interpret and evaluate the scores of laws and regulations that affect your clients.

3 Ways to Raise Your Revenues In the Next Year

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1. Increase your Conversion Rates

One of the best ways to generate more revenue is by increasing your conversion rates at each stage. Conversion starts the moment an interested prospect contacts your law firm. How many of those people turn into appointments? That’s part of conversion. Start there by finding ways to increase the percentage of leads that turn into appointments. By increasing that number by just 10% you can radically improve your revenues!

The Rainmaker Institute builds customized lead conversion systems for law firms. These systems automate your conversion process and helps to increase your conversion rate at every stage. You can also get a clear picture of which types of leads are the most profitable for your firm.

2. Raise Your Rates

I understand we are still in a difficult economy. However, unless you are already charging near the top 20% of prices in your practice area, I find that most of the small practitioners I consult with can immediately increase their prices by 10-30%. I had a dozen clients who did that last year, including a criminal defense attorney who went from charging $275 per hour to $395 per hour! By the way, he now has more work than he can handle and has had to hire two more attorneys.

In our example above, by moving from an Average Client Worth of $2,000 per client to just $2,500 you would only need 1,015 leads per year, a 20% decrease. This is often the fastest way to get to your goals.

3. Increase Repeat Business

Yes, I know this is a mantra in the legal industry, but most law firms do not have any specific plans for doing so. On average, acquiring a new client will cost your law firm almost 10 times as much as obtaining repeat business from an existing client!

One of the most effective ways to do this is with a monthly e-Newsletter. Recently I asked a room of over 40 attorneys from small firms how many of them received newsletters, either electronic or print, from other professionals. Most of them raised their hands. Then I asked them, how many of you send out a newsletter to your prospects, clients, and referral sources?  Only 3 of them raised their hands!

One of the laws of marketing is “out of sight is out of mind.” If you don’t keep in touch with your prospects, clients and referral sources someone else will. The number one reason why you aren’t receiving more repeat business from your former clients is lack of connection-you haven’t stayed in touch with them. Make a commitment to change that!

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Women, Influence and Power in Law Conference – October 2-4, 2013

The National Law Review is pleased to bring you information about the upcoming Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference:

WIPL2013_250x250

When:

Where:

The Only National Forum Facilitating Women-to-Women Exchange on Current Legal Issues

Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference is presented by Summit Business Media’s Legal Suite – InsideCounsel magazine, InsideCounsel.com (website), producers of the 13th annual IC SuperConference, the prestigious Transformative Leadership Awards, and creators of Project 5/165.

Presented by InsideCounsel Magazine, the pioneering monthly magazine exclusively serving general counsel and other top in-house legal professionals, the first annual Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference offers an opportunity for unprecedented exchange with women outside counsel. This unique event was created with the assistance of an unheralded advisory board comprised of highly placed women attorneys who are all direct reports to the general counsel and were drawn from across the country. These attorneys have the highest levels of expertise and experience in key practice areas.

The Women, Influence & Power in Law Conference is not a forum for lawyers to discuss so-called “women’s issues.” It is a conference for women in-house and outside counsel to discuss current legal topics, bringing their individual experience and perspectives on issues of:

  • Governance & Compliance
  • Litigation & Investigations
  • Intellectual Property
  • Government Relations & Public Policy
  • Global Litigation & Transactions
  • Labor & Employment
  • Executive Leadership Skills Development

Legal Marketing Q and A

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Our session in San Diego last weekend yielded some good questions that are worth sharing here, with my answers:

When should I ask for testimonials?

  1. Right after the client is retained
  2. Anytime the client says thank you
  3. Anytime there is a “win” for the client
  4. After the case/matter is handled

Why do I need testimonials, can’t I just tell prospects that my clients love me?

You can do so, but it is far more compelling when someone else talks about their positive experience they had with you or the firm than if you simply say your clients are happy. Third party reviews are far more powerful than if you say it.

People are skeptical; they don’t always believe what individuals and companies say about themselves.

Lastly, people are deathly afraid of making mistakes, if they can see or read about others’ experiences with you or the firm they feel better about making the decision because others have had a positive experience with you and they believe they will have a similar experience!

What are a few major systems I should have in my law firm in regards to managing client experience?

1.     Intake system (what docs clients need to bring in, sign, initial, etc.). If the process is easy and systematized, the prospect will pick up on that and feel more comfortable about hiring you.

2.     Follow up system (If a prospect doesn’t hire you how frequently and persistently do you follow up? When you meet someone at a networking event that can refer you clients, how frequently and persistently do you follow up?) Improves the client experience because they see you follow up and care.

3.     Create a policy and procedure manual (so you are not held hostage by staff or find yourself totally crippled if someone leaves, gets sick or is no longer available). Improves client experience because each time they come in or call, the experience, language used etc. is consistent.

Why does it seem like my prospects only care about price?

If prospects only care about price, that means they believe you or your services are a commodity. And commodities are sold on price. You are most likely trying to be the shiniest apple in the barrel of apples…you must become the orange in the sea of apples so people understand why and how you are different and why paying a premium makes sense.

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Professional and Personal Aspects of Law Firm Social Media

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I’ve seen it far too many times: law firms are often concerned that any personal posts on their firm’s Social Media platforms may hinder their credibility as a professional legal practitioner.  That simply isn’t the case. In fact, if every post is of a professional nature, it may deter the average Facebook user from interacting with your content. You need a good balance of the two.

social media communication marketing

If you keep your Social Media presence strictly business, you run the risk of scaring away followers – or at the very least losing their attention. We agree with Ken Hardison, Founder and President of the Personal Injury Lawyers Marketing and Management Association (PILMMA), who says that no more than 15 percent of your social content should be self-promotional. “People love to buy, but they don’t love to be sold to,” Hardison says.

More personal posts – such as employee birthdays and anniversaries, new hires, local news, a thoughtful quote, or even pictures that don’t directly relate to law – will show Social Media users a more approachable side of your firm. However, if you never post anything related to your law firm and practice areas, your Social Media platforms wouldn’t be much of a marketing effort.

So, what’s the perfect recipe for Social Media success?

The best way to promote your website, content and firm on Social Media is through your blog. Blogs often provide shareable information or news and thus lend themselves to Social Media sharing. Blogs bridge the gap between useful, shareable information and promoting your law firm. Combine a healthy flow of blog posts with a balanced blend of non-promotional posts and you just may see more users clicking your links and interacting with your Social Media posts.

Why Are Non-Business Posts Beneficial?

Posts that do not directly relate to law and your practice still serve a purpose. They’re not getting people onto your site. They’re not directly getting you cases. However, they are getting attention in the form of Likes, Shares, +1s and retweets – and therefore giving your brand attention. People are getting to know your firm through the content you share, some of which is business-oriented, some of which is more relatable to the average Facebook, Twitter or Google+ user. The goal should be to appear knowledgeable, professional and approachable. This blend of posts does just that.

Both types of posts serve a purpose. Professional posts receive a few likes and drive traffic to the firm’s website, while more personal posts spread the brand to far more Social Media users, increasing brand recognition and page visibility.

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