More than ever, people are looking for legal marketing advice online. Want to avoid losing great business opportunities in 2022? Get a website. Now! In the digital world, a website is now a necessity for any law firm as it can be used to accomplish a number of different marketing strategies to help grow your legal business.
By its very nature, the internet has a much wider reach than any other form of advertising. Increasing your visibility almost guarantees you successful and consistent lead generation – if done correctly. Simply put, as a local business, big or small, you need a website because the market demands it. As we said in a previous blog, before potential clients reach out to your business, they first check you out online. Your website and its presence is your calling card.
Here are a few top reasons to have a website in time for 2022.
Let your website reflect your online presence, values and brand.
Like other businesses out there, law firms and lawyers are no different in their need for an effective marketing strategy. So your website should give an accurate reflection and representation of your branding and business. For example, if your firm works for a certain clientele, then you would want your website to reflect and communicate your area of expertise and practice.
When you are considering a new website or would like to rebrand your existing one, keep in mind that the design of your competitors, and build to segregate yourself from them so that you can be unique in your law firms’ branding so that you can draw your potential clients’ attention and encourage them to click.
Understand your Customer’s expectation and Credibility
Want to know the easiest way to frustrate potential clients in this tech age? Don’t have a web presence! These days it is more common for businesses to have websites than it is to not. It is a medium for you as an organization to put yourself out there and signal “hey, do business with me, my value proposition is exactly what you’re looking for!” Why would you not want to amp up your credibility and pluck the lowest hanging fruit on the advertising tree by creating and maintaining an optimized and intuitive website for your potential client base?
With increased internet access and usage across all age groups, more and more people are researching multiple providers of products and services online before actually contacting the organization. If there isn’t even a trace of your business online, or worse, if your website is ancient, clients will simply skip you if you choose to not meet their basic online needs.
If you’d like additional information on how you can promote your local business in today’s evolving digital era, check out our Top 5 Marketing Tips for Local Businesses
Understand your Website’s Aesthetics and Optimization
Simply put, your website is the face of your company online. It’s a marketing brochure for your brand, the services you provide, what your company stands for and the types of clients you work with. In addition to this, be sure to highlight the most important aspects of your business such as contact details and location – this makes it easier for clients to contact you whenever they are ready.
With regards to website design, keep it simple! User experience, it should be noted, is king. A clean and simple website that is easy to navigate, contains pertinent information and resources for clients to explore on their own is also very important. Another important tip, invest in photography of your work. Where possible, avoid generic stock imagery and use images from real projects or services you’ve done in the past, especially if these were completed in the community you operate in. This shows site visitors that you’re real and that your company has a personality
Speaking of user experience, optimize, optimize, optimize! Ensure that your website works on all screen sizes, be it desktop, tablet or mobile. A responsive design in today’s digital climate is a must! You don’t want your potential clients to abandon your site and spend more time on your competitors’ because they can view it on their mobile. Google will penalize your website and rank you lower if your website isn’t optimized for mobile, so make sure that it is!
Research and Understand your Online Presence
As we’ve already established, your website is your company’s online calling card. Client reviews – your online reputation – are one of the things that drive people to your website in the first place. Always encourage your clients to write your reviews after they’ve received your service. Not only does Google reward businesses who have multiple reviews with better rankings, but it can also help potential clients make the decision to hire you.
Similar to having photography that highlights your projects in the community you work in, the way you handle and respond to both positive and negative reviews shows people that you are human, and again forms part of the reasons people may decide to contact you. It has been found that 88% of consumers trust local businesses that have positive online reviews, so continuous reputation management is non-negotiable. Local and small law firms need to engage with their customers even after working with them, to show that they care and value their patronage.
Remember to regularly monitor and engage with your clients on the different review platforms your company has at its disposal, be it Facebook, Google or Yelp. Keep that human touch and protect your business from public backlash.
Be Social and Engage with Your Prospects
Law Firms of any size should be using social media to connect with clients wherever they engage on the internet. Much like your GMB or Yelp listing, keep your different pages updated with all the necessary information people need to contact and engage with you, and most importantly, use it on a regular basis. You need to establish and keep an active presence on as many social media platforms as possible. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can be very helpful when marketing a company and its various services. Tips on how to write effective ads for different social media platforms can be found here, here, and here. If you have a local B2B company, you need to prioritize networks such as LinkedIn where you can build more awareness and connect with similar business owners and local consumers alike.
Above all, create interesting and original locally-focused content (including video) to both increase your visibility to prospective consumers and establish your business as a trusted voice in the community. As a general rule, identify the platforms that are giving you the most mileage in terms of engagement rates and use them to your advantage. This blog highlights our top pick for social media automatization that ensures you can continue to focus on other aspects of your business and not get overwhelmed by creating and sharing daily social media content.
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Soulpepper Legal Marketing has helped hundreds of legal clients all across Canada and the United States grow their law firm and reach their marketing goals.
Every aspect of legal marketing, whether it’s PPC, SEM, SEO or social media marketing can be complex and often requires experts in order to produce the best results and highest ROI.
Feel free to contact us at (604) 670-7019 or fill out our quiz for more information
