Every lawyer dreams of having the type of reputation that brings in more clients than they’ll ever need. You might expect that if you do your job well, the clients will come to you.
While that’s a great goal, no law firm should overlook marketing. You never know when the recommendations will drop off, and marketing to new clients is what will keep a roof over your head.
In today’s technology age, the digital world is one of the most important places to advertise. If you’re struggling to use the web to its full potential, try these online tips for marketing legal services.
Tips for Marketing Legal Services Online
If you’re focusing your marketing efforts on off-line endeavors, you’re missing out. Here’s how to improve and capitalize on your web presence.
Beautify Your Digital Office
Before you focus on driving traffic to your website, you need to make sure your website can convert users into clients.
Your site is your digital office, and it needs to be just as impressive and professional as your “real world” office is. It needs to make a great first impression while guiding users toward taking the next step and contacting you.
If you don’t have a high-end website design with informative content, that needs to be your first step.
Jumpstart Your Traffic with PPC
When your website is ready to do its job, your next task is bringing in traffic. One of the fastest ways to do this is with pay-per-click ads on search engines.
Do a quick Google search and take a look at the first three or four results, which have a discrete “ad” label. These are paid pay-per-click ads that businesses purchase through Google Ads.
You can set your ad campaigns to target specific keywords and geographic areas. Any time someone in your service area searches for one of those keywords, they could see your ad front and center.
You can also select the specific budget you want to maintain, making it an option for any price range. This is an invaluable want to boost your web traffic in a hurry.
Invest in SEO
Search engine optimization or SEO is a collection of strategies you use to appear higher on search engine results.
A strong SEO strategy needs to combine several techniques. Your web content, your site’s back-end meta tags, the other sites that link to yours, and other factors affect how relevant Google thinks your site is.
The benefit of SEO is undeniable. Most people turn to a Google search any time they want to know something, and with each search, they’ll either see you or your competitor. Now is the time to start boosting your rankings.
Recruit Testimonials
You might be encouraging your clients to recommend you to their friends. If you aren’t asking them to post online reviews as well, though, you’re missing out on countless new clients.
Reviews are crucial for any business. In fact, 91% of people in a recent survey said they read online reviews. Finding a lawyer is a high stakes purchase, which means people will put even more emphasis on the reviews they read.
Still not convinced that online reviews are as important as personal recommendations? In that same study, 84% of people said they trust online reviews from strangers just as much as they trust a recommendation from a known friend.
Keep Up with Online Directories
As important as it is to show up on Google searches, that isn’t the only place clients will search for a lawyer. Many people turn to online directories instead.
For that reason, it’s crucial to keep up with all these directories. Any time you find a directory online that lists lawyers, make sure your name is on it. Verify that your contact information is correct as well so that clients can get in touch.
There are plenty of directories that focus on lawyers in particular. However, you should also make sure you’re on sites that encompass many industries, like Yelp.
Get Social
Another aspect of your web presence you need to focus on is your social media activity. Did you know 54% of people say they’re more likely to hire a lawyer who’s on social media? The younger a client is, the more importance they’ll place on this as well.
Make sure you include multiple social media platforms into your strategy. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the big three, but you can expand further as well. At least once per day, share content from your own site or share others’ content that’s relevant to your firm.
While social media is a casual platform, it’s important to remember that you’re presenting yourself as a professional. Make sure you maintain a professional image in your interactions.
Become Easy to Reach
Convenience plays a larger role in clients’ decisions than you may realize. Your potential clients are busy, and if the only way they can get in touch is to call you during business hours, they’ll probably go elsewhere.
Instead, use your website to be more accessible. Create a way for them to email you online. You should also consider adding a chat feature to your site.
Advertise Within Your Niche
Amid all the techniques above, you can’t forget about good old digital advertising. The key is to choose your ad space based on your specialty.
For instance, employment law solicitors would be wise to advertise on sites that business owners frequent. For a medical malpractice lawyer, a healthcare or medical advice site could be a great option.
Boosting Your Business with Digital Marketing
Some law firms miss the days when grassroots marketing alone was enough to make their profits soar.
In today’s world, though, marketing legal services online creates opportunities where they didn’t exist before. It’s a great way for you to be always available to new clients whether you’re a long-established firm or an ambitious newcomer.
If you prefer to leave the digital marketing to the professionals, contact our online marketing experts.