It's safe to say that we live in the most technological era in human history. We have digitized countless human interactions such as dating, commerce, and socialization. Information is now freely available to anyone with an internet connection and a device that can connect to it. This ease of access has also transformed business. Law firms that seek to grow and attract new clients have to compete not just at the level of services they offer but also online.
A reputable and client-friendly online presence will help you grow your business. The study Hiring an Attorney 2019: Legal Consumer Choices; Client Expectations, published by the legal research firm Martindale-Avvo, reported that 46.5% of future clients search for their law firms on Google. This percentage is probably far higher today than before the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, you should expect your firm's online presence to be even more important today, after a period in which people have gotten accustomed to teleconferences and teleconsultations.
Benefits of a Website for Your Business
Besides providing a landing site for a client to check out your business, a website fulfills other roles which are just as important. First, a properly designed website can enhance client experience. A website will allow your clients to easily and quickly discover the services you offer. Many clients often come with distressing issues that need to be addressed. A great website facilitates clients' search for the information they need.
Furthermore, a website will also simplify taking the client's business. This means having appealing and accessible intake forms and call-to-actions. Unlike, say, a phone call, a website allows for information to be shared instantly. Neither you nor your client should be saddled with the added step of having to call the lawyers at your firm to schedule a consultation.
Branding
For this reason, your website must have a strong and appealing brand. The client should leave your website with a strong sense of the firm's identity. The client should feel comfortable and "at home" there. The greater your accessibility and appeal, the likelier it will be for them to hire your services. Again, clients come to lawyers with pressing concerns and can be finicky with whom they choose to trust to handle their issues. You can enhance your website by putting up blogs and videos on legal and local topics that demonstrate the depth of your expertise in your practice area, your passion for the subject, and help you build your reputation. This content can also be used, as we'll explain below, to market your firm. Social media accounts that link to your site can also spread your firm's reach and lead new clients to your business.
Build Client Trust
Now, it's not enough to be knowledgeable or passionate about your field of practice. Clients are not hiring law scholars or legal marketers. They're hiring attorneys. As such, clients will be looking to read how other clients have reviewed you. As recent market research has shown, 97% of people surveyed use the internet before making a purchasing decision, and 85% of people say they trust online reviews more than they trust recommendations from people they know. These are astounding numbers. They show that the internet is no longer what facilitates business as much as what business depends on.
Furthermore, if people tend to trust online reviews more than word-of-mouth opinions, it behooves your firm to display them on your website. Trust is ultimately the key factor in convincing a client to hire you for your services, especially if you're practicing in an area like family or personal injury law in which emotions and stress tend to run high. You should also consider enlisting case management software like Maatdesk, which facilitates running your firm. Maatdesk offers invaluable time-saving and organizational features such as matter organization, calendaring notifications for legal deadlines, and, importantly, a client profile dashboard that allows you to communicate and share sensitive documents with your clients.
Marketing
When all information is just a few taps of the mouse away, having an online presence means you must also be well-positioned in the online markets. Today, about 90% of all online searches go through Google. This makes Google a powerful arbiter in deciding what appears and what doesn't in the search results. As a result, many marketers today specialize in search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is the set of online practices that enhance the presence of your website when a person searches for certain related terms. The more content you produce, Google's algorithms will better position it when a person searches for words found in your document. Indeed, you can tailor blogs to include the most-used key terms people are using to search for the legal services you offer. Because this can help you create targeted content, you are likely to benefit financially. In other words, a website can be a domain from which you can market your firm while providing expert advice in creative, engaging, and friendly ways.
Get in touch with Maatdesk if you have further questions regarding how setting up an online presence can help you build your business and how you can integrate Maatdesk to help you run your firm.
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