Law firms used to rely on word of mouth, local TV commercials and phone book listings as a way of growing their clientele. Even after the advent of the internet, lawyers gained leads through the more traditional methods of promotion. As technology continues to advance and digital marketing methods become the norm for all businesses, law firms cannot overlook the importance of implementing an effective digital marketing strategy.
Law firms differ from most other types of enterprises. Firstly, lawyers don’t provide products or services that will result in an immediate online transaction. An online presence for a law firm means building a strong brand that prospective clients can trust so as to result in an offline sale. Secondly, leads fall into two extremes: either the potential client is in urgent need or they spend a large amount of time looking for the most reputable lawyer. These factors provide a particular environment in which a law practice needs to compete.
In any case, failing to develop a comprehensive online presence means risking falling behind to competitors. Changes in the online ecosystem present a host of opportunities for law firms to succeed with their law firm web design and digital marketing in 2020.
1. Go Interactive
Visitors to your website are looking for help getting out of a bind. By creating an interactive website, you can improve user experience so that the information they are seeking is readily available. A clear-cut design with content organized under distinct categories will facilitate a positive result.
To go the extra mile, artificial intelligence technology in the form of a chatbot can significantly boost conversion rates. Allowing your online visitors to get answers to their queries on a 24-hour basis can make your website a hub for those in need of legal advice.
2. Follow A Content-Based Strategy
Besides offering a crisp website design, focusing on a content-centered strategy will place your practice ahead of the competition. Google recently updated its algorithm with the intent of rewarding websites that provide plenty of helpful content for readers. Additionally, its recent update brings new semantic capabilities to the search engine’s arsenal of tools. Regularly uploading posts written in a conversational tone with the goal of providing value to visitors is rewarded by Google with the top spots in search results.
3. Amplify SEO With Best Practices
Applying search engine optimization practices that are in accordance with Google’s rules and regulations is important for achieving the top spots in search engine results. SEO is a time- consuming task that requires keeping up with the constant changes in best-practices but is a necessity for a successful website. If you want to stand out from the other countless law firms on Google then you need to start implementing and improving your SEO.
4. Leverage Social Media
Being on social media is more than just uploading posts and hoping for the best. A law practice can gain clients through both organic and paid social media marketing methods. Maintaining an active presence on several social media platforms is a good way to engage the audience in conversation.
An effective tactic for leveraging social media to achieve a high return on investment is through Facebook’s lookalike audiences. This is a feature whereby you can target users that are similar to your current followers. If you’ve built a following of people that share characteristics that make them prime candidates for your services, expanding that following through this tactic increases your conversion rate. The lookalike feature allows you to hone the search for similar users down to one percent of the population in your chosen country. This means that new followers will highly match your current audience.
5. Build An E-Mail List
Building an e-mail list is a way of maintaining a large base of prospective clients your firm can tap into with the push of a button. A sign-up form on your website as well as a call to action on social media can invite visitors to enter your list of newsletter recipients. You can then add newsletters to your content strategy, informing your followers of changes in legislation that affect them and providing helpful, actionable advice.
An added opportunity that exists with building an e-mail list is that of the family lawyer. Many people do not have a go-to legal expert on stand-by. By promoting the concept of the family lawyer, you can get people to sign up to receive your newsletter as a free service. If your recipients run into legal trouble, they will be more likely to contact your office.
6. Use Video Marketing
More than 85 percent of people in the United States regularly consume video content. Also, as per Forbes, 88% of users spend more time on websites that use video content.
Many attorneys realize this and are turning to video content in order to offer helpful tips for various legal matters. A professionally made video with a great presentation on your part will build trust in your viewers. Google places great emphasis on video content as the search engine giant owns YouTube, the largest platform of its kind.
7. Create A Sales Funnel
Even though a law office website may not have a shopping cart for visitors to purchase services, a sales funnel can still apply. Offering helpful content is great but lead-generation is the lifeblood of your practice. A thought-out strategy covers a user’s journey from the second they view your ad to the moment they press the submit button on a contact form.
An effective digital marketing strategy starts with an eye-catching ad or social media post and ends in a call to action. Each step of the journey allows for the precise gathering and use of data for maximizing conversion rates. Keeping track of ad platforms analytics, website metrics and e- mails provides a competitive advantage over competitors.
8. Work With A Knowledgeable Expert
Implementing effective digital marketing strategies involves a steep learning curve with regards to the methods and tools to be used. It also requires countless hours of monitoring metrics and optimizing results. Working with a competent professional in the digital marketing space can remove the hassle while providing an exceptional return on investment.
It’s important to work with an agency that has the experience to achieve results for your law firm. A competent consultant will have real case studies that prove their ability to back up their claims.