I'm sure at some point in the process of creating a website (or having a website created for you) you looked at your design and wondered that exact same thing. That dummy text filling your page is referred to as Lorum Ipsum and it has been in use since the 1500s.
Want to know a little more, check out www.lipsum.com.

Collin Neugebauer

The benefits of an attorney profile video, and online video media in general, have been extensively highlighted in blog posts and online articles. It can’t be stated enough that an online video humanizes your virtual interaction with a prospective client and that the moving pictures and sound provide a personal (although one-sided) conversation with your Web site visitors.
 
Viewing an online video offers both verbal and non-verbal communication, and provides the prospective client with the feeling of having interacted with an attorney. The video will give a good glimpse of the environment; a professional office background with legal books will let the potential client know they are dealing with a seasoned legal expert.
 
At FindLaw, we’ll not only provide guidance on best practices when shooting your video and script. We’ll also be certain to include a video transcript, as time-honored HTML or plain text is still the best way to fuel the search engine indexes. The conversational or natural language text from your transcript will attract long-tail searches, for example, “When should I hire a divorce lawyer in Boston.”  Your FirmSite will already contain plenty of HTML that will attract short-tail search results like “Divorce lawyer Boston” or vanity searches like “Sam Miller Divorce Law, MA” that will point to your Web site. A video transcript provides an additional layer of drawing traffic to your site.

Online video serves many purposes and is far from being just moving pictures with sound!

Sam Chagani

The growing adoption of broadband combined with a dramatic push by content providers to promote online video has helped to pave the way for mainstream audiences to embrace online video viewing.

Among home Internet users, 79% have broadband and 15% use dial-up., according to a May 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Three-quarters of broadband users (74%) who enjoy high-speed connections at both home and work watch or download video online.1

As broadband adoption continues to grow, video is fast becoming Internet users’ preferred medium for information.

45% of Internet users say online information plays an important or crucial role in major life decisions (e.g., legal issues, health care, finance).2

Video aids a consumer in finding the information they are looking for in an engaging and memorable way. Our studies show that consumers research 4.8 Web sites, on average, before choosing an attorney online. That decreases to 1.8, however, when those sites contain video.3

Sources:
1. “Home Broadband 2008” Pew Internet and American Life Project, July 2008, www.pewinternet.org
2. “New Jersey Connected Broadband Summit” Pew Internet and American Life Project presentation, March 2007, www.pewinternet.org
3. “How Consumers Meet Their Legal Needs Online” FindLaw webcast, June 26, 2007, 43:05.

ARE YOU GETTING YOUR MONEY’S WORTH?
from Video: The Next High-Impact marketing Tool for Attorneys

In a direct comparison of daytime cable TV airtime schedules for Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami & New York – we found the average cost per 30-second TV commercial ranges from $226 up to $1,800.1
For example - in New York:


With the increased popularity of Digital Video Recorders like TiVo there is no guarantee that the commercial will even be seen by the 18+ target audience.What’s more - TV rates continue to climb even though the total number of viewers continues to decline.

Unlike TV, your online video doesn't just air at a certain time on a certain date; it is always there to stay. Anytime a user is searching for you, they can find your video and meet you online.

This is what makes online video such an invaluable part of any firm’s marketing plan.

Analytics are a powerful business tool. Organizations use analytics to measure value and help make better business decisions. There’s a variety of operating and performance metrics businesses can analyze.

For example, one valuable metric used in Internet Marketing is conversion. Conversion, or conversion rate, refers to the number (or percentage) of Web site visitors that are converted into paying customers. The conversion rate can be maximized by attracting more qualified visitors to the Web site. This can be done by using a successful Internet Marketing strategy, such as Findlaw provides to attorneys.   

Conversion tracking can also be used to measure the return on your Internet Marketing investment, by assigning value to each converted prospect. To get the most value, you need to attract the most qualified customers. Targeted Internet Marketing will drive both conversion and value.

Christine Kane

Efficiently spending your advertising dollars is an art form.  It’s a bit like writing a book – you have to use skill, intelligence, creativity and planning to secure the highest return on your investment.  Properly targeting your advertising is the best way to accomplish this.  With online advertising we want to target with high granularity.

What is granularity?  Granularity is the relative level of scale, depth or detail that characterizes an activity.  For some people, the word granularity brings the image of sand to mind.  So to simplify the notion of granular online advertising, imagine an hourglass – grains of sand slowly being narrowed and diverted at a finely tuned and precise pace.  One by one they carefully slip through, automating the measure of time.

Now, imagine that the hourglass is your practice, the grains of sand are potential cases and the narrow gap between the two halves of the hourglass is your job.  You must set the pace to select the cases that will provide the most positive outcome so you can maintain a successful business.  Should you consider every case at once?  How can you ensure that the cases you do consider will be within the correct scope of your practice?  What if you could tailor and automate the screening process to save time?  

This is how the granular approach to online advertising can help build a more successful practice.

We begin with a large pool of potential clients (lots of sand), with some being more qualified for your services than others.  Rather than screening every single one you must devise a way to pull in the most qualified (narrow the gap to set the pace).  This is why we advertise, and we want to get granular.  Categories such as practice area, geographic location, and experience are important granular topics.  Provide these details in your advertisements and your traffic – the stream of potential clients that seeks you out – will become more qualified, thus allowing your business to run more efficiently.  

Now, how can we automate this effort to achieve maximum potential?  Effectively, it would be nice to turn a key and let a process or system take over so that you’ll always be assured a steady stream of qualified traffic.  This is the benefit of online advertising.  

Online advertising is growing at an exponential pace.  Every day millions and millions of potential clients search the web for legal services.  Being an electronic medium, it is only natural to automate legal advertising so that the targeting is always precise.  Somewhat like designating that a TV commercial for golf clubs always plays on the Golf Channel.  Setting the ad targeting and trafficking parameters by utilizing granularity increases the likelihood of qualified traffic clicking on your ad and taking action to contact you.  And, with automation we can target qualified traffic with precise granularity every time, thus effectively turning a key and letting a system do the work of delivering highly qualified prospects to your growing practice.

Brian Ledis

Search Engine Optimization is best explained through a real life scenario. Would you park your car and leave it unlocked in a questionable neighborhood? I’m guessing the answer is no. For many reasons you would think twice about where you would leave your vehicle and how secure it is.
 
Naturally, your best bet would be to park in a safe neighborhood, a concept Linda Palecek talks about as it pertains to Web sites in her Power of Association blog post.

The power of linking is incredibly valuable. Inbound links from a business partner’s Web site have the power to boost your site’s page rank. You can also return the favor by linking to their site – a client testimonial posted on their Web site or blog can both serve as a legitimate reference for a prospective reader and will also be seen favorably by the search engines. SEOMoz even suggests asking customers to link to your URL on correspondence such as invoices.
 
Like parking your car in that dimly lit neighborhood, you want to be certain the site you are linking to is legitimate and indexed by the major search engines. A number of credible blogs in the industry have found Bad-Neighborhood.com to be a good resource to scan a Web site before linking to it.
 
You also want to avoid linking to a “Link Farm” or a “Spamdex.” These are Web sites that solely hyperlink to other sites with pages consisting of only lists of Web sites and the Search Engines nearly always penalize Link Farms as soon as they find them. While you certainly can’t control what others link to, be aware whom you link to. You wouldn’t want to devastate your ranking on search engines because of a Web site’s questionable content.

Sam Chagani

The Internet is no doubt a powerful marketing tool for attorneys. Internet marketing done correctly will attract more clients and better qualified clients to a firm. However, many attorneys struggle to find reliable, expert advice on how to successfully market their practice online.

FindLaw seminars offer attorney’s the chance to learn Internet marketing strategy best practices from industry experts in a practical and easy to follow format. These educational seminars provide attorneys insight on the latest trends that a firm can leverage to attract prospects and convert them to paying clients. Topics also covered by these seminars include how to develop effective Web sites, improve search-engine rankings, market ethically online and measure return on investment.

Almost 100 of these seminars are presented by FindLaw each year throughout the U.S. in partnership with various bar association and educational providers. In many cases these seminars are offered for CLE credit. For a a schedule of upcoming events, to learn more about the seminar program or to suggest a partner you’d like us to work with please contact me.

 

Christine Otto

1) These are still just estimates. Without someone totally sharing their traffic data with you, you can't ever get a precise read on someone's traffic. That being said, any inaccuracies should be comparable across most sites, so comparisons of two sites should still be pretty spot on. 2) Unlike the aforementioned traffic rating sites, Google has one big advantage; they're Google. And being Google, they have access to all the data they choose to share with themselves. According to Google, Google Trends for Websites "combines information from a variety of sources, such as aggregated Google search data, aggregated opt-in anonymous Google Analytics data, opt-in consumer panel data, and other third-party market research..."

This is an example comparing FindLaw.com to Lawyers.com. FYI, the graph is showing DAILY UNIQUE VISITORS for each site. Click the picture if you want to see this analysis "live" on Google. I posted just the past 12 months, but you can pick from a variety of time-frames.

Tucker Carney

On May 29th, FindLaw hosted two web casts on video under the title "Video: the Next High-Impact Marketing Tool for Attorneys."  Our guest speakers included Laura Hamad, FindLaw Video Field Producer, and Don Sowers, Partner with Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff LLP in Los Angeles.  Don is very active in the online legal field, and it's always exciting to hear his insights into the world of internet marketing.  His comments below share in detail why video has become an important component of his online marketing plan.  He specifically covers why video is a natural fit for law firms, how his potential clients have been influenced by their video, and how it has boosted his ROI.  

Video Is Extremely Relevant To Law Firms
“When I do the initial interview with a prospective client, I’ll often ask them: ‘Where did you learn about our firm?  What was it that stood out for you?’  More and more people are saying ‘Your video.  Your video is something that really stood out to us.’  Video is a natural marketing tool for law firms because the practice of law is really about communication and advocacy on behalf of a client.  A prospective client is more likely to call your firm if they have heard and seen you speak.”

Video Creates Contact Opportunities
“With video, the prospective clients are able to size up the firm, size up the lawyer and decide if this is someone they really want to speak to, which leads them to develop a level of trust to make them pick up the phone.” 

Video Conveys Your Personal Image
“Online video presence has become the word of mouth of yesteryear, a substitute for a referral from a friend or a neighbor. You are really communicating your own personal image, presence and character, just like a referral would be, but going out to a huge audience and making an opportunity to really get out there in front of your prospective clients.”

FindLaw Offers Unique Video Expertise
“I was contacted by a number of companies that do video in L.A. (we have dozens) but I was not contacted by any that had worked with attorneys.  Video has the same rules as print. FindLaw can protect you because they are sensitive to these [legal] issues. You want to make sure you are dealing with a company that is used to dealing with attorneys.  That’s quite frankly one of the things that has put me at ease when dealing with FindLaw for so many years.”

Video ROI Is Much Stronger Than Yellow Pages
“A number of years ago we’d spend 1 dollar [on Yellow Pages] and we’d probably get a 4 to 5 dollar return on that.  And then, over the course of the last several years, Yellow Pages, with the advent of internet advertising, has taken a back seat.  And now, if we spend 1 dollar, we probably only get a $1.25 return.  So, the return on investment that you hear about, is just not there like it used to be. Well, we have obviously moved our dollars into internet marketing and the Web site, and for that, we have been seeing 3 to 4 dollars for every 1 dollar. 

Now here is the good news: for the last couple of months that we had video up, we have seen a 6 or 7 times return, per month, on what we are spending for the cost of the video versus the amount that is coming in.  Online video is certainly the vanguard here and it is something that the dollars are backing it up, for what you spend and what you getting in return as well.”

You are able to view the archive of the event by clicking here.

A.Purrington

Today’s business owner is generally well aware of the importance of being found on the Internet to generate new leads. Even so, many folks still think that as long as they have enough clients and prospects today, they’ll continue to be able to sustain their future business growth based on referrals from today’s clientele. If that happens, great, but more likely is the case that you’d be missing a large QUANTITY of future business if you’re not easily found on the Internet.

Maybe even more important is the fact that you might also be sacrificing the QUALITY of potential clients and prospects if you are not using the Internet to bring in business. Just because your shop is running at max capacity doesn’t mean you are getting the highest returns from your invested resources!

The only way to establish an Internet presence that ensures both the QUANTITY and QUALITY of existing and future leads is to use a reputable company with extensive experience in the right areas.

With years of professional experience in the legal vertical, FindLaw services and solutions provide you the strong Internet legal presence you need to establish a foundation of quality contacts, both now and in the future.

Small businesses are rapidly venturing into social networks. A recent research found that 28% of small-business owners had registered for at least one social networking site. Nearly half of these respondents (49%) stated to have done this to "market and promote a business by creating a profile page," the second most named application after personal use.

For law firms that decide to take this step, it is a good idea to insert a link to their Web site in these profile pages to gain even more benefit from this presence.

Further background on this topic can be found here.

Edwin Van Riessen

Remember when you were a kid and adults told you to pick your friends carefully because their reputation also reflects on you? This continues to hold true as adults, especially when you think about marketing. In a previous time I did media buying and planning for a large national retailer. I received solicitation after solicitation to advertise on anything from a milk container to a car door to the Super Bowl. I’m not going to say every option was considered equally, but we did read a lot of them. The thing we always kept in mind was what does that say about our brand? Is this something we want to be associated with? Does this relay the message of who we are and what we stand for?
 
I think these same questions hold true in legal marketing. It’s important to look at whom you partner with and determine if the reputation of this “friend” accurately reflects what you value.
 
You’ve likely heard the stats before, but they bear repeating: the majority of Internet users have watched online video and many do it regularly. This has you thinking that maybe you want to do online video too. There are many options to choose from and because this video will represent you and your firm, you want to select the right one. For instance, it’s important to compare the quality of the videos you’ll receive with the price you are going to pay. Look at what you’re getting. Does that final video reflect who you are and what you represent? Does it meet actual consumer needs? Would you watch the video if you were a consumer? There will almost always be a cheaper option just like there’s a high-end option – the key is to find the option that meets your needs and reflects your brand.  
 
Another example I recently saw has to do with Web site linking. You can link your Web site to just about anything. You may even be frequently contacted to exchange links with a variety of different people. Again, it’s vital to think about what this link says about you. Does this site’s reputation align with your values and brand? Is it something you are proud to be associated with? Sure, it might help drive more traffic, but is it really the kind of traffic you want to have? Also, the more links you apply also provides more opportunities for the consumer to leave your site. Make sure they’re going to something you want to be associated with.
 
These are just a couple examples, but it’s important to consider these types of questions with any marketing you do.  It’s important to continue to drive toward new clients, but in order to attract the type of clients you value as important, you need to carefully preserve the image your Web site through the use quality video and marketing, and by creating a network of trustworthy links.

Linda Palecek

Until last year, most search engine results were text only and looked pretty bland.  The only way to stand out in the crowd was to be at the top of the list.  Then came Google’s revolutionary universal search, which introduced among other things thumbnails of video on Google's search results page.  It’s made a big impact, and other search engines like Yahoo and AOL have followed suit.

Sure, it seems obvious that an image or thumbnail in a sea of text is going to stand out and draw the user’s eye, but there’s proof that it works.  Google has been testing videos in their paid advertisements to compete for user’s attention.  In this New York Times article Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president of search products and user experience tells us that "text ads are not as effective on pages with search results that include images and video. The eyes of users automatically gravitate to the images more than the text."  This also implies that regular text-only search results are also not as effective on pages with images and video.

So the value of a video thumbnail is clear.  If you want to stand out from the competition on the search engines, then the best option right now is to invest in online video.

Stephen Kmetz

Breaking the myth of the crammed Web site

My first real introduction to technology – at least in terms of something I was to interact with – was at the age of 9 when I used an Apple IIC to play Oregon Trail. And while I may have died a virtual death of cholera due to my lack of hunting skills (Hey, who hunts deer by walking in straight lines anyway?), leaving my wife, two children and a set of oxen to fend for themselves in the hostile American West, my “real” self loved this new world filled with pixels and floppy discs.

My first experience with the Internet, aside from being told that it was a series of inter-connected tubes, was late in college when I logged on to AOL; I indeed “had mail.” What a world. One interesting fact about the early years of the internet was the lack of page scrolling. AOL, for example, wouldn’t allow users to do any vertical scrolling, instead relying upon text fields and list boxes to display information (not to mention splash pages – yikes!). This new technology was limiting and, for me, a bit cumbersome.

The same can’t be said for my son whose first foray into technology - specifically that of the Internet - was at the ripe old age of 2. He could log onto the Web, open up his “favorites” folder and peruse a variety of Web links (Wiggles, Barney, Disney, et al). The amazing thing (and what is the most pertinent in terms of this article) was his natural inclination to scroll down the page. Inherent in his and each of our Web experiences is that we will and most definitely do scroll. By embracing this knowledge, FindLaw’s talented Web development teams don’t have to worry about cramming as much information and imagery at the top of a Web page as we first believed or were led to believe. We can now design open and user-friendly designs.

In the beginning (right around Al Gore’s creation of the Web) Web designers and developers looked at the Internet much the same way a newspaper editor looked at a newspaper. Most newspapers were (are) displayed to potential customers folded in half; meaning that only the top half of the front page is visible. Editors knew that this space, which they called “above the fold,” could convince a reader to buy the paper as it would be the first information viewed by their readers.

As time passed and research became made available to them, Web designers began to see that users may not necessarily come to the home page (think SEM and the value of targeted content) upon first visit to a Web site, instead coming to a more specific search-related page on a site. Also, users expected that whatever page they were to land on or visit, they would have to scroll. After scrolling became a consistent implementation on all Web sites, Web browsers alleviated the concern that users won’t scroll.

Famed Web expert Jakob Nielsen touched on this topic 3+ years ago when he said, “On the Web, users expect vertical scrolling. As with all standard design elements, it’s better to meet user expectations than to deviate.”

Nielsen also wrote that users will stick with a site as long as they feel that they are getting closer to their goal of finding the information they want. This search is referred to as the “search for sent.” Draw the user in with compelling imagery and pertinent text and they will continue to move through your site; this is where we come in.

When designers at FindLaw are asked by others (clients, the field, et al) to place as many elements above the fold as possible, the answer indubitably should be: “Where is the fold?” With viewing screens coming in all different sizes and resolutions – from iPhones, PDAs and Blackberrys to widescreen LCD monitors - where then is the fold? Unlike the aforementioned newspaper, the fold of a Web page has no fixed location. Most data shows that the largest majority of page “folds” can hover anywhere from 600 to 610 pixels – and this accounts for only 10% of the folds! If you add in the next few largest fold distributions (570 and 630 pixels), together they account for only 26% of fold locations. Basically, the fold is everywhere! How would you account for where the fold is since we don’t know what each user’s default font size, window size, or screen resolution is? If we design for one, we lose the rest. Braced with this knowledge and the current shift to Web 2.0’s cleaner and less cluttered sites, designers are more in tune with users as well as the presentation of information.

That said, FindLaw’s Web Designers do place great emphasis on what goes atop a Web page, but not at the sacrifice of the entire site - much less the user. The top of a FindLaw-created home page should, in most cases, answer these questions:

1. Who is the firm?
    • Name, location, practice area(s) focus
2. How can I contact them?
    • When and how (phone, email, what hours, etc).
3. Why choose this firm over the competitor?
    • Market differentiator

Answering these questions in a graphically powerful (and hopefully unique) way helps the user make a decision in a timely and non-frustrating way. With abundant data showing that the majority of Web users scroll and that most sites have a scroll-bar, we can better design sites, placing data and imagery throughout the site/page to improve the overall user-experience. Some liken this to the analogy of an attractive person who has no personality: If a site crams as much info as possible at the top of the page and leaves the rest of the site “empty,” the designer has failed. If a designer has a site that is well thought out and designed top-to-bottom, the site has a better chance to be successful — good-looking AND smart!

While the Web is littered with valuable data supporting that there is indeed no fold, here are a few very supportive metrics based off a 2006 (and a subsequent follow up in 2007) ClickTale* study of over 120,000 page-views:

• 91% of all pages viewed had a scroll-bar
• 76% of all pages viewed that had a scroll-bar were scrolled to some extent
• 22% of all pages viewed that had a scroll-bar were scrolled all the way to the bottom

Are users less likely to scroll to the bottom of a page? No. Visitors are equally likely to scan the entire page, no matter the length. As my 2-year old son proved (and seemingly anyone who uses the Web), people scroll until they find what they are looking for. Scrolling is also associated with Web 2.0 design because big, clear text and spacious, clean content implies longer Web pages.

What recommendations do the designers at FindLaw have for their clients (and the field)? Because users are more inclined to scan Web sites for data instead of reading a site line-by-line:

• Divide your layout into sections with graphics to draw the user in.
• Let your designers create a visually compelling header area to draw users in and make them want to scroll. (Click data research from CrazyEgg shows that even though a tag line may not be a link, users are clicking on it as they expect it to bring them someplace. Use this as an opportunity to sell your firm’s overall message and get users to delve deeper into the site.)
• Think of your firm in comparison to your competition. Why choose you? It’s not simply a matter of “we return phone calls promptly” (all firms do and should), but think larger — “We get results prior to court. We are former police officers. I am a former judge.”
• As users visually scroll, minimize written text (maintain the content minimum as to not affect the search engines’ ability to find your site) and maximize images. Entice users visually to stay on your site.
• Make the search box prominent as users find these mandatory in their search for answers or help.

In the end, trust your designer and the designer’s experience and expertise in creating sites that not only attract users, but engage them. Let your designer open up your site to give the user more visual breathing room and don’t fret that a user won’t know what to do; they are more savvy than we give them credit for.
...

Besides, you've been scrolling through this entire entry ;-)

*Data provided by ClickTale who collected a subset of roughly 120,000 page-views, as well as the research done by Jakob Nielsen.

Collin Hummel

Law firms with an effective Web presence have a tremendous opportunity to generate new business and enhance client service. Consumer research has shown us that 73% of consumers want a “feel for the personality of the lawyer,” and written words and static images are unable to completely satisfy this desire. Video is quickly becoming an indispensable part of a law firm’s Web site.

The results of a poll among participants to FindLaw's webcast "Video: The Next High-Impact Marketing Tool for Attorneys" shows that the topic is of great importance to attorneys. The majority of attendees indicated to be presently considering adding video to their law firm Web site.

I have video on my site - 9.7%
I have considered adding video but have not done so - 56.5%
I have not thought about adding video to my site - 24.2%
I have decided against adding video - 1.6%
My firm does not have a Web site - 8.0%

You are able to view the archive of the event by clicking here.

You can also get more information about online video on LawyerMarketing.com and learn how video on their website has benefited the practice of other attorneys.

Attorney Internet video is one of the most promising, innovative and powerful advertising methods available to win new clients.  Not only should your video be professional, succinct, and convey a sense of trust and loyalty, it should also be readily and easily viewed by prospects seeking your services online.  How can you make your video as accessible as possible?

As with the search engine marketing and optimization of your firm website, your professional attorney video should be treated in the same fashion.  Begin by displaying the video on your website and optimizing it to be easily found by and displayed on popular search engines such as Google.  Remember – prospective clients seeking your services online are twice as likely to retain you after watching your video.  

Another method of making your video accessible to prospective clients is to have it displayed on a professional legal web portal such as FindLaw.  Prospects searching the largest and most popular legal website in the US will have access to your video and be able to easily find and associate the services you provide in the practice area and geographical region you specialize in.

You can also display your video on 3rd party video portals such as YouTube, Brightcove, AOL Video, Yahoo! Video, etc.  Professional legal web portals like FindLaw also maintain legal TV channels within certain 3rd party video portals to help increase the visibility of attorney videos.

Why wait?  Online video has, and continues to experience tremendous growth.  Take advantage of the technology now and win new clients today.

Brian Ledis

Yes, you read that correctly, for FREE! Well, this is only partially true.  I assume that you have put a great deal of effort and resources to build a great website as the core of your marketing campaign. 

Now, thanks to the folks at Google, Yahoo! And MSN you can have a free local listing in their directories. All of them are really easy to set up and they provide some great benefits to your online visibility.

Mobile Visibility

Consider, for example, MSN’s business listing, which is used to power up searches on all Windows-Mobile-based-smartphones as well its MSN.com and Live.com sites.  Windows Mobile gives you the opportunity to reach about 25% of the domestic smartphone consumers at no cost to you.

Recent studies have shown that the number of people searching on their smartphone devices (Blackberry, Treo, iPhone, Pocket PC, etc.) has increased significantly in the last year.  Paul Burani examines the connection between the rise in mobile and local searching and concludes that this is only the beginning.  As the prices of smartphones continue to drop, while they get better and better, and as the mobile phone companies include more services in their packages, internet browsing becomes more and more prevalent. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, mobile data penetration is far higher amongst the African-American and (English-speaking) Hispanic populations than it is amongst the white population, which opens up numerous possibilities for reaching out to new customers.

Local Flexibility

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Google Maps, and their Local Business Center,  revolutionized the area of the local searching.  For years people had relied on the Yellow Pages or similar directories to deliver search results.  However, the combination of at-your-fingertips-results with customer ratings and map and directions has literally brought people to many small and medium business’ doorsteps.

Once you get past the creepy feeling that people can actually see a still photo of your office and the street in front of it, the Google Local Business Center is very flexible and easy to customize.  These days one can even add a video from YouTube.com.

Links, Links, Links

One of the biggest benefits to local internet listings is the links they provide back to your website.  While content is still king in the land of search engine optimization, having various inbound links from local directories can only help your site’s visibility and may increase traffic altogether. Unlike the more traditional paper directories, the internet local listings allow you the flexibility to target specific pages and change the link from time to time as needed.

It turns out that in the virtual world, just like in the real one, some of the best things really are free!

Slavey Tolev

Online Search Engine Optimization (SEO) needn’t be confusing. Think of a new recipe you’re trying out – you want to strike a balance between just the right quality and quantity of ingredients, because adding too much of any one ingredient may ruin that chicken casserole you’re cooking.
 
Your Web site needs constant tweaking and grooming to get listed on the search engines. Just like cooking, you can’t cheat by doing too much of one thing and not enough of another. Adding irrelevant keywords to your Web site would make it appear like spam. In our cooking example, this would be like dumping an excessive amount of sugar in your casserole.  It would be sweet, but would it be good?
 
Search engines relentlessly refine the accuracy of their search algorithm. Search engines don’t just grade your Web site on use of keywords, but also on content, links or use of video. Search engines are very picky about what is indexed and where it ranks in the index. How picky can a search engine be? Try this example: Search for dog bite attorney and Dog bite attorney, but note the uppercase D in the second set of search terms. At the time of posting this article, the position of several links changed or dropped off the first page by merely changing the case of “D” in dog bite.
 
The use of competitive search terms, like those found in legal Web sites, creates an even more difficult market to be visible in. There are many legal Web sites supplying the demand for legal content. Standing out from the crowd involves careful thought and expertise in your subject matter, and you need to employ the best keywords and all the other ingredients for that perfect casserole….I mean legal Web site.

Sam Chagani

In the crowded online marketplace for legal services, where Web sites struggle to attract attention, video is a terrific tool for communicating your unique message in a format consumers enjoy. A well crafted online video can help you connect with more prospects, and promote your firm in a way that's both personal and highly professional.

Consumers research an average of 4.8 Web sites before choosing an attorney, but when video is added that number decreases to 1.8 because consumers feel more comfortable and are more apt to retain an attorney who they feel they know. The bottom line is- video generates Web site hits and telephone calls, and it's an engaging, customer-friendly format.

Register for our Web cast today to learn more about the following:

• Why Video?
  The next high-impact marketing tool for attorneys
• Attracting qualified leads
  Video search engine optimization & distribution
• Delivering Results
  Video that converts prospects and serves clients
• Getting your money's worth
  Evaluating return on investment
• Ethical Considerations
  Register for this Web cast. We have two highly qualified speakers prepared to provide insight into why video is the next high-impact marketing tool for attorneys, as well as to answer any questions you may have:

Don Sowers
Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff LLP
www.formerdistrictattorneys.com

Don Sowers has been a FindLaw customer for over eight years. He is the managing partner of Takakjian, Sowers & Sitkoff LLP, a Criminal Defense firm with offices throughout Southern California. Previously, he served as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney and as Chairman of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section. Don was an early adopter on the Internet, posting the first of his seven sites on the web back in 1999. He has been a presenter on Internet marketing panels and he participated in the Beta version of FindLaw's Internet video production.

Laura Hamad
FindLaw Video Project Manager
www.LawyerMarketing.com

Laura Hamad graduated summa cum laude from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a degree in Mass Communications. She worked in communications at the state teacher's union before joining the Project Management team at FindLaw in August of 2006. Laura has been working with FindLaw video products since the first video beta began in August of 2007.

As a Video Project Manager, Laura helps her clients identify and create the story for each of their videos. She then directs the video shoot, ensuring that the client's vision gets captured during the day.

Thursday, May 29, 2008
11:00-12:00pm CST

Thursday, May 29, 2008
3:00-4:00pm CST