The technology known as Rich Site Summary (some refer to it as Really Simple Syndication, or simply RSS) has been adopted by many Blogs and Web sites. RSS feeds are a way of distributing news articles or Blog posts directly from a website to your RSS reader. Typically these come as a feed of one sentence summaries of an article.
 
If you prefer keyword summaries to see what a blog is talking about, you might like the tag cloud. Tag clouds are simply a weighted list of keywords in a visual design illustrating the most used words on a website. The larger the keyword in the tag cloud, the greater the frequency of the keyword in the associated site.
 
Want to see an example? Below is a tag cloud of what we've been discussing on our LawyerMarketing blog. You can create your very own free tag cloud from Wordle.



Thanks to Search Engine Land and Top Rank Blog for the tip.

Sam Chagani

 

Post Preview

Pew/Internet reported early August that the percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has been steadily rising from about one-third of all users in 2002, to a new high of just under one-half (49%). With this increase, the number of those using a search engine on a typical day is pulling ever closer to the 60% of internet users who use email on a typical day.

The report provides data supporting the fact that those who are using search engines on an average day are more likely to be socially upscale, with at least some college education and incomes over $50,000 per year.

Accordingly, search engine marketing continues to increase in importance for law firms. FindLaw's white paper "Search Engine Marketing (SEM) for Law Firms" covers that an effective SEM strategy can be a key competitive advantage for law firms that want to generate more visibility, more qualified traffic and, ultimately, more new clients in the online legal marketplace.

Using appropriate keywords and keyword phrases are a key success factor. Effective keyword selection starts with thinking through what makes your law firm unique, in terms of its client base, competitors and practice goals, and working with your SEM expert to build a diverse set of keywords and keyword phrases around those qualities.

 

A good rule of thumb is that you’re usually better off competing for and winning a higher number of unique, small-volume word combinations (“I need to hire a lawyer because I was arrested for DUI in Pittsburgh”) than going after just a few high-volume, and highly competitive, searches (such as “DUI lawyer”).

 

Why is that the case?

• Because 40% of Internet searches are unique searches; they’ve never been done before.
• Because very specific queries usually come from highly motivated prospects.
• Because while being #1 in the search engines for a more common search is great, it’s all about converting new clients — and going about it in a strategic (and realistic) way.

The more specific the search, the more likely it is that a person who clicks-through from that search will be a better prospective client for you. If a law firm specializes in dog bite law in Arlington, Texas, a person who finds the law firm through the search query “Arlington TX dog bite law” is likely to be a far more qualified lead than someone who found the law firm through the query “personal injury law.”

 

You can’t anticipate every one-of-a-kind search, and your Web site would be unreadable if you tried. But a firm can improve its odds of generating traffic from specific, one-off queries (known as “Long Tail” searches). The key: maintaining a well-written, content-rich site filled with a broad range of relevant keywords.

 

By taking that approach, you’ll be more competitive for both Long Tail searches and more popular search terms as well. An SEM expert who understands how legal prospects think and the search terms they use can help you cast a wide net and bring a greater number of well-qualified prospects to your Web site

Edwin Van Riessen

Most law firms interested in driving business from the web are appropriately focused on getting more traffic to their Web site. And why not? Using the web as a starting point to search for and find an attorney to hire is becoming more and more frequent. The beauty of online marketing is that the product performance (search, directory or display ad, email campaign or video) is visible to the advertiser in the form of marketing analytics and reporting which makes figuring out the marketing return on investment (ROI) easier than ever. Here at FindLaw our tracking and reporting of online clicks shows one important distinction: all clicks are not equal.   

Progressive marketers know that clicks from relevant websites, those that are niche focused or are highly differentiated with content-rich user experiences, produce, per click, many more conversions. As users research topics and create pathways to specific content they reveal a lot about themselves, their preferences and most importantly their intent. Understanding the users “online behavior” helps you to figure out the difference between passive browsing behavior and deliberate activity. My colleague Brian Ledis describes the idea of using granularity, sorting out the good prospects from the bad in a sea of traffic, in a previous post on this blog. In effect, sourcing traffic from highly differentiated destination sites does the sorting: visitors to these types of sites are more likely to purchase goods and services than those on general portals, where many visitors have only a passive interest in the goods and services they are exposed to. 

For instance, take the search term “immigration law”. Who might be making that search and what’s their intent? It could be an immigration lawyer looking for a resource. It could be a college student looking for research material. Or a blogger looking for political fodder. Or a law student writing a paper. Or someone looking for an immigration lawyer. Which click would your firm want? Which click would you pay for? 

Now, compare that click with one from a user who is on a vertically focused destination site specializing in helping non-experts navigate the law. That user might research “Immigration Law Overview”, proceed to Immigration Law FAQ and then jump to Role of an Immigration Attorney and proceed to a directory of immigration lawyers. The intent of the user is expressed through their “online behavior” and a lot of it is available in the tracking and reporting metrics. Research by FindLaw shows that a click to a law firm Web site from a relevant site, such as findlaw.com, by a user who has been down the legal research path is much more likely to turn into a client than a user who clicks from a less targeted site such as a general search engine. 

That’s not to say traffic isn’t important. Traffic, multiplied by conversion rate gives us a “net converted” metric, which then can be evaluated in an ROI calculation. It’s at this level of analysis that marketers can truly evaluate the effectiveness of the online marketing efforts in producing what really matters: converted contacts that can be turned into clients.   

Charlie Vanek

Consumers often have products that include confusing instructions regarding assembly, and/or how to avoid risk or injury.  One of the most important pieces from any purchase is an avenue to contact someone when there are questions.  Missing parts or pieces?  It won’t turn on, off, left, or right as it says it would?  Call this number, and ask someone about it.

But this “someone” typically ends up being a faceless, generic person who has a first name but no idea who their client is or what they may actually need.  John Q. Consumer, meanwhile, spends much more time having to explain more than they should rather than identifying the key issue at-hand and resolving it in a timely fashion.

Lawyers are consumers too, and marketing on the Internet can be just as puzzling as any other product.  FindLaw prides itself in offering to you a face, and a last name, and a sense of familiarity with you once your relationship with us has been initiated.  After we assemble your products – your website developed, your spot on our award-winning FindLaw portal secured – you are given a dedicated Account Manager including:

• their full name – first and last
• their direct telephone number
• their direct e-mail address

They serve as your all-around connection from that point forward.  Along with your client development consultant, they are your single-handed, multi-talented, jack of all trades. But if you have an inquiry about your FindLaw experience, you will know who you can talk to.  Personally.  We are masterful at attending to your needs.

Do you have questions?  If we can’t answer it ourselves, we will know where to go, and who to go to in order to get a solution for you.  We will stay in direct contact with you – via telephone, via e-mail – throughout any particular issue to ensure that you get your answers.  We can help you with:

• edits to your site once it’s published, live for potential clients to review
• any billing questions and inquiries from what you are charged
• ongoing  services, such as adding and updating your site (at no additional cost)
• consulting with you not only on traffic to your site, but also your online marketing objectives
• updating your directory products on www.findlaw.com to make sure that they are ideal for drawing clients to you
• any changes to your practice or your firm

This is just the beginning of what Account Managers can and will do for you.  We are the specific person you will want to call, and we are trained to get you what you need.  As quickly as possible.

My name is Sumner Musolf, and I am an Account Manager with FindLaw. I look forward to working with you.
 
Take care.

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 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

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.

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

My legal education began after law school when I started working for Dakota County’s largest employer: Thomson Reuters.  I sold Westlaw online legal research and print publications to new and existing customers, all of them sole practitioners and small law firms.

During my tenure as a sales representative, I learned the features of Westlaw inside and out – as I learned the lawyer’s mind inside and out – through 50 cold calls a day, relating to varied personalities, and closing contracts.  My job in sales was to market our products to lawyers. 

In my current role as attorney editor at FindLaw, my job is to market the legal services of those same lawyers to prospective clients.  I am still a “humble peddler”, as a fellow cube mate in sales often said; instead of hawking the company’s wares, I hawk those of the lawyer.

I am uniquely situated for this – like every member of my team – not only because I am a lawyer but because I grew up fused to the computer since birth.  I understand the Web’s mind as I understand the lawyer’s. 

The lawyer craves authoritative pillow talk on the common law.  The Web, however, craves hits and clicks.  My job is to introduce hits and clicks to the common law and create a Web site with, as we say at FindLaw, “well-written content specifically designed to achieve your business goals – the conversion of Web visitors to clients.”    

When Mr. Smith is charged with drunk driving, you want the Web and the lawyer to understand each other.  If they do, Mr. Smith will be client Smith, and that’s lawyer marketing.

Chris Bradley

 

Memorable, Not Mockable

How Much Personality is Too Much Personality

You have an office dog (or cat). You serve on the board of a controversial nonprofit. You wrote...a law book, a series of legal advice columns, a mystery novel. You feel strongly about holding nursing homes accountable because your own grandparent was abused in a long-term care facility.

In addition to being a lawyer, you are a unique individual with a story of your own. But how much of that uniqueness do you want to share with prospective clients on your law firm Web site?

Standing out from the crowd

When your prospective client is searching for a law firm on Google or Yahoo, they are going to visit several sites on that first search engine results page. Will yours stand out enough that they click on it? Is it memorable enough to go back after looking at a few others?

It's vitally important that you stand out from the competition. In earlier articles I wrote about using credentials and service statements to position your firm in the minds of your prospective clients. Giving your Web site a distinct "personality" is one more way to differentiate yourself.

Unfortunately, many lawyers think that the very idea of personality is extreme. They equate "professional" with boring and settle for forgettable.

Don't fall for that.

There are many excellent legal Web sites that reach viewers hearts and have them reaching for the phone because they've communicated who the lawyers and law firm really are.

• He shared why he became a lawyer.
• She told stories about cases that were important to her.
• They demonstrated that they are involved in their community.
• She included inspirational quotes.
• They've convinced readers that they understand and they care.

Think it only works for small firms? Think again.

Sure, it's easier for a solo practitioner to share personal stories, but big firms can have personalities, too. I wrote a site for a law firm that had been working in labor law for more than 100 years. Their Firm Overview page had a wonderful photo of their founder with labor leaders from the turn of the last century. You just knew that they were a dedicated group carrying on a proud tradition.

Far out and too far out

Local conditions should figure prominently in determining how much personality will be acceptable.

For example, in some states and in smaller towns attorneys often ask me if it's a good idea to acknowledge their Christian faith on the law firm Web site. I ask them if it informs their practice of law (usually family law or estate planning). If they say it greatly influences their approach to clients, then I think they are only being truthful when they mention it on their site. It may be an important selling point to someone looking for a lawyer who will take their religious views seriously.

On the other hand, I've seen a few prima donna personalities who engage in things I think never work on the Web, such as:
• Political rants (unless you're running for public office or willing to exclude a sizeable percentage of your potential clientele)
• Fanciful imagery that fails to capture the serious nature of your work (I can't think of a time a unicorn belongs on a law firm Web site)
• Irrelevant information, like restaurant reviews or photos of lawyers schmoozing at social events... ho hum.

So take a little risk-a calculated risk-and let your personality shine through, but stay focused on how that ultimately serves the client.

Watch for upcoming blog on how to help your law firm Web site stand out:

• About Your Firm: The Firm Overview Should Be the Heart of Your Web Site

Leslie MacKenzie

 

We Answer Our Phones

Differentiating Your Firm with Real Service Statements

You're going to think I'm kidding, but it's not uncommon for lawyers to tell me that what differentiates their law firm from the firm down the street is the fact that they answer their phone.

I'm here to tell you that answering your phone is NOT a marketing differentiator. It's a basic expectation. You're not going to get brownie points for doing it. Neither will returning phone calls, or offering a vague promise of "personal service."

Service can be a strong market differentiator in law firm Web marketing but only if it reflects your law firm's concern for the needs of your clients and demonstrates your effectiveness in providing quality legal representation.

What IS personal service, anyway?

Here are more than a few service statements that stand out in my mind:

• Phone calls returned by the end of the business day or within 24 hours
• 24-hour answering service
• A cell phone number to reach the attorney
• Weekend and evening appointments
• Handicapped accessible office space (especially for personal injury firms or those that serve seniors)
• A playroom for children of clients
• Exceptionally experienced staff with specialized skills
• Staff or lawyers who speak the clients' language
• A team approach to handling cases
• A dedicated investigative team
• Assistance processing insurance claims
• A shared computer workspace that allows lawyers and clients to work together online
• Videoconferencing capabilities that allowed the law firm to work effectively with clients in other states and overseas

Large firm, small firm dimensions of service

Service statements work for both large firms and solo practitioners. Large firms can make the most of their extensive resources. But the challenges a large firm face are those of creating a human face (you're more than a corporation), and communicating that every client is treated with care, as an individual, not as a case number.

Smaller firms can really excel with service statements because of their greater ability to work one-on-one with clients. Think creatively about ways to communicate that benefit. And don't be afraid to use the first person singular voice. "I work hard to protect your interests" is a very strong statement that, coupled with credentials and testimonials can quickly earn you your readers' trust.

So before you talk with your Web writer, talk with your partners and staff. Think about what clients have had to say about your firm...what they've appreciated about working with you. And turn those positive traits into positive service statements.

Watch for upcoming blogs on how to help your law firm Web site stand out:

• Memorable or Mockable: How much personality is too much personality for a Web site?
• About Your Firm: The Firm Overview Should Be the Heart of Your Web Site

Leslie MacKenzie

 

You Don't Say

Letting Others Say it for You with Testimonials and Representative Cases

In my last article, I started to talk about ways to distinguish your law firm from other law firms on the Web. It's vitally important to make it obvious to your visitors why they should call you, rather than another attorney and I listed four ways to do that.

1. Communicate your credentials
2. Let others speak for you with testimonials and representative cases
3. Differentiate your firm with service statements
4. Let your personality shine

Now we're going to look at ways to use testimonials and representative cases on your site.

Web readers don't like to read puffery and self-congratulatory statements, but they do want to know that the lawyers and the firm they are considering hiring has been successful. The value of testimonials and representative cases is that someone else is saying good things about you, without you needing to say it yourself.

Testimonials can be extremely effective and motivating. They aren't allowed by every state ethics board, but if they are allowed in yours, consider looking through your thank-you files for letters you've received from grateful past clients. Look for letters that are short and that mention the issue (watch for search keywords). Ask clients for permission before you post them, and include a name or partial name.

Representative cases are another great opportunity to strut your stuff on your law firm Web site, quietly. When writing up an effective case, provide some non-identifying information about the client, a brief description of the legal issue, and note the result (for example, a verdict or settlement, acquittal, or dropped charges). If there were some particular challenges you faced in the case, share it.

Representative cases have the added benefit of being rich in search terms that will help your Web site get found in search engines. They often rank high in search results. And what better place to enter your Web site than on a page that highlights your successes!

It's all about standing out. If you need some advice about how to gather this kind of material, whether it should be a separate page or a blurb on a specific legal practice page, or what amount of detail to include, your writer or editor can offer guidance.

Watch for upcoming blogs on how to help your law firm Web site stand out:

• "We Answer our Phones:" How to set your firm apart with real service statements
• Memorable or Mockable: How much personality is too much personality for a Web site?
• About Your Firm: The Firm Overview Should Be the Heart of Your Web Site

Leslie MacKenzie

 

Marketing encompasses much more than just Web sites, but your law firm Web site should be the foundation for all other aspects of your marketing effort.

• Your Web site is working for you 24 hours a day.

• It can be updated regularly, allowing your firm to be responsive to breaking legal news and changing conditions.

• Unlike print advertising, you're not confined to a fraction of a page. You have almost unlimited potential to get your message and brand across in words and images.

• Unlike television or radio advertising, your message will be seen by exactly those folks who want to know more about you and what you do.

Are you taking advantage of the potential the Web offers you?

As a marketing copywriter for FindLaw, I've talked with hundreds of lawyers from all across the U.S. Many of them have the same questions-and feel the same uncertainty-about positioning themselves on the Web. In coming weeks, I'll be writing about ways you can approach the initial or ongoing development of your legal Web site, as well as ways to handle marketing challenges.

Your FindLaw sales rep is always the best source of information on local conditions and local competition, but ultimately, when it comes to the nitty gritty of positioning yourself on the Web, you are the final authority (even if you don't feel like one at the moment).

I hope the issues I'll be discussing in upcoming articles will help you develop your Web marketing savvy and spur you to think about what your goals should be.

Watch for these topics

• Avoid the Legalese, Please: Editing (or writing) your law firm Web site
• "I don't like to brag, but...." Don't let modesty prevent you from telling people what they want and need to know
• You Don't Say: Letting others say it for your with testimonials and representative cases
• "We Answer our Phones:" How to set your firm apart with real service statements
• Memorable or Mockable: How much personality is too much personality for a Web site?
• The Firm Overview Page: The heart of your law firm Web site
• I, We, And They: Which voice will be more effective for your law firm Web site?
• The Path to Greatness: Taking your visitors from curious to calling
• Enough or Too much: The art of being informational
• Enough or Too Much - Redux: Creating a Mix of Value-Added Pages
• Small Can Be Beautiful: A small Web site can get big results
• And On This Side of the Ring: Is it possible to reach conflicting audiences with one Web site?

A bit about your writer

I started my career on the Web in 1995 with a research Web site focused on practical media ethics. I cringe to think of all the opportunities I missed in those early days, but even then I knew that a Web site was only one part of an integrated marketing plan. In addition to hundreds of pages of content, I expanded my organization's Web presence through participation in online conversations to raise our visibility as an authoritative source of information.

Later, as a fundraising professional, I produced Web content, coordinated Web and print media, and conducted Web audits with a focus on usability and fundraising best practices.

I joined FindLaw as a marketing copywriter in 2005. I love the opportunity to talk to lawyers about their work. Not only is it fascinating, it's valuable. There are times in every person's life when they truly need a lawyer. By crafting a Web site that reflects the unique personality of each law firm I work with-a Web site that gets found by the search engines and read by prospective clients-I hope I'm helping people find the lawyer who is just right for them.

It could be you.

Leslie MacKenzie

 

And On This Side of the Ring

Is it Possible to Reach Two Mutually Exclusive Audiences with One Web Site?

Imagine I'm your potential client:

• I've just suffered through years of harassment in my workplace. Do I want to know my lawyer defends bosses as well as injured workers?

• I'm a mom fighting to get child support. Do I want to hear that my lawyer is friendly to the "father's rights" movement?

• My insurance company is trying to stiff me on my homeowner's or business claim. Do I want to know that the firm works defends insurance companies, too?

No, I don't. It's that simple-from your client's perspective. It's anything but simple for you and your law firm.

When a law firm tells me they aren't getting many calls from their "we do everything" Web site, I check the search engine traffic results to see if people are finding the page. If people are getting there but they aren't making the call, then I look at what might be limiting the effectiveness of the marketing message.

All too often on sites that try to play both sides of the fence, I find a weak marketing message that couldn't convince an Eskimo to wear gloves in January. With vaguely worded pages that don't make clear who the clients are or what the firm can do for them, who can be surprised at lackluster results.

Sure, the best lawyers understand the competition

Lawyers tell me that handling both sides of the issue is a real advantage because they understand how the other side views a case. I have no doubt that is true, and I can try to explain that to your prospective client but you must know you have a big hurdle to overcome.

Your prospective client can just as easily choose a firm focused exclusively on their needs. So you're going to have to make a very strong case. If you can't, or won't because it might offend the other side, then don't try to speak to both parties on the same site.

But the lawyers with the most clients are those who understand the clients

Often it's just better to keep the two sides separate. You can try two separate pages on the same site, but a more effective strategy is to have two different sites (one could be small). You can also consider a landing page.

A landing page contains a larger amount of keyword-rich content. It's meant to attract traffic and bring it into your site. But the landing page is not found on the navigation bar of your Web site, so it's also a good way to attract a niche audience without bringing attention to this audience on your site.

You can also consider an expert site, which has several highly focused pages.

Understand your goals, then develop a strategy to meet them

When you work with mutually exclusive audiences, you face a challenge. Don't answer the challenge by choosing to be inoffensive and ineffective. You wanted a Web site for a reason. Find a strategy that will allow you to reach your prospective clients with the strongest marketing message you've got. It's the only thing that will work.

Check out earlier articles on planning for your law firm Web site

• I, We, And They: Which voice will be more effective for your law firm Web site?
• The Path to Greatness: Taking your visitors from curious to calling
• Enough or Too much: The art of being informational
• Enough or Too Much - Redux: Creating a Mix of Value-Added Pages
• Small Can Be Beautiful: A small Web site can get big results

Leslie MacKenzie

 

Enough or Too Much

The Art of Being Informational

Most people are not "ready to buy" when they sit down at the computer to search for a lawyer. They are at a much earlier stage in the decision-making process. They may only recently have become aware of their need, or they may be in the active consideration phase.

When they get to your law firm Web site, they want to learn something about:

• Their legal problem
• How you help people who have their legal problem
• You and your law firm

They won't find all of the information they need on any one page. You don't want them to. A page like that would be too long and would overload them with information.

Instead, you want to provide them with bits of useful information all along a path from their entry point until they reach the Contact Us page.

Informational content helps the client go deeper

Lawyers often tell me they want heavily informational pages. An information-dense page can really add value to your site, and to your users' experience, by:

• Building your credibility as an expert
• Providing helpful information
• Giving the reader somewhere to go to learn more, and
• Grabbing the attention of the search engines because it contains many of the keywords people are searching on

But informational pages do have their limits. They are attractive to highly motivated readers who are willing to invest the time and energy to read complex information online. They are not so helpful to people in the early or late stages of the buying process.

Marketing content does the heavy lifting

That's why it's important to have easily accessible pages that provide general information, overlaid with a clear marketing message that distinguishes your firm from others. These pages are crafted to attract prospective clients and motivate them to contact you.

Information content can be valuable and it's content that you can add to your site to create value for your clients. But informational content should not be the only thing your site provides if you want to convert viewers to callers. And that is your ultimately goal, isn't it?

Watch for more issues to consider when planning for your law firm Web site

• Enough or Too Much - Redux: Creating a Mix of Value-Added Pages
• Small Can Be Beautiful: A small Web site can get big results
• And On This Side of the Ring: Is it possible to reach conflicting audiences with one Web site?

Leslie MacKenzie

 

The Path to Greatness

Taking Your Prospect from Curious to Calling

When people go to the Web to choose a lawyer, they are looking for information to help them make a decision. Different types of Web pages provide different kinds of information. Ultimately, those pages should work together to convince the client to e-mail or call.

Ideally, the first page your prospective client will come to should be a page with information about exactly the topic he or she was looking for, so they don't have to search all over your site and possibly leave in frustration. For example,

• A client facing a DUI charge in New Jersey should arrive at a New Jersey-specific DUI page.
• A client wondering if they have a personal injury case after a slip and fall in a government building should arrive at a premises liability or slip and fall page. Ideally, that page will also talk about the unique challenges of bringing a case against the government-and how you have handled them in the past.

Don't worry if they didn't arrive at your home page. I realize that sounds all wrong because most people think of their home page as the star of the show. But the truth is, your home page is really more of a comfort zone. It tells visitors they are in the right place and orients them to your site. They check out your home page to figure out where to go next.

So what else is there to see on your site?

Web content is made for traveling through... give your readers a map that leads somewhere and ultimately takes them to your contact form.

If you've got lots of potentially relevant content, they may click through to a few more practice-specific pages or perhaps look through that criminal defense FAQ. If you've intrigued them, they may check out your firm overview and attorney profiles.

There are a lot of different types of information you can provide. Most people will visit 3 or 4 pages before they finally arrive at the Contact Us form. Give them some good options. Think creatively about adding pages you generate yourself (watch for upcoming tips on adding informational pages). Encourage your readers to look, but don't wander too far off track.

In the end, your goal is to get them to that Contact Us page. And when they get there, don't distract them with other links. The only option you want your clients to have is the option to hit SEND.

Watch for more issues to consider when planning for your law firm Web site

• Enough or Too much: The art of being informational
• Enough or Too Much - Redux: Creating a Mix of Value-Added Pages
• Small Can Be Beautiful: A small Web site can get big results
• And On This Side of the Ring: Is it possible to reach conflicting audiences with one Web site?

Leslie MacKenzie

I, We, They

Which Voice Is Most Effective for Your Web Site

Your Web site is your first conversation with your prospective clients. How are you going to talk to them?

The first person voices-I and we-come across as friendly and informal. These words subtly convey the message "I am on your side" and "We are in this together." When you are helping people with highly sensitive issues, like divorce, estate planning, and criminal defense, the first person voice immediately begins to build a trusting, personal relationship.

On the other hand, sometimes you really can have too much of a good thing when that informal "I" begins to sound self-centered and boastful and "we" takes on the air of a member of the royal family.

The third person voice-they-is formal, distant, impersonal and therefore some people feel it is more "professional." Please don't equate professional with impersonal. There are many ways to convey a professional demeanor without resorting to impersonal.

On the other hand, in some locations and for some types of law practices, formal is very much the tone you want to convey. Municipal law, administrative law, appellate law, insurance defense, business litigation-these types of practices often benefit from a very formal tone and a third person voice.

Difficult choices

Which voice should you choose if your law firm handles a dozen different practice areas, serving both businesses and individuals? Should you have different voices for different pages, depending upon the needs of your audience?

Absolutely not; stick with one voice across your site and choose a voice that matches the tone of your firm. After all, your Web site is a reflection of your law firm. When you choose a formal or a personal tone, you are preparing your prospective clients for what they will encounter when they visit your office and get to know you. Be yourself.

The dreaded "I" word

Quite often I hear from solo practitioners who are afraid to use the "I" word. They inevitably give me three reasons:

1) It doesn't sound professional (not true, any voice can sound professional)

2) It sounds self-centered (that's possible, but it needn't be the case)

3) They don't want Web site visitors to think they are a solo practitioner

This last one is a real problem.

Facts are facts. If you are a solo practitioner, it's an ethical violation to suggest otherwise. Don't try to hide behind a vague "they." Your attorney profile page is only going to show one attorney so you're not going to fool anyone.

My advice is to take a powerful position. Speak with a firm, singular voice. Solo practitioners can do things lawyers in larger firms can't do. Make the most of that with effective service statements. When you say, "I protect your interests. I'm here for you," that's the strongest statement a lawyer can make to a client. It's the real message your clients want to hear.

Wrapping up the pronouns

So what voice will be the most effective for your site and your clients? You choose. Just remember to:

• Get the facts straight-the right voice for the number of attorneys in your firm

• Get your community straight-formal or down home, either can work

• Get the client straight-how much trust do you need to build right from the start

Watch for more issues to consider when planning your law firm Web site

• The Path to Greatness: Taking your visitors from curious to calling
• Enough or Too much: The art of being informational
• Enough or Too Much - Redux: Creating a Mix of Value-Added Pages
• Small Can Be Beautiful: A small Web site can get big results
• And On This Side of the Ring: Is it possible to reach conflicting audiences with one Web site?

Leslie MacKenzie

Information is power, but what's more powerful is how you use that information. The current information age is akin to the 19th century industrial revolution - as technologyevolves at an exponential pace, we must learn to quickly harness its power so that we may wield information like a sword. And what good is a sword if one can't wield it?

Knowledge of the law is also power, but even more powerful is the successful practice of law - in both the economic and practical sense. To harness this power you must let clients know that your services are available, and that you are experts in your field of practice.

By combining the powers of information, technology and marketing, a law firm can quickly achieve great success. This is where online advertising comes into play. The world is rapidly changing and as we embrace technology it becomes incorporated and ingrained into our daily lives. Rarely does anyone search the phone book for goods and services anymore. The internet has replaced it as a much more powerful and user friendly tool.

Online advertising comes in many forms and depending on the goal you set for your advertising dollars, the results can vary. At FindLaw we specialize in marketing solutions for law firms and measure success by "Conversion," which is the ratio of your advertising efforts to leads converted into clients.

A fairly recent development in the world of online advertising is the utilization of Rich Media . Rich Media is defined as the use of multimedia (video, audio, text, animation, still images) that allows for active participation by the recipient. A popular example of rich media used in online advertising is Flash Animation . Flash Animation brings a static (still) advertisement to life. Imagine a full color ad in the Sunday paper leaping out of the page, moving and blinking. This is how Flash Animation enhances online advertisements.

Another popular form of Rich Media is video. With video ads a law firm can reach out directly to their target clients and build a sense of trust, warmth and respect immediately. A lawyer's personality, professional image and expertise can be transferred through a video advertisement. Static ads and print ads (phone book) cannot do this effectively. Prospective clients often have to overcome the barrier of trust when choosing an attorney and video is the most effective method of hastening this connection.

In summary, a law firm must utilize all of the tools available to become successful. Embracing technology and the information age will only enhance the efforts put forth by the firm to grow and obtain new clients.

Brian Ledis