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This sentiment was echoed by Simon McCrumb of Darbys Solicitors in Oxford, who explains:
"This reflects the fact that even the
lawyer’s world is changing. Companies that do not invest in raising
their on-line profile will receive less calls and enquiries than a firm
that does - it’s as simple as that. This brings two challenges though.
First - will the callers be as profitable and as productive as callers
in 'the old days' were, or will this generate lots of calls that take a
lot of time to deal with but which go nowhere? Our view is that you have
to kiss a lot of frogs in order to find a prince. The second challenge
is whether these people, who are coming to law firms in a very modern
way, will still want personal and face-to-face service and whether they
will want to pay for it."
As Simon rightly points out, these findings show that solicitors firms can no longer afford to ignore the internet. A good position in the search engine listings for a variety of highly relevant keywords is essential to gaining clients.
Establishing an online presence for
your law firm
However creating a successful website that turns site visitors into paying clients, not to mention one that
conveys the personality of your law firm, your expertise and also speaks
to your visitors using language they understand, isn't as easy as it sounds.The poll also revealed that almost 10% of respondents would use specialist web directories of solicitors to find a lawyer and a further 4% stated that they would ask for recommendations for contacts on Facebook and other social networking sites.
Sites such as Twitter and Facebook that allow social interaction are gradually going to take the place of personal recommendations so getting a head start in these emerging fields is essential for any business, especially a law firm.
Understanding how people search for
solicitors online
The key to online success is to find an
internet marketing agency that you trust, one that understands enough about
what you do to know what to say on your website and also knows how people
search for solicitors on the web. You need to find a company that can engage with that audience
both on your website, through use of compelling content that answers all the
right questions, and elsewhere on the internet through social media,
online PR and other forms of online advertising.Through years of work with law firms of all sizes, I-COM has established a solid base of knowledge and understand about how people search for legal services online. Integrating search engine optimisation into site development we can build a firm base for the web presence of any law firm which brings in the right visitors who convert into leads and eventually clients. Our experience of sponsored PPC advertising can ensure high quality traffic and prove return on investment.
I-COM also has great experience working with directory owners and developing social media campaigns which can provide law firms with a route into social media. We provide social media training to help customers understand the requirements of working in a social media environment and avoid the many potential pitfalls of bad social media practise that have unsettled many reputable brands in the past.
If your law firm is looking to take its first steps into establishing an online presence or if you're simply not happy with how your website is performing online, read more about our expertise in the legal industry or get in touch with us on 0870 164 2389.
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