Strategies Tailored to the Needs of Small and Fledgling Practices
When you have a small or solo practice, or are just starting a new firm, you likely won’t have the same options available to large or well-established firms. In most instances, you simply won’t have the resources available to mount a broad and extensively visible campaign.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t effectively build your client base online. Your first task is to define the scope of your practice as narrowly as possible, and then keep a tight focus at all times. That may seem counter-intuitive, especially with a new practice. You want to bring paying clients in the door, right? You’re willing to take some cases that may not be your first choice in order to generate revenue (within the parameters of the Rules of Professional Responsibility, of course).
But that’s not the most effective approach for digital marketing, primarily because your visibility to prospective clients happens differently online. With traditional advertising, you put up a billboard or place a print ad in a publication, and everyone who drives past the site or thumbs through the magazine has the opportunity to see it. Online, though, you’re competing with every other practice like yours for the limited space on the first page of Google search results. The more tightly focused your practice (and your web presence), the better the chance that your ideal clients are directed to your advertising materials.
An Effective Online Strategy for Small and Startup Law Firms
Before you do anything, you should sit down with your digital marketing service provider and establish clear goals, as well as ways to track the success of your efforts. Make certain you understand how the different analytics work and what they measure.
- Step One—Build and release the best website you can afford. When launching a site, make sure it’s carefully optimized for search engines and that your content is readable and compelling, even if those things take a little extra time. Also, your website should be mobile-friendly, as more than half of all searches are now done on handheld devices.
- Step Two—Pay attention to keywords. Your digital marketing consultant should have a number of tools to help you tightly focus your keywords. However, you need to start by asking yourself what terms and phrases prospective clients are likely to use. Keywords typically work best when they fit naturally into the flow of content, rather than being awkwardly stuffed into every sentence.
- Step Three—Answer visitor questions. The key question—how do you convert website visitors to clients? The answer is simple— you answer their questions. Make sure your content gives a potential client answers to these three key questions:
- Can you help me solve my problem?
- Where are you located?
- Why should I hire you?
- Step Four—Amp up your online reputation management—With products like GetLegal’s Catalyst℠, you can make a positive impression on potential clients. Studies show that more than 90% of online shoppers consider reviews before making a decision.
- Step Five—Take advantage of online directories—This is one surefire way for a small firm to get a lot of online visibility without a lot of expense. Many directories let you include a wide range of information, including online reviews.
- Step Six—Be sure to set up and take full advantage of your Google My Business listing.
GetLegal—Offering Proven Strategies to Successfully Market Your Small Law Firm Online
At GetLegal, we have provided comprehensive digital marketing services to large and small law firms for more than 20 years. We offer a wide range of products and services, including customized content, website development, search engine optimization, social media campaigns, reputation management, directory listings and full video production capabilities. To learn more about the ways we can help market your startup or small firm, visit GetLegal online or call 1-817-359-7077.
