Friday, 12 March 2010
Web Use Facts

Currently about 80% of the population of the United States has internet access, and the internet is increasingly becoming the first place potential clients go to find the right law firm to handle their cases. Law Promo knows that your contact information in an online database may be helpful, but it isn't enough to substantially increase revenue at your law firm. A law firm website that highlights your top-rate legal services has become a necessity. If you're still skeptical of how a legal website designed by Law Promo can be an asset to your law firm, familiarize yourself with some interesting facts on the importance of having an attorney website and an online presence in the legal community.

Websites are a Necessity
A 2008 study done by Allurent showed that businesses without online information regarding their services can lose up to 67% of their potential clients. Basically, without an idea of the type of legal services your law firm can offer, the potential client will take their case to another lawyer. This fact alone should convince you that a website is no longer optional.

People Look for Services on the Internet
According to a 2007 Safe Home Products survey, 89% of Americans prefer to shop for products and services on the internet. Your law firm must capitalize on this by increasing your internet presence in the legal community, with not only a lawyer website, but also legal marketing techniques like SEO and online attorney reputation management.

The Internet Provides Easy-to-Find Information
A 2007 Awo Inc. survey found that only 17% of Americans believe it's easy to find information on attorneys when researching who would be the best to represent their case. That means the majority of potential clients feel in the dark at a time when they are looking for assistance. Your attorney website will show these potential clients why your law firm has the experience needed to handle their case.

Internet Advertising is Growing
The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that the total amount spent on internet advertising is $23.4 billion per year, increasing 10.6% between 2007 and 2008. Without online attorney advertising, including a lawyer website, your competitors will be increasing clientele while you are left wondering what happened to all the cases your newspaper advertisments used to generate for your law firm.

Internet Advertising is Cost-Effective
For those with a limited budget, the internet can be a gold mine. Unlike most television and print ads, a professionally-designed lawyer website is a one-time-only cost and from there you have a marketing tool that will cost you very little to maintain. And if you chose to build your online reputation as an attorney through other marketing techniques, including news websites and blogs, so many more potential clients will have access to information about your law firm than with a simple, one day newspaper advertisement.

SEO Should be a Priority
Approximately 80-90% of all website traffic starts with the three main search engines, Google, Yahoo and MSN. Most who are looking for a lawyer to handle their case will find the attorney they need on the first few pages. Your priority should be to have your law firm website ranked as high as possible on all search engines. Search engine optimization is the best way to accomplish this goal.

Websites Give Clients Contact Options
While the jury is still out on whether email or phone conversations are more effective ways of bringing on more clients, contact information and even a contact form on your law firm website gives potential clients an opportunity to choose which mode of communication works for them. For some, typing a few paragraphs that they can edit is easier than talking to a lawyer they don't know about a case they need closed.

Social Networking Sites are Increasingly More Relevant
A 2008 Pew Internet & American Life Project study found that 35% of adults now have a profile on at least one social networking site. This statistic is up from just 8% in 2005 and experts believe the number will only increase. A 2008 Networks for Counsel survey found that nearly 50% of attorneys have social networking profiles. If you haven't already, it would be a good idea to join them now by setting up your own attorney profile on as many social networking sites as possible to increase your visibility.

Lawyer Blogs are the Next Big Thing
What some in the legal community are calling blawgs have become the latest marketing tool to be utilized by attorneys to create the credibility they need to increase traffic to their law firm websites and boost revenue for their law firms. While a relatively small amount of lawyers have blogs, this number will no doubt increase as attorneys become more familiar with it. A blawg will show clients that you are on the forefront of legal marketing technology, as well as creating further content for your website.