Social Media and Consumer Empowerment
Posted by: Linda Palecek
May 13, 2008
Topic: Technology in the Office

A team of Fellows of the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) recently released a new research study regarding consumer empowerment to share customer care experiences. The study discusses the effects of social media and new communication tools on disseminating information to a broad group of people. The study found that over 70% of its 320 respondents' research customer care experiences online before considering the purchase of a product or service. It also found that 84% consider feedback on customer care at least some of the time. Furthermore 74% of the respondents agreed with the statement "I choose companies/brands based on others' customer care experiences shared online."

Continue Reading

Online Video
Posted by: Stephen Kmetz
April 29, 2008
Topic: Online Video for Law Firms

When a consumer needs to hire an attorney, the reason typically involves a stressful situation that can often turn the experience into an intimidating and frightening one. Once that potential client has contacted you, building a rapport may be easy for you, but the consumer may not be committed to taking the leap to hire you. In the Internet Age, people are likely to do research online before making that initial contact. Placing an online video on your Web site offers you the opportunity to create an initial human connection before the potential client even picks up the phone. In fact, it likely will be the deciding factor in getting them to contact you. Your Web site showcases your qualifications, but a video allows you to showcase your warmth and humanity in a way that traditional media cannot.

Continue Reading

Issues to Consider in Site Planning - Part 6
Posted by: Leslie MacKenzie
April 14, 2008
Topic: Web Sites

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.

Continue Reading

Table Stakes: Your Firm?s Web Presence
Posted by: Eric Fisk
April 09, 2008
Topic: Online Advertising

Here's a real-life situation: You decide you need something-a widget-but you've never needed a widget like this before. You've seen widgets and you probably know some friends that have used widgets, but you personally don't have first-hand knowledge of how to find, evaluate, and purchase a widget. So what do you do?

Let's restate the problem, replacing widget with lawyer. How would you begin to investigate which lawyer is best suited to your specific needs? Where would you go to get the type of information you need to make the best decision?

The answer to both questions for most is the Internet.

Research has shown that nearly 3 out of 4 Americans use the Internet on a regular basis, and that figure continues to climb. Some new business owners are shunning traditional advertising and marketing channels in order to focus on developing their Web presence, and we see businesses started prior to 1994 devoting more resources to bringing their online presence to a competitive level. It's safe to say that we've reached a point where not having a Web presence is no longer acceptable and will likely hinder your ability to effectively reach the majority of today's legal services-seeking audience.

Continue Reading

Issues to Consider in Site Planning - Part 5
Posted by: Leslie MacKenzie
April 07, 2008
Topic: Web Sites

Small CAN Be Beautiful

When a Small Web Site Can Get Big Results

While search engines certainly do reward large, custom-written Web sites with higher search engine rankings, there are situations in which a small Web site can still deliver the results you need.

For more than a year I worked on the smallest sites that FindLaw produces, with six to nine pages. In that time, I've been lucky enough to hear from several of my clients about the results they've achieved with their small site. Some of those results have been surprising: a national reach, first page Google rankings, calls coming in primarily from qualified clients. What more can you ask for?

Can six pages really perform as well as 46?

Continue Reading