There was a time particularly in smaller communities where an attorney developed a reputation via word of mouth. While an attorney’s professional reputation in the community is still an important component of a law firm’s branding and marketing efforts, a law firm’s online reputation now plays an equally important role in developing a good reputation via word of mouth. Because a majority of consumers now use the internet to evaluate and screen businesses, a law firm’s online presence has, to a great extent, become a key component of a law firm’s word of mouth reputation for purposes of generating potential client referrals. Given the prevalence of internet research by consumers, it is important that a law firm make conscious efforts to develop its online word of mouth reputation. Here are some practical steps to developing a law firm’s online reputation:
Broad Reach: The most important thing that a law firm must do to develop a word of mouth reputation online is to make sure that the firm has a significant online presence. With traditional legal marketing sources like the yellow pages, it was important that when prospective clients asked about an attorney others in the community had heard of the attorney and would provide positive information. If a prospective client discovered that no one had ever heard of a particular attorney that they found in the yellow pages, this was almost as bad as a negative review. As a practical matter, prospective clients frequently presume that if an attorney is successful or well regarded in the community others will have heard of him. This is why a strong online presence is important. When a prospective client begins running searches, they will expect to find information on the law firm they are considering retaining. If the law firm does not show up in Google search results, it will typically have the same impact as asking around about a law firm and discovering that no one has ever heard of the firm. The firm can establish a broad reach by developing a law firm website, law firm blog, legal directory listings and a presence on as many legal marketing websites including online legal directories as is manageable.
Utilize Opportunities to Control Available Information about the Firm: Your law firm website should include testimonials from clients; organizations that have approved, certified or rated the law firm; case verdicts or settlements; and any other qualitative information that a prospective client can use to evaluate the law firm. Many legal marketing programs, such as, online legal directories, offer special designations indicating that an attorney has been screened or the attorney’s credentials verified. You should include such special screening or approval of credentials in print marketing so that it can contribute to an attorney’s word of mouth reputation.
Managing Negative Feedback: It is very easy to post negative information on the web, which may well be permanent depending on where it is posted. By placing your law firm on lots of websites including online attorney directories, legal matching services and sponsoring legal content, such as, consumer legal issues as well as the law firm’s own law firm website or blog, the firm can increase the number of search results on search engines that contain positive information which helps build a law firm’s online reputation. Legal marketing websites, such as, web-based legal directories that show up in search results, can also push any negative feedback lower in Google results. If a consumer has posted any negative feedback about the firm online, pushing that negative feedback off the first page of Google is important. The law firm also should consider the feedback and post a response so that other consumers know the law firm’s side of the story and that the law firm cared enough to respond.
Word of mouth clients have always been an invaluable resource for developing new business. The prospective clients often come pre-sold on the expertise, experience and reputation of a law firm. As technology evolves so that prospective consumers of legal services spend enormous amounts of time online with desktop computers, laptops, tablet computers, mobile phones, iPads and other mobile devices, the term “word of mouth” is also evolving. A law firm that ignores its online reputation risks lagging behind the competition in obtaining the holy grail of law firm leads specifically word of mouth referrals, albeit, in an online form.
You must log in to post a comment.