Every law firm wants the magic answer to the same question: “How do I get more clients?” The truth is that clients shop for lawyers the same way they shop for, well, anything – by way of Google reviews, eye-catching billboards, unique brand websites, and texts with friends or family members who “just happen to know a guy.” The key to how clients choose the right law firms for their cases is for your brand to be everywhere that they’re looking.
How do you do this? By building a strong and visible brand anywhere and everywhere you can, and by delivering an experience so noteworthy that your clients don’t just recommend you – they rave about you.
The Three Main Ways Clients Discover Law Firms
There are three legit ways through which a majority of clients still find the law firms they decide to sign with:
- Traditional Media Exposure (TV commercials, billboards, and radio ads)
- Digital Marketing Channels (search ads, SEO, social media)
- Personal Referrals (friends, family, or other attorneys)
When someone is actively considering legal help, they don’t just pick the first name they see – they compare all the firms that appear to be a solid match for their case. Make no mistake that they’re judging everything from your tone to your fonts when they’re making their list of phone numbers to call.
Whether or not your firm shows up on the SERP strongly depends on how well you’re marketing your brand.
Clients Love Story Time
Clients like it when you remember that they’re human beings, not a “lead,” not a “conversion,” and certainly not a settlement number, no matter how impressive. The best way to connect with them is to tell them a story. Only, instead of “Goodnight Moon,” you’re recounting how you helped someone just like them with a case just like theirs – and how they won because of you.
First, and most important: your message needs to be clear, and your website needs to be user-friendly. You need to express what you do right up front and how you do it well. Real testimonials from former clients (more stories!) help you prove you don’t just talk the talk – you walk the walk.
You can have a blog on your site, but if you do, you need to make sure it is updated, same thing with case studies. It can be incredibly effective to lay the whole case out on the table – the problem the client brought to you, how you solved it, and how much your client loved you for it – but if the most recent one you have on your site is from 2012, it’s probably not going to do much good in the here and now.
Also, you need to list every contact method through which clients can get in touch with you, but don’t add that LinkedIn button unless you regularly check (and update) your account. You don’t want client emails going to a ghost inbox that no one ever checks. On that note, make sure the “contact us” form on your site actually works, too, or someone’s first attempt at connecting with you will also be their last.
An Attorney Profile Photo Is Worth 1,000 Words
When clients click on the Attorney Profiles on their site, they want to see someone who looks like them. Demographics like age, gender, and race can and do impact a site’s conversion rates. People want to see a lawyer who looks friendly, approachable, and professional – someone who will make people comfortable enough to call them.
It is a good idea to invest in a professional headshot. While it costs more than just snapping a picture with your phone, it will help you present yourself in the best possible light.
And if you’ve aged ten years or lost the beard since your last headshot was taken, then show it. The more honest you are with your clients, the better it is for your brand.
Reviews Are a Law Firm’s Lifeblood
We cannot overstate the importance of reviews on a law firm’s website, even if they’re not all five-star recommendations. In fact, the less-than-stellar ones (the three- and four-star reviews) often sound more honest. If all you have are five-star reviews, it may look like you bribed former clients to leave reviews that weren’t indicative of their actual experiences, or that you paid for fake reviews or used AI to drum them up.
Nowadays, online reviews are the new word-of-mouth, so it is not hyperbole to stress how your brand simply cannot survive without reviews. Google Reviews still reign supreme, but anywhere clients can leave a review of your services, from Yelp to Avvo, is where you need to fight for the strongest presence possible. You can’t help clients choose the right law firm (yours!) unless they know you exist.
Trusting the Right Trust Signals
To the average Joe, it may seem impressive when a law firm has a bazillion banners on their website for all the law firm awards they’ve won. But a savvy visitor knows many of these awards can be bought in bulk, like they were selling them at Costco. You earn more flies with actual trust signals than “law firm awards.”
Now, don’t get us wrong – awards from the American Bar Association or your local bar are still honorable because they actually require merit, but community involvement is equally impressive and arguably more endearing. People like to read about your volunteer efforts – like how you sponsored the local Little League team or participated in a local food drive – because it shows you care about your community both in and outside of a courtroom, and that you’re not just in it for the paycheck. This tells people you care more about humans than trophies.
How (Not) to Lose a Client in 10 Days
You blew your entire first month’s budget on marketing efforts, but your inbox is empty and your phones are dead. Now you’re thinking, where did I screw up and how can I fix it?
The good news is you can still right the ship, and the team at MeanPug is ready, willing, and able to help you come back stronger. Here are a few things we can do for your site right away to get you back in the ring.
Make Your Firm Stand Out
If you want clients to choose the right law firm, and you want that law firm to be you, then you don’t want your site to look like every other firm’s site out there. Not only is it uninspired; it’s also boring. Pull up your homepage right now – do you think you effectively convey why someone should hire you over any other comparable firm in your local area?
If you excel in a certain niche area of law, or if you have a knack for winning large settlements, we’ll help you shout it from the rooftops. Clients deserve a confident lawyer who will fight for them in court. Show them you’re that lawyer before they ever even step foot in your office.
Update, Update, Update!
A blog or news section is great to have on your site, unless it hasn’t been updated since 2018. Then it’s just embarrassing.
How often you update depends largely on the kind of law you practice. Tech lawyers typically have to post more often than, say, personal injury lawyers because of how often technology and the cases involving it change. As far as cadence goes, some firms need to update weekly or every other day, while others may have to update several times a day to stay relevant.
If you’re a sole practitioner with a busy practice, this probably sounds like a tall order – even impossible. That’s where the MeanPug legal marketing team comes in. We ensure your site always looks fresh and active, so visitors know you care and remain engaged.
Your Intake Process Could Use Some Work
Slow response times. Missed calls. No follow-ups.
If you’ve seen any of these complaints in your DMs or Google Reviews, then that’s why we’re hearing a loud “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON” alarm right now. A poor legal intake process can spell life or death for your brand, and this isn’t just a question of whether your forms check every box or not. The quality of your intake process can be directly tied to the strength of your leads.
Remember that the client you never called back is already on your competitor’s calendar. We can make sure that never happens again.
You Have Bad Reviews on Your Google Business Profile
Bad reviews happen. What matters is how you deal with them.
One-star reviews stick out like a sore thumb on your Google Business Profile (GBP). You can remove one-star reviews from your profile that are completely off-base (like that one guy who thought you were a sandwich shop), and you should do so as soon as they pop up. But, more importantly, you should have a plan in place for those unsavory reviews you can’t delete.
Let MeanPug monitor your reviews so you’re never caught off guard. We’ll advise you on how best to respond to the ones you need to respond to and will work with you on the necessary steps to take for removing those you can remove. And we’ll need to work quickly; just one negative review can start a chain reaction among potential leads that don’t read past that 1-star (even if it was mistakenly left for the sandwich shop), that can lead to a hemorrhage of potential leads for your firm.
You Need to Act Fast
When a client needs help – real help – they’re not waiting. They’re acting fast, especially if they have a personal injury or workers’ comp case where a statute of limitations and quickly mounting medical bills are involved. Estate planning or business law matters may not be as urgent, but it’s still just as important to grab their attention quickly before the competition does.
If your firm doesn’t immediately convey trust, accessibility, and competence, then they’re gone before you ever even knew they were there – on to the next lawyer who “gets” them. In this business, first impressions aren’t just everything when clients are choosing the right law firm—they’re the only thing.
Build Your Brand, Rule the Market
Okay, that might be a little extreme…but is it? Consider the areas you practice in, then consider your top competitor. What are they doing to rule the market? How are they helping clients choose the right law firm, and what can you do to take their place?
The best move to make is to invest in your brand, and that’s where MeanPug can help. We make your brand visible, consistent, and transparent. Contact MeanPug today to get started, because invisible law firms don’t win cases.
