1. Your site is not mobile-friendly
Out of all the reasons why online legal marketing strategies fail, this one takes the cake. Smartphone users have overtaken the Internet, yet many businesses fail to optimize their websites for mobile access.
“The use of mobile devices to access the Internet has increased by 67% worldwide over the last 12 months”- Stat Counter on data for 2014.
In fact, the use of smartphones has spurred so drastically that Google has recently announced you might receive a drop in your ratings, should you not have a mobile-friendly website.
In order for your mobile site to run smoothly, take the following tips into consideration:
- It has to load in less than three seconds.
- It needs to be easy to navigate, with a clear layout and your key messages underlined.
- The call-to-action button needs to be eye-catching and functional.
2. You don’t hang out on the right social media platforms
Not only do you need to be present on social media, you also have to to choose the ones that are right for you and your business. Use one of the many tracking and measurement tools available nowadays (like Google Analytics or Crazy Egg) to gather information about your audience. Once you find out who your visitors are and what are their needs and preferences, roll up your sleeves and adapt your social media strategy accordingly.
Research shows LinkedIn is by far the best and most used social media site for professionals and online legal marketing purposes. It’s very likely your target market frequents this network on a regular basis, so make sure you spruce up your LinkedIn profile into tip-top shape.
Engage in LinkedIn groups and discussion that are relevant to you and your firm, collect endorsements and recommendations from fellow colleagues and clients, and post captivating articles and opinion pieces. The benefits for your brand image will be bountiful. According to Ad Week:
“LinkedIn is seen as the most credible network, with 88 percent saying they perceived the content they received from the network as being trustworthy.”
Twitter is another safe bet when it comes to social media for lawyers. 45% of surveyed U.K. law firms reported to having a Twitter account, says aci.info. Use this great microblogging tool to share your thoughts and legal opinions, offer advice, and link to other great content in simple language, clear of complicated legal terminology. Lastly, refrain from obvious advertising of your legal practice, as it will only succeed in driving visitors away.
3. You’re not SEO-optimized
Do your potential clients know about your online presence? There’s not much point in having a state-of-the-art website and linked social media accounts if your audience isn’t aware of your existence.
Significant amounts of traffic come from search engines like Google & Yahoo. That’s why it’s hard to believe 56.3% of websites have no keyword info for search engine discovery. – LawMarketing.com
In order to avoid this scenario, make sure your content is in accordance to the best SEO practices. In a nutshell, carry out the research for best keywords and place them strategically throughout your website. Your content also needs to be regularly updated – which brings us to the next point.
4. You don’t blog
Engaging, business-savvy blogging means regularly updating your website with content that will drive an interest in your audience. If you frequently post new articles and other original content on your blog, search engines will reward you with due credit in the form of higher rankings on the search results page. Needless to say, the higher the ranking, the larger the amount of traffic you receive.
However, there’s more to blogging than purely SEO-related benefits. For one, sharing some of your knowledge online for free will position you as an expert in your field. Moreover, it will send a message to both your existing and future clients that you are a trustworthy and knowledgeable legal expert.
It’s simple: provide others with a glance into your vast expertise, and you stand a good chance of getting hired once they need your services.
5. You left out vital information
Does your website mention a toll-free telephone number, a valid email address, and other contact information with a geo-map included? Can your prospective customers get in touch with you via a form-fill option on your website? These are all trust signals that show you run a serious and legitimate business, and that visitors find extremely helpful while navigating a website.
In general, people like to be nudged, advised what to do. That’s why you should include a call-to-action button in a manner that is clear and easy to spot. This option can say “Request Information”, “Contact Us”, “Schedule a Consultation”, etc, For boosting your conversion rates, make this button visually appealing and standing out.
The goal of this article was to help you diagnose the cause of your marketing shortcomings and give you the tools to fix them. While there’s no exact formula when it comes to online legal marketing strategies, these guidelines have been proven successful time and again for everyone who wanted to get on the right track with their marketing efforts.