In the last Law Society report February 2019 the Director General Ken Murphy tells us that the number of Solicitors with Irish practising certificates are 10972 an increase of 5 % since 2018.
Almost 50% of these solicitors are in large legal firms but there are many sole practitioners and mid-size firms all over the country.
Every law firm needs a web presence in order to stand out from the competition and attract new leads and clients.Your web site will increase traffic, pull in leads, and grow your business online.
In my experience delivering CPD for the Law Society nationwide I research the county prior to the event and the number of Solicitors with no web presence or even worse a website that has not been updated or altered since it was launched in 2014/2015. How does this reflect on your firm and what does it say about your efficiency?
Clients are bound to ask “How long would they have my file for before they take action?
Nowadays, the majority of people turn to the Internet not only to stay in touch with their friends and family but also to work, shop, read the news, and find solutions to their problems.
Six Reasons You Need A Website For Your Legal Firm
- You Need to be found Online.
If your potential clients need a solicitor, chances are the first place they’ll look is the Internet. Without an online presence and a website, you won’t show up in their search result and as a result, you run the risk of missing out on a substantial number of leads and clients.Even if you have no website a fully completed Linkedin profile will show up in a search engine if someone is looking for you. - You Need to Communicate.
You need to talk with potential clients by delivering content of real and relevant value to them.If someone Googles “Family Separation Agreements” they want to land on a web page that delivers that information to them…instantly 24/7/365. The more information you give for FREE the more the reader will value your opinion and seek you out for a consultation. They will think if they give that much info for FREE what would they do for me in reality! - You Need to be Proud of your Presence.
A website is a live online shop front that needs to have the window changed and dressed with relevant content. It all comes back to content and information of value to your clients. Your site needs new content and articles added to it all the time .It needs to be kept updated and relevant to be found and of interest to readers.Ask your existing clients what they searched for and if they were pleased with what they read. - You Need a Google Business Account.
As Ireland is quite small a Google Business Account is essential and a great way to get you at the top of the list in search. Simple sign up for Google My Business and you will be found in searches quicker. If other Solicitors in your area have websites look at them and see what they might be doing better than you and improve your online offerings across social media and your website. - You Need to Drive Traffic Inbound.
Creating content and items of interest can often be a challenge and even a waste of fee earners time. However in order to get a ROI (Return of Investment) for your business it is essential to post relevant and interesting news content to your website and social media sites.Use the resources you have in-house and set up an editorial team to promote the website and your firm. You need to think of your website as a Cul-De-Sac and when clients are on your site you want them to find the info they searched and stay on your site. All your social posts should drive traffic “Inbound “ to your site and encourage readers to read and engage with your firm. - You Need to think User Experience.( Ux ).
Your website should be easily navigable and easy to communicate with you. A good idea is to use an online Chat Bot on your site which means that potential clients can get instant answers to their questions.Every page should have a clickable link to email you and encourage connections.
Creating a website for your legal firm is a must if you want to increase your visibility, share your skills and knowledge, and secure more clients.
As always if there is anything we can do to help please get in touch.
