Back in college I had an old Volkswagen (shocker) that needed a new clutch - BAD. I procrastinated (shocker) and let it go so long that I could barely drive it over a speed bump. Money was tight, and there was no way I was going to cough it up to someone else when I could fix it myself!
Bad idea. I ended up destroying the parts I purchased, and finally had it towed to a professional Volkswagen specialist. Money lost, time lost; lesson learned.
If your inbound lead generation for your law firm is barely making it over the “speed bump”, it might be time to take a step back and evaluate if doing it yourself is a good strategy.
What worked in the past, does not necessarily work today (or tomorrow or the next day)
It used to be that you could purchase advertising in the yellow pages, throw up a webpage, and the phones would ring. In today’s world, you have to be everywhere at once, and it is all in constant change. What worked in the past, might not (most likely won't) work today!
Let’s face it, most of us have smartphones. And before we do anything, from deciding on a place to eat, to choosing a lawyer, we search the Internet. We divide our attention between the latest episode of Duck Dynasty and the iPhone or iPad in our laps and we look up firms' websites, social media accounts, and any other information we can find on them. Responsive designed websites allow for prospective clients to view content on any mobile or desktop device.
When was the last time a person pulled a name out of the yellow pages? And we're definitely not going to poll our friends and coworkers on the best drunk driving attorney in town. The Internet offers a 24/7 easy way to anonymously find the best fit for your legal situation.
How Do You Adapt (and Continue to Do So)?
Think about this: Just five short years ago, only a handful of people had smartphones. The majority of people turned to their personal computer at home or work to seek out the online information they needed. All you needed was a well-designed webpage and you'd be set.
In today’s marketplace, thanks to a constantly changing online marketplace, your website has to be constantly updated to get ahead of Google's ever-changing search algorithms (over 500 changes last year!), plus you need to manage your brand on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and oh yeah -- you have to actually manage your firm and practice law!
Create Awareness, Engage, and Convert
Having that static website isn't enough. Today, you need to do more.
First, you need to stay on top of an ever-changing technology, so that you can stay ahead of your online competition. Next, you have to create brand awareness. You need a website that prospective clients can find even when they don’t know who you are, plus a social media presence, and perhaps online advertisements. And when they get there, you need to keep their attention. They have to be engaged with your website, with your blog posts and social outreach, and want to learn more about you and your firm -- otherwise, they'll click on to the next page.
But Stop, You're an Attorney!
Exactly. Do you want to spend your time staying current with the latest Google algorithm, updating your website software so it doesn’t get hacked, and cleaning up your website's code, or practicing law?
That's why BWM Lawyer Marketing exists. Our attorney marketing and lead generating services help potential clients become aware of your law firm. We'll help you manage your search engine marketing, social media accounts, website, and blogs to attract their attention and engage them for real business growth, so you can get back to practicing law. To schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced online client development consultants, fill out our online form or call (707) 774-5607.
