If you've been following this blog at all or reading this blog then you know there is a lot involved in launching a successful law firm internet marketing campaign. There is a lot of work to do, there are a lot of things to be mindful of, and there is a bit of an unknown factor out there of just when is your site going to be found by Google and when will people start getting into your site.
Well, today we're going to talk about a tool that can help you know when you're making significant strides and let you know if you need to tweak some of your site elements. The tool I'm talking about is Google Analytics. Google analytics is a great tool that is designed to do one thing - let you know how your website is performing. And it's a must have weapon in any law firm internet marketer's cache. And here's why.
As your law firm website starts to climb the Google rankings you will get more and more excited about the flood of business that is to come. But it may not come as quickly as you think. And you might not know why. What Google analytics does is allow you to see how people are getting to your site (where they came from and the keywords they used), how long they were at your site, the pages they looked at, and where they went when they were done looking at your site. That is a wealth of information.
Installing google analytics is easy. Just follow the directions on your site. And once it's on, the information will start pouring in. Here's just sampling of what you get, taken from my own site. Today I've had 12 visitors to my site. 6 came from Google using the terms alcohol assessment DUI urine, DUI attorney, DUI lawyer, family law attorneys, among others; 2 came directly to my site, and the other three came from other articles I'd written. The average time on the site was only 12 seconds. And 83.33% of the visits were new visits. You can have all of this information for free!
So, my task for you is to set up a google analytics account and add your websites. You'll be thanking me later for the information it gives you, and the money you make from learning exactly how your site is performing.
9.08.2010
Don't Wait to Start Marketing Until You Are Open
This might be a better post for the starting a law firm blog, but I'm writing here today, and it fits pretty well in here too. The title of this post says it all, but if you are starting a law firm or you have a law firm, there is no better time than right now to start working on your law firm internet marketing plan. If you don't have your license yet or don't have anything set up yet don't worry. You can take care of that stuff later.
The only real thing you need to get started is an idea of what kind of practice or practices you want to do. Based on that you can begin building your law firm website and you can begin building your law firm blogging network, both of which will help you hit the ground running when you open up.
For example, I'm thinking of branching out my criminal defense practice into doing expungement and vacation work (getting criminal convictions taken off of people's records). It isn't an area that I've been promoting heavily anywhere and it doesn't really fit in as criminal defense or DUI defense. If someone called today I could help them out, but I'm not really set up to handle a lot of those cases yet. But that hasn't stopped me from starting an expungement blog, creating some content for an expungement website, and writing on that blog and sending links to that blog. That way, when I'm ready to hit the ground running I'll be set up.
You should be doing the same thing. If you're interested in labor law, you don't have to be a labor lawyer to write about it. Start the blog, note that you aren't a lawyer, and then note that you are a lawyer when you become one.
Law firm internet marketing isn't hard, but it does take time to take hold. You have to start laying the groundwork today so it is done when you need it to be done. It's a lot like building a house. You know you need to be living in it October 1st. You don't wait until the first to pour the foundation and frame out the house. You get started today. This is the same thing.
The only real thing you need to get started is an idea of what kind of practice or practices you want to do. Based on that you can begin building your law firm website and you can begin building your law firm blogging network, both of which will help you hit the ground running when you open up.
For example, I'm thinking of branching out my criminal defense practice into doing expungement and vacation work (getting criminal convictions taken off of people's records). It isn't an area that I've been promoting heavily anywhere and it doesn't really fit in as criminal defense or DUI defense. If someone called today I could help them out, but I'm not really set up to handle a lot of those cases yet. But that hasn't stopped me from starting an expungement blog, creating some content for an expungement website, and writing on that blog and sending links to that blog. That way, when I'm ready to hit the ground running I'll be set up.
You should be doing the same thing. If you're interested in labor law, you don't have to be a labor lawyer to write about it. Start the blog, note that you aren't a lawyer, and then note that you are a lawyer when you become one.
Law firm internet marketing isn't hard, but it does take time to take hold. You have to start laying the groundwork today so it is done when you need it to be done. It's a lot like building a house. You know you need to be living in it October 1st. You don't wait until the first to pour the foundation and frame out the house. You get started today. This is the same thing.
9.01.2010
Law Firm Website Review | christopherlmillerlaw.com
If you read my last post on law firm website design, then you knew that this week I'd be giving a critique of a website that I was asked to review a long time ago and never got around to doing. Since I don't like to disappoint all you law firm internet marketing soon to be gurus, I thought I'd give the critique so that everyone could see it.
Before I get too far, remember that this is a critique. In looking at the website I think it's a great start. Definitely better than some I've seen in the past. But it could use a little bit of touching up. And I've got some suggestions that I think are going to help supercharge this site, get it ranking better in Google, and get more phone calls.
I think the best way to do this is to open the site in another window and read this while looking at the site. That way you can see what I'm talking about without having to flip back and forth (and, by the way, if you are working without at least two monitors, you're missing a level of productivity that I bet you didn't even know you could reach). Here we go!
First, the site. Mr. Miller is a jack of all trades in a way. I'm going to pick the one I think he'd like to get off the ground the fastest. I think most of all he wants to be a Greenville estate planning attorney. Click on the link to see the site.
Now, on to the suggestions. When you first see the site, I think we can all agree that it's way too busy. Chris is simply trying to fit too much information on one page. Nothing about the website creates in me any sense that he knows what he's doing about any particular practice area of law. And, further, I have no idea who this person is.
Suggestion number one, to increase this site's law firm internet marketing potential, is to break it up. What do I mean by that? Take this same template, register a domain name for each of the practice areas, and create each site devoted to that practice area. It isn't enough to have the links on the side. It needs to be more than that. So,for example, I'd have the following websites set up:
This is going to to several things. First, it's going to give you a hub for your local search results on maps. That way you'll have one listing that pops up whenever people search for you in the maps section of google. Second, it's going to really super power each of those sites so Google will know what you are doing. In the end, the individual sites will show up in the search results (a greenville estate planning lawyer search would show the greenvilleestateplanninglawyer.com site, not the main site). Third, it's going to let you clean up this main site. That's what I would do first.
Once I did that, I'd fix up the top. Law firm website optimization for clients is easy, but there's definitely a formula to it. Here's what I'd do:
Have no idea what I'm going to be talking about next week, but I can guarantee you it will be related to law firm internet marketing. See you then!
Before I get too far, remember that this is a critique. In looking at the website I think it's a great start. Definitely better than some I've seen in the past. But it could use a little bit of touching up. And I've got some suggestions that I think are going to help supercharge this site, get it ranking better in Google, and get more phone calls.
I think the best way to do this is to open the site in another window and read this while looking at the site. That way you can see what I'm talking about without having to flip back and forth (and, by the way, if you are working without at least two monitors, you're missing a level of productivity that I bet you didn't even know you could reach). Here we go!
First, the site. Mr. Miller is a jack of all trades in a way. I'm going to pick the one I think he'd like to get off the ground the fastest. I think most of all he wants to be a Greenville estate planning attorney. Click on the link to see the site.
Now, on to the suggestions. When you first see the site, I think we can all agree that it's way too busy. Chris is simply trying to fit too much information on one page. Nothing about the website creates in me any sense that he knows what he's doing about any particular practice area of law. And, further, I have no idea who this person is.
Suggestion number one, to increase this site's law firm internet marketing potential, is to break it up. What do I mean by that? Take this same template, register a domain name for each of the practice areas, and create each site devoted to that practice area. It isn't enough to have the links on the side. It needs to be more than that. So,for example, I'd have the following websites set up:
greenvilleestateplanninglawyer.comI would then make four buttons toward the top of the main site with links to these four sites. The links would say "Estate Planning Lawyer | Family Lawyer | Business Lawyer | Real Estate Lawyer.
greenvillefamilylawyer.com
greenvillebusinesslawyer.com
greenvillerealestatelawyer.com
This is going to to several things. First, it's going to give you a hub for your local search results on maps. That way you'll have one listing that pops up whenever people search for you in the maps section of google. Second, it's going to really super power each of those sites so Google will know what you are doing. In the end, the individual sites will show up in the search results (a greenville estate planning lawyer search would show the greenvilleestateplanninglawyer.com site, not the main site). Third, it's going to let you clean up this main site. That's what I would do first.
Once I did that, I'd fix up the top. Law firm website optimization for clients is easy, but there's definitely a formula to it. Here's what I'd do:
1. I'd take off the "esq" at the top - not necessary.Okay, that's probably enough. Like I said, I hope he doesn't take this the wrong way, because it's all well intentioned. If these changes are made, I'll guarantee both more client conversion and higher ranking on Google. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but this is a marathon, not a sprint. Start making small changes every day and in no time it will be done.
2. I'd probably make it law offices of Christopher L Miller.
3. Under the name of the firm (whether you change it or not), you need a tagline. This is going to explain what you are bringing to the table. Mine is "satisfaction guaranteed." Needs to be short and sweet and express distinctly how you are different from others.
4. I'd put the name of the firm and the tagline where the address and phone numbers are now. Up top I'd put the links to the four practice areas. I'd put the navigation links where the areas of practice are now located.
5. On the right, where the description of the firm is (starting with "A Family...") I'd put a strong call to action with the phone number - BIG. Something like "Free Half Hour Consultation on All Matters. Call Today."
6. I would take off the business hours (why limit when people will call you?). And I'd move the address and all that stuff to the footer (bottom of the page). No prospective client cares about your fax number.
7. In the body text I'd start out by telling people why you are different from everyone else. The text sounds canned. And, I'd change the headline to something else. Make people interested. Don't be like everyone else!
8. If you can figure out how to do it, put the blog in the body under the introductory text (talk in the body about your philosophy, free consultations, and why you are doing what you are doing). Allow it to update automatically when you post a new post on the blog.
9. The seminar schedule is GREAT. Only problem is you don't have any set up. Schedule one, and have it so people have to give you their email address to sign up (link right under the date to sign up). It's a great way to build a marketing list, and then you'll know people are interested.
10. In the left sidebar I'd make a "resources" column with information on things your client needs to know. Some I can think of are "is an LLC important?"; "why do I need a will?"; "what do I need to create a will?"; "important things you need to know about divorce"; and "5 things you must know about buying a house." That will show you know what you're talking about.
11. Stop using your firm name whenever you start sentences. Use "I" or "we" or something that is more personal. Act like you are having a conversation with the person that is reading your website. If you were talking to someone in the elevator and they asked you about the firm would you talk in the 3rd person? No.
Have no idea what I'm going to be talking about next week, but I can guarantee you it will be related to law firm internet marketing. See you then!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
