A reputable personal injury law firm with a strong brand and a solid online presence is likely to attract a lot of interest from the public — but only some of those interested people will end up turning into retained clients.
Increasing the rate at which you convert that interest into cases should be at the heart of your firm’s growth strategy. And besides the obvious benefits of building up your client pool, making those conversions also has the added advantage of lowering your case acquisition costs.
So if you’re looking to grow your practice, employing tried and true strategies for increasing your conversion rate and enhancing your firm’s visibility is going to be a key component to your success. The results will pay off in lower overhead and more revenue.
Let’s take a look at some must-know approaches and areas that you should continually be improving...
Make Conversion the Goal of Your Website
Conversion starts at your website. Consider it the foundation of your brand and the centerpiece of your entire digital marketing effort. While your practice should have a strong presence throughout various business review sites and across social media channels, it's safe to say that nearly all prospective clients will visit your website before deciding to give your firm a call. So be sure to pay extra close attention to this reality when building your law firm's homepage.
For that reason, fine-tuning your website to maximize conversions is crucial. Overall, your site should create an experience for visitors. Avoid paragraphs of generic information, and be sure to tell a story about who you are and what makes your practice special.
Here are just some tips that you can use to guarantee your website is well-positioned to help potential clients schedule an appointment with you.
Keep Forms Short
To keep potential clients engaged, be sure that any forms and fields you want them to fill out are kept as brief as possible. Having to input lengthy amounts of information can easily dissuade people from making contact with your practice. Simply asking for basic details like a name or email address is more likely to generate communication with interested prospects.
In addition to keeping forms short, be sure that they are kept at the top of your website. By having these elements above the fold, you increase the odds of engagement.
Use Live Chat
Another area that can help keep clients interacting with your practice is by incorporating live chat into your website. Allowing quick communication with your practice is a big plus, as people find it easier and less time-consuming than having to pick up the phone and make a call. Research consistently backs this up; for example, 79% of people say they prefer live chats since they offer instant responses. Giving your firm’s website this capability can go a long way to turning interested prospects into paying clients.
Don’t Forget About Mobile
With roughly half of Internet use coming from smartphones, it’s paramount that your firm’s website is optimized for mobile use. Nothing can turn away a prospect faster than a site that doesn’t properly load or function. So learn what it takes to make your site function seamlessly, no matter the platform your potential clients are using. Failing to do so can cost you serious conversion opportunities.
Boost Your Brand’s Exposure
Beyond making your website geared toward making conversions, simply situating your brand the right way in your local market can yield positive results and increased engagement from interested people seeking an attorney.
Some surefire ways to be seen by the maximum amount of prospects include…
Master Your Social Media Channels
In addition to your firm’s website, your social media pages will be the next most important way clients can get to know your practice. By being active on sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others, you can help round out your brand’s image. These platforms allow you to spread the word about what you do and help tell you a story. When done entertainingly, your social posts can help spur engagement with people looking to hire an attorney.
Make the Most of SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) might seem a little technical at first, but it’s pretty simple once you begin to understand how it works — and the payoff can be immense. By loading your web presence with the right keywords, you can drive more traffic to your practice’s pages, increasing the odds of conversion.
Studies show that when done correctly, proper SEO can generate 1000% more traffic than organic social media can. Simply put, in the digital world, few things are better for business than appearing at the top of the search results page.
Increasing your practice’s exposure through better SEO practices should be a top priority for any attorney looking to expand their business.
Things to Keep in Mind
The tips and strategies mentioned above are just some of the ways your practice can garner more interest from your potential client pool. There are many other approaches that can also help reel in clients and cases.
Like everything in digital marketing, the landscape is constantly shifting, so today's effective tactic may not work as well tomorrow. On that note, you should be aware that Google is about to roll out changes that will negatively impact firms with a set-it-and-forget-it approach. If you haven't touched your website in two years or more, contact me for a complimentary analysis to ensure your site continues to generate traffic.
The Benefits of Conversion
By increasing conversion, you can effectively lower your cost-per-case and improve your marketing efficiency. If you convert one interested person out of ten, that’s 10%. If you can get that closer to one in five people, you effectively double your conversion and cut acquisition costs in half.
Increasing exposure will yield more opportunities. This done in conjunction with improved conversion rates can quickly lead to more cases. And by continually improving your online presence, you can help your practice keep its competitive edge in your local market share.
Of course, all of this can be challenging to implement on your own, so it’s always advisable to work with a marketing partner to bring fresh perspectives, insights, and strategies to the table.
If this comprehensive digital approach to growing your business through more conversions and better marketing appeals to you, please reach out to me for more information. At Scorpion, we’re eager to help your practice realize its full potential.
