Law firms, especially smaller practices, depend on a steady stream of incoming clients in order to operate. The world of marketing has shifted substantially in the last several years, moving from printed advertising to the digital sphere. In today’s marketing landscape, attorneys must create and maintain a client-centered and SEO-friendly website that lists their areas of practice and basic information about the attorneys and legal staff. However, setting up a website is not a one-time marketing strategy; instead, adding updates (such as blog posts or newsletters) and refreshing the content keeps your website visible to search engine algorithms like Google, which keeps your website near the top of the search results pages. Another critical component of an effective legal marketing strategy is to create a system that allows your firm to receive client reviews. Search engines like Google use a company’s customer reviews as a factor in determining the rank position on the search results page. Essentially, Google will likely rank a law firm with several 5-star client reviews higher than a law firm that has a handful of mediocre or negative client reviews. Clearly, amassing a high volume of 5-star reviews is the goal for law firms to feel successful and attract more clients—so how can your law firm accomplish this task? Let’s take a look at some of the strategies your law firm can use to focus on getting more 5-star reviews from clients and growing your practice in a measurable and meaningful way.
Why Client Reviews Matter to Law Firms
When people are looking for a product or service, they want to know that the choice they make will be the right one. Aside from asking your friends and family members for their recommendations, what factors influence the decision you make? According to recent surveys, 97 percent of consumers read online reviews to search for local businesses. Of these respondents, 80 percent of consumers said they trust brands or companies only if they have 4, 4.5, or 5-star ratings. In contrast, only 13 percent of consumers will consider a business with 1 or 2 stars. Nearly 64 percent of consumers are likely to check Google’s online reviews before visiting a company’s website. Additionally, consumers heavily favor recent reviews—85 percent of consumers believe that online reviews older than three months are not relevant, and 40 percent care only about reviews that are under two weeks old. As you start focusing on expanding your law firm’s digital marketing strategy, it’s important to understand the critical role that client reviews play in a potential client’s decision to move forward with your services.
Tips For Getting More 5-Star Reviews From Clients
If you feel that the process of asking a client to write a review of your law firm is inherently awkward, you are not alone. There may never be an organic moment in which you can ask a client to visit a website and leave a review. However, many law firms have devoted some time to making the client review process more efficient and accessible, which increases the likelihood of clients following through with this critical aspect of your law firm’s legal marketing efforts. Below are a few tips for how your legal practice can harness the power of client reviews to build your law firm’s brand and reputation while cultivating client trust.
Time the Client Review Request for Optimal Results
While there may not be one specific moment where asking your client to write you a review feels natural, your law firm can tailor your request in a way that’s encouraging and convenient to the client. For example, you can make the request in person while you wrap up a final meeting by reiterating how much you enjoyed working with your client and asking if they would mind sharing a few words about their experience with your law firm. Or, if in-person requests feel too strained, you can set up an automated email or text message that sends a request to the client once they have left your office. The message should express your gratitude for the client choosing to work with your law practice, remind them of how committed your firm is to providing exceptional legal services, and include a simple link to a review site that they can access with one click.
Tap Into Existing Online Review Sites
Google is just one of many platforms that allow clients to leave reviews. As an attorney, there are several review sites that allow you to gather reviews from clients you serve. If you have not done so already, consider claiming your law firm’s profile on review sites like Avvo, Google Business Profile, Lawyers.com, NOLO, or Bing Places for Business. You can then encourage clients to leave reviews on these platforms, which allows potential clients to find information about your law firm in several places. Moreover, when a potential client searches for legal services that your firm offers, these attorney review sites can appear on Google Search and direct more traffic to your website.
Add Client Reviews to Your Law Firm’s Website
People are more likely to leave reviews when there are already a few reviews for the business or company. In other words, customers typically avoid being the first person to write a review, as their opinion carries a significant weight. You can encourage your clients to write reviews by displaying authentic reviews from other clients on your website. For example, you can highlight the most positive reviews that former clients have left you to foster trust and show the public that other clients can vouch for your work. The most effective way to integrate client reviews into your website is to ask these clients directly if they are comfortable with having their words, names, and even photos displayed on your website. Many law firms are surprised by how many clients say yes. If you’re interested in learning more about reputation management for law firms or how to get more client reviews, reach out to a digital marketing expert to assess your needs and discuss your options.
If you are looking for ways to grow your law firm and get more 5-star reviews from clients, give LegalRev a call at (800) 893-2590 to discuss your goals and explore your options with a knowledgeable legal content marketing expert.
