In times past, family law attorneys and mediators had an easy time attracting clients. They ran an ad in the local paper, put a listing in the telephone book (yes, they did exist!) and clients came to them. In more crowded markets, law firms might run ads on TV or radio. Not exactly modern marketing…
Today, you’ll need to do more than list your phone number and email to get clients. The internet has changed how people look for things and how they find them. However, the rush to use the latest tech makes us forget that the most effective way to find clients is still word of mouth. You’ll need to maximize both to get the clients you want for your practice.
Everyone Googles It
Google has been the search engine of choice for many years. Formerly, search engines “ranked” pages according to the number of keywords that appeared on a page. Today, Google and similar search engines like Bing use complex algorithms that assess what a searcher is asking, where they are located, and what they are looking for. A query “Who can help me with my divorce?” will get different results than “How can I find someone for my child custody case?”
If you’re not a search engine optimization (SEO) guru, don’t despair. SEO marketing is a growing business, and many companies will help optimize your site. If you’re not financially able to pay an SEO wizard to optimize your pages, apps and software abound to assist with this important goal.
Google’s algorithms use a proprietary system to give users the freshest and most helpful content. Having multiple pages with similar content used to ensure multiple hits on your site. Today, Google’s targeted search may drill deeper into your site and only produce the page relevant to the user’s query. To keep a user on your site, you need embedded links that redirect them from the landing page deeper into your site.
Content, Blogs, and Reviews
Once you draw a user deeper into your site, you must give them a reason to stay there. Web content is an underutilized part of every website. Splashy graphics and photos of the firm’s principal attorneys are always part of a legal website, but as they say, you must sell some steak with your sizzle.
Users like a website that gives them some information along with names and phone numbers. Ideally, you should offer them something different than all the other family law websites on the internet. If everyone else is reciting How to File for Divorce, give your page some extra spice with what happens in a divorce hearing, or what to expect after the final judgment.
Blogs are a separate type of content from your web pages. Your blog should contain new, topical, or items of local interest. If you can’t produce at least one blog per month, you should either outsource to a content provider or not have one at all. Blogs are good ways to get extra clicks to your site, but old stale blogs will do more harm than good. Your blog should always redirect users back to your main site.
When you’ve successfully concluded a case, be sure you ask your satisfied clients to leave a Google review. Industry statistics show that many users read those reviews and trust them more than advertising. Ask clients for testimonials as well and put them on your website. Happy clients are your best advertising.
Help Them Find You
Word-of-mouth advertising also means a social media presence. Facebook and Instagram are the new roadside billboards. A word of caution: social media requires constant upkeep. You’ll need someone in your office who can devote at least a few hours a week to keeping your presence fresh and active.
The upside of social media is that it gives you an immediate way to talk to your potential clients. Social media podcasts, streaming, and reels let you present yourself directly to your clients faster than radio or TV advertising. Online apps can give you presentable, polished ads in less time than studio work.
No matter what type of advertising you use, never forget your essential data: Contact information. Everything you do, from website to podcast to Google review must contain your firm’s name, your own name, your address, phone number, and email address. All these must be current and active.
This seems obvious, yet the number of websites online with broken links and bad email addresses is staggering. If your site has a contact page, it must work, and someone must respond to it within 24 hours. Otherwise, anyone who comes to your site will not come back. If your mailbox is full, they’ll call someone else.
Finally, always get help if you’re confused or lost. Better to spend a little money and time now than more money later when your website crashes.
A Word About AI
Generative AI (ChatGPT and its family) is the exciting new toy of the internet. The biggest danger of AI is its tendency to plagiarize. Some industries are less concerned with plagiarism than others. The legal field has already been burned several times by plagiarism, although it has not yet hit legal websites. If you use generative AI to create web content, review it carefully for plagiarism and double-check any citations or links for accuracy.
Final Thoughts
The Divorce With Dignity Network is here to help you improve your online presence. We’ve been around for quite a while, and changed along with the internet, for good and bad. No matter what is happening, someone here has gone through it before.
Our Providers know that starting up an online ad campaign is difficult enough without worrying about new blogs every month or optimizing your keyword count. If you’re confused about where to go next, we’ve got someone to help point you in the right direction. Join the Providers in the Divorce With Dignity Network, and we will be there to help with your plan. Schedule your complimentary Success-Strategy Consultation today!
