Internet Services
On-line marketing has become one of the most important ways in which law firms and attorneys promote their services. It allows for the instantaneous dissemination of vast amounts of information as well as high levels of firm-prospect interactivity.
Although the full potential of the internet as an on-line marketing tool remains untapped, today there are an enormous array of approaches and vehicles which can promote firm visibility, educate target markets and maintain firm awareness. These are broadly categorized into three areas as follows:
Web Site Development & Maintenance
Today, having and maintaining a web site is absolutely critical, if only because not having one is akin to not having a business card. It is where prospects, clients, the business and legal communities as well as the general public go when they are seeking information about products and services they are potentially interested in buying.
For law practices, this presents a particularly interesting challenge as interested parties will rarely hire a firm through its web site alone. Hence, the site must make the critical “first impression” that will lead to a call or initial meeting. Therefore it is important that the web site reflect what is unique about the firm – why the prospect should consider contracting with it, instead of with a competitor. In developing its web site, the firm should consider the image it wishes to portray, how sophisticated it wishes the site to be (i.e., simple or a portal of information on an industry, legal issues, new legislation, etc.), the site’s user-friendliness and key words/elements that will facilitate its being placed high on the internet search engine directory listings.
Search Engine Optimization & Pay-Per-Click
As the importance of the web in conveying information about a firm has increased, so too has the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) as a marketing tool. Given that most internet surfers will only view the first 1-3 pages for a given key word, high placement on the search engines has become especially critical. This is particularly true for consumer oriented practice areas and for very specific niche areas of the law.
Achieving such placement requires careful development of web site copy, relevant titles, key words and descriptors as well as high levels of hyperlinks/listings/ads/interaction with other on-line sites and directories.
Pay-per-click (PPC) services allow high search engine placement through paid sponsorship of relevant keywords or phrases. This placement is a function of the ad copy developed for the keyword listing, its relevance to the web page to which it’s pointing, the amount the firm has bid on that particular word or phrase as well as it’s overall PPC budget. Because of the large number of variables involved (e.g., how much competitors are bidding on the same words), it is critical that pay-per-click efforts be constantly monitored and revised as necessary.
On-line Outreach
There are a wide array of on-line options for generating and/or maintaining awareness among clients and customers. A sample of these include:
Banner ads – in which your site is highlighted on other relevant and compatible sites
Blogs – which allow firm attorneys to offer expert analysis and opinion on critical issues
E-Newsletters – providing a cost efficient means for informing and maintaining top-of-mind awareness among constituent groups (even if they are not explicitly read)
Webinars – providing a means for educating relevant groups through informational presentations that a) do not require the participant to leave his/her desk, b) are interactive, and c) can be archived for future viewing,
For more information on the firm’s Internet services, contact Gary Mitchell, V.P., Director of Information Services.
© A.L.T. Advertising & Promotion Inc. 2009
