Legal Marketing Articles

Posts Tagged ‘web 2.0’

Websites

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
Internet address of a website over keys

The Power of a Good Website

As broadband internet becomes more widely available, free wireless networks crop up in cities and towns, and laptops, net books, and PCs become more affordable for everyone, more and more of your law clients are looking to the web for legal information and to find an attorney for their needs.

Having a content-rich website that utilizes Web 2.0 marketing techniques can set you apart from your competitors and give you the edge in the internet marketplace. There are tons of options available that allow you to provide helpful advice and information to leads in order to establish yourself as a trustworthy resource. This blog will explore some of the methods a marketing professional can utilize for you to increase your web visibility and reputation.

Good Content

Having informative, helpful content that incorporates search engine optimization keywords in a natural way can be a great asset for two reasons: it keeps your clients coming back, and it boosts your organic search results on popular search engine sites so you can be sure that new leads will be able to find you.

Targeting your Local Market with Keywords

Using geographically-specific keywords is a great practice for law firms. Clients need an attorney who practices in their city or county, and there is usually less competition for keywords isolated by location. You’ll have to compete with fewer lawyers, and ensure that the leads you obtain via this method are people you will be able to help.

YouTube & Video Content

People respond well to visuals, and seeing a video of you explaining your practice area or accomplishments can incline them to feel more comfortable with selecting your firm for their needs. On a deeper level, your client is looking for someone to represent them and speak on their behalf in a case that is likely very important to them. Being able to hear and see you address them will give them a better feel for your style and make them more likely to choose you for their needs.

Keywords & Functionality

Your site should also incorporate keywords on the technical side, in HTML coding such as title and Meta tags. This is another way of ensuring you rank highly in organic search results and that search engines are able to describe your site and services accurately.

Functionality is a big concern. Ensuring that your navigation and layout appear correctly, that all links and forms work appropriately, and that all of the content is logical and easy to understand can provide your clients with a positive experience that will encourage them to come back and recommend your firm to their friends and colleagues.

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Reputation Management

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
black and white portrait of a business executives working on a laptop

Managing your Law Firm’s Online Reputation

One of the greatest things about Web 2.0 technology is its accessibility – the ease with which someone with little technical knowledge can set up a social networking profile or blog and start sharing information and interacting with a worldwide or local community, depending on their preference. With this ease comes a problem, though, which is why it’s important to preserve your professional integrity with online reputation management.

What is Reputation Management?

Online reputation management, or ORM, is the practice of monitoring your online presence. There are many avenues that anonymous and identified users can utilize to provide information about you and your firm, or you on a personal basis, to the internet community.

Websites that review businesses and rank individuals are one area you should keep an eye on. Although everyone is entitled to have an opinion about you or your work, someone posting untrue or slanderous comments online can have a negative impact on your status. You may also be able to gain valuable insight into what your clients are happy or unhappy about regarding the services your practice is providing via review-style sites.

Guarding Against Social Media Identity Theft

As mentioned in the first paragraph of this blog, it’s easy to set up a social media persona. It’s also easy to impersonate someone else if you are so inclined; and many social media sites do not check the identity of their users or regulate this aspect of their communities. Basically, users are on the honor system as far as their identity is concerned, and you are at the mercy of the site administrators if someone happens to steal your good name.

Luckily, there are a few great services out there that your marketing guru can utilize to safeguard your reputation online. One site charges a one-off fee to register your chosen name on over 120 popular social media sites. Whether or not you choose to make use of the accounts is up to you, but you’ve taken a great step towards preventing others from impersonating you online and damaging your status.

There are many other services available to help protect you and your firm’s interests in the world of Web 2.0 and social media. Some offer to establish one login ID for all of your accounts and others offer identity verification for your logins. You can also be proactive on the review/ranking front and sign up for a site that allows you to invite clients to provide reviews and feedback about your firm.

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