Legal Internet Marketing Blog

Have you ever sat back and really looked at your website? Is it interesting? If it wasn't yours, would you explore it? Is it easy to navigate? Does it provide pertinent information and invite viewers to contact you if they need more information?

Hopefully, you answered yes to all of those questions. If you didn't though, an effective Internet marketing campaign can correct those issues.

Once you feel as though your site is interesting, you may want to consider adding a "Like Button" to it. What's that? You have no idea what a "Like Button" is? Don't worry; it's pretty easy to explain.

With the huge popularity of social networking sites, attorneys and law firms would be wise to establish a strong social networking presence (in case you're lost on how to do so, don't worry...your legal Internet marketing company should be able to help you out). If you only pick one site to establish yourself on, Facebook should be it. Not only does the site have 500 million users worldwide, but it has essentially cornered the market on social interaction on the Internet, and is often the first place people go when they begin surfing the web.

As of late, a popular part of the Facebook experience involves the site's Like Button. That is, when a Facebook user stumbles across something on the site that they find interesting, or like, that user can choose to "Like" it. The addition of this "Like" will post to the user's Facebook Wall and their Newsfeed, which means that it will also show up on the user's friends' newsfeeds. Ultimately, the Like Button should be viewed as exposure, a chance for users to market your business even if they don't realize that they're doing it.

So, if you have a website that you like, why not add a Like Button to it? It'll not only show up on Facebook, but it'll include a link back to your website, increasing web traffic and the chance that a potential client in need of legal advice will find your site. But remember, unless your site is well designed and worth navigating around in, don't add a Like button just for fun. You don't want Facebook users to click a link to your site, be disappointed, and then mention to their friends how lame your site is. Social networks are, after all, giant forums for recommending and discovering cool new places on the Internet. Unless your site is up to par, you may want to forego the Like Button at this point. Never fear though, because site redesign is just a point and click away from becoming a reality.

In a previous post, we talked about Facebook's Social Graph, the collective group of connections that each user has with other users, and how those connections sync up across not only Facebook's social portal, but third-party websites as well. It was speculated then, as it still is now, that Facebook's end goal is to be the first and only place an Internet user needs to go when they log onto their computer. With Bing providing search results within Facebook's own social portal, and a variety of applications and additions being made to the site and announced on a seemingly weekly basis, Facebook is doing all it can to become the end-all, be-all of the Internet.

Recently, as TMCnet has pointed out, Facebook, as it has done numerous times in the past, purchased a smaller company that it felt did a good job of meeting Internet user needs. Hot Potato, the event sharing site where users could say what they were doing, and be directed to other users who were doing the same thing, is now a part of the Facebook family. As consequence, Facebook has positioned itself even deeper into the foothold of Internet user wants and needs.

For businesses like law firms, Facebook's many business deals should not be disregarded. Every day, the social networking giant is becoming more and more popular, and more and more pertinent in Internet marketing decisions made by law firms and other businesses. At this point and time, it is safe to say that even if you aren't on Facebook, you probably know someone who is. Heck, you probably live with someone who is, and you're related to someone who is. Regardless, it is vital for law firms to establish themselves on social networks, particularly since those networks seem to be where quite a lot of people (500 million to be exact) are currently spending their time while online.

Having a website is certainly step one, but an effective legal Internet marketing campaign is quite expansive, and requires a lot of work and effort to be successful. If you're not spending the time to create your foothold in the world of Facebook, you may find it difficult to compete with your competitors who are.

While it makes sense for an Internet marketing firm, or a law firm for that matter, to jump at the chance to help someone in need, it may be beneficial for your business if you turn down some prospective clients. First of all, your clients reflect who you are as a business. If you take on any new client just for the sake of gaining more profit, you will end up helping no one and only hurting your reputation and business. And secondly, if you take on every client that contacts you, are you really going to be able to provide the personal attention that they need?

Similar to how an attorney will not take on just any case, at SLS Consulting, we do not work with everyone who contacts us for help with their website and Internet marketing. Would we like to? Of course. But we owe it to our clients to make sure that we can dedicate the time and energy that is promised, and then some.

If we decide not to help you with your website, it’s nothing personal. Yes, we have to say, “No,” to some prospective clients who call us or send emails. This isn’t because we are mean, and it’s not because we don’t like your law firm. The reason for choosing not to accept a potential client is simple – maintaining ourselves as a boutique legal marketing consulting group. We do all of our work in-house and are not interested in outsourcing the work that our clients send us to do.

Since day one, SLS Consulting has focused on capturing each unique characteristic of an attorney and law firm, and reflecting those genuine qualities through custom websites that produce high rankings on the search engines and high conversion rates. As a successful small business, we enjoy getting to know our clients, which is why we collaborate with a select amount of lawyers.

When we take on a new client, it is something that we give a lot of thought. We look forward to making new connections with attorneys who have something different to offer their clients and who really want to make a difference in people’s lives. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help your business grow, we welcome the opportunity to speak with you.

Simply having a legal website just doesn’t cut it anymore. With more and more law firms catching on about the benefits of having a well-constructed website and a strong legal Internet marketing plan, the competition just got tougher. But who doesn’t like a good challenge?

When developing ways to increase your website conversation rates, one of the first things to think about is how to make your website more appealing to search engines. Doing this will ultimately make your website and your services more appealing to potential clients: they’ll be able to easily find you because you’ll be on the first page. In addition, with a well constructed website, the search engines will include the links to your site that you want visitors to navigate to.

To get the links that you want and to rank for the terms that you want in the search engines, making sure that you have a well crafted sitemap, straightforward navigation and good backlinks on your website is a productive start. However, you can’t neglect the importance of website design and organization in terms of your site being easy to navigate for visitors – and for the search engines.

A legal website also must have informative and updated content with proper keyword use and placement. It’s understandable to think that stuffing as many keywords as possible on your website will make the big difference that you need to get desirable rankings and sitelinks. But this is not how it’s done. There is more to it than that. Keyword stuffing, or the overuse of one or more keyword or keyword phrases, within web page content or meta tags can be considered SPAM in some cases and even result in your website being penalized. And you definitely don’t want that.

Another thing to remember is that you can’t cheat your way to high rankings or sitelinks. Search engines can only be fooled by unethical practices such as “cloaking” and other “black hat” SEO tactics for so long, so keep that in mind when thinking of new ways to improve your legal website rankings.

If you have a solid legal website, there is a good chance that several Internet marketing and SEO companies wish you were their client. And they will try to rope you in. In an effort to sweep you off your feet, you may have received messages similar to the one below:

Hi,

Let me know. Thanks.

Another interesting tactic to gain more clients that seems as though it would rarely, if ever, be successful, is to submit a Contact Form on a website or sending an email stating the following:

When I Googled "lawyer -- --" your website is on page 39.

If you are wondering why your online sales and enquiries are below expectations, this is almost certainly the reason.

How often do you go past page 1 of Google? You’re probably like 93% of the population who don’t bother looking past the first page. Being on page 1 is like having a store on 5th Avenue or Rodeo Drive; the easier your site is to find, the more traffic and sales you’ll get from the 600 million people who use Google, Yahoo and Bing every day.

Why choose us to rank you above your competitors?

• Guaranteed page 1 rankings, or we work for FREE


• Proven track record of ranking sites to page 1


• The lowest rates on the market – and NO setup fees

Simply reply “Rank Me!” to this email for a FREE consultation.

One point to highlight regarding the above message is that the term that the company entered into Google and found for the attorney’s website on the 39th page, is not even close to a term that the attorney’s site is meant to rank highly for. The message does not even contain helpful information relevant to their practice.

These messages are so impersonal and inaccurate because the individuals who are sending them submit so many that they don’t even review them to make sure the information is correct! Another interesting factor of these SPAM offers is that some companies and individuals will even “follow-up” with you:

Continue reading " Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me: Sifting through SPAM Marketing Offers " »

If you own a business, chances are that you know about "Google Places" listings (formerly referred to as "Google Local"). For those of you who don't know, Google Places allows business owners to list their business information (address, phone number, business hours, etc.) so that, in the event someone searches for the business using Google, the business information is accurate and available for viewing. In order to get this listing to rank well in search results is a topic for an entirely different conversation altogether, but it should be a primary focus of your law firm Internet marketing campaign.

Facebook, the world's largest social networking community, has also recently ventured into the "Places" game, launching its own "Facebook Places" feature. At this point though, Facebook Places is completely different from Google Places. That is, Facebook Places is little more than a check-in service, meaning that users can access the function to tell their friends where they are at any given moment. However, if history is any indication, Facebook may eventually expand this feature, possibly to include information about specific locations that users have checked-in at. Information, such as business names, addresses, phones numbers, business hours, may soon become a part of the Facebook Places experience. Sound familiar? Sound kind of like Facebook may be positioning itself for a venture into a more Google-Places-centric endeavor? Only time will tell, but all business owners should undoubtedly keep an eye on Facebook Places for new developments in the near future.

For law firms, having a presence on the Internet, any presence at all, is a step in the right direction. However, implementing an effective legal Internet strategy could not only translate into more clients, but it could help establish you or your firm as an authority figure on the particular type of law you specialize in. Remember, the Internet is not only a source of social entertainment, but is also considered the ideal place to acquire information and exchange ideas. With a dynamic website, a strong presence on social networks, and a legal Internet marketing campaign that helps show who you are rather than just tell everyone, you may soon find yourself not only getting more clients, but getting client referrals from friends of friends whose recommendation came at the heels of you establishing yourself as an authority.

Taking time off this summer? Well, there’s still time to blog. It’s no secret that writing a blog takes time, but it’s nothing to stress about. While it’s logical that you’d want to make sure that your Internet marketing plan is effective and providing you with the results that you want, don’t lose sight of the value in letting your firm’s personality shine through.

Some attorneys may be doubtful as to whether starting a blog is worth the time. Having a legal blog is an opportunity to express your outlook on several topics, including new legislation within your state or the value of being involved with your community. Another important thing to remember is that a blog provides you with something that your website does not. A blog is a place where discussion can develop about topics relating to your area(s) of practice within your community, encouraging others to participate by sharing their own opinions, even if in disagreement. While it is beneficial to add new content to your website to keep visitors informed, it is not a forum where visitors can include their input or personal experiences. And isn’t this what you want to hear?

A blog is not the be-all end-all for your online presence, but it definitely plays a role. While you may not be musing over your Internet marketing plan or blog while taking to the beach or enjoying time with your family during other popular summer activities, taking a break from the hubbub should leave you rested and with a clear mind for new ideas to manifest. There’s also no better time to reflect than when you’re able to step away from your daily routine. For those still burning away at the midnight oil, take a few moments to stop what you’re doing and give yourself the time to get away. But not for too long! Your blog awaits!