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Market research and personal experience tell us that online reviews matter. A recent study focusing on legal services reported that around 84% would not hire a lawyer who had less than a four-star review average. Only around 8% of the respondents said that online reviews did not matter to them when seeking a lawyer. Many attorneys struggle to acquire positive reviews from even their most content clients, while the few and rare disgruntled ones eagerly leave negative reviews. Gaining future clients and maintaining your law firm’s quality reputation depends on a steady flow of happy online reviews, but how can you make this happen? Here are 5 ways to increase the flow of 5-star reviews for your law firm.
Earn Happy Reviews
It may seem obvious, but before you can accumulate a universe of 5-star reviews, you must have satisfied clients. Besides your skills, personality, and hard work, there are many components that influence client satisfaction. If you want to keep the quality reviews coming, here are three key factors to examine.
Be Accessible and Responsive
To a lawyer, a client may be one more case, but to clients, their pending legal situation may feel like life and death. When your client contacts you, it is essential that they feel that they can typically reach you. If you miss a call, get back to them as soon as possible; try to get back to them within 24 hours or less. Follow up consistently with key information about the case, and take turns making contact with your client; do not make your client always contact you first.
Connect Personally
From day one, it is crucial that you treat your client with a sense of dignity, respect, and a bit of compassion. Be professional, but not cold. Try to connect with your client personally by taking a courteous interest in their personal and work life, which will help you understand them more.
Update Your Practice
Every law firm should have a professional, well-designed website, and modernizing the business should be a consistent priority. Take advantage of the increasing amount of digital tools available to replace paperwork, such as App4Legal software. Younger clients will especially appreciate the ability to hand in and update documents online, rather than submit paper forms.
Profile Yourself on Lawyer Review Sites
Online reviews can mean almost as much to potential clients as a personal referral. In order to gain reliability and establish a good reputation online, it helps to secure a positive, well-traveled profile in the places where people are shopping for lawyers.
Google My Business
Generating a profile on Google My Business makes your law firm look bona fide and trustworthy. Here you can offer future clients information about your services, hours, and contact information as well as offering satisfied individuals an easy spot to leave a review.
Avvo
Avvo designates a rating to every practicing lawyer, covering 97% of attorneys in the U.S. This rating is not simply based on client satisfaction; instead, the rating is centered on how transparent each attorney has been when divulging their profile to Avvo. Unfair as it seems, Avvo works and is the top site for attorney and law firm reviews. Maintaining a full, decisive profile here can help you gain solid standing with potential clients.
You cannot ignore Facebook, and establishing a positive profile here is easy. Since so many people use it already, Facebook offers a logical place for clients to leave a review when they have been happy with your services.
Yelp
Yelp is a popular site for many types of local businesses, and it is completely free. User-friendly for consumers, Yelp is a spot where you can share photos, details about your practice and it’s a popular venue for consumers to leave a review for your law firm.
Lawyers.com
Lawyers.com is a premium ranking website for businesses in the legal realm, and it offers a direct link for future clients to contact you. Establish a thorough profile here, and they may be more likely to do so.
NOLO
Nolo gives you a variety of marketing options after you finish your basic profile. You can publish articles here, buy ads, and it is another place for your clients to leave their reviews.
Make Law Firm Reviews Easy
It seems unfair that even though you have dozens of happy clients, it is usually the unhappy customers that leave their feedback. It is important to make it effortless for every satisfied client to write a review for your law firm, and here are three ways to facilitate the task.
Ask Them
Make it a priority to ask every client to leave their positive feedback, letting them know how vital their feedback is to your business.
Remind Them
You will be more likely to gain a review for your law firm when you offer clients more than one reminder and opportunity to do it. You can display a link in your email signature, along with a plug to let clients know how valuable their positive feedback is. Automated email gives repeat nudges to write a review without seeming too overbearing. Instead of a long string of text, you can shorten those email links using the information found on this Youtube video.
Be Consistent
Although Google algorithms are mysterious and unverifiable, sources hint that consistent client ratings and review counts are factored into the Google ranking strategy. Gather steady reviews for your law firm, because consistency matters.
Use Online Review Services
There are paid online services available that can streamline reviews for your law firm, and these companies can provide serious advantages when it comes to managing your online reputation. Differing in price and services, some of these review management tools include BirdEye, Podium, Grade.us, and ReviewTrackers.
Reviews Matter For Your Overall SEO Strategy
Gaining quality reviews for your law firm can inform potential clients, boost your online rankings, and set you apart from your competitors. Make it simple and smooth for every client to leave a 5-star review by offering them more than one opportunity to do so. You can ask for a review at your final in-person meeting, and in further wrap-up emails. Your law firm may want to offer incentives or consider investing in an online review management system, which will track those valuable reviews and make it easier for you to respond. Reward your clients by saying thank you for taking the time to leave their kind comments, and respond gently to any negative feedback you receive, because a gracious attitude can showcase your professionalism. Above all, offer stellar client service, because this will make it more likely for your clients to leave their 5-star reviews. If you want to develop a strong overall SEO strategy along with your 5-star reviews, contact us today at [email protected] or visit us at www.LawQuill.com.