Common Law Firm Internet Marketing Mistakes
Signing Long-term Contracts
Vendors love it when you sign long-term contracts, and in many cases long-term contracts can be a win for your law firm. 2-4 year contracts can you get better deals when negotiating a lease for your office, practice management software fees and online research access fees. While these scenarios may often result in a win-win, law firms lose when they apply this approach to their SEO, PPC or other Internet marketing service contracts.
Internet marketing strategies change much too quickly to fit into 2-4 year plan. I recommend developing strategies in 3-6 month chunks. This gives your strategies time to be effective without committing your firm to a program that may change drastically or become obsolete.
The worst case scenario is that you sign a long-term contract with a company that does not do much on a regular basis to help your firm succeed: they simply take your money every month because you signed a contract saying they could.
Not Tracking Results
One of the benefits of online marketing is that you can track results very easily. It is very cost effective and helps you adjust your efforts over time. Unless, of course, you made the mistake of signing a long-term contract that cannot be adjusted based on results.
You should track results at the conversion level so you know your cost per client acquisition. Only then can you make informed decisions as to where your marketing dollars should be spent.
Tracking the drivers of intake forms and calls will give you the power to make the most profitable marketing decisions for your firm.
No On-site Blog
An on-site blog allows you to add content to your site that is relevant to your area of law and/or the community you serve on a regular basis. When search engines find new unique written and video content on your site your site rankings will improve, and if you do a really good job the traffic will be relevant and drive more clients your way.
If the content is really valuable you will get picked up by other sites who link back to your site via their blogs and other websites, further enhancing your web presence.
No Off-site SEO or Linking Strategy
While adding content to your site can do a lot to help you get more and better clients, if your market is competitive you will not rank well for your target search terms without a comprehensive off-site SEO/link-building strategy. Off-site SEO is more than just link building: it should include social signals and tiered or layered links. A diverse link building approach is vital for long-term success.
For a free and honest consultation and web presence analysis contact Dan Stratford today at 720-985-7945.
What are the most common mistakes other law firms have made that I should avoid?