Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog
Web sites *DO* bring in new business
I was at the PM Forum kickoff reception in New York yesterday, talking to Robert Algeri of Great Jakes Web Site & Design, and he reminded me of the following facts:
1) 73% of law firms acknowledge having generated new clients whose first awareness of their firm was through its website. --"Web-savvy Law Firms Get New Business from the Web" by Hank Brigman, Legal Marketing Technology, August 5, 2003
2) In recent studies, in-house counsel say that they turn to websites twice as often as printed marketing materials when selecting a law firm. --"Managing Outside Counsel Survey Report," ACCA/Serengeti, 2003
3) 38% of in-house counsel search the web at least once a week in search of outside counsel. -- "Best Practices in Legal Marketing: Effective Use of Web Sites," Touchpoint Metrics, Summer 2003
4) When selecting outside law firms, general counsel say that a poor website is a reason some law firms aren't considered at all. -- John Remsen's Managing Partner Forum, October 2002
I can affirm that this is all true. The only printed marketing materials I have are my business cards. The rest is online -- in Web sites, an e-Newsletter, Blog and Listservs. When I get a call from a firm that wishes to hire me as a consultant, I always ask how they found me. Invariably, the answer is, "I looked you up on the Internet."
Is your Web site bringing in business for you?
Tel: 630.942.0977
The article in Legal Marketing Technology defines a "small firm" as a firm with fewer than 75 lawyers. I'd like to know how web presence has affected the practices of solo practitioners and truly small firms (less than 10 lawyers). Blogging and other web-related tools make it possible for small firms and solo practitioners to compete with larger firms. While solos and small firm practitioners may not be able to compete with the largest firms for work which requires extensive staffing and facilities, those with highly specialized practices can compete in niche areas which do not have those requirements. It seems to me that those who take advantage of internet marketing can compete more effectively with large firms that already have an established presence. I just haven't come across any articles that discuss this.