The M-dot Revolution is here. Has Your Law Firm Marketing Joined It?
Law firms are faced with a growing installed base of mobile devices among their clients. Clients use smart phones for email, the Web, texting, and even working on documents. In response, 33% of businesses currently have a mobile strategy in place, and among those who don't they plan to have one within the next 12 months. Relationship marketing -- customer loyalty and retention -- is at the heart of the perceived benefits of mobile marketing.
Mobile marketing involves:
- Creating mobile-friendly websites
- Apps for clients
- Methods to conduct business with programs “in the cloud” using a smart phone.
It’s called the M-dot revolution, because the URL of mobile friendly websites is usually “m.lawfirm.com.”
The spark for the revolution is the new HTML5 web code standard which makes the browser the universal computing platform – not the operating system (such as Mac OS or Windows). It helps overcome the weak processors in smart phones so they can run tasks quickly. The average smart phone user now spends more than 11 hours a month using apps, according to a March 2011 study by Zokem.
Many clients use smart phones to read news, which is accessible with an app or a browser, the information is stored in the cloud, and billing information and preferences can be easily shared.
CMOs will need to push their teams to develop compelling mobile-advertising strategies and create opportunities to use video more often. Who knows, maybe a law firm will develop a mobile app to monitor the purchasing activity of clients and offer them real-time, location-specific legal solutions.
You can see what your website looks like on a smart phone by visiting http://mobilesimulator.info. Check out this video which explains the importance of mobile marketing and has details for us techies.
I'm not surprised by this at all. You see everyone these days staring at their smartphones, it's only a matter of time before law firms and other practices start to access its potential more. Now, as far as the apps are concerned, I can't think off the top of my head how a lawyer could develop an app that would be so appealing to clients, but I'm sure it's out there.
Reply from Larry Bodine: a law firm would create an app that updates clients on changes in legislation or regulation, like the Dodd-Frank law affecting all banks.