Online reviews are incredibly important in building the reputation and success for ALL businesses, including law firms. In order for a law firm to cultivate a rock-solid client base, they need to utilize client feedback they receive through online reviews and use that as a guide to improve their business. Even better, law firms can benefit from online reviews in so many other ways. Here’s why law firms need online reviews!
Better online reviews will protect your law firm’s referrals!
Law firms are quite competitive when it comes to acquiring clients. Online reviews are an integral part of keeping prospective clients coming through the doors. Particularly when you are referred by someone, it reassures that prospect that you are established and live up to your reputation. When someone reaches out from a referral, they will likely Googled you before contacting you for legal guidance.
If your law firm is connecting with prospects via referral, that already puts you way ahead of other competing law firms. It means that there is a buzz about your establishment. That’s all the more reason to take your online reviews and reputation management seriously. Make sure that your online reviews support those referrals!
84% of customers trust online reviews
as a personal recommendation. – Bright Local
One of the best ways your law firm can benefit from your online reviews is to spotlight the positive reviews past clients have given you. Share the positive feedback you get from happy clients, on Google, Yelp, Avvo, so that you can cultivate more prospects.
Your review score will determine what kind of clients you get.
You may ask yourself, “What kind of online review score should my law firm average if we want the clients we’re looking for?” In a recent study conducted by a marketing team stated that a law firm must have between 4 to 5 stars for the average client to approach them.
Nearly 84% of study participants said that a law firm would need to have review scores of 4 stars or higher before they would hire that firm. – ilawyermarketing.com
If your law firm struggles to keep your clientele and fails to manage its online reputation, potential prospects are going to your competitors instead. This highlights the importance of managing your online reputation. Bad reviews will cost your business and you must defend your success.
Pay close attention to what people are saying about your law firm online. Should you have any negative reviews, address them immediately! All businesses have experienced angry clients. They are not afraid to share what’s on their mind in the form of a bad review. So, it is customary to respond to them, try to understand their perspective, and see how to resolve their issue. Whether it’s a reasonably upset individual or an impossible client, you may receive a bad review and you will have to address it as quickly as possible. If you don’t respond to bad reviews, be aware that other people will see that. Above all else, BE PROFESSIONAL – people see that too.
Read more about how you can remedy your bad reviews in this blog here.
More reviews will encourage more business for your law firm (and better SEO)
Statistically, 97% of prospective clients read reviews before they decide to trust a business and make a commitment to their services. They will scour the internet for testimony before they decide to do business with your law firm. They are putting their legal advocacy in your hands and they need to trust that you will do everything you can to help their case. Moreover, half of those prospective clients will only do business with law firms with a 4- to 5-star rating.
Higher positive ratings and reviews stoke 18% higher loyalty with your clients. Your law firm has a responsibility to cultivate positive press and manage its online reputation. It will yield more success for your business in the long run. Nowadays, your reviews act like a big, blinking neon signpost telling people that you are the best choice, and this is what kind of legal representation you can offer your clients.
Search Engine Optimization (a.k.a. SEO) is just as important as your online reviews. Reviews frame the reputation of your law firm. Furthermore, the more positive feedback and good reviews you have online, the more likely your law firm will rank in Google. This will make it easier for people to find you and a lot more likely they will pick you over your competitors. That’s a huge deal!
What review sites increase the success of my law firm?
In an online study conducted by ilawyermarketing.com, it was found that Google and Yelp are the review platforms that bring law firms the most business. In their survey, 87% of respondents said that Google reviews influenced them the most. Yelp reviews are also considered highly important by almost half of the respondents in the survey.
What about Avvo? Many attorneys us their high Avvo ratings in an attempt to reel in their prospective clients. However, the reality is most consumers don’t know anything about Avvo. On one hand it is known within the legal communities, but not common knowledge amongst everyone else. That being said, only 3% of the survey respondents claimed that Avvo reviews mean something to them.
We mentioned that reviews contribute to your SEO. With that in mind, your Avvo reviews still matter and may surface when people search for your reviews. All of your business content matters when it comes to searchability and winning over your prospective clients.
What about fake negative reviews?
A large part of improving your online reputation is managing your reviews, both good and bad. More importantly, you have to triage your bad reviews. A good portion of them is illegitimate or fake.
So how do you identify fake reviews? Many of these illegitimate bad reviews will violate the terms and conditions of Google, Yelp, and many other review platforms. This is what it is easier to dispute them and work to get them removed. If you feel that you are a victim of illegitimate bad reviews, you may want to learn about violations that qualify bad reviews for removal and the different ways that you can identify a fake bad review in our blog section.
Company Review Solutions will protect your law firm
from fake bad reviews! Schedule a free online demo with a review analyst to learn more about our Review Remedy platform and how we can help remove bad reviews for your law firm.
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