If attracting new clients is important to you, then the answer is yes!

Word of mouth is the traditional way small law firms gain new clients.

The problem is that word of mouth is changing.  In the past, a word of mouth referral may have led to a potential client checking the yellow pages for the firm and picking up the phone. 

Now, however, the way people look for services has changed.  People are no longer satisfied with a yellow pages listing, be it the online version or looking up the book.  We now have far higher expectations of what we should be able to learn about a company, and its staff, before we even pick up the phone.

A friend recently received a referral from a colleague to a particular lawyer at a small law firm.  After searching for the firm on Google, and only being able to find a one line directory listing about the firm with its telephone number and address, she quickly disregarded the referral.

What did she do? 

She searched for “Family Lawyer Parramatta” in Google and perused a few of the websites that came up first.  She found a website where the firm’s profile, and the photo and description of the family lawyer mentioned, appealed to her.  She picked up the phone and called that firm.

We have a busier and more mobile population than ever before.  This means that the chances of a potential client seeing your firm on the main street of your suburb and remembering you when they need a lawyer have greatly diminished.  By the time they need a lawyer they may have already moved to another suburb anyway!

The web is also allowing potential clients to be more discerning.  They are no longer satisfied with visiting the local solicitor, they want to find a lawyer who they perceive to be a specialist in the area of law they are concerned with.

A website is an essential tool for small law firms.  When set up properly, a website will allow clients who live in your area to find your firm when they search on Google.  It will allow you to set up profiles of your staff which establish them as experts in their area of law.  Further, it will allow your potential clients to get to know your firm and its staff, and realise that your firm is the kind of firm they need, before they even pick up the phone.

If you don’t have a website, get one now!  A link to get you started:  www.leapwebsite.com.au.

Coming soon:  We don’t have the time or money to set up a website, what do we do?