It’s a simple truth that in our digitized, hyper-personalized market, law firms that take a client-centered approach to marketing will be more successful than those that don’t. Think about it: today’s consumer is accustomed to having information, services, and support right at their fingertips, whether they’re hailing a ride share, using a food delivery service, or shopping for luxury sheets. And it’s no different when it comes to hiring a law firm.
In fact, the 2021 Legal Trends Report found that the most successful firms continue to adopt technological solutions for more flexible, client-centered services. Legal practices that have consistently grown their revenue are more likely to adopt client-centered technologies. These firms are 37% more likely to be using online payment solutions, 41% more likely to use client portals, and 46% more likely to use client intake and client relationship management (CRM) solutions.
What Is Client-Centric Marketing?
Client-centric marketing starts when you step outside of your role as a member of the law firm and step into the shoes of your potential clients. What are their pain points when searching for law services? What is their buyer persona? How do they want the experience of working with a law firm to look and feel?
When you think about marketing for a law firm with the needs and wants of the client in mind, you naturally attract more clients. Client-centric marketing also ensures that:
- Your firm is easier for potential clients to find
- Potential clients are more likely to choose your law firm over your competitors
- The client-firm relationship operates smoothly, reducing your workload
- Current clients remain loyal to your firm
- You receive more word-of-mouth referrals
7 Strategies For a Client-Centered Approach to Marketing Your Law Firm Practice
With results like those, you’ll want to ensure you’re using this highly effective strategy for marketing for attorneys and law firms. If you’re not, potential clients will flock to your competitors who are.
To get started, we suggest implementing the following seven strategies, which will help you build a client-centered approach to marketing your law firm practice:
Easy-to-Find Contact Information
The most basic information potential clients are looking for when they visit your site is contact information. But too many firms don’t efficiently inform site visitors how they can get in touch. A potential client who doesn’t see this information easily accessible on your site will navigate away from your site — the exact opposite of what you want them to do.
Make sure that your firm’s contact information (phone number, email address, contact form, etc.) are in multiple locations, and that this information can be found where the visitor expects it to be. For example, it’s common for companies to have this information in the footer of every single page of the site. You might also want to have a “contact us” button at the very top of your home page, for an even easier-to-find approach.
Understand And Map Your Buyer's Journey
All buyers are on a journey, from research to purchase. Understanding the journey of your potential clients allows you to pursue marketing your law firm practice in a way that helps them quickly complete the process, and, most importantly, select your firm at the trip's end.
Understanding the buyer’s journey involves factors like knowing their pain points and offering ways to help them overcome those challenges. It also involves knowing what distinguishes your law firm from the others, and presenting this in a compelling way to potential clients throughout their research process. Remember, you’re putting yourself in the shoes of consumers and creating a marketing plan around their specific wants and needs.
Design Your Website So It's Easy to Navigate
Have you ever landed on a website and thought, “I can’t find anything I want here?” When that happens, the potential client will quickly move on — and you’ll quickly lose business.
The client-centered approach to marketing your law firm practice includes designing your website so it’s easy to navigate. Take into consideration such site features as a search bar, a streamlined site menu, and how you link back to your homepage. Start by evaluating your site’s navigation from the buyer’s perspective, and implementing some basic improvements to make your site work for the client.
Create a Client Portal
Potential clients want to know that working with your law firm will be a seamless experience. One service that ensures ease-of-use is a client portal. This is a tool that allows your firm to interact with clients at every stage of the relationship — from onboarding to payment.
No one wants to have to waste time with clunky processes like scanning and uploading or mailing hard copies of signed documents. In a client portal, everything from document sharing to signing is performed online, instantly. If you make it easy to engage with your firm, clients will take notice and want to work with you.
Optimize For Keywords Your Audience Searches For
Search engine optimization is the mechanism you use to get your firm to on that page or even at the very top of that list, thereby driving more traffic to your website. When marketing your law firm practice, you need to consider what keywords potential clients are using to research law services. Optimizing your site with these keywords boosts your online visibility to potential clients.
For example, if your target audience is commonly searching for “family law practices in [my state],” you’ll want to be sure to include that phrase in your website text. Optimizing your site for audience searches involves several other steps, but investing in this client-centered approach will pay off in the form of more client leads.
Create Blog Posts That Answer Their Most Pressing Questions And Concerns
Well-written blogs that address your clients’ burning questions and legal needs will position your firm as an expert resource, and a preferred legal partner. And while maintaining a blog on your website might seem daunting, the truth is that a handful of thoughtfully crafted blog posts will repay dividends to your firm.
What are the common questions your firm receives from potential and current clients? What are the pain points of your target audience? Draft a few blogs that answer these questions and address these challenges to create a resource that will serve your clients and attract leads to your practice.
Ensure Client Communication is Clear, Quick, And Frequent
It should come as no surprise that excellent customer service for any business is a must. Customers will not waste time with a business — whether a product or service provider — that is slow to respond to their needs.
Make sure your law firm has a diligent approach to customer service. Respond to requests for information quickly (within 24 hours or less), professionally, and thoroughly. In an environment where consumers feel quality customer service is a thing of the past, providing competent care will set you apart from the competition.
Need Help Marketing Your Law Firm Practice?
A client-centered approach to marketing your law firm practice will help your firm attract and retain high-quality clients. Starting with these seven steps, you’ll put your firm on a path towards standing out from the competition and building a strong foundation of loyal clients.
If you’re unsure how to start implementing these strategies or need a ready team to do the work for you, our marketing experts at Yokel Local are standing by to guide you through the process. Book a strategy session with us today to learn more about how your firm could be using a client-centered approach to increase leads and grow your practice.
