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Small Firm Advantages
Small law firms can have some advantages when it comes to internet marketing.
Higher Budget
Generally, a small firm will have a larger marketing budget than a solo practitioner. Additionally, income will tend to be more regular, so appropriate marketing planning can be made. More investment in marketing options for your website will lead to new clients and increased income.
Pay Per Click
Being able to spend $1000-$2000 per month on your internet marketing, can open some options for you. One avenue to obtain visits to your website is through pay per click (PPC) advertising. This means every time someone clicks on your ad, you pay a fee. Generally the costs range from a few dollars to $20 per click. This really varies by market and keyword. Some of the most sought after keywords (such as mesothelioma) in the largest markets, can run around $100 per click.
While it is obviously better to rank highly for your keywords without paid ads, paid ads can supplement your income and give you additional business you might otherwise be missing. It is generally hard to rank #1 for every keyword you are targeting. Google has been getting more specific in its searches over the years. If you rank #1 for DUI Lawyer, you might not rank the same for DWI Lawyer. Using PPC can help your website be shown for some of the keywords you are missing out on.
Diverse Practice Areas
Many small law firms will have multiple practice areas. This generally helps you set a broader range of clients you are seeking. Further, you would be less likely to turn away clients who are looking for help in any given practice area. Besides ranking well for practice areas, such as bankruptcy or personal injury, it is really important to rank well for your geographic area. Hopefully you have Attorneys with your firm who are experts in their given area, and clients will be searching for them directly. However, many clients will be looking for a firm close to them, who they feel will be convenient to work with. These potential clients will often call the first law firm they come across. It is therefore important to try and obtain the top spot for the keywords in your geographic location. Such as "Atlanta Lawyer".
Many, if not most, small firms will have additional support staff available, or otherwise have someone available to answer the phone during normal business hours. As you are likely aware, one of the most important things to retaining new clients is to return that first phone call promptly. You want your website designed in such a way that there is a strong call to action, to get the client to call you, email you, or otherwise contact you. You need a professional web design, and easy to find contact information.
Small Firm Hurdles
While it is often useful to have multiple practice areas, it is harder to market a website for all of the available keywords. Sometimes, the best approach is to have numerous websites. Each website would be related to a specific practice area. The benefits of this are twofold. One, Google will rank a website higher for a certain practice area if all of the webpages are generally focused on the same thing. Second, potential clients will likely see you as an expert, or recognize you focus on the area they are seeking help in. Having numerous pages and articles related to their problem will help lead them to taking the first step to call you.
Some small firms will have trouble setting aside additional money from marketing (or taking away money from somewhere else). When this happens, my best advice is to allow us to demonstate the return on investment (ROI) that you can obtain. Sometimes, it makes since to start of small and see if you obain any increase results. However, the better approach is to go ahead with the appropriate plan, so that you rank higher quicker. To help our customers see the results they can expect, we provide previous case examples. Additionally, we offer a money-back guarantee that our services will get you results. Give us a call to discuss this in more detail.