Why Lawyers Should Focus on Gaining Reviews from Clients

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When was the last time you reached out to a satisfied client for a personal review? If you have just handled a sensitive case with aplomb, received a significant judgement or walked away knowing that your client was thrilled with your work, but did nothing about it, you are losing out on ready-made opportunities to grow your practice and bolster your reputation in the legal industry.

When clients seek to hire a lawyer, they often turn to references or word of mouth from friends and family as well as attorney websites and personal interviews with attorneys. The more positive reviews you have from current and previous clients, the more new clients you will entice to walk through your door.

Why do lawyers, in particular, need to gain reviews from their clients? The following five reasons showcase the importance of client reviews from attorneys in practices of all areas and sizes:

Reviews can help build trust in the eyes of potential clients.

Let’s face it – online research is easier than in-person interviews. It is fast and often very effective. If your website and social media feature a wealth of glowing reviews attributed to actual clients, you make it very easy for potential clients to learn more about how you do business and why they should hire you. If you want to add to your legal practice, this is a simple step you can take in order to attract more new business.

Positive reviews can combat the shadier aspects of the legal industry.

According to a Gallup poll on America’s most detested industries, only 34 percent of Americans said that they view the legal profession in a positive light while 37 percent have a negative view of the legal field. The system itself is adversarial and some lawyers have less-than-stellar reputations, based on their fees, demeanors, or popular portrayal in TV and movies. If you and your firm, on the other hand, have a host of good client reviews for potential clients to peruse, you can help to combat this image, presenting the brighter side of the legal business.

Client reviews will help you grow referral traffic.

If you are seeking to raise the prominence of your profile in directories such as Yelp, Avvo or FindLaw, for example, positive reviews will work in your favor, bringing you more leads and ongoing business. Referrals are an easy and valuable way of building business.

Positive reviews also help your rankings in search engines.

When nearly 90 percent of consumers read online reviews to research local businesses, according to BrightLocal, it is clear that you need client reviews to get the organic search engine results you desire. If your practice or firm is not already appearing prominently in search engines, it is time to enhance your client reviews. Reviews provide further context and assure potential clients that you are a reputable lawyer.

Reviews round out your overall marketing efforts.

While reviews should never be your only source of marketing and outreach, they contribute positively to everything else you do to promote your practice and your firm. Whether you are handling everything yourself or using a firm or individual for marketing support, ensure that your online presence includes a variety of thoughtful client reviews.

Criminal defense attorney, Kensley Barrett, says, “No matter what area of law you practice, it’s important to increase positive ‘word of mouth’ about your firm. One of the best ways to do this is by focusing on gaining reviews and testimonials.”

Third-party recognition is more important than it has even been in the legal field. This type of recognition comes in many forms, with positive client reviews serving as one of the most effective endorsements of an attorney’s work. While you can take the time to reach out to key clients for a review, your firm can also set up an automated process to request a review following any case or deal. This request takes little time and effort on your end, while offering significant benefits when you receive noteworthy endorsements from your clients.

Daniel Scalco
Dan Scalco is the founder and director of growth at Digitalux, a digital marketing agency located in Hoboken, New Jersey. Throughout his career, he has helped hundreds of businesses save time, increase leads, and maximize sales.

1 COMMENT

  1. At LegalShield, our members provide more than 1 million reviews to our lawyers each year. We survey every member after using our service, and then we provide that feedback to our lawyers. We also provide free online training for areas of concern — usually active listening and thorough explanation. We have improved out Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 2 points to 59 since implementing this targeted training based upon real client feedback one year ago.

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