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AttorneySync’s Most Read (2-1-10 to 2-7-10)

AttorneySync — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:15:47 +0000

In case you missed them, here are some of our most viewed posts from last week:

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The Unpopular Position

AttorneySync — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:29:56 +0000

I have an opinion. It’s controversial. It’s definitely the minority position. It will undoubtedly subject me to ridicule amongst my peers. And it may even cost me some business. Nevertheless, I can’t shake myself from it.

No matter how much I read what “the experts” have to say, I keep reaching the same conclusion:

Your law firm website and blog should be used to get business from search engines.

Yes, that just happened. Deal with it.

It seems to me that everywhere I surf, there is yet another expert talking about using their blog to build relationships, grow their professional network, and “connect”.

Now don’t get me wrong. Using a blog for those purposes is EXCELLENT. I completely agree. Growing your readership and connecting with other legal professionals is an invaluable part of generating more business. It will help you grow your referral network, position you as an expert in your niche practice areas, and may even help you get media exposure.

All I’m saying is that there is an additional benefit to having a blog. That benefit is getting found in search engines by prospective clients.

Let’s take a criminal defense blog for example. If well-written, frequently updated, interesting, etc, it will probably gain some amount of readership. And who is that readership likely to be? Mostly, it will be other blogging criminal defense lawyers, maybe some legal scholars, perhaps a couple folks who are just really interested in criminal legal topics. And yes, some of those consistent readers may refer a case to you or even retain your services because they respect you as knowledgeable on criminal law.

But there is another group of people that will find the blog. These people really aren’t all that interested in staying up-to-date on all the latest criminal defense legal issues, news, etc. They don’t use “blog readers”. They’re not “following you on twitter”. In fact, most of these people don’t even know what the word “blog” means. However, they do know another word. That word is “google”.

These folks use the internet in a much different way than you might. A way that is much more familiar to them. They use it like a yellow book. They know that they can find something (like a local law firm) by “googling it”.

And so, if your law firm website and/or blog appears in those results, there is a chance that they will visit your site, call your phone number, or take some other action to move closer to becoming a client of your firm.

Just my opinion.

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Craigslist For Your Law Firm?

AttorneySync — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:35:53 +0000

Recently, more and more lawyers have been telling us that they have been seeing great results with their craigslist advertising. While craigslist posts are free, are they worth the effort in setting up a full craigslist ad campaign?

As it turns out, for a lot of law firms, posting on craigslist is well-worth the time.

As with any other advertising, it is important that your craigslist ads comply with your state’s rules on attorney advertisements. At the risk of stating the obvious, don’t post listings for adult secretarial services.

Are you using craigslist for your law firm? We’d love to know what kind of results you have been getting.

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A Good Looking Law Firm Website

AttorneySync — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:26:16 +0000

From time to time, we come across a law firm website that we really like. The new website of San Jose Employment Lawyers Mesirow & Fink is definitely one of those sites (disclaimer, we did not design the site):

The site is very clean looking with easy to use global and local navigation. There are multiple calls to action that are well-placed and highly visible. Functionally, the site is built on the joomla content management system and includes a blog. We expect that this site will perform very well.

Free Guide: Law Firm Websites Done Right

Want to learn some simple and tangible considerations that should be on your mind when you’re setting up your law firm's website? Download AttorneySync's Free Guide On Law Firm Websites Done Right.

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Why Your Law Firm Should Be More Like A McDonalds

Jeff Berman — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:49:18 +0000

The E-Myth revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It is a terrific book for lawyers running their own practice. One of the key points of the book deals with the idea that as your business grows, it is essential that you put systems into place. The author sites the example of McDonalds as a finely tuned system. Every McDonalds you go to operates the same way and delivers the same experience. When you go to a McDonalds anywhere in the world, you know what to expect. This allows them to scale and replicate their business successfully. A new McDonalds doesn’t wonder how they should address a drive thru customer, how long to put the fries in for, what comes with a number 2 combo, or how many pickles to put on a hamburger. This has all been decided and is laid out ahead of time. A system has been created, tweaked, and followed for optimum performance.

The need for systems in your firm is critical. While professional legal services always involve aspects of work that are unique in each situation, core systems for the way your firm runs should be put into place. It helps with expectations of your employees as well as delivering a consistent experience for your clients.

Think about it this way. Let’s say you had to open a second location for your firm that someone else was running without you, how many aspects of the day to day operations could you have them replicate because there is already a system in place for it?

How would the phones be answered?
How would the intake interview be handled?
How would appointments be scheduled?
How do you follow up on leads and contacts?
How do you handle employee reviews?
How are bonuses and pay raises structured?
Is this all haphazard, changing from day to day depending on your mood?

Good things to think about.

Photo by Roadsidepictures

Free Guide: Writing Content For Your Law Firm’s Website

Want to learn how writing content for your firm’s site can help bring in business?

Download AttorneySync’s Free Guide On Writing Web Content For Lawyers.

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Video And Lightbox On Your Law Firm Website

Gyi Tsakalakis — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:02:22 +0000

One of the many reasons that we encourage law firms to use Wordpress for their websites is its extensive plugin library. The plugin library gives you access to many features that most lawyers would not be able to implement without hiring a professional web developer. One of these great features is the modal dialog box.

Using modal dialog boxes, like lightbox, can be a great way to draw the user’s attention to a particular aspect of your site such as a consultation form or video. This Massachusetts bankruptcy lawyer site uses this technique:

As you can see, the lightbox draws the user’s attention to the video and contains a call to action.

The Avvo profile for this MA bankruptcy lawyer also contains lightboxed video.

When used appropriately, modal dialog boxes enhance the user’s experience on your site. However, improper use can hurt the experience. As usability expert Jakob Nielsen states:

“A lightbox is a blunt instrument that hits users over the head and causes them to stop everything they’re doing. Don’t use them for low-priority items or background information. Talk about modal dialog boxes. A lightbox takes that concept to the extreme. (Even though it’s theoretically possible to enable interaction with the dimmed parts of the screen, in practice this just isn’t done because something that’s dimmed should be inactive.) Users often have to refer to information on the background display to resolve the situation in the foreground dialog box. If the background is dimmed too much, such information can be hard to read.”

In the end, lightboxes should be used judiciously where they enhance the user’s experience.

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New From LinkedIn

Gyi Tsakalakis — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:16:10 +0000

LinkedIn now gives you the power to change the order of your profile sections. This provides LinkedIn users with the ability to showcsae, emphasize, and prioritize their profile strengths:

This video was embedded using the YouTuber plugin by Roy Tanck. Adobe Flash Player is required to view the video.

Are you a lawyer on LinkedIn? This can be especially powerful for legal professionals. Assuming your state allows it, highlighting testimonials from both clients and colleagues can provide you with a significant competitive advantage. Is your blog on Wordpress? Feeding your blog into your LinkedIn profile is one of the best ways to demonstrate your knowledge of your niche practice area. Have you created a SlideShare presentation? Prominently placing presentations on your profile will engage your profile visitors. Looking for a new law job? You may decide to showcase your education, experience, or even resume.

According to LinkedIn, this is just one of the many profile updates to which its users can look forward in the near future. Looks like we’re going to have to update our guide.

LinkedIn Guide For Lawyers

Want to learn pro tips on utilizing LinkedIn for networking and growing your practice? Download AttorneySync's Free LinkedIn For Lawyers Guide.

If you’re looking for an effective social media platform to grow your practice, you need look no further than LinkedIn. It has consistently helped our clients build new professional relationships, as well as, get new clients.

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Recently Popular From AttorneySync

AttorneySync — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:00:42 +0000

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Amazon Look Inside For Article Research

Gyi Tsakalakis — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:01:44 +0000

As anyone involved in law firm internet marketing knows, regular production of quality content is the foundation of having success. However, publishing and publicizing content that attracts readers (and links) takes alot of time, and a bit of skill. Here’s some interesting advice from Work Media internet marketing services on researching new ideas for articles:

“We’ve discovered that Amazon.com can be an excellent research tool to help you write your content.

The way this works is by using Amazon’s Look Inside feature. This feature allows you to view and read passages from books for sale on Amazon that contain specific keywords. Amazon, shrewd business people that they are, only allows you to use this feature if you are a registered user on the site and have actually ordered something. So sign up for an account and buy yourself a good book to read.”

Great idea guys.

Content publication and distribution has to be a priority if you want to have success on the web. For law firms, industry-specific content distribution platforms can be well-worth the investment. However, in order to take full advantage of these tools, it helps to know a little bit about writing for the web and a little bit about search engine optimization.

Free Guide: Writing Content For Your Law Firm's Website

Want to learn how writing content for your firm's site can help bring in business? Download AttorneySync's Free Guide On Writing Web Content For Lawyers.

Free Guide: Getting Your Law Firm Found On Google

Do You Want To Know How To Get Potential Clients To Find Your Law Firm On Google? Download AttorneySync's Free Guide On Getting Your Law Firm Found On Google.

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Free Guide: AttorneySync’s Guide To Using ExpertHub For Lawyers

AttorneySync — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:36:51 +0000

AttorneySync’s newest free guide, A Lawyers Guide To Using ExpertHub, discusses how to leverage the ExpertHub platform for your law firm.

We talk to lawyers every day that are looking for web marketing solutions that actually work. The online haystack is large and finding diamonds can be rough. Ok, so I crossed proverbs. My point is that when we find something that works, we like to share it.

The following guide is intended to show you how to get the most out of the ExpertHub platform for lawyers.

AttorneySync’s Guide To ExpertHub For Lawyers Includes:

What Is ExpertHub
How To Get Started On The Platform
Profile Optimization & Hints
Content Publication & Leveraging Their Network For SEO
Measurement & Tracking Capabilities
How AttorneySync Leverages ExpertHub For Our Clients

You can download your free guide on using ExpertHub here.