There are numerous reasons attorneys choose to use Wordpress to power their law firm websites and blogs. Wordpress is a dynamic platform you can host on your own server. You’ll love that if you’re a control freak like me When used as a content management system, Wordpress can be taken to a whole other level.

If you’re an attorney looking to develop or enhance your law firm’s web presence, you’ll appreciate (more than likely) the immensely powerful, yet fairly simple, user-friendly system that is Wordpress.

From this paralegal’s perspective, here are 5 reasons attorneys should consider using Wordpress:

1. Its User-Friendliness.

You don’t have to be a “certified” web programmer to use Wordpress. It’s very user-friendly, so even a novice can manage their own website or blog. Today, most hosting companies offer one-click installations and Wordpress also has a 5 minute installation tutorial they offer through their website. In a matter of minutes, you can write a new blog post, add a few images, video or audio, and publish it for your readers to enjoy.

2. It’s Free!

Because Wordpress is an open source program, it’s provided to you and me free of charge. That means you can use it to manage your law firm’s website or your personal blog at no cost to you.

3. There’s a Huge Theme Directory.

Once Wordpress is installed on your server, you’ll have a plethora of themes (aka templates) to choose from. There are 1, 2 and 3 column themes, magazine themes, and more. You can choose a theme that’s designed strictly for blogging or one that appears to be a static website. And, you can download and switch between different themes with a few clicks of your mouse. You can find a long list of themes on Wordpress, and if you do a Google search you’ll find even more. Have fun theme searching!

4. Plugins Extend Its Functionality.

Plugins are simply packages of software that extend the functionality of a program. In Wordpress, there’s a plugin for most anything you want to do. You can use plugins to optimize your site and make it more search engine friendly, add content to your sidebars, and even integrate with your social media accounts. In most instances, just install the plugin, activate and start using it.

5. It’s SEO friendly.

How useful is a website that no one can find? Not useful at all. The whole point of publishing a website is to generate traffic to it. One way to get traffic to your site is to publish SEO-friendly content. Wordpress makes search engine optimization easier. You can customize your permalink structure to make your site’s URLs more appealing to the search engines. You can use SEO plugins like Smart Tags and All In One SEO to tag your posts, customize your title bars and add description tags.

Ok folks, that’s all for now. See you next Wednesday!

If you’re enjoying our Wordpress Wednesday series thus far, please be sure to subscribe to our feed so you won’t miss our future updates.

We’re a little more than halfway through the year and our legal VA business is booming…in this economy! We have attracted an awesome group of sharp and thoughtful clients, and are on track to far exceed our last year earnings. The success of FSVS this year is due, in large part, to our Wordpress-powered website. On the other hand, letting go of a couple of needy, inconsiderate and flat-out cheap clients has also allowed us to spread our wings and grow…but that’s a story for another day…another long day (smile)

So, I’m launching Wordpress Wednesday today as my way of showing love to the dynamic blogging platform that has helped me grow my legal VA business by leaps and bounds.

Here are 3 reasons this virtual paralegal loves Wordpress:

1. Quick and simple installations
How many blogging platforms can you install on a client’s server in five minutes or less with one-click installations? Probably none other than Wordpress. As a virtual paralegal and legal marketing assistant, my days are pretty busy and my calendar is usually packed solid. Being able to install Wordpress in minutes, frees up more time for me to work on my clients’ other projects, which keeps me and the clients happy.

2. Plug-ins galore
As if it’s not powerful enough, there are tons of Wordpress plug-ins that help expand WP’s functionality. There’s a plugin for practically anything you want to accomplish on your blog. We’ll discuss individual plug-ins as our Wordpress Wednesday series continues.

3. It’s FREE!
Yep! Wordpress is a totally free blogging platform. Take it from the frugal marketer that launched her thriving virtual paralegal business with pennies and a few bucks. It doesn’t get any better than free!

That’s all for now. I’ll see you next Wednesday with a new Wordpress fix. In the meantime, let me know why you love Wordpress. If you haven’t jumped on the Wordpress bandwagon yet, that’s cool. Let me know why you haven’t.

If you’re enjoying our Wordpress Wednesday series thus far, please be sure to subscribe to our feed so you won’t miss our future updates.

Michael

Michael, one of seven children of Joe and Katherine Jackson, leaves behind 3 children, sisters, brothers, family, friends and fans all over the world.

Since the start of his career in the 60’s, Michael transcended unbelievable barriers. His fan base today includes people of all ages and races across the globe. My friends over at Bossip.com may have said it best:

At the end of the day, MJ gave America culture and this expands beyond pop or R&B, this goes into issues of the arts, music, race, and the way we look at the world. From country to hip-hop, MJ was the pioneer that laid the bricks down in the culture. Now that he has passed, the world will likely realize the great man and genius that was really living among us.

Michael’s transcendence was confirmed to me when I received a short text message from one of my dear clients, an attorney at least 20+ years my senior practicing law in the Northeast, which simply read: “We lost MJ.”

MJ, thank you for all you have given the world of entertainment. We will miss you, King of Pop.

Advantages of Outsourcing to a Virtual Legal Assistant

There are many advantages to outsourcing your tasks to a virtual assistant, including:

1. At the top of the list of benefits is cost-effectiveness. When you outsource to a VLA you are billed only for the time spent completing your tasks. You do not pay for down time, social breaks or time devoted to personal emails.

2. When you partner with a VLA, you can drastically lower your overhead costs. Virtual assistants are entrepreneurs. They have their own fully equipped offices and provide their own benefits. When you hire an in-office employee, you are responsible for providing office space, furniture, computers, training and software for that employee. In many instances, you also provide health benefits, vacation pay, sick leave and bonuses.

3. As a solo attorney, you can work from the comfort of your own home without needing to provide additional office space or increasing your monthly overhead. Because virtual assistants work from their own offices, you are not required to provide any office space, furniture, computer or other equipment.

Where You Can Find Virtual Legal Assistants

If you are considering outsourcing some of your tasks to a VLA, I recommend you first consult family, friends and colleagues for referrals. If you have no luck there, you should begin searching online. Search for virtual assistants that specialize in providing the support you need. There are several VA directories you can find online, or you can contact the team at www.fullservicesupport.com.

With today’s technology, you are not limited geographically. You can work seamlessly with a virtual assistant anywhere in the US.

As many of you know, I opened the doors of FSVS after working several years as a full time litigation paralegal. Over the years, I have encountered several virtual assistants that are partnering with clients in the legal and non-legal business communities; however, one legal virtual assistant stands out above all others, and that legal VA is Aretha Gaskin of TVLAI.

Aretha’s one of the most dynamic, thought-provoking, and vivacious virtual legal assistants I know. She’s also one of few of us that have “real” law firm experience. She’s not a virtual assistant that decided to become a “legal” virtual assistant because it was a profitable niche. She’s not an administrative assistant turned legal assistant after enrolling in a $5000 online crash course. Like many of us, Aretha’s been in the trenches. Before launching her VA business in 2006, Aretha worked with some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in New York City.

As with any profession, the virtual assistance industry has its share of self-proclaimed experts. Some of them are amazingly talented, others…well, I won’t go there. Yet, I am unable to recall (after careful consideration) another legal VA that is better suited to teach “Virtual Assistants and the Solo Practitioner” at SPU.

Congratulations Aretha, from our entire team of virtual assistants! You’re an awesome addition to the SPU faculty, and I know you will make us legal VA’s very proud.