Online reviews are a vital part of the growth journey of your law firm. An energetic law practice thrives on a fantastic reputation and reviews from satisfied clients.
In this article, we will consider the following:
- Online reputation management reviews;
- How to manage them; and
- How lawyers can get more online reviews from satisfied clients.
In recent times, online reviews have come to serve several purposes, and the foremost is decision making. A lot of people turn to online reviews to make decisions about whom to consult for legal services.
Although online reviews are essential, building these reviews can be a tedious process for lawyers who are wholly engaged and busy with complicated cases. Thus, 21st-century lawyers must become proactive and systematic in approaching the digital divide between them and their clients/prospective clients by taking advantage of the internet.
Why Are Reviews Important for Lawyers?
Although lawyers are professionals, reviews are still critical. Every career or business endeavor thrives on positive feedback from satisfied customers and clients. Whether your business is a gift shop, a cafe, a restaurant, or a law firm, reviews will always be instrumental to improving your organization’s growth and visibility.
Reviews hold out attorneys in a good light. Reviews are essential for lawyers who are looking to do great things in their law practice for two reasons:
- People are going to write reviews about you: Whether you want them to or not, whether you care about reviews or not, people will write reviews about you. It is a given. But you can help influrencewhat they will say about you.
- People are going to read reviews about you: Whether you want it or not, people will read reviews about you. It iw what they read about you that will determine their perception of you and whether you will be hired or not.
This means that, to no small extent, reviews can make or mar your reputation. Reviews and reputation are an inseparable duo. They work hand in hand in the following ways:
- Reviews serve as an essential SEO tool. A steady stream of reviews boosts your site’s search engine optimization by helping you rank highly in local search engine results. This, in turn, makes it easier for new and prospective clients to find you.
Most people like to share their written online reviews either automatically or manually. If one fantastic review is written about you by two or more people, there is the likelihood of it being shared widely and driving new clients to you.
The first step in making progress in this regard is accepting the above facts and taking proper steps to shape your narrative. When these are done, you are ready to receive the reviews and work with them to build an outstanding reputation.
Best Reviews Sites for Lawyers
Before you embark on getting more reviews, you have to first decide what sites you want your clients to post reviews on. The internet is a world of its own. Thus, you must be precise about your target sites from the outset.
Facebook, Yelp, and Google are the “big three” review sites. This is because they have gained credibility over the years. Clients trust the reviews posted on these sites, and these sites are quite popular among internet users.
However, other sites are equally good, particularly for lawyers. They include Avvo.com, Lawyers.com, Superlawyers.com, and Martindale.com.
There are so many review sites. You must diversify your target sites since most of your prospective clients have a favorite review site and will prefer to go directly to that site when in need of reviews. Again, you want to give as many people as you can the opportunity to come in contact with your legal expertise.
The big three are great options because most people already have accounts with either all or some of them, so they can type a review without having to go through the stress of creating an account with a new site.
But a lot of credibility is also attached to niche review sites for lawyers. Potential clients want to get the very best from the niche they would need services from. They want sites that provide specific, professional services.
This means that when potential clients seek an attorney to handle complicated and expensive cases, they’d more likely choose to visit a site connected explicitly to the case.
The vital point to note is that it is ideal to receive reviews from multiple legitimate sites. You will need to set up your profile on your chosen review site(s) and verify that the profile is genuinely yours to post information about yourself and respond to feedback.
Although every site is unique and has its unique features, the striking thing about Google, Facebook, and Yelp is that they allow you to verify or claim your profile.
The Best Way to Ask Your Clients for Reviews
A lot of lawyers worry about what people write about them. How can you influence what people write about you while staying within ethical and legal bounds? Simply do the following:
- After each transaction with a client, ask the client for some feedback. Ask them specific questions about the service they have just received. For instance, you can ask whether they are satisfied with how you handled their case. Also ask them if they would recommend you to others that may need your services.
- If the client gives positive feedback or indicates that they are happy with your services, say something like, “I’m pleased to hear it. It would be a massive help to me/I would greatly appreciate it if you would write a review about your experience on [site] or [site].
- Send the client out on a high note. Ensure that your staff is warm and attentive as the client leaves so that he or she leaves feeling good about your practice.
- Send the client a follow-up email with links to the sites where you would like them to leave a review.
However, if the answers to your initial questions are negative, don’t ask them to post an online review.
Also, you must be mindful about bringing up the writing of reviews at the wrong time. Wait until the case is over. If the case concerns an emotionally devastating issue, asking for reviews at the wrong time can make you sound callous.
Conclusion: A Systemized & Automated Approach
Using an automated system like ReputationStacker can make sourcing reviews very easy for you. All you have to do is enter an email address or phone number for your clients, and ReputationStacker will contact them with a single-question review. The system directs happy clients to the review site while unhappy clients are redirected to you.
It is private, easy, and integrates with niche lawyer review sites alongside other major online sites.
Give ReputationStacker a try today, and you will be glad you did!