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FL: In your estimation, what percentage of law firms have taken the first step and embraced the Internet as a means to market their practice?
I would guess that a very small percentage of firms seriously market their practice through their Web site. I think that while a majority of firms have Web sites today, most are not effectively leveraging their sites to market their practice.
FL: How many have taken their Web presence to advanced levels, by enhancing their site and creating knowledge centers?
Even fewer firms have taken their Web presence to advanced levels because those opportunities are typically only available to National firms with large budgets. General practice regional firms would likely spread their marketing resources too thin if they created highly individualized knowledge centers for one practice area or industry because they can be very high maintenance and take a significant amount of law firm staff time.
Rather than developing specialty site sections within our own Web site, I generally feel there is more value in having our firm attorneys write articles for independent third party sites because it lends a sense of objectivity to their work.
There are exceptions. Crosslin Slaten & O'Connor, P.C. based in Montgomery, Alabama is one law firm that I think effectively provides expertise for a specific industry using their Web site. In their case, they utilize both a regular law firm web site at www.csopc.com and another site at www.buglaw.com. The buglaw.com site highlights their expertise in pest control litigation defense. What's so cool is that it's an easy site name to remember and I have been told it is extremely popular within the pest control business community. They even have "bug cursors" that you can download for your computer.
FL: What is the biggest barrier that firms encounter when trying to establish a web presence?
Most firms have limited budget when building a Web site so cost is probably the major barrier. However, finding a good designer and Web master is also a daunting task. A good Web site these days needs to be database driven so requires substantial technical expertise to set up. Also, it's extremely difficult to get everyone to agree on what the Web site should look like and what colors should be used. At Miller Nash we had several internal surveys of several "looks" and sought out suggestions and criticisms and took everyone's thoughts and ideas into consideration.
Another barrier for marketers, especially in smaller firms, is figuring out how to effectively handle requests from lawyers to have their friends or relatives build the firm's Web site. Many attorneys are not aware of the incredible complexities involved in creating a database driven Web site, and that everything you see on a page has been painstakingly considered and labored over in every detail. Web sites designed by those without experience working with lawyers or the law may not be the most effective at building an effective marketing tool for business audiences.
FL: What do you think the potential clients expects from a law firm?
Clients expect responsiveness and to be kept informed of what is going on, even when nothing is happening.
Clients might not expect an extranet yet, but surveys show they would like them. We are hoping that we can expose as many of them as possible to our extranet so that once they try it out, they will like it so much they won't go to a firm that doesn't have that service.
FL: Do the current rules that regulate attorney marketing impinge upon lawyers' ability to participate in effective marketing campaigns?
I think the ethics rules really protect the integrity of the industry. I would hate to see attorneys marketing themselves as products and feel that the current rules keep the profession professional.
FL: Often, law firm marketing initiatives focus on what an organization can do to increase client relationships. Should attorneys take steps independent of the firm's initiatives to bring in business?
Absolutely. Lawyers can always get more involved with industries and associations. One problem we face as marketers is that we may be unaware of our attorneys' involvement in such activities and therefore can't maximize their individual efforts by providing them with appropriate support.
FL: What should individual attorneys do to increase business for the firm?
Everyone should contribute by doing something with which they are comfortable. People are most effective at whatever they are most comfortable with but should try to focus on at least one area such as speaking, writing, and other things that identify them as experts in their particular area.
FL: What are some current trends in legal marketing?
It is difficult to assess whether branding will continue to be a major focus because I believe that successful branding requires a firm associate itself with a feeling or emotion. People have gut-level feelings about products or services as a result of the images they are presented with. Since successful branding by image is very expensive, most multi-service firms will need to differentiate themselves through reputation building.
It will be interesting to see how Orrick's O branding campaign effects the decision making process of those seeking legal counsel. Certainly they may have name recognition on their side if nothing else.
FL: In 5 years, how do you envision the legal marketing landscape?
If law firms change the billable hours structure, legal marketing could be positively affected. If attorneys start marketing their work even a little bit more like a product rather than only an hourly service they could differentiate themselves by marketing specific "product" services rather than maintaining a strict focus on relationship building. The first firm to boldly advertise this type of structure could have a major impact on other law firms.
FL: Many attorneys complain about the lack of return on their Web marketing investments, and assert that the majority of their business comes from word-of-mouth referral. How do you respond?
It is always difficult to track exactly where clients are coming from and no doubt most are coming from word of mouth, direct referral or direct contact. However, in today's workplace, it is hard to imagine that someone would not at least visit a law firm's Web site prior to calling the firm to learn more. Hiring a law firm is a major investment that often directly influences the success of a company or organization. A firm's Web site provides a major opportunity to present a positive image to a potential client.
FL: Is it possible to isolate the effectiveness of Web marketing compared to traditional methods of client generation?
A survey a couple of years ago showed a fair number of business people considered our firm stodgy, stuffy, and conservative, which we are not. I am hoping that having one of the nation's premier Web sites can change that incorrect perception. Publicity over our Web site has been substantial, and I hope it has allowed us to show what Miller Nash is today.
FL: Free marketing giveaways - effective, or a waste of money?
Free marketing giveaways can be effective, but you have to be careful with the partner's money. We have been most successful with our mints a tin with our logo. They really get snapped up. Does it bring in business? Not directly, but if people have those mints on their desk or in their pockets or cars and are seeing our logo very frequently is a lot of "impressions" -- plus they taste good and we are a law firm with good taste.
FL: What are some of the more creative giveaways you've encountered from law firms?
Umbrellas and custom chocolates. I wouldn't ever do anything without contact information.