The way clients find and connect with businesses has changed dramatically, and law firms must adapt their marketing strategies to keep up. After all, a law firm’s reputation is what makes it unique and differentiates it from others in the industry. One of the most important changes that law firms need to make is to focus on online reviews, such as Google reviews.
With many people looking for a reliable and experienced law firm, reviews have become more important than ever. Here we will talk about the importance of online reviews for law firms and why they’re more significant now than ever.
Potential Clients Use Online Reviews To Make Their Hiring Decisions
The internet is a powerful tool to help people find a lawyer. It allows prospects to research various lawyers in the area, read any reviews, and get an idea of how they’re rated by other clients. In fact, the first thing people do when looking for a lawyer is go online and search for reviews.
Since 96% of people seeking legal advice begin their search online, if you don’t have a solid amount of reviews for them to check out, they’re likely going to move on to a competitor. When it comes to legal issues, people aren’t going to put their lives and money in the hands of someone that they can’t see has successfully helped others in the past.
People Trust Online Reviews As Much As Personal Recommendations
According to a Martindale-Avvo survey, 46% of legal consumers first vetted their lawyers by reading reviews on the internet. Another article published by Broadly.com states that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Thus, reviews are a valuable tool for a law firm as they are the window to show what kind of lawyer they are.
Online Reviews Create Social Proof and Credibility
Any customer or consumer, regardless of your business, will obviously choose the company with better reviews and credibility. Whether you’re offering T-shirts, water bottles, books, or legal services, reviews show that you’re an authority in your field.
Furthermore, potential clients will see that other people have chosen you, and that will give them confidence in your abilities. It basically tells the potential client that you have a history of handling cases just like theirs and you know what you’re doing.
Law Firms Reviews Build Trust and Confidence
Trust is the very foundation of every law firm as what they offer are services related to people’s lives. A law firm with more reviews and positive feedback will definitely have an edge over those who don’t have any or have very few. This is because reviews help build trust and confidence, which are essential when it comes to choosing a law firm.
Every time a review pops up on the internet, it helps build your law firm’s credibility as well as your potential client’s confidence in your abilities. Having something that will back up your law firm’s reputation is always a good thing.
Reviews Increase Click-Through Rates
Reviews attract website visitors as people are more likely to click through to a website that has them. In addition, reviews also help improve search engine rankings as they are considered fresh content. The more reviews you have, the more likely you are to appear on the first page of search results, which means more potential clients will see you.
As search engine algorithms favor those who have the most authority, content, and trustworthiness, having reviews will help you rank higher and get more clicks, therefore adding visibility to your law firm.
Increased Clients
77% of people read online reviews before buying any product or choosing a service. The same goes for people who are looking for a lawyer to hire. They will definitely check for reviews first. This means that if your law firm has more positive reviews, there’s a higher chance that potential clients will choose you over others. And, the more clients you have, the more revenue your law firm will generate. On average, an uplift of 18% in conversion rates has been seen by businesses with excellent reviews.
Final Thoughts
These are just some of the reasons why law firm reviews are more important than ever. Client relationships, brand reach, business growth, and many other factors will be positively affected by online reviews.
If you haven’t been paying attention to them, then now is the time to start. Ask your previous clients to write a review or hire a legal marketing company to create a page on your website specifically for reviews. Either way, in a time of increased competition, reviews are something that you don’t want to be lacking.
