Law Firm Marketing BLOG

It seems that there may be an increasing trend toward trying to get great law firm vanity numbers.  While we always get inquiries for the numbers, the number of inquiries has tripled in the last few months.  Why the sudden interest?

To be quite honest, we started pushing these numbers a lot harder than we used to.  Part of the reason for this is that some of our clients are putting more effort into their television and radio advertisements and the most effective thing you can do is to have a memorable phone number.  Sure, 1800-John Law sounds like a good number, but if the listener can’t remember your name, they can’t remember the number.

While some of the best numbers (800-LAWYERS and 800-ABOGADO) have been taken in many states for years, there may still be availability in a few markets.  Additionally, there are other great numbers out there, such as 800-LAW HELP and 888 JUSTICE.  In fact, 888 JUSTICE includes commercials – how easy is that?

Just remember that the more common numbers are the most memorable and, if you are considering a vanity number, these are the types you should look into.

As head of the Search Engine Optimization department, I get a lot of phone calls – both from clients and from solicitors.  What I really find so amusing is when I get calls or emails from companies saying that our own website is not showing up well in the search engines and that they would be happy to help us for a fee.  In fact, I already got one phone call and one email about it today – and that was before 9 AM.

And, of course, I feel the need to respond since they were so kind as to solicit me.  I point out a few things to them.  First, how did they come upon our information were it not for the search engines?  This one always gets the email-ers because the email address that our consultation forms go through is not my usual email, so I can track where the inquiry comes from.  Second, I point out that one of the most important terms for us is “law firm internet marketing” and our website is on page 1 for that term.  So, how can they do better than page 1?  Needless to say, I rarely get responses back from emailers (if I bother to respond at all) and I quickly get hung up on from the telephone solicitors.

Now, this is something that I can deal with; however, when these people call my clients to give them the same spiel, I get pretty annoyed.  I explain the same logic to my clients and then point out places that they are showing up well.  If they weren’t coming up, these companies would not be able to find them.  So, before you doubt your law firm’s marketing firm’s efforts, consider how you were found in the first place.

Attorneys Online, Inc attended the AAJ Winter Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico from January 26th through 30th. The event was full of social activities, familiar faces, and friendly people all around.

As with any convention, we like to greet and visit with our existing clients that decide to attend. I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know a number of our clients that I have worked closely with via email and phone for their law firm website design and search engine optimization.It was great to put a face with the names like Steve Apolinsky, Rick Dodd (from Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP), Fred Dudek, Jack Hickey, Empire Settlement and others!

In addition to a warm greeting from clients I have worked with we received good news. A few of our clients told us that they had successfully signed cases, or had them pending, as a result of our law firm marketing efforts. A Cerebral Palsy case was signed and a Terbutaline case was pending. Both of these cases were a direct result of our gamut of law firm marketing tactics put into play. We created niche websites, optimized text and tags, created blogs, ran sponsored search campaigns, and tweaked everything so our client could be found at the top of search engines in the organic listings and through sponsored search. Nothing beats a smile from our client because what we do worked for them and their law firm!

Our hard work definitely warranted an afternoon of sightseeing. So on Sunday, after the convention hall closed for the day, Cheney and I took a tour of the rainforest. On the bus, I sat next to Dan Brown and got a chance to hear about all of his travels when he worked as an immigration lawyer and the current work that he does with workers compensation, auto accidents, and criminal matters in St. Louis, MO. Dan was my tour buddy so that neither of us would be left behind during our 3 hour tour (sound like a familiar tune?). The tour guide we had was a forest ranger and his passion for preserving the rainforest and nature was contagious. I was able to take some great pictures that I will cherish always.

Dan and I were able to make it out of the tour unscathed and a lot wiser about the beautiful rainforest in Puerto Rico. It was a very peaceful and calming trip that I would love to do again for a longer period of time.

There were so many things to do in Puerto Rico I barely scratched the surface, but overall my first visit was memorable, and rewarding because of the happy clients I met in person and the new friends I made throughout the island!