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Understanding the Power of Online Reviews for Your Law Firm
A strong online presence is essential for every law firm’s success in attracting potential customers. One proven method of achieving a solid online presence is receiving genuine 5-star customer reviews.
Most people who are looking for legal services will check online reviews to get an idea of a lawyer’s experience, credibility, and success. A recent Consumer Review Survey by BrightLocal revealed that 98% of people read online reviews when looking for local businesses or services. Many customers won’t purchase a service or product from a brand that doesn’t have at least a few positive reviews.
In his interview with Constellation’s CEO Patrick Carver on The Optimized Law Firm podcast, Jameel Manji from Manji Law, P.C. talks about the role of client reviews in expanding his law business. “I didn’t even know how important reviews were until I started speaking to clients.” He says. When asked about how they found his law firm, many client reply, “Google… You have the best reviews.”
By earning 5-star reviews, you demonstrate your experience and help potential clients feel more confident choosing your law firm. Here are three reasons why reviews matter for your law firm’s growth:
Social Proof
Social proof is evidence that previous clients used your services and enjoyed them. Authentic reviews from happy clients are the best witness to your expertise and success. Therefore, the more high-quality reviews you have, the more likely you are to attract new customers. For Jameel Manji, client reviews are a self-feeding business-generation tool. “You make one client happy; they send you two clients. You make those clients happy; they send you two more.”
Increased Visibility
Google tracks your law firm’s reviews and will rank your business based on how many reviews it has. Every positive Google review will help boost your local search engine ranking so that your law firm’s website shows up at the top of Google search results when people in your area are looking for a lawyer.
Google lists the first three to five Google business profiles that match a user’s search results query. What do these top-ranking businesses have in common? Positive reviews. According to Search Engine Journal, the more positive Google reviews your business has, the more likely it is to rank and be seen by potential customers.
Credibility and Trust
Trust is one of the most important things people look for in a lawyer. One way to prove to customers that you are trustworthy and genuine is through customer reviews. There’s a positive relationship between 5-star Google reviews and your credibility.
“When someone’s gone through your reviews, vetted you, compared you to other attorneys, and you do a great job, you’ve already broken down some of those barriers [of trust]. They already have a sense that this person isn’t just in it for the money. They’re here to help,” explains Jameel. Therefore, the more Google reviews your law firm has, the easier it gets for clients to trust you.
Getting 5-Star Reviews From Clients
To consistently get 5-star reviews, you must give your clients good reasons to write them, such as:
- Delivering exceptional experiences
- Ensuring your customer support team provides effective and prompt assistance
- Maintaining an attitude of professionalism and empathy
However, some clients are less inclined to leave reviews, even if your service was impeccable. In this case, you can ask for reviews instead of waiting for them.
Your law firm can encourage customers to leave their feedback by implementing a review acquisition strategy. Simply put, this is a process you can follow to consistently and effortlessly request reviews from previous clients.
How to Implement a Proactive Review Acquisition Strategy?
Here’s how you can consistently generate client reviews:
- Choose the right review platforms:
Although Google reviews are the most popular, there are many online directories where clients can leave their reviews on lawyers and law firms. You can take advantage of these niche-specific review sites to boost your online reputation in the legal industry. Top review sites for law firms and lawyers include:
Before prompting clients to leave positive reviews on any website, make sure your profile there is up-to-date and optimized. Be sure you include accurate contact information, comprehensive service descriptions, and professional photos.
- Automate email review requests:
Send your clients an email to encourage them to leave honest feedback. Depending on how engaged the client is with your company, you can automate these emails to be sent right after a case is successfully closed or during a customer review campaign. Either way, make sure to include a direct link to your Google business profile, online directories, or social media pages.
- Address negative reviews:
Negative feedback, according to Jameel Manji, is “just a good opportunity to know how we can do better.” One way to do that is by reaching out to the client and asking about how you could have done better. If you could address any unresolved issues, you would get insight into how to prevent such issues with future customers and earn yourself a better review. It’s a win-win!
- Regularly monitor and reply to your reviews
Get into the habit of visiting your review platforms and social media comments and replying to both positive and negative reviews. This process can be automated, but a genuine and personalized reply can go a long way, especially when replying to a negative review. A professional, humble, and empathic reply can have just as strong an influence as a positive review.
Get More Reviews with Constellation Marketing
If you want to expand your business, regularly attract new customers, and boost your revenue, look no further than Constellation Marketing. We’ve helped Manji Law, P.C., and over 50 other law firms generate sustainable and consistent revenue using proven SEO and advertising formulas.
We can help you too. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
