When you have a website to promote your legal business, you need to know how to market it.
Firstly, choose a domain name that is easy to remember even when mentioned verbally. Then you should make your website URL as ubiquitous as possible. You should have it displayed in your print media such as invoices, newsletters, advertisements, business cards, letterheads etc. You should have it in your electronic media also such as in your email signatures, e-profiles, documents, correspondences etc. You can also register your URS in all directories. Include it in your fliers, even in your marketing-on-hold message, in your voice-mail greeting and on signs at your office. A website is a superb form of advertising that runs 24/7.
Do not make your website too fancy with lots of graphics, animation or excessive media. Remember that some people do not have high speed broadband and if your website takes forever to load, they will click the ‘x’ button. Also do not advertise other products and services on your website unless absolutely necessary. The fact is that many Web users now know how to block advertising banners and turn off their computer graphics.
If your Website is new, announce it proudly to your existing and prospective clients. But never do this unless your Website is up and running. Never announce a site that is still under construction.
Market your website by making it interactive and having multiple media such as audio and video. But remember to make your audios and videos brief to reduce load time. Make it as interesting and different from your competitors’ websites as possible. Your site can serve as the voice of your company as well as a conduit for individual and extremely personalized service. If your legal business is a departmental store, then your website is the display window. Put new things in them constantly to motivate people to come back again and again.
Easy navigation of your website is a must. Although I’m all for linking with many others, be careful you don’t have layers and layers of links that draw website visitors to other websites. If you have a lot of text, break it up with lots of subheads. Keep your paragraphs brief.
You should always make it easy for your website visitors to understand and go through your website. Have a tip sheet that explains the contents of your website for those who are not Internet-savvy. You could mail these out to your clients and prospective clients or have it available at your office reception room.
Always ask for visitors to your website to bookmark it. Then get it listed all over the Internet by submitting your Website information to other sites that will list your site for free in numerous search engines and directories: www.Submit-it.Com, www.Netcreations.Com/postmaster, and www.Mgroup.Com. If you pay a nominal charge, you can get your site listed in over 100 directories and search engines by contacting AAA Internet Promotions at www.Websitepromote.Com.
To encourage regular visits to your site, keep the content fresh, promise new and exciting things, then live up to your promises. Ask people to e-mail you then respond lightning fast to those who contact you. Prompt responses make it easy to do business with you.
Have innovative ways of marketing your website and business. For example, give away free mouse-pads or screen savers. And be sure to put your Website URL on whatever you give away.
Guerrilla marketers spend at least an hour a week surfing the Web looking for good ideas. One important thing to do is to link to some other legal business websites that hold similar standards of quality and service as well as have prospective clients similar to yours. Simply contact the webmaster and request to exchange links.
The most important thing to do when marketing your website is to get it in front of as many eyeballs as possible. Specialized newsgroups and forums can provide a ready-made audience for your legal services. Always remember that the online market is open 24 hours a day. As you manage your employees or deal with customers in person, it’s easy to forget that customers may also be waiting on the other side of your computer screen.
Marketing your business online is similar yet different from offline marketing. So be constantly learning, more so because Internet technology evolves more rapidly than most other technologies.
