Location, Location, Location...

Its been said many times. Location is everything when it comes to business. Not only where your business is located but also where it is marketed; Billboards, Newspaper, Magazine ads, etc. Its true with Internet Placement as well. Where do you market your law firm? I hope its where people are looking. When people go to Google, Yahoo, Yellowbook.com, FindLaw.com, AVVO.com; can they find you? Let me stress this point, these are people looking for you! They need your expertise. Can they find you?
It would be great if a consumer who needs you hears your radio ad or drives by your billboard at the EXACT time that he needs you, writes down your number and calls you. How often do you think this happens? I think it would be better to be visible when THEY initiate the search. This is what we call "directional advertising." In other words, buyers looking for sellers - NOT sellers looking for buyers.

The Web vs. other forms of advertising...

I met with an attorney last week who is considering upping his advertising budget. He is considering either an AdWords campaign or a billboard. His area of practice is mainly ADR and Mediation but also practices litigation. He mentioned that the billboard that he likes is available at the corner of 59 right where it meets Spur 527 from downtown. He thinks he can get a bargain because its been open for a while. The "bargain" is $1500 a month...
My question was the following, "Sir, would it be more effective to have a billboard where people who are leaving downtown towards 59 who MAY need a Mediation Attorney can see it OR an ad on the two most searched websites on the planet when someone searches for 'mediation Houston' or 'ADR Lawyer?'" Seems like a no-brainer to me.
I'm talking about highly qualified traffic from Google and Yahoo. The only clicks you are going to get are from relevant searches. No billboard, newspaper ad, radio spot or any other form of advertising can provide that level of QUALIFICATION.
Here is the best part - the budget estimate on what his campaign would cost??? $700 a month. His ad would show up all over the country on Google for half the price of the BB on a SPUR 527 and Highway 59.
He's thinking about it...
There is a saying in poker - Think long, think wrong.

Why do you need a website?

I met with an attorney last week and tried to stress the importance of having a website. She interrupted me mid-thought and shared a story with me. She got a call from a referral not too long ago but was in her car and couldn't write down the client's number. The client said, "that's okay, I'll just check out your site." She had to tell him that she didn't have one and she lost his business. Its that simple. What does it say about your law firm and your practice if people who need an attorney can't find you?
She admitted to me that she has put off a site for years even though she bought a domain name and knew that she needed one. We agreed on a 5 page website so that she can refer prospective clients to it for information about her practice areas. Its a shame that she lost that client and maybe others who looked her up on Google and Yahoo but couldn't find any information about her practice.

SEMPO certification

Last week I completed certification for SEMPO. Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization is a non-profit association working to increase awareness and promote the value of search engine marketing. Check out the SEMPO site to find out more - www.sempo.org

The courses were tough and covered everything from writing ad copy to selecting target keywords. The courses are developed by top SEM professionals and reflect current search engine standards and best practices.


The point? If you are an attorney in Houston and you considering SEM as a way to attract new cases for your practice; wouldn't you rather deal with a certified professional who KNOWS the product?

That time of year...

What area of law you practice can be directly effected by the time of year. I've heard may times that the beginning of the year is a good time for Estate Planning attorneys. Why? Many people put off drafting a Will or setting up their estates until they make it their New Year's Resolution. I've also heard from attorneys that people don't get divorced during the summer (kids are out of school) or the Holidays for obvious reasons. I'm sure there are exceptions to the rules but if this is true, NOW IS THE TIME.My Search Engine product only requires a 4 month campaign so you can start now during the busy season and then pause your campaign during the summer. This allows you to capture some of "New Year's Resolution" searches or some of the divorces that have been put off for the past few months. Even better, if you are an attorney who practices both Family Law and Estate Planning like Karthryn Marteeny, you can capture both types of cases.Kathryn has practiced law for over 20 years in the Houston and Katy, Texas area and her site, Katy Family Lawyer is very informative and easy to navigate. If you need assistance with any Family Law issue or an Estate Planning matter, call Kathryn and take advantage of her FREE initial consultation.

The definition of insanity...

I heard someone say not too long ago that their definition of insanity is, “repeating the same actions while expecting different results.” Said another way; “if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you always get.”
I met with an attorney this week that doesn’t advertise AT ALL and complains about her lack of business. She said 100% of her clients are repeat clients or referrals but that nobody is spending any money right now because of the economy. While referrals and repeat clients are great, few attorneys in Houston, Texas can rely on them alone. After trying to explain to her that the ONLY reason she hasn’t had clients from the internet in the past is because she isn’t there, I finally resorted to quote from a friend of mine, “you only catch fish where you fish.” The Great One, Wayne Gretzky said it like this, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Its 2009! It blows my mind that there are small businesses out there with NO website or even a listing on a Web Directory like Yellowbook.com, Superpages.com, Houston.com. Okay, back to my visit with referral only attorney. Listen, I have stats and studies from third parties that PROVE people look on-line to find local products and services and the numbers are growing. Are you just going to ignore ALL of the people that look to the Web to find a lawyer? She didn’t buy anything from me YET. I have a follow up meeting with her next week and I can’t imagine leaving there without an order. I’ll be sure to post what happens.

The Law Office of Jeffrey Wyman

When visiting Jeff’s website, Houston Probate Attorney you will see why it not only shows up well organically but also why it has a great conversion rate. Jeff has had the site for over 4 years and has done a great job of adding new content and keeping the site current.
Jeff and I met recently and discussed how a small, focused PPC campaign could benefit his practice. Most of his bew business is brought into the firm via his website and existing marketing efforts but he agreed that there is more out there. This new PPC campaign focusing on Probate Litigation and Estate Administration will compliment his already impressive organic results on Google and Yahoo.

DID YOU KNOW? Jeff is also a CPA.