In the world we are today, information is readily available to everyone.
Technology has made it possible for everyone to get information at every point in time.
People now get the information they need from the internet rather than asking others.
A high percentage of people in the world today owns a smartphone with which they can check online for products and services.
This is why reviews are increasingly important in this era.
Just as reviews are important for businesses, they are also important in the legal sector.
Surveys from BrightLocals shown that 86% of consumers read reviews of local businesses.
84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
57% of consumers said they would only use a business if it has a 4 star or higher rating.
Reviews are very important for law firms as it helps prospective clients make better and quicker decisions.
It also helps law firms acquire more clients and increase their brand awareness.
Reviews can impact on the success of a law firm in several ways.
Different ways you can get reviews for your law firm
As a lawyer or a law firm owner, there are different ways you can get reviews.
Though all reviews are important but the best reviews to enhance your online reputation are positive reviews.
You need to be at your best in your services so you can get positive reviews from your clients.
The different ways with which you can get reviews include:
1. Provide good services
The first most important thing you should do in order to get your clients to leave reviews is by providing excellent legal services.
As a lawyer, you need to attend to the needs of your clients. You need to be highly professional and have a good track record.
Your clients should be happy with your services.
Happy clients will generally be excited to leave reviews and inform other people of your excellent services.
Happy clients will leave positive reviews and rate your higher which will boost your ranking and enhance your brand.
2. Actively ask your clients to leave reviews
Asking a client to leave a review is as easy as it can get.
Data has shown that 7 out of every 10 people will leave a review if you ask.
After you have provided good services for your clients, remember to ask them to leave reviews about their experiences with you.
When asking, it is important to ask at the right time.
You can ask a client to leave you a review when the client is about leaving your office.
3. Make it easy for clients to leave reviews
Most clients may be willing to leave reviews but if they find the process tedious, they might not continue with it.
Your review page needs to be well outlined and easy to navigate.
Make it easy for clients to compose and submit reviews.
If you send a link via email or SMS, it should take them directly to your review page.
4. Run an email and SMS campaign
An email and SMS campaign is an automated system where clients are sent automated emails and SMS requesting them to leave reviews.
Most automated emails contain the review link that takes clients directly to the review page when they click on the link.
Email and SMS campaign are one of the most effective ways to get more clients to leave reviews.
5. Provide incentives
Incentives are tokens which you can give to your clients to encourage them to leave reviews.
Some clients may be hesitating to leave reviews but when you give them something to encourage them, they will be more willing to leave reviews.
Incentives can be in the form of a discount on charges, gift cards, gifts, etc.
You can as well run a review program where you ask your clients to leave reviews in exchange for a token or an incentive.
6. Take advantage of social media
Facebook is one of the top review platforms in the world today.
You can use different social media platforms to reach out to more clients and ask for reviews.
Most of your clients are users of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Take advantage of these different social media platforms to reach out to your clients for reviews.
7. The use of banners and posters
Banners and posters were used to communicate information to people before the emergence of technology.
Till now, they are still being used to publicize information to the public.
As a lawyer or law practitioner, you can use banners and posters to request reviews from your clients by placing them in strategic positions around your office.
When your clients read the banners and posters, they will be reminded to leave reviews.
8. The use of a third-party review site or software
A third-party review site or software will help you generate more reviews.
There are tons of review management software that you can choose from which can be very instrumental for review generation.
Review management software such as Myreviewninja can be used to generate reviews.
Review management software work on your behalf by reaching out to your clients and asking them for reviews.
Your clients can be directed to leave reviews on your review page or other major review sites.
9. Use of print cards
You can also request for reviews from your clients by printing request cards or complimentary cards asking them clients to leave reviews.
You can give the request cards to your receptionist to give to every client that visits your office.
You can as well give the cards to your clients by yourself.
The card will serve as a reminder to them.
10. Create a review page on your website
Most of your client will browse through your website at one point or another.
Take advantage of this opportunity to create a page where they can write and submit reviews.
The reviews will be displayed on your website.
Doing this will also help enhance the credibility of your website and your profession.
Reputation management strategies for law firms
The reputation of a law firm directly or indirectly determines the growth of the law firm.
Unsatisfied clients and competitors can harm the reputation and growth of a law firm by saying negative things about the firm.
As much as reviews are important for the growth of a law firm, it can as well be used to hinder the growth of the firm.
In order to enhance and sustain a good online reputation, law firms need to strategize on how to manage their reputation.
There are several ways law firms can manage their reputation. These include:
1. Monitor what people are saying about your firm
If you do not monitor what people are saying about you and your law firm, don’t be surprised when the negative results start showing up.
To prevent a situation whereby it is too late to do anything, you need to always monitor your online reviews to know what people are saying about your firm.
You can monitor reviews by setting alerts on Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Bing, and other review sites.
You can also use social media monitoring tools to monitor reviews about your firm on social media.
When people post reviews on any of these review sites, you will receive alerts or notifications.
This way, you will be notified immediately of the reviews posted before other people sees them.
You will be able to attend to both the positive and negative reviews accordingly.
2. Respond the reviews
The best way to manage online reviews is to respond to reviews.
Some clients may expect too much from you and when you do not satisfy them 100%, they may want to tarnish your reputation by saying bad things about you and your firm
If you do not respond to such reviews, they have the potentials to harm the reputation and growth of your firm.
Also, some competitors might disguise as clients to tarnish your image and reputation by saying negative things about you.
It is important that you always respond to your reviews before they cause more harm.
3. Encourage positive reviews
Positive reviews increase your ratings in search engines and enhance your reputation.
When your clients leave positive reviews, make good use of the review by highlighting them and moving them to the top of your review page.
Thank them for their patronage and encourage them to be loyal clients.
Let people see positive reviews more than the negative reviews.
You can add the positive reviews to your website’s client testimonial section to encourage more prospective clients.
Positive reviews increase trust and encourage potential clients to seek the services of your firm.
4. Internally attend to negative reviews
Negative reviews are inevitable.
There are some clients that may not just be happy with your services or something that you did or didn’t do.
If you are faced with such a situation, respond to the review and provide solutions internally.
Create a team and a policy that addresses unhappy clients.
Do not be defensive or express anger in your review page as this can potentially harm your reputation and can violate review policy.
Show empathy and assure unhappy clients that you will do something about their issues or dissatisfactions.
5. Ask clients for feedback on how you can improve your services
This is a proactive way to improve your services and enhance your reputation.
You can create a client feedback campaign on improving the services of your firm.
Provide a platform where clients can speak their mind and suggest ways with which you can improve your services.
Know their needs and expectations. This will help you a lot in providing excellent services that your clients are happy with.
By doing this, you increase your chances of getting positive reviews from your clients which enhances your reputation and brand.
6. Make it easy for clients to leave reviews
It is very paramount that your client finds it easy to write and post reviews on your review page.
Be aware that your clients are doing you a favor by leaving reviews, hence you need to encourage them.
Most clients will not leave reviews if they find the process tedious.
You need to provide an easy platform whereby they can easily leave reviews in a few seconds.
This will increase the numbers of reviews on your review page.
7. Optimize your review page and website for phones
A higher percentage of people use their smartphones for internet activities rather than laptops or PCs.
Most people carry their phones with them at all times anywhere they are going.
It is important that you optimize your review page and website for phones so that clients that want to leave a review can easily do.
Optimizing your website for phones make it easy for clients to browse through your website and leave reviews.
They will be able to enjoy the same quality and interfaces of your website with their phones just like the same way it is on a laptop or PC.
8. Publish articles on blogs and social media
Publishing articles is a way to communicate your expertise to the public.
Articles communicate your professional intelligence to the public.
It is a way to reach out to clients and prospective clients about your services and what you have to offer.
Publication of articles is a way of transferring legal knowledge to your clients and the general public.
It is a smart way to enhance your reputation, professionalism and credibility.
9. Seek the services of a reputation management agency
A reputation management agency or company is a company that specializes in managing the online reputation of individuals, businesses, and brands.
A reputation management agency will work on your behalf and help you manage the reputation of your law firm.
The agency will help you enhance and build your online reputation by monitoring and managing reviews about your firm.
Using the services of a reputation management agency will provide you with extra time to focus on other areas of your profession and firm.
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