One in five consumers surfs internet to find a solicitor
The internet has become the second most popular means of finding a solicitor for conveyancing or advising on a will, research seen exclusively by the Gazette has shown.
A YouGov poll of 2,266 people commissioned by online solicitor directory legallybetter.com revealed that personal recommendation remains by far the most favoured method of choosing a solicitor.
Some 61% of those questioned said they would use recommendations from friends, relatives or colleagues to instruct a firm.
However, the study indicated that the internet is playing an increasingly important role in assisting consumers to choose a law firm. Some 21% of those polled said they would use internet search engines such as Google to find a lawyer. A fifth said they would use websites with independent consumer ratings of law firms’ quality of services.
Nearly 10% said they would use specialist web directories of solicitors, and 4% said they would ask their contacts on social networking sites such as Facebook for a recommendation.
Just under 20% said they would turn to Citizens Advice Bureaux or other advice agencies to find a lawyer, while 16% said they would use the Yellow pages or another directory.
Only 3% of people said they would not use a solicitor to buy or sell property.
The survey found that men were slightly more likely than women to use the internet to find a solicitor, with 23% of men saying they would use a search engine, compared with 19% of women.
Some 65% of women said they would use a personal recommendation, compared with 57% of men.
David Mort, client marketing director at legallybetter.com, said: ‘Personal recommendation is still by far the most important method, and that’s not going to go away. But the internet will become more important, because you can shift personal recommendations on to the web.’
He added: ‘Women may be more willing to ask others for a recommendation, whereas some men may like to think they are more self-sufficient.’
Comments
A good thing
The internet is fast becoming the first place that people search for a law firm or legal service. It has already happened with products like insurance and other financial services. We have recently launched a free online legal directory and it is already proving very popular with law firms signing up at no cost.
It is certainly true that a personal recommendation is the best (and least costly) way of getting business. However, even with this, people will often still look at a firms website to evaluate them before contacting.
We see it as a good thing that the internet is opening up easier access to legal services and enabling firms to reach clients they may not have been able to in the past.
Andrew Bowen
Online You Are In Control
Search engines are one instrument in the orchestra
of marketing. And it's unlikely that a law firm
is going to be Google slapped i.e. taken out by Google.
But don't put all your eggs in one basket. And make sure
you are in control of your own marketing and the results
because otherwise you rely on others (who can let you down).
This survey tells you word of mouth is important
to get recommendations.
So what proactive system do you have in place
for every client you have to recommend your firm
actively? Or do you just expect people to recommend
you without encouraging them.
Yep, you must be top for organic search engine
results, Google Local and explore lead generation
sites.
But there's money in the pockets of people you already know.
When was the last time you wrote to your Will bank?
And what are you doing to keep your relationship with
your clients on track?
And what about a subscription service to private
clients rather than wham-bam-thank you M'aam?
Action speaks louder than words.
Just do it.
Google Finest
Don't blame Google.
Your systems are there to weed out
the wrong prospects.
Google sends the prospects you
are targeting.
That's how it works.
Internet Intros Versus Recommendations
It is a pity that there isn't a break down of the percentage figure given for recommendations (which makes up such a high percentage of the means by which people find a Solicitor) between on the one hand geniune recommenadtions and on the other referrals by estate agents whom eveyone knows are only interested in the referral fee or getting the poor unsuspecting punter to use a conveyancer in the same company group as the estate agents. Most clients I speak to who have ever used such a conveyancer would never do so again but of course they don't know at the outset what the level of service is going to be. Could not the Law Society spend some of their budget letting the public know about the practises which have become so prevalent now in the conveyancing industry and emphasising the value of using a local Solicitor? After all, it's the SRA which sanctions referral fees. Cannot the Law Society stand back and take advantage of their independence from the SRA in this way?
Never rely entirely on search results
Be careful not to rely entirely upon natural/organic search results in the various internet search engines. You may be riding high one day and getting lots of 'free' leads but be careful. The algorithm for organising search results is not in your control as Boyd alluded to earlier and changes can drop you down and immediately reduce the number of times you're found.
For online marketing focus on PPC (Pay Per Click), banner ads and building up your profile through the various forums and blogs etc. Anything you get from free search should be seen as a nice bonus.
Never Rely On Anything
Andrew, I don't see search results as a bonus.
Free leads are essential. Whether they come from
online or offline sources.
If you drop down Google/Bing search rankings
then you need to do something about it.
Either employ someone to keep you
top or learn to do it yourself.
There are sole practitioners that manage
to do it themselves and make good money
from free leads.
Pay Per Click, aka Google Ads also need
to be tracked properly. Offline (i.e. call tracking)
as well as via Google Ad key word tracking.
Just a thought. Maybe you should disclose your link
to a directory. Not everyone is aware of this.
Solicitors must be prepared to adapt
There is no doubt that the internet is becoming an increasingly important source of client referrals but it also offers solicitors the opportunity to provide a new kind of e-legal service. There is still a widely held perception that solicitors can be expensive and unapproachable, and people are wary of going to a lawyer’s office. The YouGov poll mentions that the internet is the second most popular way of finding a solicitor for conveyancing and wills, but simple undefended divorces can also be provided online as a commoditised legal service. The efficient use of IT means that advice and a fully online service can be provided efficiently via the internet, at competitive fixed prices. Solicitors need to learn from the onslaught of claims farmers in the personal injury sector, and adapt to meet clients needs.
Bryan Reed
Never rely entirely on search results
Boyd, what I'm trying to say is don't build up a business entirely on the basis of getting free leads via the search engine. The search engines, as I'm sure you know, regularly change their algorithms and hence rankings are often affected. You may be able to influence your natural position in organic listings, even getting to the top for your particular area, by getting backlinks, using search engine optimisation techniques and so on. However, you can never have complete control over this and it's a risky strategy to adopt if your whole business is based on natural search results.
My point about PPC is that at least you have a decent amount of control over it. The more you pay, combined with various other factors, can get your ad seen at the top of the screen right away. Of course this can be costly but it has to be run as a marketing overhead like any business. You are right to say that it must be tracked properly - preferably using analytics or some other tool.
Not sure what you mean by disclosing our directory link? Yes we run a free legal directory and the url is linked to my name on the message post (just like you do). Apologies if I'm supposed to make it clearer in some way.