Web Marketing for Lawyers

In the last decade or so, we’ve seen so many technological developments that make practicing law easier. Keep abreast of these developments and you’ll find some of them will save you time and money.

Laptops are important. You can recapture time you once wasted because you can work while waiting for hearings or traveling. Moreover, a laptop allows you to connect to your office network if you have a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

A VPN allows you to access your office network from any computer using only basic software. Instead of having to copy files to a laptop for a trip out of town, you can access them on your office server. While a VPN offers security and customization, it also requires some computer skills for installation. Another option is to use a service like Gotomypc.com, which provides similar results to a VPN with less fuss up front. Either of these solutions solves the problem of transferring large files from a remote location to your office computer. Email gateways are getting bigger—gmail currently transfers files up to 20 MB—but sending really big ones can still be tough, which is why investing in an office network makes sense. Continue reading ‘The Virtual Office – Making Work Life Easier’

Brian Dinday, an attorney in San Francisco, writes about the challenges of keeping a professional image in the age of social networking.

Businesses everywhere are discovering the astounding exposure on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and others. Many are tempted to join and network themselves into a web of desired client referrals. Some are already on such sites, deeply involved in growing their networks. No doubt such practices can result in client development, but there may be a serious downside to the practice, especially for an attorney. Continue reading ‘Losing Face on Facebook’

Internet scams targeting the legal profession have been on the rise in the last year. From bogus law firm websites to counterfeit checks, affected lawyers are not only at risk for monetary losses, but also losses associated with time wasted pursuing the thieves and mitigating damages and time spent away from the lawyer’s practice. Attorneys from New Jersey to Georgia, Florida to California have been hit by scams designed to steal not just money, but identities as well.

Internet scams zeroing in on lawyers show up wrapped in a variety of disguises. The most common ones operate in the following ways: Continue reading ‘Internet Scams on the Rise in the Legal Profession’

One of the reasons I enjoy going to my dentist is because of the rapport he has with his assistant Margaret; they’ve worked together harmoniously for years and it shows in their everyday interactions. Somehow her faith in him gives me the same.

This should be true of you and your staff in the law firm as well. How you interact with the people who work for you and how they behave toward clients will affect how those clients perceive your firm. Your staff are an important part of your marketing strategy, because if they present a poor image, no matter how professional you are yourself, clients will not leave with a good impression and you may lose their business. Continue reading ‘Your Staff: They Can and Should Help You Market Your Firm’

Gary Weingarden, a lawyer in Michigan, writes about how he uses a digital voice recorder in his practice and the benefits of owning one.

My father used a Dictaphone to create his documents. He needed a secretary with special transcription equipment to get those documents onto paper. Once he got the draft back from his secretary, he’d mark it up and give it back to her with changes—because of both transcription errors and because things always look different written down. These days, I would not be without the modern equivalent of the Dictaphone—the digital audio recorder—which I find has multiple uses. Continue reading ‘Using a Digital Audio Recorder in Your Practice’

Developing strong client relationships is perhaps one of the most important things you can do to ensure a solid foundation for your firm. Your clients are your lifeblood. They will provide you with new business in the future and they will recruit their friends to become clients, if they like what you do. It always pays to make sure your existing client is happy with your services and that you are doing everything you can to help them run their business, get over their marriage breakdown, draw up their will, and so on. Continue reading ‘Developing Client Relationships’

Metadata, put simply, is data about data. It is used in a wide variety of contexts pertaining to a wide variety of media. Here we will talk about the term metadata as it is used in the context of digital files such as word processing documents, spreadsheets and email, and the particular risks associated with its misuse in a legal setting. We will also discuss various ethics rules that address the potential confidentiality problems inherent in metadata transmission and methods for “scrubbing” or removing metadata from documents. Please note that the information here does not apply to files that are produced during discovery. It is now routine to look at metadata in these files as a legitimate item for production and to shed light on issues that cannot otherwise be cleared up by the documents themselves. “Scrubbing” of these types of files could be interpreted as destruction of evidence. Continue reading ‘Metadata & Ethics Rules for Attorneys’

As the year progresses and law firms continue to struggle to make ends meet, technology budgets will take a large hit, meaning more must be done with less. Nothing new is the name of the game as there is simply no funding available for the latest and greatest. From putting software upgrades on the backburner to purchasing netbooks rather than laptops, firms large and small will have to think of creative ways to make the most of what they already have. Here are some tips to make the most of your technology dollars. Continue reading ‘Making the Most of Your Technology’

Almost two-thirds of potential clients begin their search for an attorney online these days. Law firms of any size are now expected to have a website that clearly communicates the firm’s main practice area(s), the profiles of each attorney, helpful legal content for the consumer and contact information. In the end, sending a clear message about your firm’s expertise and any real-world successes you have had is more important to a prospective client than a bunch of bells and whistles. Whether you are developing a new website or evaluating your current website, this article contains valuable tips on how to make the most of your investment and how to improve what you already have. Continue reading ‘Why Your Website Matters’

One of the easiest ways to make your AttorneyPages’ listing more attractive to potential clients is to spend time creating an impressive profile. The profile is really like a mini-website. It provides you with the opportunity to add critical information about your career, experience, education, bar membership, honors, and affiliations. Many of our members who have spent the time to write a detailed profile find that the profile page ranks higher on search engines like Google than their own website. This is because AttorneyPages uses highly effective search engine optimization strategies. Continue reading ‘Improve Your Response Rate on AttorneyPages’