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With practically all the information in the world at the tips of our fingers, consumers know a quick Google search will offer reliable results that can influence their decision-making process. A piece of that are reviews – and online reviews are becoming increasingly important for all businesses, including law firms.
Bright Local, a firm specializing in local SEO, found that 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations. Nearly half of the respondents from their 2017 local consumer review survey said that businesses must have at least a four star rating before they would choose them.
iLawyerMarketing.com regularly conducts consumer research, and in a similar study, nearly 60% of their respondents answered that a law firm must have at least a four star rating before they would employ them.
So, if you didn’t know already, online reviews are crucial to your law firm. But not just any reviews – positive reviews. If you aren’t monitoring your online reputation, you may very well be missing out on important business.
Are you actively asking clients to leave reviews?
The same Bright Local study mentioned above found that only 74% of respondents were ever asked to leave an online review. But, of those that were asked, 68% did leave reviews. That means nearly 7 out of 10 consumers are willing to leave feedback, if asked.
Online reviews have taken over for word of mouth. Chances are excellent when someone you know has a bad experience somewhere, you hear about it – and in a variety of places. Not only can your friend leave a review on multiple review sites, they can post about it on Facebook and other social media sites. If a client is angry, they will often take the time to be sure you, and the rest of the world, know about it.
But what about those clients that are happy and satisfied with your services? Do you take the time to make sure they take the extra step to leave a positive review? With 65% of people saying online reviews greatly influenced their decision when selecting an attorney, it’s crucial that you are collecting reviews.
So, how do you do that?
First, be sure that everyone in your law firm understands the importance of online reviews. From attorneys to paralegals to support staff, everyone should be on the same page as far as the quality of service rendered so that every client has a positive experience.
Make leaving a review a simple process for clients. Many people won’t go out of their way to leave a review, unless they had a particularly negative experience. But capturing those reviews is important, so find a way to make it easy.