Online reputation management (ORM) is, as the name implies, managing your online reputation. The goal of a successful ORM plan is creating and maintaining a positive image of your practice on the internet.
There are many tactics people deploy in creating a positive image for their brand, but the concept boils down to promoting the good and suppressing the bad.
As a small firm or private practice, there probably is not a lot of buzz around your business, so you don’t have to worry about large-scale PR crises to manage. However, people are probably still talking about your business on review platforms. When potential clients see a page with limited reviews or overwhelmingly bad reviews, it will make them nervous and choose a competitor.
Something unique about law firm ORM is you don’t just need to worry about mentions of your firm, but mentions of you and other attorneys as well. This involves making sure they have tidy social media presences and are not embroiled in any online conflict.
Not to worry, though. With the right customer feedback system, review management strategy, and a couple other easy tactics, you can transform your presence online into a client magnet.
1. Audit Your Online Reputation
The first step is to audit your online reputation. This includes review sites and anywhere else your brand is mentioned. This should be done with your firm, yourself, and each member of your practice
- Open an incognito browser window (a short cut is CMD/CRTL + Shift + N)
- Search your firm’s name in Google
- Review your Google Business Profile, if you have one. Take note of ratings, reviews, images, etc.
- What results appear on the first page of results?
- Make note of which sites are within your control, like your website and social profiles, and which you can’t, like review sites.
You should also search for your firm on review sites like Trustpilot, Avvo, Lawyers.com, and Yelp.
2. Get Access to All Necessary Accounts
If you do not have access to these platforms, take steps to gain access. If you do not already have profiles on these platforms, create them and set them up properly. Make sure your website link, address, and hours are all up to date. If the platform allows photos, make sure the photos are of you, your team, and your office rather than a stock image of a gavel.
Review platforms:
- Avvo
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Lawyers.com
- Google My Business (GMB)
- Yelp
- Super Lawyers
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- FindLaw
- Justia
- Trustpilot
Social platforms:
Make sure you configure settings to receive an email notification for each review left on these platforms.
3. Encourage Reviews
A major issue I see with many small firms is a very low number of reviews in spite being in business for 5+ years. This is an issue because if you get one angry client, they can tank your rating. You want your review pages to be an accurate reflection of the good work you do.
Steps to get more positive reviews:
- Ask every client for feedback preemptively, 1-on-1. People are often hesitant to voice concerns and will end up just leaving a bad review instead of talking to you. If you want to avoid negative reviews that seemingly come out of nowhere, give clients the space to voice concerns directly so you can fix it before they have the opportunity to go to a review site.
- Ask clients to leave reviews in your final emails to them. When you’re sending out final documents, include a request for them to leave a review.
- If a client leaves a good review on one platform, ask them to leave a review on another platform as well. If someone has already left a good review on Google My Business, it will be fairly easy for them to copy and paste the review into Yelp or Trustpilot, beefing up your rating on those platforms with little additional effort.
- Respond to all your reviews so future clients can see you’re engaged and take feedback well. Responding to good reviews makes your clients feel good. Responding to bad reviews, as long as you do it properly, will improve optics for prospective clients.
4. Respond to reviews properly
You want to show prospective clients that you are a great person to work with. You may have a track record of amazing results, but who cares if you seem like a nightmare to work with? You should respond positively and politely with both positive and negative feedback with few exceptions. Here are some rules of thumbs for responding to your reviews:
Respond promptly. With the low volume of most attorney site, there is no reason it should take longer than a few days to respond.
Never fight with reviewers. Though you may feel righteous in your anger, it only makes you look silly and short-tempered. Would you want to work with an attorney who discredits your experience and gets anger over negative feedback?
Show courtesy. Thank the reviewer for their feedback and be polite. Even if you believe they are in the wrong.
Make improvements. If you receive the same negative feedback repeatedly, consider improving your services
For example, there was a mediation attorney who received multiple negative reviews from clients who had an initial consultation, but were never followed up with. They didn’t receive a follow up because they were not a good fit for the practice. Clearly, this was not made clear to the client resulting in frustration and a bad review.
This can be fixed by ensuring after each initial consult, there is a follow up email either prompting the client to be onboarding, or letting them know you do not believe your firm is a good fit for them and referring them elsewhere if appropriate.
Most clients leave bad reviews because they felt disrespected or confused. This can often be fixed through better communication.
Increase your ratings and positive sentiment
Get lots of positive reviews by asking happy customers to rate you. Additionally, encourage satisfied clients to share their experiences online. Especially in law, you cannot please everyone. And, unfortunately, people are a lot more likely to leave reviews when they’re upset than when they’re satisfied. But if you’re a good attorney who helps people, you should have plenty of clients to testify to the good job you did and they should be happy to leave reviews!
Promote positive content like testimonials and reviews prominently on your site. Many attorneys either don’t feature testimonials or hide them on a separate page. Testimonials and success stories are the most persuasive content you can have on your website.
Flag inappropriate reviews for removal. Especially if you're an attorney dealing with divorce or similar matters where you have to defend your client against an opposing party, you may receive unjust reviews. You don’t have to accept reviews that were written by people with no connection to your business just because they got mad. You can report them!
Content for branded keywords
Creating the right branded content will ensure that your website’s pages are the top results of google. If you control the top results for your brand name, it’s a lot easier to manage your reputation. Luckily, the is fairly easy for small firms and private practices to accomplish. You must simply create content that targets branded keywords (any phrase mentioning your brand). Both images below are examples of owning your branded search.
Additionally, creating valuable content, such as informative blog posts or guides on legal topics, can enhance your reputation by showcasing your expertise. By combining these strategies, you not only mitigate negative perceptions but also build a robust, positive online presence that attracts clients to your practice.
Online Reputation Management Help
Does this seem overwhelming? Do you just not have the time or bandwidth to execute this strategy? You don’t have to do it alone!
Our approach is hyper-personalized to your firm’s specific needs. We won’t just offer nebulous plans to enhance your online reputation. We will transform your practice into a client magnet.
Don't let the digital landscape intimidate you; reach out to us at hello@legallymarketing.com, and let's unlock your firm's full potential together.