Avoid Design Blunders: Say No to Big Blocks of Text

We believe that written content is one of the most important aspects of your attorney website. However, even if you have the best lawyer articles to offer, how you present your written content matters more than you might think.

Seeing one huge, unending block of text can be intimidating and uninviting. In addition, big paragraphs of uninterrupted text make it difficult for your readers to find the information that brought them to your website to begin with.

How can you break up big, uninviting blocks of text?

• Think short paragraphs. A master of 19^th Century Russian literature might be able to get away with a thrilling two-page paragraph, but you can’t. Believe us. Limit your paragraphs to just a few sentences, and harness the power of the one-sentence paragraph. Your readers are much more likely to read your articles, learn something, and give you a call.
• Use subheadings. Not only do subheadings break up text, they also help readers navigate your content and find the information that they are looking for quickly. In addition, placing keywords in bold subheadings is a great way to improve your search engine optimization.
• Add graphics. Give your readers’ eyes a break by adding pictures, graphics, figures, graphs, and illustrations. Even one picture per page can add warmth to your website.
• Use bullets. Like subheadings, bullets are a great way to organize text while breaking up long boring blocks of words. See how they work in this article?

Want to learn more about how lawyer website design, search engine optimization, and getting new clients go hand in hand? Give Foster Web Marketing a call today at 888.886.0939.

The Importance of Google Places in Marketing Your Lawyer Website

Although your lawyer website is still extremely important to your online attorney marketing plan, there are additional ways to get an edge over your competitors. One of the simplest (and cheapest) ways is to take advantage of Google Places and claim the local business listing for your law firm.

What is Google Places?
 
Google Places is a service offered by Google that allows users to see results local to their area, which are then connected to a local business page with more information about you and directions via Google Maps. Some people have called Google Places “the new Yellow Pages” because this is increasingly the way that people are finding local businesses, including law firms.

Why is my ranking with Google Places important?
 
When users search for a local attorney, they will see the Google Places results on the first page—before they even get a chance to look at the usual organic search results that might display your lawyer website. Law firms that rank highly with Google Places for that local area will be displayed with a phone number and link to your site, if available.

Essentially, Google Places gives you an edge in getting to the very top of potential local clients’ search results. Ranking highly with Google Places means that you will be able to reach out to more potential clients who are both local to your area and searching for services you provide. And, as icing on the cake, Google Places is increasingly the first stop for smartphone users looking for local services!

If you need help with online marketing for your law firm, speak with one of our web marketing experts today at 888-886-0939. We can help you formulate an effective online marketing plan that makes your law firm shine, bringing in more leads and more cases. For more information about who we are and what we do, request your FREE copy of our book, The 5 Biggest Mistakes 99% of Lawyers Make with Their Websites.

Will the New Google Panda Update Affect Your Lawyer Website?

On March 23, 2012, Google announced via Twitter that they have rolled out a new update to the Google Panda algorithm. The Panda algorithm helps Google send low-quality websites to the bottom of its search results, and this update to the algorithm furthers that goal. Although it’s unclear just how substantial this Panda update is, Google has stated that they ultimately only expect about 1.6% of searches to be affected by the update.

Will the Panda Update Affect My Site?
 
Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of details yet. However, although only Google knows exactly how the Panda algorithm works or exactly what this update entails, one thing still is crystal clear: if you have a great lawyer website with original and relevant content and you play by the rules, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to Panda.

Confused about the Google Panda update or need a hand with your online attorney marketing plan? Give us a call today at 888-886-0939 to talk to someone who can help. At Foster Web Marketing, we can help you build a complete online attorney marketing plan—everything from building a crawler-friendly website to helping you reach out to potential clients on social media sites like Facebook.

How to Get Client Testimonials and Reviews for Your Lawyer Website

You already know that glowing testimonials or reviews of your law firm are a great way to convince visitors to your lawyer website of your skills and ability. Plus, those reviews can help your Google Places ranking. The real question isn’t if you should ask your clients to provide a review, but how to ask them! Try a few of these simple suggestions:

• Follow up with your clients. Check in with your clients after a case for feedback, and include a survey or comment card with your follow-up materials.
• Keep it simple. Don’t make it too complicated for a client to give you feedback. Have surveys or comments cards readily available in your office and on your website.
• Just ask. You might be surprised how many clients would be happy to provide a testimonial for you. Whether it’s in your follow-up materials or in person, asking a client to provide a testimonial and explaining that it can help others in similar situations get help is all you need to do.
• Know where to look. Sometimes great client testimonials are right under your nose! If a client posts a great comment on a social media site, ask if you can use it on your website. If clients tell you what a great job your law firm did, ask if they’ll write a testimonial.

Improving your online attorney marketing may seem complicated, but the experts with Foster Web Marketing can explain how it works and handle all of the details for you. Give us a call today at 888-886-0939 to talk to someone who can help you make your online marketing work for you.

We’d also like you to have a copy of our must-read guide, The Five Biggest Mistakes 99% of Lawyers Make with Their Websites, which is available to you for free. Just give us a call or fill out our online contact form to reserve your copy.

Choosing Great Keywords for Your Attorney Search Engine Marketing Campaign

Keywords are the key to unlocking the potential of your attorney search engine marketing campaign. Relevant, specific keywords have an impact on so many aspects of online marketing, including your written content (homepage, practice areas, articles, blog posts, news, etc.), pay-per-click advertising, and even your images and videos! The real trick of it, though, is to find out what words people are searching with and which keywords will bring in users who are also potential clients.

How Can I Choose Great Keywords?
 
The best way to start thinking about keywords for your attorney search engine marketing campaign is to put yourself in your clients’ shoes and think about what you might type into a search engine. Think about the questions, concerns, and frustrations you frequently hear from clients, and start from there. When selecting words and phrases for your content, make sure you:

• Remember location. When searching for a lawyer, most people will start by looking for someone who is local. Adding your city, state, or county to your keyword phrases will help direct local traffic to your website.
• Think about different ways to say the same thing. Some say ‘po-tay-to’; some say ‘po-tah-to.’ Likewise, some users will type in “Kentucky divorce attorney,” and some users will type in “child custody lawyer in Kentucky.” Consider alternates to your keywords to help potential clients find you in their own words.
• Take advantage of search engine tools. There are many tools available to help your determine which words and phrases brought users to your site and how effective those keywords are. Online marketing allows you to access all kinds of tools and statistics that help you determine the best keywords to use.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Marketing: Do You Have Online Video Yet?

Video use on the internet is absolutely exploding. Over 90 percent of all people who used the internet last month watched an online video, and over a billion videos are watched each day around the world. If your nursing home abuse lawyer marketing plan doesn’t include video, you are missing out on a huge opportunity – and allowing your competitors to take the lead.

How can attorney videos help your law firm and lead to new and better cases? Here are ten quick advantages to posting video:

• Your audience can see your face and get to know you.
• You can speak candidly and connect with your audience.
• You can post your videos on You Tube and other video sharing sites.
• You can optimize your video so that those searching specifically for online clips will find yours.
• You can connect with visitors who would rather not read content.
• You can use your video as a call to action.
• You can use video to answer frequent questions.
• You can use video to share personal testimonials from recent clients.
• You can use video to separate yourself from your competitors.
• You can use video to establish yourself as an authority in your field.

Are you ready to explore the world of online attorney video marketing but not sure where to start? At Foster Web Marketing, we have everything you need to get started, from scriptwriters to cinematographers to our own green screen studio. Give us a call today to learn more and meet our team.

Social Media Share Buttons: Word of Mouth Evolved

As of December 2010, there were 1,536,799 non-business filings of bankruptcy. That number represents a massive amount of people in this country who need your help. In order to ask for your help, they need to be able to find you - and find you quickly. Your bankruptcy lawyer marketing plan needs to use all the avenues of web advertisement available. A huge avenue that you should not be missing is social media.

Now, you may already be utilizing Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and others, but how are future clients finding you on those sites? Are you making them search, or are you automatically showing up in their searches because a friend of a friend of a friend already posted one of your interesting and relevant articles?

Beat Them to the Chase
You see the buttons on almost every website these days – the light blue square with a “t” in the middle, the dark blue square with the “f,” or the white button with “+1” in blue. These buttons are called “social media share buttons,” and they will help to post your practice throughout the internet without you having to lift a finger. Here is how they work:

• Future client #1 types “will I lose my house if I file for bankruptcy?” into Google.
  
• The second search result is your practice, and the future client clicks on the link.
  
• Your article on this topic is exactly what he is looking for, and he is beginning to regain his confidence.
  
• He decides that your article is so informative that he wants to share it instantly.
  
• The future client clicks on the Facebook share button because that is the social media site he uses the most.
  

By sharing it through Facebook, this future client has just advertised your bankruptcy attorney practice to all 300 of his friends. This was all accomplished by you writing a great article and a future client clicking a button. Simple.

Do not forget to add social media share buttons to enhance your bankruptcy lawyer marketing instantly. Let your future clients do some of the work for you, and allow them to share your expertise. To find out more about social media marketing, come to our experts at Foster Web Marketing. Call 888.886.0939 today.

Bankruptcy Lawyer Marketing that Educates Rises Above the Rest

When someone steps into the world of bankruptcy, it begins with steps of trepidation into this confusing world. If your bankruptcy lawyer marketing is doing its job, then you are supplying your clients with your expertise - and there are so many ways you can pass on your knowledge to another.

FAQs
Use your FAQ section to answer any question under the sun when it comes to bankruptcy. Remind your future clients that there is no such thing as a dumb question. Write one post per question, and write around an 8^th grade reading level.

Videos
Videos are another excellent way to meet your future clients in their chaotic world. A hard-to-read explanation may be better received when it can be heard. One thing you must remember, though, is that this medium of education must be brief. Think around two to three minutes for a video.

Webinars
If you really want to get into detail regarding a question, situation, paperwork, etc., then think about holding a free webinar for your future clients. There are so many topics you can choose from: pre-bankruptcy, how to protect your retirement, procedures, and the list goes on and on.

Books
A free book offer that can be downloaded from your site to their home computer is the perfect way to educate and gather contact information. Provide a brief contact form that is filled out prior to the download. Your topics can reflect your webinar topics. This is a good idea for your visual learners and those who learn better through the written language.

Bankruptcy lawyer marketing needs to educate and appeal to all types of learning - whether it’s through hearing the information, reading it, or watching you explain and present examples through videos. Your attorney website, with today’s technology, has the ability to reach out and make a connection with those who need your help. If you are ready to use your connections to the fullest, then call Foster Web Marketing to find out more about our content writing, book writing, and video services. Call 888.886.0939, or fill out our contact form today!

A Blog Post about FAQ Posts for Bankruptcy Lawyer Marketing

Bankruptcy lawyer marketing is highly competitive, so you need to maximize your practice to stand apart from the rest. A good way to do this is by showing your confidence in your practice and displaying your expertise in a field that is stressful to those considering the bankruptcy process. You may portray your know-how through your FAQ section.

FAQ’s
This section should be simple and constantly updated due to all the questions that come with bankruptcy. You will have questions like:

• How do I file for bankruptcy?
  
• Will I lose my home?
  
• Will bankruptcy ruin my credit forever?
  
• What will this do to my IRA?
  

There are so many questions that follow the bankruptcy conversation. Use your FAQ to answer these questions one at a time. By devoting one post per question, this section will act as a conversation between you and the future client who is asking. You have just given personalized attention without taking any time out of your busy day.

Where do I find my questions?
Simple – read your emails. Listen to the conversations around you. Explain the ever-changing bankruptcy laws. Need an easier route? Google “bankruptcy questions” and see what pops up. As long as the economy has its ups and downs, there will always be new questions for you to answer.

An excellent bankruptcy lawyer marketing plan is one that educates its future clients. Answer all the questions they may have, so they receive the sense that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Put your feet in their shoes with all the concerns and stress they may have when it comes to bankruptcy. Build your FAQ section to begin building a trusting relationship between you and your future client.

Do you have questions about your FAQ or bankruptcy lawyer marketing? Call Foster Web Marketing at 888.886.0939, or fill out our contact form today!

Attorney Search Engine Marketing: New Tools For Web Surfers

This month, we’ve been discussing SoLoMo marketing – how you can reach new web visitors and clients through social networking, local marketing, and mobile devices. But before we discuss these new trends in attorney search engine marketing any further, it is important to understand why online marketing has changed so much in recent years.

The answer? There are simply a number of new tools – both hardware and software – that have people surfing the web like never before:

• Smartphones. In 2010, over half of the mobile phone sales in the United States involved a smartphone. This means that millions of people around the country have the internet at their fingertips – no matter where they are.
  
• Tablets. You can hardly leave the house these days without seeing someone using an iPad or other popular tablet. If you don’t think that these small, powerful devices aren’t going to change the marketing world, you may be left behind.
  
• Apps. Did you know that more than 17 billion apps were downloaded onto smartphones and tablets in the last year alone? Why isn’t your law firm involved yet?
  
• Location-based online services. We don’t want to find the best hamburger joint in the country; we want to find the best hamburger joint within ten minutes of where we are right now. The same is true of law offices: you should target those online who are close to you and who are looking for someone in a convenient location.
  
• Social networking sites. Last year, 22 percent of people’s time online was spent on social networking sites. Make sure your law office has a presence in these places where hundreds of millions of people communicate, share, interact, and learn.
  

 

Do you know how your attorney website can harness the power of these tools to get more visitors and convert more clients? We can help. Contact Foster Web Marketing today for more information.

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