Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Website Design and Marketing for Attorneys, Podiatrists, and Other Professionals

AI copywriting tools like ChatGPT use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) techniques to generate written content. The software is trained on a large dataset of text, which it uses to learn the patterns and styles of human writing. When given a prompt or topic, the AI uses this knowledge to generate a piece of writing.

It might seem like ChatGPT or similar tools are the solution to keeping your website stocked with content that draws in visitors, but this issue isn’t as clear-cut as it first appears. While Google’s official guidance doesn’t specially prohibit AI-generated text, they continue to stress that highly ranked content needs to follow the principles of E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

Instead of thinking of AI tools like ChatGPT as being able to offer a “plug and play” content solution, we recommend that you view this technology as a “virtual assistant” that can help you scale up your content production to better meet the needs of your site visitors. 

What Potential Problems Should You Be Aware of Before You Start Adding AI-Generated Content to Your Website? 

The field of artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, but here’s a brief summary of the potential problems you might encounter with current copywriting options: 

• The output quality is inconsistent and sometimes wrong. You may get copy that is 100% correct. However, you may also get copy that is either partially or entirely wrong. Sometimes, you'll get content that sounds correct at first glance but is actually inaccurate once you take a more critical look. Fact-checking is essential. 
• You have to be specific with your prompt. It takes trial and error to find effective prompts that generate the type of results you want. If your prompt is too vague or worded unclearly, you may get unusable output. 
• The output is limited by the quality of the training data. AI copywriting software generates written content based on patterns and styles it has learned from the training data. However, if the training data contains factual errors or is poorly written, the AI may also produce copy with similar errors. Additionally, if the AI is not trained on a diverse and representative dataset, it may produce copy that is biased or contains stereotypes.
• The information might be outdated. ChatGPT and other GPT-3 tools were trained on data from 2021. If the system is trained on outdated data, it will produce content that contains old facts and information.
• AI doesn’t understand context. AI is not capable of understanding the context of the information it is using, so it might not be able to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information or between fact and opinion.

What Are Some Good Uses for AI Copywriting Tools? 

Generally speaking, AI copywriting is more effective when you are working with shorter blocks of text. Generating longer content requires more human intervention to keep the AI from going off-topic or repeating itself. 

AI tools like ChatGPT can be helpful for creating simple FAQs or rephrasing existing copy to be repurposed elsewhere on your site, assuming you have a subject matter expert (SME) review the content for accuracy. You may also have success using AI tools to streamline the process of writing emails or social media posts. 

Using AI tools to generate all of your web copy isn’t recommended, even if you have a human editor reviewing the content. There are two key elements of effective content writing that AI simply can’t match at this time:

• Conveying your brand voice. AI can't reflect your brand voice because it's been trained to recognize general patterns based on a wide data set. It doesn't know you and it doesn't care what makes your business unique. 
• Building an emotional connection with your reader. AI can't build an emotional connection with your reader because it has no sense of context. It doesn’t understand why being in a car accident turns your life upside down, why an estate plan can ease concerns about family conflict over the distribution of assets, or how frustrated a person can become when chronic foot pain keeps them from enjoying their daily activities. 

For these reasons, we recommend using AI as a supplemental content creation tool instead of as a replacement for human content writers. Whether you write your own content or use Foster Web Marketing’s experienced content team, your website will benefit from professional judgment and a human touch.

Are You a Lawyer or Podiatrist Who Wants to Learn How Solid Content Can Earn You More Clients?

If you are seeking a trusted, authoritative partner to help you write content that not only attracts but actually converts into clients, Foster Web Marketing is here to help. Contact us online or call our office directly at 888.886.0939 to schedule your free consultation. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

 

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Nobody likes to say it out loud, but the toughest part of hiring a great law firm marketing manager is that law firms often don’t have a clear idea of what they actually need a marketing manager to do. They just know that they need help!

But absolutely no one wants to waste a lot of precious time and money interviewing, onboarding, and training a “wrong fit” that doesn’t work out. So, it’s all about narrowing in on the things that matter.

Below, let’s get specific about the types of skills and qualifications you really should be looking for in a winning candidate.

The Basic Qualifications Every Law Firm Marketing Manager Should Have

Like we’ve talked about before, finding the right marketing manager is partly about identifying the gaps in your strategy and thinking about where an extra pair of hands will be most productive for your firm. However, there are a few, basic skills that EVERY potential marketing manager should be able to demonstrate:

Excellent verbal and written communication.

This is a no-brainer! This person is likely to be one of the main people that vendors, contractors, community representatives, and marketing partners interact with, as well as one of the main generators of your content and campaigns. Their communication skills need to be absolutely on point.  

Past experience creating marketing campaigns and strategies.

Hands-on experience in marketing is just as valuable as an academic degree or certification—maybe even more valuable! And, since best practices change over time (especially online), recent experience is preferable to experience from 20 years ago.  

Good understanding of law firms as a business.

Marketing a law firm isn’t like marketing a retail site or restaurant. While experience in other industries can be valuable, you’ll save yourself some time if your candidate already has a good grasp of marketing norms in the legal industry. 

Experience with law firm automation tools.

It’s a great time to be a marketer because there are all kinds of sophisticated marketing tools and software out there that save tons of time and keep your strategy consistent. The perfect marketing manager should be able to use and understand content management systems (CMS), customer relationship management software (CRM), practice management software, and marketing automation solutions.  

And, with the basics out of the way, it’s time to dig a little deeper into how your candidate actually uses those skills in practice. 

Digging Deeper to Find the Perfect Fit for Your Law Practice

You have a few candidates that look good on paper. What next? Well, it’s time to start investigating how they actually use those “on paper” skills to attract more clients to your business:

• Do they get the concept of your “perfect client” avatar? 
• Do they have promising ideas to reach potential clients that fit that profile?
• Can they develop and strategize a marketing plan from start to finish?
• Can they work seamlessly with internal teams, external teams, and marketing partners?
• Can they bring together digital marketing, traditional marketing, paid ads, and other marketing avenues to maintain a cohesive strategy?
• Do they mitigate risk by balancing several marketing modalities instead of relying on just one?
• Do they have a plan to keep tabs on analytics data, lead reports, and other KPIs?
• Can they identify important trends, branding opportunities, and new audiences? 
• Will they work well with you and your existing team and take your input seriously?

As you get into these specifics, you’ll probably notice that a few candidates rise to the top of your list—even if they looked the same as everyone else on paper. There can be quite a bit of difference between what a candidate KNOWS and what they can actually DO. 

So, ask some hard questions, and put them to the test. 

Are You A Lawyer Or podiatrist Who Needs To Get More Clients?

If you've been trying to get more leads, more clients or patients, and you're not sure how to get there, Foster Web Marketing is here to help. Contact us online or call our office directly at 866.497.6199 to schedule your free consultation. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

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What Google Really Looks for When Ranking Your Website Content When to Jump On (Or Stay Off) the Bandwagon With Social Media Marketing 3 Ways to Position Yourself as a Boutique Law Firm

When I bring up social media as a marketing tool, a lot of podiatrists and lawyers immediately dismiss it. They don’t think it has anything to do with their practice. They don’t believe anyone would hire a lawyer or choose a podiatrist on Facebook. They think social media is only for kids and flashy start-ups. They worry that it’s too personal or casual for a professional business. 

In short, they think it's kind of a waste of time!

However, social media is no longer just a place where people go to share pictures of their cat and talk about their lunch. It’s no longer just a place to market trendy digital products or quirky local restaurants! In reality, around 75% of Americans are currently social media users, and studies reliably show that what they see on social media sites has a huge impact on their buying decisions. 

Still don’t believe me? Well, let me give you a little more food for thought. 

According to the American Bar Association, around 42% of small law firms (between 2 and 9 attorneys) that use social media gained new clients from their efforts. And according to Health Research Institute, around 41% of patients said that social media influences their choice of podiatrist, hospital, or medical facility—and around 42% go to social media to look for health-related consumer reviews! Of course, none of those statistics even touch on some of the more indirect benefits of getting involved. 

So, if you’ve been hesitant in the past, it’s time to reframe how you think about social media. Here’s what you need to know to start putting it to work for your practice. 

Why Social Media Is Actually Your “Secret Weapon” for Marketing

Social media can be directly responsible for new leads and clients, but that’s not all it can do for you. Some of its biggest benefits are the ones that are hard to measure, including:

• Getting your name out there. Social media is now a place where people make serious buying decisions and do serious research about their medical and legal questions. If you have a positive presence and some education to share, it’s going to make an impression. Social media puts you in front of your community, and a regular posting schedule keeps you at the top of people’s minds. As people start to recognize you and learn about what you do, you’ll gain an edge over bigger businesses, drive more word-of-mouth referrals, and grow your audience of potential clients. 

• Building trust and connections. Especially in the anonymous world of the internet, people want to buy from people they like. They want to buy from brands they trust and understand! This is especially true for the legal and medical industries, where people are looking for help with potentially sensitive concerns. If they regularly see your posts, see positive reviews, and think of you as part of their community, they’re going to feel more comfortable reaching out to you or referring a friend.  

• Building excitement about campaigns and offers. Social media offers some unique opportunities to support your other marketing efforts and harmonize the whole. For example, sharing your blog posts on social sites can increase traffic back to your website. Promoting your current marketing campaigns and offers on social media opens them up to new audiences and builds excitement. Feedback through comments and “likes” shows you what people respond to best. And—as a bonus—social signals may improve your performance in Google Search. Some social networks, like YouTube and Twitter, are even indexed by Google!

Of course, the price is also right. Getting involved with social media is cheap, and it can actually save you money by making the rest of your marketing machine work better. It’s one of those rare occasions where you can get “powerful” and “cheap” in the same package!

So, make it your secret weapon, and start reaping the rewards. 

How to Get Serious About Social Media Marketing

If you don't yet have an account on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or Twitter—or if you do, but you never do anything with your accounts—here’s how to get going:

• Do some groundwork. Take a look at what other practices are doing. Are they active on Facebook? Do they tend to Tweet more? What do they post? How often do they post? If your competitors already seem to be getting good results—lots of comments, likes, and shares—on a particular social media site, start there. Or, if you don’t see a big presence on a particular social media site, you might even take advantage of the lack of competition. It can be a risk, but just start small and see what happens. One of our attorney clients surprised everyone by slaying it as an early adopter on TikTok! 

• Set yourself up for success. Don’t think you can just post on social media when you “feel like it.” Social media marketing works best when you have plans and processes in place to make it happen. So, make your social media posts a part of your regular content calendar. Assign a specific person to do it, and make sure they have what they need to do it effectively. There are many social media tools available that let you track progress, schedule future posting dates, and overall make your social strategy faster to work through and easier to maintain. 

• Concentrate on building a following. It takes time and consistency to build up a social media following, so post regularly and create engaging social media content that people want to read and respond to. Ask people to like and share your posts, and be responsive in the comments. Brand your profile pages using the same color, logo, and image styles you use on your website so that people recognize you—and don’t forget to let your personality shine through. Over time, you should see your audience grow. 

And, finally, don’t be afraid to get some advice from the experts. There’s a lot to learn about using social media the right way, and there are lots of ways to optimize what you’re doing. Just give us a call at 888.886.0939 with your questions, or request a personalized marketing analysis to get pointed in the right direction. 

If you take it seriously, you CAN achieve social media success—and we’re here to make it happen for you.

 

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Is Your Law Firm Or Medical Practice Getting Leads From Your Social Media Marketing Efforts?

Not convinced your current social media marketing is converting leads into clients? No worries! Foster Web Marketing can help. Please contact us online or call our office directly at 888.866.0939 to schedule your free consultation with our experienced marketing team. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

It wasn’t all that long ago that most marketers agreed that you should always host your own law firm website videos and rarely—if ever—embed videos from YouTube. 

But, oh, how times have changed!

Having great videos on your website is a time-proven way to engage more visitors and make your content more compelling. YouTube is currently the most popular social media site in the United States, and it’s also the most popular video-sharing site in the world. 

So, why not bring the best of both together while increasing usability and user engagement? It just makes sense! 

We’ve talked before about some of the benefits of hosting your website videos on YouTube, but let’s take a look at the flipside, too. 

Is hosting your own videos really that bad of an idea? 

It’s ultimately up to you to decide for yourself, but here are our 5 most compelling reasons NOT to host your own website videos.

1. Self-hosted videos are more likely to slow down your website. 

We all know how Google feels about websites with slow loading times. And any website that is filled to the brim with videos—embedded or not—will probably experience some kind of hit to its page speed. 

The thing you have to realize is that YouTube videos are meant to be streamed. A lot of the optimization for playback and speed is built right in. It’s the whole point! When you host your own videos or upload your videos to a single, shared server on a site like WordPress, you don’t get the benefit of what the biggest video streaming site on Earth already knows about optimization. 

Sure, how your law firm’s website handles video playback has an impact. And how you choose to embed and optimize your videos does, too. But, overall, you’re likely to get better speeds with less stress when you choose to embed.  

2. Self-hosted videos run into more compatibility issues.

There aren’t a lot of standards out there for video format and compatibility. That means your self-hosted videos run the risk of not displaying correctly or working as intended on certain browsers, especially mobile browsers. 

On the other hand, embedded YouTube videos are something that your visitors are used to seeing across the Web, and they’ve been optimized to play reliably in almost every browser and on almost every device out there. 

So, why reinvent the wheel with your self-hosted videos when YouTube has already done it for you?

Allowing embedding makes it easier for others to view, use, and share your videos. Your visitors and potential clients don’t have to fiddle around trying to get your video to play on their device, and they don’t have to jump through a lot of hoops to show it to their own audiences. 

YouTube makes it easy and familiar for them, and that potentially means more leads and exposure for you. 

3. Self-hosted videos can nip your success in the bud.  

Hosting your own videos on your website can work just fine for a while. The problem is that it can also bite you just when you start to succeed. File limits and other storage issues can leave viewers with nothing but a black screen when a video gets popular. Bandwidth limits on busy servers can mean your viewers constantly struggle with pauses, stops, and starts on playback. You can end up in a situation where your videos are getting great traction but suddenly become totally unavailable to your viewers until you pay for more storage.  

So, if your video suddenly does well or “goes viral,” you’re kind of up the creek. Your technical issues drive away the potential leads and clients that have come right to your video for answers. Your success gets cut short before it can benefit you, and your dreams of a viral video quickly become a nightmare instead. 

YouTube, on the other hand, offers unlimited bandwidth and no storage limits. 

If you want to add a new video, you don’t have to cut something else to make room. If a million people want to view your video, it’s no sweat. You can keep adding videos, keep up your views, and keep building your video library without worry. 

It’s honestly the most hassle-free and cost-effective solution out there! So, use it to your advantage. 

4. Self-hosted videos put more of the burden of editing and optimization on you. 

When you host your own videos, you have more control over what your viewers see. You don’t have to stick to YouTube’s format. You don’t have to worry about what “suggested videos” are appended to the end of your video. You’re totally in the driver’s seat, and you have the power to customize every detail. 

With great power comes great responsibility, though. You potentially have to host multiple versions of the same video to make sure users are getting the right format at the right time. You’ll need to use video player software. You’ll need to make your own end cards and annotations if you want them. 

Overall, hosting your own videos means more coding, more steps, and more hoops to jump through. And all those steps make it less likely that you’ll actually load and use the videos you shoot. 

So, is it really worth it to have more control if it doesn’t benefit you or improve your video strategy? Sadly, probably not. 

5. Self-hosted videos aren’t connected to the rest of your marketing. 

Self-hosted videos can be a little bit like all those single-use kitchen gadgets. They do one thing, and maybe they even do it well. But, ultimately, their benefits are limited to one task, and they don’t do a lot to work with the whole. 

It’s an “okay” solution, but it falls a little short of the potential. 

When you host your videos on YouTube and embed them on your website, those videos are constantly working for you in both places. Anytime people watch your videos, even when embedded on a website, it still counts towards your videos’ official view counts on YouTube. 

You don’t have to go to much extra effort, but you’re improving both areas of your video marketing at the same time. One video can do double duty on your YouTube Channel and your website, so it’s more useful to you overall. 

Keep in mind that it’s important to actually embed your YouTube videos rather than just linking to them. Embedded videos are more searchable than links, which is good news for your SEO strategy. Plus, having the video right there and ready to play appeals to users who prefer video over text. It really helps you get the most out of it!

Using YouTube Videos on Your Website Multiplies Your Marketing Power

So, there you go. While hosting your own videos can give you the basic functionality you need, hosting your videos on YouTube and embedding them on your website multiplies your video power. 

It’s easier for you. It’s easier for your users. And it’s rapidly becoming the standard for website video, anyway. This is one of those rare occasions in marketing when the easy route is the best route. 

So, go for it!

Want to use more video in your law firm marketing? Need a hand creating and maintaining a YouTube Channel for your law firm? Want to work with a team that has been producing and optimizing website videos for lawyers for over two decades? 
Schedule a quick marketing analysis with our friendly team, and let’s make it happen for you.

Is Your Law Firm Or Medical Practice Website Getting Enough Exposure? Foster Web Marketing Can Help With Our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services  

Are you concerned that your website isn't pulling in enough traffic to keep you swimming in leads? Do you need help with SEO for your legal or medical website? If so, Foster Web Marketing can help! Please contact us online or call our office directly at 866.497.6199 to schedule your free consultation with our experienced marketing team. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

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There’s no doubt that YouTube is the most popular video hosting site on the whole internet, and it’s held that position for quite some time. But what if I asked you to guess the most popular social media site in the United States? 

Would you say Facebook? Would you say Instagram or Twitter?

Well, you’d be wrong. 

YouTube has firmly established itself as a social media site over the years, where people regularly share videos with others and make connections. And, according to a Pew Research survey conducted at the start of 2021, YouTube is now the most popular social media site in the nation. 

That’s right! It’s not even by a slim margin—around 81% of Americans report using YouTube, while only around 69% report using Facebook. The study also shows that YouTube is at the top of the list for fastest growing social media sites, while Facebook and most other social media sites have stayed stagnant since 2019.  

That means the most popular video-sharing site in the world has now officially edged out Facebook to become the most popular social media site, too!  

And that’s not even all. YouTube is ALSO one of the most popular search engines in the whole world, second only to its parent company Google.

Whew! That’s a lot of things for one site to be to a lot of people. And, if YouTube doesn’t figure into your social media marketing plan, then you’re missing out on something BIG.  

How to Get Social on YouTube as a Business Owner

A lot of lawyers and podiatrists are hesitant to get involved in YouTube. They think, “my video will never go viral, so what’s the point?”

But—news flash—getting a million views on your video is not the goal. It might be nice, but going viral with one video doesn’t necessarily further your goal of getting more leads and clients for your business. Besides, videos often go viral for all the wrong reasons. 

Instead, like all true social media sites, making YouTube work for your business is really about making connections. You want to cultivate a loyal group of viewers that tune into your videos every week, and you want to create videos that attract good leads because they answer the right questions at the right time. 

So, if you want to make connections that turn into clients, you have to put yourself out there and show yourself at your best. Not sure where to get started? 

Here are some of our best tips for getting social on YouTube:

• Personalize your YouTube Channel. Your Channel is the hub of all the videos you post to YouTube, so make sure you use the options available to make it truly yours. You can curate your videos, create playlists, choose featured videos, and more. Not sure how to make it happen? Get step-by-step instructions for creating and personalizing a YouTube Channel for your business. 
• Answer questions. Since YouTube is also an important search engine, you should approach your video creation a lot like you approach the content on your website. You need to make it about your perfect clients! If you can answer the questions they’re asking, then you’ll make instant connections with the people that truly need your services, right when they need you. Learn more about meeting your potential clients in micro-moments. 
• Post quality videos on a regular basis. If you’re going to put the effort into using YouTube as a marketing tool, aim to keep a consistent publishing schedule. Whether it’s twice a week or once a month, a regular schedule will keep your subscribers interested and go a long way toward establishing you as the go-to expert in your area of expertise. 
• Optimize your videos. YouTube also gives you a fair number of built-in options to personalize your videos and optimize them for search. If you can do this masterfully, your videos will look a lot more professional, and they’ll perform a lot better in YouTube searches. Find out more about how to optimize and promote your videos to get more viewers.
• Make friends with others in your field. Again, social media sites are all about connections. So, reach out to other creators you really enjoy, as well as other experts in your field. “Like” their videos. Subscribe to their Channels. Leave them a comment, and get a great conversation going. Interview them on your Channel, or collaborate in another way. It’s not just a great way to network—it’s also a great way to show your expertise and share it with new audiences. 
• Ask for what you want. Adding a quick reminder in your video to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for notifications will drive more people to do so. The same goes for your own offers, services, and goals. So, mention your free book and other promotions. Put your phone number at the bottom of the screen. Invite viewers to visit your website or schedule a consultation. Briefly ask again in the description section of your video. It’s such a simple thing to do, but it makes a huge difference in the success of your videos. 
• Encourage and respond to comments. Ask questions in your video that encourage people to leave comments. And make sure you reply to their comments if they do take the time to say something! Thoughtful responses to viewer comments humanize your channel, increase trust, and show that you’re a pro that cares about what your viewers have to say. 

Not sure you have a handle on your social media marketing efforts? Our marketing experts would love to show you how to make the most of your social media accounts, including YouTube. 

Just join us for a hands-on analysis of your website and marketing efforts, or give us a call at 888.886.0939. 

You can also try out our social media tool if you sign up for a free DSS software demo!

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Is Your Law Firm Or Medical Practice Getting Leads From Your Social Media Marketing Efforts?

Not convinced your current social media marketing is converting leads into clients? No worries! Foster Web Marketing can help. Please contact us online or call our office directly at 888.866.0939 to schedule your free consultation with our experienced marketing team. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

Foster Web Marketing has worked hard over the last 15 years to develop the best solutions for website domain name registration and management, as well as performance and security. This has led us to a best-of-breed solution that we not only encourage, but actually require for all our clients. 

What is my domain registration, and do you have my credentials so I can log in and make changes?

Your domain registration is essentially the ownership of your domain. 

Website companies that manage domains for their clients and hold client domains under their company accounts are predatory in nature. They use their ownership of your domain as a way to manipulate you into staying with them—even when you don’t want to. FWM does not register or hold registration of client domains because of this. We believe that you should always own your domain and retain the ability to transfer to a different provider, if needed. 

You can check where your domain is currently registered and who technically owns it by going to https://who.is and entering your domain name.

Typical companies used for registering a domain include GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Register.com, and several others. Your responsibility as an FWM client is to ensure that your domain is registered, maintain its credentials, and renew and make payments as needed. 

It’s important to keep up with this so it does not impact your website, email, or other services tied to your domain. 

My IT company wants to make changes to my mail server settings, add a DNS record, or have control of my domain records. Is this okay?

During the launch of your website, we can work with your IT provider to answer questions and ensure a smooth transition of all things related to your domain. During the preparation for launch, we will exactly replicate any existing DNS records you have in place now. So, even if your existing website is with another provider, it will not be impacted. There is no need to worry that any changes we make will impact your email, website, or other services. It’s typically a painless transition.  

Once launched, you and your authorized IT team can request changes to DNS records 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. To request changes, you can call our main number at 888.886.0939 and open a ticket with one of our Customer Service team members. If it is after regular hours or an urgent request, you can call 888.886.0939 at any time and press 1 for Emergency IT Support. Leave a message, and we will return your call within 30 minutes.

Can my IT company or staff log in and make changes to DNS directly?

Because we utilize an Enterprise DNS solution called Cloudflare for all clients and cannot give access to specific clients for their records, there is no way to make this happen.

What is Cloudflare, and why do I need to have it for my website and DNS?

In a nutshell, Cloudflare is a web infrastructure and website security company that provides content delivery network services, DDoS mitigation, internet security, and distributed domain name server services worldwide. From our perspective, it is the best way to protect your website, speed up your web pages, and manage your DNS records. 

To put it into perspective, over 35% of all website traffic globally runs over Cloudflare networks and services. They are the absolute best at what they do. 

Foster Web Marketing has partnered with Cloudflare as an Enterprise Reseller to provide our clients with the best services and support they offer. Here are some of the more detailed elements they provide:

• Conceals the public IP (internet address) of your website so hackers cannot access it directly
• Free automated SSL certificates
• Global content delivery network (CDN)
• Unmetered mitigation of DDoS attacks with up to 67 Tbps capacity
• Enhanced security with Web Application Firewall (WAF)
• Bot report and basic mitigation
• Lossless image optimization
• Accelerated mobile page load speed
• Privacy-first analytics
• API Integration to our DSS Content Management System to support immediate cache updating and pre-caching of content on your website

My IT person or I still have questions about this topic. Can you help?

Absolutely. You are the customer, and we are here to answer your questions and be your trusted advisor. Please call us any time at 888.886.0939 to speak to a member of our team or send an email to [email protected].

Are You Considering Adding Marketing Automation Software To Your Law Firm or Medical Practice Strategy?

If you feel you're missing out on your share of leads for your law firm or medical practice there's a good chance you are. The good news is Foster Web Marketing is here to help! Please contact us online or call our office directly at 888.866.0939 to schedule your free consultation with our experienced marketing team. We've been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

There are lots of reasons why your law firm’s website might not be driving the leads, clients, and cases you want. We’ll get into some of those reasons below, but there’s an even better option if you’re looking for answers:

Request a website design consultation with the FWM team. You’ll get expert eyes on your current website, along with personalized guidance on how to make it better—no more searching for generic advice! Instead, you’ll know specifically where you are and what you need to do.

But even if you’re not ready for that, you still need answers. So, let’s talk about 5 of the biggest reasons we see law firm websites fall short of their goals.  

1. Your Law Firm’s Website Doesn’t Work Right

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to use a website that doesn’t work right. Your potential clients will give up on trying to use your law firm’s website if:

• Pages take forever to load correctly
• Design elements get in the way
• Links don’t go anywhere 
• It won’t work on a phone or tablet
• Buttons and menus are broken
• Contact forms don’t work as intended

Google pays major attention to these kinds of technical issues, too. If you’re not meeting the minimum stands for technical performance, security, privacy, speed, and “crawlability,” you’re probably not showing up in Google searches.  

2. Your Website Content Doesn’t Hook Your “Perfect Clients”

High-quality, relevant content is what drives your perfect clients from your website to your doorstep. If your content is thin, irrelevant, sales-y, spammy, full of grammar mistakes, and over-stuffed with awkward keywords, it doesn’t help anyone. At best, you look like you don’t care. At worst, you look like you’re purposefully trying to be manipulative. 

It's a bad look for a lawyer. And, ultimately, people just don’t want to stick around on a website that doesn’t help them or answer their questions! 

So, think about what your perfect clients want to know and want to read. Use language they understand. Answer their questions with every blog post, article, or FAQ you write. Address the kinds of “micro-moments” that prompted them to land on your website. Develop a content strategy that keeps you on track.  

And—this is a big one for turning visitors into leads—make sure you include customized calls to action that show readers how to take the next step. 

Sometimes, too, it’s all a matter of how you present the content on your law firm’s website. Do you highlight your best content on your homepage? Do you link relevant articles together? Is your content organized and easy to navigate to? 

Put it out there where people can see it and benefit from it! 

3. Your Biggest “Goal” Pages Aren’t Focused on Conversion 

Speaking of calls to action, your main “goal” pages—like offer landing pages, practice area pages, and contact pages—should be optimized to convince users to click or call. You have to send people to these core pages and ask them to take the next step! 

This is honestly the problem that’s at the root of so many under-performing websites. Your website has to help people get from point A (“I need answers!”) to point B (“I need this attorney!”). It has to be focused on conversion. From top to bottom, it should create a logical path for your visitors that ends in the right kind of “ask.”

If you’ve built that path effectively, people will land on your website and automatically start funneling themselves toward those goal pages. And, if they land on those goal pages, you know that they’re interested in your services.  

That’s why these types of core pages need to be clear about what people should do, what they should expect after they do it, and why it’s an important step. Then, ask them to take that next step with you!  

Of course, it’s also critical that everything on these pages works exactly as intended. So, test them routinely—especially your contact forms. If something is broken, you’re probably missing out on a good chunk of your warmest leads!

4. Your Law Firm’s Website Gives Off Sketchy Vibes

As common as it is to do business online these days, people are still hesitant to reach out over the internet to an unfamiliar law firm. People tend to be sensitive about their legal issues. They don’t want to talk to “just anyone.” They want to talk to someone they feel like they can trust. 

So, your website needs to do everything it can to show that you are a trustworthy attorney running a trustworthy law firm. 

If your website looks abandoned, outdated, or otherwise off-putting, it’s going to give off the wrong kinds of vibes to your potential clients. Every element of your website should look professionally done. You should make it clear what you do and who you are. Your law firm’s branding should be subtly reinforced in colors, taglines, images, and other design elements. All your information should be current, and you should always have something fresh to offer. These signals matter to people that don’t know you yet.   

And don’t forget to leverage what other people have said about their past experiences with you. This is a huge trust signal! Testimonials, reviews, and case results go a long way toward setting new visitors at ease. It’s also a good idea to make sure that your online reputation is positive and consistent not just on your website but across the board.

5. Your Website Lacks Those Little Extras That Make a Difference 

Little touches on your website can be big converters, and little problems can be major roadblocks to the clients and cases you want. Along with all the big things we talked about above, you also have to stay on top of the less obvious things that can affect how people feel about you and the actions they’re willing to take on your website. 

Almost every element of a website impacts the user experience. Sometimes, it’s the addition of a live chat service or an adjustment in the language or tone of your headlines that makes a difference. Sometimes, it’s adding video FAQs or setting up better lead alerts and tracking for your team. 

I won’t lie; it’s a lot to look at. But it’s critically important that you consider EVERYTHING that affects your potential clients when they use your website. 

Of course, you don’t have to do all that analysis alone. Want to look at what’s going on with your website with award-winning experts by your side? Request a website design consultation with our team, or give us a call at 888.886.0939.

 

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Are You Wondering If Your Law Firm Or Medical Practice Website Is Standing Up To The Competition? It's Likely Time For A Website Redesign.

If you're convinced your website is outdated, chances are it is. Help is available, however. Please contact us online or call our office directly at 866.497.6199 to schedule your free website redesign consultation with our experienced marketing team. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

The whole point of customer relationship management (CRM) software is to manage the experience that clients have with your law firm. And, if you think about it, an awesome client experience is really what most small and solo law firms are already known for! 

But is the software really worth it? Well, yeah! We sure think so. 

Although small law firms handle less volume than bigger firms, they might actually benefit the most from CRM software. CRMs typically come loaded with all kinds of digital tools that streamline, personalize, and improve the relationships you build with your clients. So, in a nutshell, it supports you as you capitalize and expand on what you already do well—and that’s the kind of strategy that gives you an edge over your competition.

Still not sure if a CRM is right for you? Keep reading below to see exactly how and why small law firms are absolutely KILLING IT with CRM software. 

Already a marketing-automation enthusiast, but looking for something better? Don’t forget these three CRUCIAL things when you upgrade your law firm CRM software. 

Short on Staff? Law Firm CRM Software Is Like Another Employee

Small and solo law firms often find themselves running with a skeleton crew. They employ less staff, or their attorneys might even be doing everything themselves. We all know how hard it is to be an attorney, a business owner, and a marketer all by yourself. And that’s exactly why a little bit of software can make a HUGE difference.  

When you have a CRM, it’s like having an extra employee in the office that takes charge of new leads, collects contact information, and notifies you that people are coming in. It sends email sequences right on time, to the right people. And it solicits feedback that keeps you on the right track with your clients and referral sources. 

Just like a well-trained employee, a well-trained CRM can carry out the tasks you know you need to do—exactly the way you want them to happen. And, if your ideas don’t work out the way you’d hoped, it’s easy to make on-the-fly adjustments that will make it all work better.  

Imagine what you could do with just one employee that is dedicated to improving your relationships with clients and referral sources. Now, imagine that employee is working for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and never takes a day off. 

That’s the power of a great CRM!

Leads Getting Lost in the Shuffle? Law Firm CRM Software Puts Them Right in Front of You

There’s no doubt that an excellent, personalized client experience is one of the biggest selling points for small law firms. But that’s pretty tough to keep up consistently, especially as your law firm grows. Leads slip through the cracks. Promising contacts fall off because they don’t hear from you and don’t get the follow-up communication they need to make a real hiring decision. It can be a big mess, even when you have the best intentions. 

And, yes. CRM software notifies you of the leads that come in, leaving fewer contacts hanging. That alone can be a big relief for a small but busy law firm. But CRM software also does a whole lot more to keep you engaged with great leads.  

CRM software is all about managing and nurturing your leads and contacts. You can easily create, edit, import, and export your contact list—no matter how big or small. It’s easy to update contact information, tag contacts, and create groups without the need to maintain separate lists. 

So, you want to send an email blast only to past clients? No problem. You want to send an email blast to everyone BUT your past clients? Also, no problem. 

With custom email templates and automatic scheduling, you know your email sequences, blasts, and campaigns are going to the right people at the right time. So, ultimately, a great CRM saves you time and automatically keeps you top of mind with the people that matter most. It reduces redundancy and “busy work,” so it improves your overall efficiency. You know when you have a lead. You know that lead is already getting emails that educate them and introduce them to your law firm. You can rest assured that each new contact is funneled in the right direction, and you don’t have to write every email or make a personal call to keep it all going. 

And that’s really the beauty of it. CRM software takes a lot of the work off your plate in the background while making you look like a total pro to your existing clients, referral sources, and potential clients.

Not Sure If CRM Software Is for You? Track Your Performance and See for Yourself

Our CRM is backed by all the power of DSS, so you never have to wonder if your investment in a CRM is worth it. Instead, you can track it for yourself! 

You can track your leads and monitor your performance, all from the same place. You can easily see the number of opens, opt-outs, and clicks from your email campaigns, and you have access to other tools that give you essential insight into what’s working best for your practice. 

And, even more importantly, the DSS CRM makes it simple to create and deploy customer feedback campaigns. All the numbers and data aside, that genuine feedback from your actual clients might be the best and most important indicator of success you can get. 

Find Marketing Automation Software That Makes You Even Better at What You Do

Ultimately, great CRM software streamlines contacts, communication, and client acquisition, while helping you manage the relationships you build with your clients and contacts. It’s a little thing that can boost small law firms, build up their relationships, and grow them into bigger firms. And it can do it all with less juggling, less stress, and fewer new leads getting lost in the mix.  

Are You Considering Adding Marketing Automation Software To Your Law Firm or Medical Practice Strategy?

If you feel you're missing out on your share of leads for your law firm or medical practice there's a good chance you are. The good news is Foster Web Marketing is here to help! Please contact us online or call our office directly at 888.866.0939 to schedule your free consultation with our experienced marketing team. We've been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.

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It’s hard to grow your law firm if you’re not marketing it. It’s hard to pay for marketing if you’re not getting a lot of clients and cases. It can feel like a terrible catch-22 situation. And it leads a lot of lawyers to ask, “well, just how much SHOULD I be spending on marketing, anyway?” 

That’s probably why you’re here right now! And, while there is a real answer to this question, there are some things we should talk about first. 

Your Marketing Budget Should Match Your Law Firm and Your Goals

The size and age of your law firm, the types of practice areas you cover, your location—all these things impact how much you should spend on marketing yourself. For example, a growing personal injury law firm might need to spend more on marketing and lead generation than an established corporate law firm does. A hometown law firm will likely spend less on marketing than a similar law firm in a big, competitive city. So, you need to think about those kinds of factors and adjust your budget accordingly.   

It really comes down to your goals. How much do you want to grow? What areas are you trying to develop? 

And, even more importantly, is your law firm ready to handle it if it works?

“We have never been this busy before. It’s even a joke around the office: ‘Stop the marketing! We’re getting too busy!’ Busy in a good way, though.”

—Simone Deloach

Simone may be joking in the quote above, but there is a legitimate concern there. If you get too many new leads too fast, and you don’t have systems in place to be ready for them, it could turn into a big problem. A hundred new leads won’t help you if all of them have a terrible experience on your website or with your firm. 

You might be ready to go fast and furious, or you might need to start more slowly and work up to a bigger push while you improve your intake systems or follow-up campaigns. You might be better served by improving your law firm website or finding marketing automation software you like before you go crazy with new campaigns or ads. 

In other words, the foundation you’re working from will impact how much you need to spend and when.   

And, finally, lawyers have all different kinds of marketing approaches. A bigger or smaller spend doesn’t always correlate directly to their actual success in marketing their law firms. So, chasing their numbers won’t necessarily give you the same results. Instead, you have to choose your marketing budget with YOUR goals in mind.  

So, with all that out of the way, how much SHOULD lawyers spend marketing their law firms?

How to Nail Down a Working Number for Your Law Firm’s Marketing Budget

The general wisdom is that businesses should spend between 3 and 18 percent of their revenue on marketing. For law firms, in particular, we can actually narrow this down even further and say that it’s between 7 and 10 percent of your revenue.

Depending on the other factors we talked about above, that might be a little more or less. If you want to make a big push, go a little higher. If you just want to maintain, go a little lower. But between 7 and 10 percent is a good place to start working from. 

So, let’s say a law firm with an annual gross revenue of $250,000 has decided they need to reinvest about 8 percent of that into their marketing. That turns into a monthly marketing budget of about $1,667.

Or, let’s say a law firm with an annual gross revenue of $900,000 wants to put 9% of that into marketing projects. That turns into a monthly budget of $6,750. 

Typically, law firms that push that number a little more—by maybe $1,000 or $2,000—outperform law firms that undercut it by the same amount. 

Ultimately, you may not actually be saving money by shaving little bits off your marketing spending here and there. Instead, you could just be shaving off your future profits! So, choose your budget carefully, and be ready to adjust it over time.

And here’s another important note: if that reinvestment into your business isn’t increasing your business, then don’t make the mistake of quitting marketing altogether. Again, it’s tough to grow a business that you aren’t marketing or letting people know about. So, don’t give up. Just get more focused on what’s working for what you want to achieve.  

If you aren’t focused enough on the right goals or don’t know what you’re trying to achieve, it won’t matter how much you spend on your marketing. 

Track the Return You’re Getting From Your Investment

The whole point of putting money into marketing is to make more money later. So, you need to have a finger on the pulse of your marketing. Is it working? Are you getting more leads, clients, and cases? Are there ways you can leverage what’s already successful for you? Are there better ways to do what didn’t work out as well as you planned? Don’t be afraid to ask questions or work with experts. To be a great marketer, you always have to be ready to adjust your tactics and push your knowledge further. You can’t ignore it all and expect it to work! 

You want to put your biggest focus on the things that bring in the best clients for your firm. That might be a referral campaign. That might be creative videos or educational content or email outreach. But don’t totally neglect the little things that build your branding and trust with potential clients.  

You want to ensure you’re nurturing your existing list AND putting out lots of lines for new leads. Together, that’s how you keep tons of great clients in the pipeline. It’s a bit of a balancing act, and that’s all the more reason to know what’s going on. 

Not sure what’s really going on with your law firm’s marketing? We have answers. Request a free website analysis to find out why your marketing isn’t as effective as you need it to be, or give us a call at 888.886.0939 with your questions. 

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Are You Searching For A Trusted Marketing Partner For Your Law Firm Or Medical Practice?

If you have been seeking an experienced marketing agency to help your law firm or medical practice attract more leads, close more clients and make more money Foster Web Marketing can help. Please contact us online or call our office directly at 888.866.0939 to schedule your free consultation with our experienced marketing team. We have been helping clients throughout the United States and internationally since 1998 and are confident we can help you not only reach, but exceed your goals.