When you type your law firm’s name into Google, how many 5-star reviews come up in your business listing? If you’re here reading this blog post, we’re betting it isn’t as many as you’d like — or at least not as many as your competitors.
Before we give you some tips on getting more online reviews, first let’s explore why your law firm doesn’t have more reviews.
Why Doesn’t My Law Firm Have More Reviews?
There are a few different reasons why your law firm may not have a lot of reviews, and most of them are pretty easy to suss out. Here are the top three we see here at Thunderhead Marketing:
- You don’t have many clients. If you’re an independent lawyer with only a few clients per month, it’s going to take longer to accumulate reviews than if you were part of a larger firm with hundreds of monthly clients.
- You’re not asking for reviews. In our experience, most lawyers don’t have a system in place to ask their clients to review them online. No matter how happy a client is with your services, they most likely are not going to go out of their way to leave a review if you don’t ask.
- Your current clients aren’t tech-savvy. If your clientele is composed of older people who are not as tech-savvy, they may not even know how to leave a review on Google or Avvo.
5 Tips for Getting More Attorney Reviews Online
Now that you have an idea of why your law firm might not be getting many reviews, let’s take a look at five tips to help you get more.
- Be responsive and connect with your clients. Building a strong relationship with your clients is not just a good business practice for today, it can also benefit the future of your law firm. Clients are much more likely to be inclined to leave a review for a lawyer who is responsive and willing to answer their questions.
- Ask for reviews from every client. Make sure that you are asking every happy client if they’d be willing to leave a review. Have a system in place for how this will be done. At Thunderhead Marketing, we recommend making a review request a standard part of closing out a case.
- Make it easy. Show clients exactly how to leave a review. Provide them with step-by-step instructions. We recommend always giving them 3 options, with Google being top priority because it is, of course, the most used search engine. Avvo is also an important place to promote for reviews because it is a widely trusted resource for many clients choosing an attorney AND typically ranks high on search engine results when someone searches for an attorney by name. Facebook and Yelp are other sites we recommend directing reviewers to.
- Always respond to new reviews. One great way to show potential clients that you care about your reviews is to respond to them. People can see if a law firm takes the time to thank their clients and address any concerns they may have had.
- Don’t just ask current clients. It’s OK to reach out to past clients, especially if you weren’t previously in the practice of requesting reviews. Also ask for reviews from other professionals you work with, such as referring attorneys, inspectors, translators, process servers, etc.
How to Send Clients a Direct Link to Give a Review
One of the best ways to improve your chances of a client leaving a review is to make it a simple as one click. To do that, you need the right URL that will take them to directly where they will type in their review. How to get this URL is a little bit different depending on which site you are trying to get reviews on.
Get Your Review Link on Google
Google’s location link shows clients where they can leave reviews, taking the guesswork out of it.
Getting your ‘Leave a Review’ link is as easy as following these steps.
Sign in to your Google Business Profile first.
Step 1: Search for your business on Google.
Step 2: You will see new options on your Google Business Profile when you scroll down. Click “Ask for reviews.”
Step 3: In the popup, copy the URL and send it to your clients.
Step 4: When your clients click this link, it takes them directly to your Google review form.
Find Your Law Firm’s Facebook Review Link
Facebook’s review link can be copied whether you are logged into your account or not.
Getting your review link is as easy as following these steps.
Step 1: Go to your Facebook profile page and click on the ‘Reviews’ tab.
Step 2: Copy the url and send it to your clients.
Where to Find Avvo Review Link
Avvo has two ways of requesting reviews from clients.
- Copy the review url link and send it to clients.
- Request a review from a client through your Avvo’s profile dashboard.
Directions for copying the url link: Avvo’s review link can be copied whether you are logged into your account or not.
Step 1: Go to your Avvo profile page and click on the ‘Reviews’ tab.
Step 2: Click the ‘Write a Review’ tab.
Step 3: Copy the url and send it to your clients.
Directions for requesting reviews through the Avvo dashboard:
Source: Avvo.com
Pro Tip: Although we recommend emphasizing Google reviews, Avvo typically ranks very high in search results when potential clients are searching an attorney’s name rather than the firm name. Having great reviews will help solidify the 5-star reputations of the attorneys that work for your firm.
Frequently Asked Questions About Reputation Management for Attorneys
Is it worth paying for reputation management services for a law firm?
Yes, it can be worth it if you don’t have the time or resources to manage your reputation on your own — and most attorneys don’t. Reputation management services typically provide a more comprehensive approach to managing online reviews and other aspects of your law firm’s reputation.
How often should an attorney ask for reviews?
Ask for a review anytime you close a case out with a happy client. It’s best to make your request very soon after the case is resolved. For a personal injury attorney, this may mean asking when your client comes to the office to receive their settlement check. A defense attorney might ask in court after getting a client’s case dismissed.
What’s the best way to ask clients for a review?
Because of the nature of the attorney-client relationship, a personal approach is best when requesting a review. At Thunderhead Marketing, we recommend reaching out through whatever your normal means of communication is with your client — whether that be phone, text, or email.
The attorney or paralegal who most interacted with the client is the best person to make this request. It’s often helpful to note that the client does not need to give any facts of the case in their review. Simply sharing some thoughts on their experience with you as an attorney and how they were treated during their time working with your law firm will be very helpful.
Should I offer incentives for clients who leave reviews?
We’ve all seen such offers. “Leave us a review and get $5 off your next Amazon order!” While they can be effective, these types of incentives can be difficult to offer for attorneys and law firms. Rules of professional conduct vary between states, so before considering incentives it is important to know your state’s rules.
Get Help Managing Your Law Firm’s Online Reputation
An online reputation is important, but it’s often more important for attorneys than other professionals. The legal profession often carries an inherent stigma, often perpetuated in popular culture.
Having a long list of reviews from clients attesting to your hard work, dedication, and strong ethics is a great way to stand out among your competitors. At Thunderhead Marketing, we have helped attorneys in a wide range of practice areas build a strong online reputation and grow their client base. Contact us today to learn more about our lawyer reputation management services.
