3 Ways to Improve Law Firm Lead Conversion Rates

Most law firms invest a lot of money into getting more traffic to their websites. Unfortunately, many law firms are left without results for all the money spent. However, what most people don’t realize is that website traffic is only part of the equation. Law firms also need to invest money and time to convert leads. With these tips below… your firm should see a significant increase in lead conversion rates.

• Intake process

You should adjust your intake process to be extremely easy and smooth in order to improve conversion rates. This is because, as we’ve all been taught, first impressions are important. When someone first interacts with a law firm, the intake specialist needs to build a relationship of trust. A bad first impression will result not only in the firm’s failure to convert the potential client but the potential client going to another firm. So, our best advice is to discuss our intake process audit which will cut down on unanswered calls and mistakes.

• Response time

Studies have shown that more than one-third of calls to law firms were not answered by a live person. The study concluded that about 32 percent went to voicemail, and three percent of calls were not answered at all. If firms do not answer the phone or respond to an email or social media inquiry, the potential client will contact another firm. However, there are many tools that you can utilize, let’s talk about your options.

• Persuasion techniques

There are also other techniques that law firms can use, more specifically, persuasion techniques. Some ways you can persuade potential clients to hire you is by offering a free e-book, potential clients are more willing to provide their email address and permission to contact them with an offering they are interested in. People hire lawyers they like. Firms like yours can place videos or photographs on your website with your staff participating in charitable events. One of the key reasons these techniques work is because potential clients follow what others do. Law firms should capitalize on this human tendency by including testimonials and positive reviews on their websites as well.

• Mistakes to avoid

Law firm receptionists or other people answering the phone can make mistakes when speaking with potential clients:

• The person who answers the phone does not have a good answer to the question as to why the caller should hire the law firm.
• The person answering the phone fails to get any contact information from the caller to contact them back in the future.
• When giving the potential client the firm’s website, the person misspells the website address.
• The person puts the potential client on hold for more than an appropriate amount of time.
• The receptionist answers the phone without identifying who they are, the potential client should know who they are talking to.

There is hope. Law firms can incorporate best practices in phone calls to improve the lead conversion rate:

• Voicemails: Someone should check voicemail often and return calls on the same day. If you do not answer the inquiry timely, they will move on to another law firm.
• Answering the call: When answering the phone, the receptionist should always state their name clearly.
• Contact information: The person answering the phone should get the caller’s contact information, along with general details about the reason for the inquiry, and permission to call, text, or email the caller back. The person should refer to the caller by name during the conversation.
• Placing on hold: If it is necessary to place a caller on hold, the person answering the call should ask for the caller’s permission. It is also important to keep things swift/fast. Keep the amount of time the caller is on hold to a minimum. Ask to call the person back if necessary.
• Promoting the firm: The person answering the phone should be prepared for the caller to ask why they should hire the firm. People who are looking to hire a law firm want a caring, experienced, and successful firm. Even if the question is not asked, the person answering the call can weave scripted answers into the conversation.
• Dedicated person: Law firms should train one person to answer the phone. An experienced person can handle the calls professionally, respond correctly to questions, have more consistent calls/results, and make a good first impression on the caller.
• Compassion: The person answering the phone or responding to emails should show compassion for the caller. Acknowledging that the caller is in pain and expressing concern for the caller’s situation builds a connection with the caller.

Website improvements to increase conversion rate:

With today’s modern technology, when people are looking to hire an attorney, they can just go to law firm websites from their smartphones, tablets or laptops. This is where a lot of law firms get some of their biggest conversion rates. However, this is also an area that a lot of law firms struggle to increase their website visitors and conversion rates. But don’t let that scare you off! There are ways that your firm can increase the conversion rate among these users:

• Contact form: Your firm should include a contact form on your website. A potential client may prefer to fill out a form and have the firm contact them.
• Website speed: Law firms can increase conversions by speeding up the time it takes to load a web page. The longer it takes a page to load, the more likely the internet user is to bounce to another website.
• Chat: A Chatbot engages the user in a virtual conversation. Law firms can program the Chatbot to answer common questions. The Chatbot is a 24/7 option for internet users.
• Call to action and phone number: The main action law firms want a website visitor to do is call them. Place your firm’s number in the right-hand corner of your website. Site visitors should be able to tap the phone number and call directly.
• Landing pages: Law firms should create a landing page for each area of practice. Include several calls to action to encourage the user to contact the firm.

We know that by following these tips from Leads To Cases… your law firm will see a significant increase in lead conversion rates.

Let’s set up a time to talk about how Leads To Cases can help every area of your law firm grow and convert!