In this article, we look at website marketing -- guerrilla style.
You Have a Website, Now What?
Congratulations -- you've developed a website for your firm! So now what? Do you sit back and wait for thousands of new clients to come through your door? You can try that, but the odds of potential clients finding your website among the billions of other sites out there aren't great. In other words, having a website isn't enough. You have to promote your online presence.
You may be thinking that "promote" is a sly way of saying "advertise" and you may not have the budget to run 30 second spots on the six o'clock news. Fine, no problem. There are plenty of ways to drive qualified traffic to your site while not breaking the bank.
How to Get Started
Here are some ideas that will get you started:
1. Put your website URL on your business cards, stationary, etc. Remember, every interaction with a client is an opportunity to market yourself. Don't forget to add your Web address to invoices, envelopes, and of course brochures as well.
2. Mention your website in your voicemail message.
3. Try search engine optimization (offered by FindLaw for FirmSite clients and by independent search engine optimization companies).
4. Add your Web address to your email signature (this form of 'viral marketing' is credited with the enormous success of HotMail.com).
5. Develop a grass-roots public relations campaign to highlight the unique content of your website. You don't need a PR firm to send out a press release, you can do it yourself. Read How to Write a Press Release for tips. Keep in mind that a press release does not get press unless it is newsworthy! To help keep your release on the right side of the rules of lawyer advertisements, be sure to check your state's professional responsibility rules.
6. List your firm on an online directory, such as the FindLaw Lawyer Directory.
7. Add content, content, and more content. Give folks a reason to come back to your website - again and again. Be reminded, however, that quality is still more important than quantity. Provide information that is useful to users.
8. Create an e-newsletter. Send out a weekly/monthly/quarterly email (opt-in only, please!) filled with helpful legal tips, company updates, legal news, and of course plenty of links back to your website. Make sure you encourage subscribers to pass along each issue to their friends, and add a spot on your homepage to encourage new sign-ups.
For more information, visit Law Firm Marketing Solutions from FindLaw.