If you run a law firm or are in charge of the digital marketing strategy for one, you understand that having an effective digital presence is imperative in both generating and retaining valuable clients. It follows that spending money to produce new leads via the internet is a prudent investment in the growth of your firm. But making your firm stand out from the myriad of others on the web can be challenging, to say the least.
Advertising the great cases you have successfully settled may initially attract potential clients to your site. But converting leads into clients requires something more — a quick response. In fact, multiple studies have concluded that there is a direct correlation between a firm’s lead response time, or how long it takes you to respond to leads, and its success in gaining new clients. But just how short should that response time be?
5 Minutes is Too Long
In today’s fast-paced digital environment, speed is practically everything. A response time of even 30 minutes is too long, as it can give potential clients time to research other firms or even lead them to wonder whether their claim is important to your practice. The simple fact is that the firm that responds first is most likely to win the client.
Studies about lead response time bear this out. Not surprisingly, businesses that respond to inquiries within 5 minutes are as much as a hundred times more likely to convert those prospects into customers. Just imagine how much business you could attract with a 1 minute response time!
Why Doesn’t Everyone Do It?
Despite the research out there that demonstrates what a key role law firm lead response times play in getting leads and converting them to clients, not every legal firm has the technology necessary to generate quick responses. However there are some fairly simple strategies that your practice can employ to improve response time and make your site more user friendly.
What every law firm website needs to have at a minimum are links that automatically generate an email or dial a phone number connected to a contact at the firm with whom potential clients can discuss the facts about their cases. Interactive email forms on your contact page or live chat boxes that appear on each page of your website are also effective ways of communicating quickly with qualifying leads.
Don’t let slow response times hinder your firm’s ability to grow its business. Make an investment in technology that promotes timely and effective communication with future clients, and take your law firm’s lead generation strategy to the next level.
