Search Visit clients

Whenever I get writers block, I like to look at my old standby source of inspiration, 365 Marketing Meditations: Daily Lessons For Marketing & Communications Professionals authored by my friend Larry Smith and Richard Levick at Levick Strategic Communications.

As I have preached, preached, and yes preached some more over the past 10 years, the quickest, fastest, swiftest (okay, okay I know ENOUGH already) way to get new business is to visit your clients off the clock. And fortuitously this week, the marketing meditations for Monday through today deal with that very point. They are:

  • April 20: “Visit all clients. Visit clients across the street. Visit clients around the world.”
  • April 21: “Visit clients without an agenda.”
  • April 22: “She who visits clients comes back with work.”

That really says it all! If you would like to read more of my posts over the years on this topic, look here for several of them.

So, start planning your visits to KEY clients, at least.

 

From the very beginning of this blog, I have urged lawyers to visit their clients (off the clock) at their place of business (also referred to as their “problem space”).  It often results in immediate new business.  It worked for me, and many attorneys I’ve coached over the years said it worked for them.

That is why when I first posted my Top Ten Marketing Tips in 2005, I made it my No. 1 most effective tactic for getting new business.  It still is!  And there is no matter tip I can give as we begin 2017.

Below is a post from April 22, 2015 that could serve as a good place to start reading about doing so, and contains a link to many other posts on the topic over the years:

Visit Clients, Period!

Whenever I get writers block, I like to look at my old standby source of inspiration, 365 Marketing Meditations: Daily Lessons For Marketing & Communications Professionals authored by my friend Larry Smith and Richard Levick at Levick Strategic Communications.

As I have preached, preached, and yes preached some more over the past 10 years, the quickest, fastest, swiftest (okay, okay I know ENOUGH already) way to get new business is to visit your clients off the clock. And fortuitously this week, the marketing meditations for Monday through today deal with that very point. They are:

  • April 20: “Visit all clients. Visit clients across the street. Visit clients around the world.
  • April 21: “Visit clients without an agenda.
  • April 22: “She who visits clients comes back with work.”

That really says it all! If you would like to read more of my posts over the years on this topic, look here for several of them.

So, start planning your visits to KEY clients, at least.

For some lawyers, this is like preaching to the choir and may simply serve as a reminder for them. For others, hopefully, you start visiting your clients ASAP.

For years – I mean for YEARS – I’ve preached that the most effective, usually immediate way to get new legal business is to visit your clients at their place of business. It worked when I practiced law, and I saw the strategy bear fruit repeatedly as both a law firm marketing consultant, and when I was an in-house marketer.

In fact, I made it my No. 1 Top Marketing Tip in my seminars a long time ago, and highlighted it on this blog nearly two years ago – and in a couple of posts since (here and here). So, why don’t more lawyers do it?

Wait a minute! I’m getting a flash..… I get it, you don’t believe me! Now my feelings are hurt.

I know many rainmakers who do believe, as well as many consultants, including Tom Collins and Michelle Golden, both of whom have recent posts on the subject. They cite a survey conducted by John Remsen of the The Remsen Group. John’s November 2006 reader survey (with 138 responses) found that visiting clients was the most effective marketing tactic according to 59% of respondents. In second place was “organizational activity” (12%) and third, “firm-sponsored seminars” (9%). Not the most scientific survey, but impressive nonetheless.

Now, do you believe me? You will, if you give it a try.

A lot of law firm websites look good at first glance.

Clean design. Professional photos. A long list of services. Maybe even a few awards or badges.

And yet, they don’t produce many calls or form submissions.

That gap is frustrating. Traffic comes in, but nothing happens. It feels like the website should be working better than it is.

The issue usually isn’t design. It’s clarity and direction. A website can look polished and still leave visitors unsure about what to do next.

Here’s what actually makes a law firm website convert.

Clear, Immediate Messaging

When someone lands on your website, they make a quick decision: stay or leave.

That decision is based on a few simple questions:

  • Am I in the right place?
  • Does this firm handle my issue?
  • What should I do next?

If your homepage doesn’t answer those questions within a few seconds, visitors will move on.

Your main headline should clearly state what you do and who you help. Avoid vague phrases like “trusted legal solutions.” Be direct.

For example:

  • “Divorce and custody representation in [city]”
  • “Helping small business owners resolve contract disputes”

Clarity reduces hesitation. When people understand what you do right away, they’re more likely to keep reading.

Simple Navigation

Many websites try to include everything in the main menu. The result is clutter.

Too many options can overwhelm visitors. They’re not sure where to click, so they click nothing.

A clean navigation structure works better:

  • Home
  • About
  • Practice Areas
  • Reviews or Testimonials
  • Contact

That’s enough for most sites.

Make it easy for visitors to find the page that relates to their issue. The faster they get there, the more likely they are to take action.

Strong Practice Area Pages

Your practice area pages do most of the heavy lifting.

These pages should:

  • Explain what you handle
  • Describe common situations clients face
  • Outline what someone can expect
  • Make it clear how to contact you

Avoid long blocks of text. Break content into short sections with clear headings.

Most visitors skim. They look for signs that you understand their problem. If they see that quickly, they’re more likely to reach out.

Visible Contact Options

One of the simplest ways to improve conversions is to make contacting you easy.

Your phone number should be visible on every page. Your contact form should be simple and easy to complete.

Avoid long forms that ask for too much information upfront. Name, email, phone number, and a short message are enough.

Also consider adding:

  • A click-to-call button on mobile
  • A clear “Schedule a Consultation” button
  • Office hours so people know when to expect a response

If contacting you feels like work, some visitors will leave instead.

Trust Signals That Feel Real

People are cautious when choosing a lawyer. They want reassurance before they reach out.

Trust signals help, but they need to feel genuine.

Examples include:

  • Client reviews
  • Case results (when appropriate)
  • Clear attorney bios with real details
  • Photos of the actual team

Avoid overloading your site with badges or generic claims. A few strong, believable signals work better than a long list of logos.

Fast Load Times and Mobile Experience

A slow website loses visitors. So does a site that’s hard to use on a phone.

Most people will view your site on mobile. If buttons are hard to tap or text is difficult to read, they won’t stay long.

Test your site regularly:

  • Does it load quickly?
  • Is it easy to scroll?
  • Are buttons easy to click?

These small details affect whether someone sticks around long enough to contact you.

Clear Next Steps

At every stage, your website should answer one question: what should the visitor do next?

That could be:

  • Call your office
  • Fill out a contact form
  • Schedule a consultation

Make that next step obvious.

Use simple, direct language:

  • “Call us today”
  • “Schedule a consultation”
  • “Send us a message”

Avoid vague phrases that don’t guide action.

Consistent Tone and Language

Your website should sound like a real person, not a template.

Use clear, straightforward language. Explain legal topics in a way that someone without a legal background can understand.

When your tone feels approachable, visitors are more likely to feel comfortable reaching out.

A law firm website doesn’t need to be flashy to perform well. It needs to be clear, easy to use, and focused on helping visitors take the next step.

When those elements are in place, conversions tend to follow.

For years, the playbook was simple: rank on Google, get clicks, answer the phone. Law firm marketing revolved around showing up in search results when someone typed “divorce lawyer near me” or “estate planning attorney in [city].”

That system still exists, but something new is happening on top of it.

People are starting to ask AI tools for legal information before they ever visit a website. Instead of clicking through ten search results, they ask a question and receive a summarized answer. Sometimes that answer includes sources. Sometimes it doesn’t.

This shift is subtle right now, but it’s changing how potential clients discover lawyers—and how they decide who to contact.

The First Search Is Becoming a Conversation

Traditional search worked like a list. Someone typed a phrase and received ten blue links. They clicked one, skimmed the page, then returned to search results if it wasn’t helpful.

AI search works differently. People ask longer questions:

  • “Do I need a lawyer for probate in Texas?”
  • “What happens if someone sues my small business?”
  • “How much does a divorce lawyer usually cost?”

Instead of scanning multiple pages, they receive a summary right away.

For law firms, this means the first stage of research may happen before someone ever lands on your website.

Visibility Still Matters

Even though AI tools summarize answers, they still pull information from real websites. Articles, blog posts, and practice area pages remain the raw material these systems use.

That means publishing clear, helpful content still has value.

The difference is that your content may now influence prospects in two ways:

  1. Someone reads it directly on your site
  2. AI tools summarize parts of it when answering a question

Either way, helpful information increases the chance that your name appears during the research process.

Clear Writing Matters More Than Ever

AI tools tend to favor content that explains things clearly. Long paragraphs full of legal jargon are harder for systems—and readers—to interpret.

Pages that answer straightforward questions perform better.

For example:

  • “How long does probate take in Illinois?”
  • “What should I do after a car accident?”
  • “What happens at a child custody hearing?”

When your content directly answers common questions, it becomes easier for search engines and AI tools to recognize what your page is about.

That clarity also helps real people who are trying to understand a stressful situation.

Authority Signals Are Becoming More Important

AI search systems look for patterns that indicate credibility. These include:

  • Strong reviews
  • Consistent mentions of your name online
  • Well-structured websites
  • Content that addresses real legal questions

The more signals pointing to your credibility, the more likely it is that your information appears when someone asks about a legal issue.

This doesn’t require complicated tricks. It means maintaining a solid online presence and producing useful information regularly.

Reputation Still Drives the Final Decision

Even if someone first learns about a legal issue through AI, they still have to choose a lawyer.

That decision rarely happens inside an AI tool.

Prospects usually leave the summary, search for the attorney’s name, read reviews, and look at the website before contacting anyone.

In other words, AI may influence the early research stage, but reputation still determines who gets hired.

Your reviews, website tone, and communication style still carry weight.

Local Presence Isn’t Going Away

Legal services are still local. A divorce lawyer in Arizona cannot represent someone in New York. Because of that, location signals remain critical.

Your Google Business Profile, local reviews, and clearly stated service areas continue to help potential clients determine whether you are relevant to their situation.

Even as AI search expands, people still want someone who practices in their area and understands local courts and procedures.

The Real Opportunity

Some lawyers are worried that AI search will eliminate website traffic or make marketing harder.

In reality, it may reward firms that communicate clearly.

Lawyers who publish straightforward explanations, answer real questions, and maintain a consistent online presence are more likely to appear in the places where people are looking for information.

This isn’t about chasing the newest technology. It’s about making your knowledge easier to find and easier to understand.

Search habits will keep changing. They always do. What stays consistent is this: people facing legal problems want clear answers and someone they trust to guide them through the next step.

You know the feeling. You Google a restaurant, and before you even look at the menu, you’re checking out the photos on their Instagram. That’s what your potential clients are doing to you.

Most clients don’t just visit your website and call. They look you up on LinkedIn, Facebook, maybe even Instagram. They’re not looking for viral videos or trending content, they’re trying to figure out if they can trust you.

So what do they actually look for when they land on your profile?

They’re Looking for Proof You’re Real

First and foremost, clients want to see that you exist.

That means your name matches across platforms. Your photo looks like you. Your bio is filled out. You’ve posted something within the last few months. If it feels like a ghost town, it raises a red flag.

You don’t need to post every day, but an active profile tells people you’re open, present, and paying attention.

They Want to See What You’re Like

Your social media is where clients get a sense of your personality, especially if your website is more formal.

Are you calm and steady? Passionate and direct? Warm and empathetic? They’ll figure it out based on your tone, what you post about, and even how you respond to comments.

This is your chance to show you’re a real person, not just someone who happens to have a JD.

They’re Checking for Red Flags

Clients are wary of people who look too “salesy,” too combative, or too sloppy.

If every post is pushing a service or bragging about a win, they’ll scroll away. If you’re ranting about judges, clients, or opposing counsel, they’ll make assumptions. If your grammar is a mess or your photos are blurry, they’ll question your professionalism.

You don’t have to be polished to perfection. But you do need to look like someone they’d want to talk to.

They’re Looking for Relevance

Your social media doesn’t need to be full of legal how-tos, but it should relate to the people you want to work with.

If you’re a family lawyer, it’s okay to post about co-parenting tips or communication habits. If you work with small businesses, talk about things entrepreneurs care about like growth, burnout, or risk.

Your goal isn’t to impress other lawyers. It’s to show prospective clients that you understand their concerns and priorities.

They’re Checking to See If You’re Responsive

If someone sends a message or leaves a comment, do you respond?

You don’t have to answer DMs at midnight, but you should check in regularly and reply to people. Ignored messages make people wonder if you’ll ignore them after they hire you.

Set boundaries, yes, but don’t let potential leads sit in your inbox for a week while they move on to someone else.

They’re Comparing You to Someone Else

Even if someone likes you, they might still be checking out another lawyer too. Social media is where that side-by-side comparison happens.

Are you more approachable? Do you explain things more clearly? Do you seem like someone they can trust?

This is why being active matters. It’s not about showing off, it’s about showing up.

You Don’t Need to Be Everywhere

A good social presence doesn’t mean being on every platform. Pick one or two where your clients are most likely to look (usually LinkedIn and Facebook), and focus there.

Consistency beats volume every time. A steady, thoughtful presence on one platform is more impactful than scattered, half-finished profiles across five.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

You can write your own posts, batch content once a month, or outsource parts of it to someone else. There’s no one right way.

What matters is that your feed represents your voice, your values, and your approach. Don’t try to sound like every other law firm. Be the one they actually want to call.

When someone checks out your social media, they’re not trying to be impressed. They’re trying to feel reassured.

They want to see that you’re real, trustworthy, approachable, and relevant. A few intentional updates can go a long way toward turning those profile lurkers into real leads.

Think about the last time you went online to order takeout food. How was the experience? Did you put your order in without a hitch, or were you frustrated by the restaurant’s outdated website, malfunctioning plugins, and counterintuitive ordering process? Maybe you even wondered whether they were open at all when a COVID-19 popup from March 2020 appeared.

Restaurants are notorious for their terrible websites. Once or twice we’ve come across an ordering platform that was such a mess we felt like throwing our laptop out the window. When that happens we say, “Screw it!” and order DoorDash instead. The restaurant’s old, crusty website officially lost them a customer.

If you haven’t updated your firm’s website in a few years, YOU could be the one making people want to toss their computers across the room.

Unfortunately, this problem isn’t exclusive to restaurants. If you haven’t updated your firm’s website in a few years, YOU could be the one making people want to toss their computers across the room. To win over clients and keep up your firm’s image and reputation, you need to refresh your website regularly. Here are three big reasons to stay on top of those updates:

1. DIGITAL TRENDS CHANGE — AND YOU DON’T WANT A WEBSITE THAT’S “SO 2015.”

The looks considered eye-catching, popular, and modern online change just as often as what’s “in” on the runway. What impressed visitors years ago might look awful today and vice versa. Right now, asymmetrical website layouts are in — who the heck would have predicted that in 2016? Updating your website regularly shows that you’re keeping up with the times, and that’s a reflection of your firm’s credibility and attention to detail. Don’t get sloppy.

2. EVERY DAY YOUR WEBSITE AGES, ITS FUNCTIONALITY DEGRADES.

Think of your website like a car. As soon as you drive a new vehicle off the lot, its value goes down, and it keeps degrading over time. After 10 years, your turn signals are sticky, your glove compartment won’t close, and you have stubborn stains on your leather seats. The same thing will happen with your website but much faster. A decade in car time is like two years online.

Websites have dozens of moving pieces and parts, and many of those plugins and integrations aren’t native to the website itself. They get separate updates, and over time, they become incompatible or stop working entirely. Without regular full-site refreshes, entire sections of your website can become defunct. But when you update your website regularly, you can fix those issues and add cutting-edge features.

3. IF YOUR WEBSITE IS OUT OF DATE, IT MIGHT BE MISREPRESENTING YOUR BRAND.

Think about what your firm looked like at the time your website was created. How many people were on your team? What were your practice areas? What did your branding and logo look like? Odds are if your website is more than two years old, some or all of those things have changed. 2020 forced thousands of law firms to pivot their practice areas and update their messaging. If you haven’t made those changes on your website, you’re misrepresenting your brand and missing out on clients who could be ideal fits for you. Your website needs to reflect the current you, not the old you. A refresh can make that happen and bring in an influx of consultations.

We know these are tough pills to swallow. Maybe you LOVE your old website, or you designed it yourself and sending it to the digital scrap heap hurts. We get it. Sometimes we have to replace websites for clients that we designed just a few years ago, and they can be hard to let go. BUT, doing so is necessary for the greater good of your firm — and we can help. Together, we can create a website that looks stylish, functions smoothly, and is the perfect fit for who you are now. It won’t be long before it pays for itself. When you’re ready to upgrade and start bringing in more clients, contact us today.

Your success in landing new clients, or retaining existing clients for that matter, can relate directly to how they are treated when they contact your firm. I have commented in the past on this blog about the role of the receptionist and how important he or she is in terms of the impact it makes on visitors or those who call. For a couple of my posts on the topic, see links below. 

In a recent post by Noble McIntyre on Attorney at Work, he addresses telephone etiquette. Why should you care you may ask?  Because the telephone is probably your main source of contact with the outside world.

First, McIntyre talks about automated phone answering systems and other impersonal ways people are sometimes treated when calling law firms.  I actually know of law firms (albeit small ones) that had no human answer the phone.  Rather, they had automated systems requiring several prompts to get to an individual lawyer or a human.  I totally agree with his comment that such systems “can raise time barriers, frustrate callers and make your practice seem impersonal.”  Crazy, in a personal service business!

Here are a few of McIntyre’s common sense telephone tips:

  • Answer promptly before the third ring.  We live in an impatient world, and although three or more rings are not the end of it, punctuality when it comes to answering the phone is a VERY good idea;
  • Whoever answers needs to do so in a most professional manner, and in a most “pleasant tone of voice”;
  • Don’t have someone else (like the phone company’s computer) record your outgoing message;
  • Don’t give the person the runaround or make them go through a bunch of hoops to just learn that your are not available and they can leave a voicemail; and,
  • Train your receptionist as to who is who, especially when it comes to important clients.  The second time I called my son’s law firm, the receptionist recognized my voice immediately.  Granted some might say I have the voice of a rhinoceros, and maybe that wasn’t so tough for her.  But, I was blown away.  Think how your clients and contacts will feel.

I’ve often made the comment that the receptionist should be the highest-paid marketing person in a law firm, just as a cashier should be in a bank. Ridiculous I know, but think about how important they are.  They are first and foremost the front line of contact with prospects and most clients. And you need to have one that has the proper etiquette and demeanor to handle those calls.

Don’t Fire Your Receptionist…

Receptionist Tells Client to Get Lost

 

Everyone has had an experience with someone who has given service that delights you. Someone who went beyond the call-of-duty. AND it is an experience that you remember, and often talk about over and over again. So I ask you… are you delighting your clients or are you simply going through the motions? Merrilyn Astin Tarlton has Five Big Surprises, at Attorney at Work blog. They are a must if you want to delight your clients… and have them recommend you to their colleagues.

1. Go calling. You may think you know what your client’s day-to-day life is like. After all, this isn’t your first time at the lawyer-client rodeo, right? But all it takes is one spontaneous drop-in visit to realize that your cloistered law office is like Alpha Centaurus when compared to the world your clients inhabit every day. First, you’ll find it invaluable to your ability to help solve their legal problems once you really understand what their enterprise looks, feels and sounds like. Second, who ever heard of a lawyer who makes house calls? Imagine their surprise! And delight. (Oh yeah, don’t bill for your time.)

2. Pay a genuine compliment. I’m not talking about the false, exaggerated or gratuitous kind of compliment. Make it genuine. Clients grow so accustomed to lawyers finding fault with everything (that is, after all, what they pay you to do) that when you do offer praise, it feels particularly remarkable. “You seem to have a surprising grasp of the legal principles at work here” can send a young businesswoman out of your office several inches taller. “You always know the best restaurants for lunch” may seem meager praise, but it immediately grants respect and acknowledges familiarity. Who doesn’t like that?

3. See the big picture. Yes, the client came to you with another crappy little wrongful termination suit. It didn’t take much to handle because you’ve done it for him dozens of times. This time, talk to him about how to prevent it from happening again. Develop policy. Suggest supervisor training. (Heck, offer to teach the supervisors yourself.) Show your client that you feel it’s your job to help him succeed, not to just clean up messes.

4. Under-promise and over-deliver. When somebody asks exactly when you plan to show up, do you do that thing where you don’t want the person to get irritated so you say, “I’m leaving in five minutes”? Even though you know it’s going to take at least 30 minutes to finish the document … and that you have to send off a bunch of emails before you can leave? What happens? You not only arrive an hour later than you promised, but you prove yourself an unreliable witness. This is a really easy and well-intentioned way to destroy someone’s trust in you. Why not do it in reverse? Promise you’ll have the documents ready by Friday, but call Wednesday to schedule time Thursday morning for the client to come in and sign. Surprise!

5. Say thank you often. That client doesn’t have to choose you. There are plenty of other lawyers out there. So don’t get confused about who is doing who a favor. Say thank you when she returns your call promptly. Say thank you when you are referred to someone she knows, and when you are paid, and when you are complimented … even when she thanks you. “No. Thank you. It’s been a pleasure to work with you.”

BONUS: Ask how you did. When it’s all over, that’s when you want feedback. And don’t get all balled up in thinking that since your client isn’t a lawyer he isn’t really a good judge of your performance. (Read what Roy Ginsburg says about the one thing clients can judge quite accurately.) Because it doesn’t matter whether the feedback is an “accurate” assessment, it will be the truth about what your client thinks. And what he thinks, rightly or wrongly, is what will make him come back again … or not. And boy, will he be surprised when you ask!

These principles may be common sense… but do you put them into practice 100% of the time? No! Not because you don’t want to or because you’re basically a rude person. No, it’s because you get busy and laser focused on the matter you’re working on.

I worked with a client this morning, and he observed that the most valuable thing that he’s learned while working with me is that business development is equally as important as the legal work. “Before you, I thought it was secondary… when and if I had time.”

I tell you… there’s nothing more important then to dazzle your clients with whatever means you can… brilliant lawyering, a smile and a thank you… or just doing what you said you would do! Do it in such a way that they will tell the story over and over again to anyone who will listen. That is what business development all about.

Doing a little extra for clients can have big benefits. No brain surgery here. Simply provide clients with extra attention, help, education, and otherwise build on the existing relationship by value-added activities.

In a very succinct article by Stacy West Clark in a recent issue of The Legal Intelligencer, she lists “Twenty Things You Can Do for Clients for Free.” It is well worth a read. I like so many of her suggestions, that it is hard to pick out my favorites, but here are a few that pop out:

  • Visit your client off the clock and listen to what they have on their mind. As Clark says “If you do nothing else on this list, do this.” (I completely agree and have it as my No. 1 Top Marketing Tip for lawyers. Moreover, often times lawyers return with more client work);
  • Conduct client seminars. (Not just for CLE, but other sessions that will help them in their business and save them legal costs);
  • Attend industry conferences with the client to learn more about their business (and you might just pick up other similar clients while you’re there – or at least make some great initial contacts);
  • Offer to have your accounting and/or IT staff sit down with theirs to hash out client preferences in those areas;
  • Invite clients to come in and brief the firm’s lawyers on their “goals, obstacles and challenges, and the kinds of services” they want from outside counsel; and
  • Don’t charge for quick emails and telephone calls, but include them on the bill marked “no charge” (I’ve liked this one for a long time, and it gets the point across that you do provide services without charging them every time).

There is a lot more in Clark’s artice. You don’t have to adopt all 20 of her suggestions, but I’m sure you can find a few that you would be comfortable doing, at least for key clients. Many of them will increase your value to clients; and they are neither hard nor expensive.