How Important is a “Goal” for a Law Firm’s Website and Marketing Strategy?

It is particularly important for law firms to build their website and marketing strategy with a particular goal in mind. Is your goal to obtain a consultation request? Is your goal to answer some of the most common questions asked by potential clients? You can have more than one goal, but it is important to establish your primary goal. Different marketing campaigns may have their own sub-goals (i.e. to inform, to obtain an inquiry, etc.)

Regardless of the goal, it’s important to remember that people seeking legal aid tend to have little knowledge of the industry, so everything from the design of a website or marketing campaign to its content must be clear, communicative, and intentional. Narrowing down the goal of your website and marketing campaign can be daunting, but analyzing your firm’s current brand is a good way to identify how your current goals are being communicated and effectively pursued.

Questions to help figure out your website and marketing goals:

• Who do you want to attract?
• How does the website/marketing strategy serve your current clients?
• What kind of first impression do you want your website or marketing effort to make?
• What do you want a potential client to do after reviewing your website or seeing your marketing campaign?
• How can you establish your authority on the subject matter?
• How can you establish your personality as a lawyer (i.e. compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, communicative, etc.)
• Which goal is most important, your primary?
• Which goal is your secondary?
• What tangible steps can you take to reach those goals? (i.e. providing a web message service, contact form, informational video, video interview, etc.)

The answers to many of these questions can be found in assessing a law firm’s brand. In basic terms, branding refers to a law firm’s name, logo, slogan, colors, etc. to set it apart from another firm, but it can also refer to a law firm’s overall goal.

A brand is an intention, and it should ideally include your biggest goals for the firm.

A brand is much more than the visible aspects of a law firm. A brand is a presentation of the offerings and services of a law firm in order to obtain a certain goal from a certain audience. If you are unsure what your current brand communicates about your goals, consider how the four pillars of marketing relate to them.

What type of service do you appear to be selling (i.e. the product)? How much will it cost your client (i.e. the price)? What geographic area do your clients come from (i.e. place)? And finally, what sets your firm apart from others in the same practice area (i.e. promotion)? All of these questions should be effectively answered in your firm’s brand, and clearly exhibited on the law firm’s website in addition to any and all marketing efforts.

For help developing a goal for your law firm’s website and marketing strategy, reach out to a legal marketing expert.