Is Live Chat an Important Feature for Law Firm Websites?

Many law firms have introduced a live chat feature to their websites, allowing interested parties to ask questions and receive answers immediately, rather than submitting an inquiry or web form and waiting for a response. While live chats with human beings are preferable for accuracy, chatbots can serve as a valuable stand-in when used correctly.

To some, implementing a live chat feature might sound intimidating and even a little superfluous, but Software Advice conducted a survey and found that that 56% of web users admit to having used live chat on a company’s website to learn more. As more and more large and apparently successful law firms add live chat and chatbots to their websites, users are becoming more inclined to give them a try and even expect them, especially if they have a question they want to have answered immediately. Considering that people seeking legal aid often feel stressed and pressed for time, having a live chat option available to them can be a big draw.

Live chats offer convenience to potential clients and lawyers.

With a live chat option on your website, you never have to be closed for business. Not only can live chats and/or chatbots be used 24/7, they can also sort through potential leads to decide where a potential client needs to be directed next. Additionally, if an interested party can have their questions answered or concerns allayed via live chat, that is one less email an attorney needs to dedicate time and effort to. In an industry with pressing deadlines and substantial work, any optimization effort that can save a lawyer time is worth considering.

Clients will start to expect live chat options if they do not already.

Live chats and chatbots are not only used on some law firm websites, but are now being utilized in many other industries, including retail, finance, and more. In a culture where instant gratification is the norm, providing a way in which interested parties can receive an immediate response of some value to them is extremely important to maintaining that interest. A law firm that offers an immediate response via live chat or chatbot looks more professional than a law firm that takes 24 to 48 hours or more to respond—as long as the response is helpful.

It’s important to keep in mind that some chatbots lack the complexity to provide helpful responses to more detailed questions, which is why live chats are particularly ideal for law firms. Additionally, offering a 24/7 live chat option to potential clients can make a law firm look more engaged with their clientele and even more high end than a firm that does not use it.

Offering live chat can keep a law firm competitive.

Just like video marketing, some law firms are doing live chat and doing it well, while others are doing it poorly or not doing it at all. With the neverending internet at any potential client’s fingertips, there is nothing to stop an interested party from exiting out of a law firm’s website to seek out another law firm with a helpful and immediate live chat to get their questions answered. Utilizing live chat and even chatbot software to increase the accessibility of your firm is part of remaining competitive in an industry where competition is fierce and the internet makes it easy to flit from one firm to another.

To learn more about live chat and how to incorporate it into your law firm’s website, reach out to a legal marketing expert.