PRETTY PHOTOS ARE NOT THE ANSWER

This brings me back to the the yellow pages rep and the 'in-house' design team creating all the same ads. Sure your website has a nicer template. Sure you have beautiful colors, and of course you have scenic photos and vistas of cityscapes. Many websites still do not have photos of the lawyers in their firm. Of those sites that have photos of their lawyers, the inevitable "So what?" comes to my mind. Other than showing that you know how to smile or stand in front of a fancy bookcase, what does that photo do to differentiate you from anyone else?

Do you think a photo of you standing in front of a bookcase with your arms folded over your chest and a mean-looking scowl will encourage a viewer to call you instead of the next lawyer who is sitting at a desk with a law book looking studious? The answer is no. Having a photo of yourself is better than no photo, but with most attorneys putting their photos on their website, it now becomes pretty meaningless.

Let's also assume for the moment that every lawyer lists their biography on their website. Do you really think a layman cares where exactly you went to school? If a potential client has found your website, they assume that you have gone to college and law school. These details, in my opinion, do not make one bit of difference to someone looking for answers to their legal questions.

Most consumers looking for a lawyer online do not care if you went to Harvard or night school at Podunk University Law School. Their only concern is that you have the experience necessary to help solve their problem. Let me be more specific.

PRACTICE TIP:

They're not interested in how great you are and how wonderful you think you are. Instead, they want to know how your brilliant legal mind can help solve their pressing legal dilemma.

If you don't believe me, ask the next client who comes into your office after finding you online what was it about your website that made them call for an appointment. The answer will surprise you.

Wait one second...you still have not answered my question: How are you different from every other lawyer who advertises online? Put aside stylistic differences in your website. What information do you have on your site that will cause a potential client to call you and not your competitor down the street? Again, the answer may surprise you.

BACK TO THE WEBSITE REP

Now that you have paid the website rep many thousands of dollars, your hopes and wildest dreams are going to come true with hundreds and thousands of emails and phone calls to your law firm because your website is the best thing on the internet. Until it goes live. Then you wait, and wait, and call the rep to ask whether the site is actually live. You tell your mother about your new website; your girlfriend; your close colleagues and the people you share office space with. The responses are a bland "Yeah, great. Good luck."

Days, weeks and months go by with your hopes and dreams evaporating. Those promised calls, those lucrative cases that the rep said you'd get if you paid extra money for the really cool widget that tells viewers what the top legal news is, turned out to be a dud. You even Google yourself repeatedly to see where your website turns up on Google. When you've reached page ten and realize your site is nowhere to be found, you give up, turn off the computer and wonder where you went wrong. You don't want to spend more good money after bad, and now you're stuck in the mud and can't get out.

What you need is a tow truck. One with a big hook, and a large engine. Big tires help too. Alright, maybe I overdid the metaphor, but you get my point. Want to know the only real way to distinguish yourself from the hundreds and thousands of lawyers in practice today? Do you want to know what I've learned in the last year that will help set yourself apart from everyone else? The answer is video.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND

Importantly, you need to recognize that with a little effort, you can effectively and ethically compete with the biggest law firms in town, and give website viewers a reason to call you instead of the mega-firm next door. You know which firm I'm talking about. The firm with the gorgeous wood panelling, and beautiful french antique furniture and persian rugs lining the hallways and lobby area. Yes, even a solo practitioner can compete with the big firms.

With the right guidance, you can surpass their online presence and get those website visitors to call you instead of them. The right mindset is so important to accomplishing your goal of setting yourself apart from other lawyers.

If you have a closed mind and are not willing to make a concerted effort to improve your online presence, then what I'm about to tell you will be a waste of your time. Instead, call that website rep and the yellow pages rep, and tell them to come back into your office, take your hard-earned money, and continue to follow the pack. Tell them you want to continue to get the same results you've achieved so far, and you want to keep paying good money for the same results.

However, if you want to learn more and understand how and why online video for lawyers is the key to distinguishing yourself from everyone else, then join me for Part 3 of this series.