I recently wrote about the importance of getting online reviews for your personal injury law firm. In this article, I’m going to talk about how to get those reviews from specific sites where people looking for attorney representation.
The best review sites for personal injury law attorneys
Seventy percent of potential clients are willing to travel to a law office, if the firm has better reviews and ratings than those closer to home. In addition the quality of service and the number of years an attorney has been practicing is very important to 48% of potential clients.
Research shows that over 83 percent of potential clients look at attorney reviews, so it is very important that you know which sites are the best ones to get reviews. Here are a few that have proven records or seem very promising.
Avvo: This may be one of the most important review sites for those in the legal profession. Avvo publishes ratings, reviews, lawyer-submitted legal guides and disciplinary records for and about attorneys nationwide. Founded in 2006, it has over 7 million searchable legal questions and responses. Avvo states that 97% of the legal community in the U.S. uses its services.
To get yourself and/or your firm listed on Avvo, this information guide will help get you started.
Lawyer.com: Like Avvo, Lawyers.com offers its visitors legal information and enables them to search for lawyer reviews either by the practice area or location. Founded in 1988, it boasts over 34 million users annually searching for legal advice and attorney representation.
Since you may already be listed on the site, you may want to register first as a user on the site and then use the “search” to find your name. If you are listed, find your attorney profile and look for “Edit This Profile” to correct or update any information.
LexisNexis, part of the Martindale-Hubble network, powers the data on Lawyers.com, so you may want to begin by signing up for their marketing solutions and filling out your profile there or at the Martindale site.
Google+: Google is the most popular search engine in the world and they too offer reviews for lawyers and law firms. Once listed and garnering reviews, you can highlight your hopefully 5-star rating. This will help attract new clients, and enhance your reputation on Google Plus, Google Search and Google Maps.
All you need is a Google business page, which is very easy to set up.
Yelp: Although Yelp has a reputation for reviewing restaurants and retail businesses, it also has a category for attorneys under “Professional Services.” According to research from Software Advice, Yelp is the number one choice for potential clients seeking attorney reviews.
To get reviews on Yelp, follow their step-by-step guide to claim your business page.
Maintaining your reviews
Once you’ve signed up for the sites where you want reviews to appear, you will need to manage them carefully to protect your reputation and to attract potential clients. Here’s what you will need to do:
- Keep all of your listings up-to-date. Make sure all of your information is correct. Failing to do so could cost you new clients and garner negative reviews.
- Be responsive to the reviews. Thank those who leave you positive reviews and respond immediately to those that are negative. Your response, even to the negative reviewers, increases engagement and shows that you care about their views.
- Ask clients to submit a review. You know which ones are your happy clients. Ask them to submit a review for you and you will most likely be on your way to getting 5-star reviews.
If you need any help setting up your review pages, or need to consult with us about the best practices concerning reviews for your firm, give us a call. We’d be delighted to help.
We’d also love to know what your firm has done to get reviews about your personal injury law practice. Please share in the comments below.
– by Sharon Bowles
