Client Testimonials Can Effectively Boost Your Law Firm’s Web Campaign
Your law firm’s website can make prospective clients feel more comfortable about choosing your firm by providing them with information on your different practice areas. You can also feature lawyer biographies that convey your legal background and personality, and you can display a list of successful verdicts and settlements that shows your ability to deliver results.
But one of the ideal ways to market your firm is through client testimonials, whether in written or video form. A positive testimonial from a satisfied client may carry as much weight as that $1 million verdict you won last year. And in the dawning age of social media sites, a testimonial can deliver real marketing clout on your law firm’s professional Facebook page.
“Your prospective client can relate to the person giving the testimonial, and they think, ‘Hey, that’s me!’” says Kenneth L. Hardison, a Raleigh, N.C., personal injury lawyer and longtime Consultwebs.com client whose law firm, Hardison & Cochran, uses testimonials on its website.
“What you say about yourself is good,” Hardison says. “What others say about you is gold.”
In addition to Hardison, several other Consultwebs.com clients feature effective testimonials on their websites in written or video form, including:
- Arnold & Itkin (Houston, Texas, maritime law firm);
- Belluck & Fox (Manhattan, N.Y., personal injury); and
- Charles R. Ullman & Associates (Raleigh, N.C., family law).
Another Consultwebs.com client, the New York City personal injury law firm of Schwartzapfel Partners, uses testimonials on both its website and on its professional Facebook page.
At Consultwebs.com, we have long recognized the value of our law firm clients’ testimonials, and that’s why we include client feedback and comments on our own website.
Gathering Testimonials
How do you gather client testimonials? Ideally, you can simply accept a testimonial offered by one of your firm’s satisfied clients. What could be more convincing than a testimonial from a client who felt so good about their experience that they volunteered to endorse your firm?
However, bear in mind that many people do not feel they are good writers. Additionally, they may be very busy. This could lead to delays in preparing the testimonial. Take the initiative by writing their comments and asking them to edit what you have written. Most will tell you that your comments are accurate and will give you permission to use the testimonial.
You can also make collecting testimonials a routine part of your client relations. For instance, at the end of the representation, you can ask the client to complete a survey that asks questions such as, “Was our firm responsive to your questions and concerns? Were our attorneys and staff friendly and courteous?” You can also directly ask the client in the survey if he or she would be interested in providing a testimonial and if they approve of your firm’s use of the comments in a testimonial. You will find that most clients will be fine with your use of it.
Another method is to visit the client and write the testimonial with them or, even better, take a pocket video camera or videographer with you and get a video testimonial on the spot.
Be Alert To Your Bar Rules
Keep in mind that your Bar rules may prohibit testimonials altogether or limit what can be said through a client testimonial. As a general rule, never use a testimonial to say something that you, as a lawyer, could not ethically say yourself, such as stating information that can’t be verified or making a promise or guarantee of results. To wit:
- Good testimonial: “Your firm’s lawyers and staff made me feel comfortable and always promptly responded to my questions. I could really tell that your firm cared deeply about my case.”
- Bad testimonial: “Your firm’s lawyers are the best on the planet. You’re guaranteed to recover money for your injuries if you hire them.”
Written testimonials can be effective. If possible, include the client’s full name, city and a photo, which personalizes the testimonial and enhances its credibility. However, if the client wishes to keep their identity confidential, a description such as, “client represented in Raleigh car accident,” could work. However, bear in mind that some website visitors may wonder whether such testimonials are legitimate.
Multimedia testimonials can be particularly effective. A video recording brings the testimonial to life and perfectly aligns with the ultimate goal of a testimonial: Showing quality of service and client satisfaction; not simply telling your website’s visitors about it.
So, check with your state’s Bar rules on what is permitted in a client testimonial and give serious consideration to including this feature as part of your firm’s overall Web campaign.
Need More Information? Contact Us Today
For more information about how to effectively gather and use testimonials as part of your law firm’s Web marketing strategy, please feel free to contact us at marketing@consultwebs.com or call us toll free at (800) 872-6590.
