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THREE REASONS WHY YOUR FIRM IS NOT BEING FOUND ONLINE

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INTRODUCTION

REASON ONE

REASON TWO

REASON THREE

CONSIDERATIONS

ASSESSMENT

YOUR FIRM ISN’T VISIBLE ON GOOGLE

YOUR WEBSITE ISN’T MOBILE OPTIMISED

YOUR SOCIAL PRESENCE IS NEITHER JOINED UP NOR UP TO DATE

5 KEY POINTS BEFORE YOU BUILD YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

TAKE THE DIGITAL PRESENCE ASSESSEMENT

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. All too often, we hear from professional services firms that are steadfast

in the sabotage of their own growth efforts because they’ve either been

burned by ‘random acts of marketing’ in the past (ad-hoc marketing

activities that aren’t measurable, or don’t tie into their growth goals),

or they’re sceptical of its return value.

These firms believe that embracing the digital movement is a time

waster, and that since the billable hour is king, they’re unsure of

whether online marketing is a wise investment.

The reality is, the candle of traditional practise in professional services

is burning at both ends, with digital transformation accelerating the

process. What’s more, there’s no escaping it. Where reputation was

once enough to attract and retain new business, it alone can no

longer guarantee long-term success.

As first movers thrive in the new marketplace, those still choosing to

downplay the importance of having an online presence are doing so at

their firm’s risk.

In fact, resisting the change that’s sweeping the professional services

industry is the surest way for firms to fail because these changes are

being driven by the clients. According to them, searching for solutions

online is now the easiest, fastest and most convenient option, and

allows for more choice over a greater geographical distance.

The sum of these factors combined is why professional services firms

need to start leveraging digital tools to build their online presence now.

Compared to traditional techniques, online marketing (which includes

search engine marketing and optimisation, content marketing, social

media marketing, and email marketing) is the most effective way to

listen and respond to changing client behaviour and needs.

THECANDLEOFTRADITIONALPRACTISEISBURNINGATBOTHENDS.

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As well as being a powerful way to get in front of ideal audiences,

online marketing is also:

• More measurable… which means firms can better account

for their spend, and identify when their marketing and

client generation efforts amount to more than just a series

of small expenditures with little-to-no cumulative benefit

• More intuitive… which means firms can easily implement

self-managing, automated marketing processes to respond

to and nurture their prospective clients’ needs

• Less expensive than traditional marketing… which

means firms have greater financial freedom to develop

more than one area of their practice

• More extensive… which means firms are able to get in front

of a larger pool of prospective clients for a fraction of the

cost

Now, a bold step into the unknown will likely seem

counterintuitive to some local high street firms or smaller

regional firms whose resources and time are in limited supply.

Understandably so, if it’s felt that finite budgets could be

invested into other areas of the business. But, without new

enquiries, these firms WILL struggle to grow.

To build a reputation and loyal client-base, traditional firms in

the professional services industry must be flexible to the new

type of market made possible by advances in communication

and new technology.

YOUR online reputation is already at the mercy of numerous

social factors that are outside of your control (unhappy clients,

competitors, the media, disgruntled ex-staff etc.), which means

being digitally present is a crucial factor in damage control.

This guide examines the three biggest reasons why your firm

isn’t being found online and the solutions we recommend to

our clients. At the end of this guide, you’ll also be invited to take

our interactive digital presence assessment. You’ll get:

• An instant score

• Quick tips to make immediate improvements

• Longer-term recommendations

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A BOLD STEP

INTO THE UNKNOWN

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Y O U R F I R M I S N ’ T

V I S I B L E O N G O O G L E

To increase the demand for your services, your offering must be visible

and easily accessible online. That’s why search engine optimised (SEO)

content is a non-negotiable in the digital stakes.

Optimising your content means placing (not stuffing) high relevancy,

low competition keywords and searched-for phrases inside original,

information-rich content (like services pages, blog posts, news articles,

image captions, and text snippets).

To improve the visibility of your website AND any keyword-optimised

landing pages that are being used to attract enquiries to a specific service

offering, it’s important to follow SEO best practices as recommended by

top search engines like Google and Bing. These include:

• Streamlined site architecture to help enquiries find and browse

your content

• Backlinks to your content from other reputable sites to increase

your authority and credibility

• Site-wide keyword optimised headers, titles, URLs and image titles

to improve your search engine ranking for specific search terms.

These simple optimisations make it easier for search engines to find

and index each page on your site, and can put you above competitors

in search engine results pages (SERPs). When done correctly, you’ll

automatically rank higher on Google and Bing, and gain critical

exposure to the audiences live-searching the types of services you offer.

However, SEO isn’t the be-all, end-all to online visibility—intuitive

navigation on your site is just as important. The easier it is for visitors

to find, consume, and share interesting content, the more time they’ll

spend on your site which works to reduce your bounce rate (something

Google loves) and drive sales.

30% OF FIRMSTHAT GET NO NEW ENQUIRIES PER MONTH DO NOT HAVE A WEBSITESOURCE: PROPERO’S 2017 STATE OF DIGITAL

MARKETING IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REPORT

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Y O U R W E B S I T E I S N ’ T

M O B I L E O P T I M I S E D

Your website is more than your shop front. The all-encompassing

nature of the internet today makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to

access your offering at any time, which means your site is and should be

working hard behind the scenes to support your growth.

If not, then it means you’re failing to show up in front of prospective

clients when they’re searching for the services you offer, and you’re

likely missing out on new business opportunities as a result.

A website that works effectively in the digital age is one that’s mobile

optimised. This means that it automatically renders to fit the screen of

any smartphone or other handheld device and makes it easy for visitors

to read content, browse images, and take action.

Smart Insights says that across the globe, mobile devices dominate total

minutes spent online, passing 61% in the UK. Additionally, 66 hours per

month are spent browsing the internet on smartphones, compared to

just 29 hours on desktop. This means more of your audience has ready-

access to different professional services providers on the go, with the

number rising sharply year-on-year. From a client’s perspective, mobile

browsing makes it easy to:

• Comparison shop

• Make well-informed decisions that can be acted on quickly

• Determine service accountability via online ratings and

recommendation sites

While it’s unrealistic to think that you can prevent 100% of your clients

and new enquiries from comparison shopping, providing a service that

works seamlessly on multiple platforms is an effective way to stem the

flow from a leaking bucket.

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To increase the number of phone calls, callback

requests, and direct messages you receive from

enquiries who are either ready to buy or learn more,

your website must also comprise the following key

usability features on mobile:

• Keep your contact information clearly and

permanently displayed on every webpage

• Make your practice area, solutions offered, and

desired clients clear on your homepage

• Ensure your content is easy to read for all ages

and ability

• Include sticky social follow and sharing links

across your website

• Publish original, thought leadership content

and make it accessible from the homepage

• Feature testimonials for social proof and

evidence that you do what you say

One of the biggest benefits of mobile-readiness is

being able to consistently show up in front of your

ideal clients with the right message at the right

time (as Google penalises websites that aren’t

optimised). However, if you’re resistant to change

and think these shifts in consumer behaviour don’t

extend to your firm or industry, the implications are

clear:

Failure to reach your audience through

mobile search or display, or to provide

a satisfactory mobile experience means

accepting the fact that you will continue

to lose a significant portion of new

business enquiries to the competitors

that ARE.

Research shows that clients are showing a greater

preference for firms in professional services that

are flexible and responsive, and that resisting

digital transformation could be fatal. A study by The

Lawyer evidences the fact that up to 75% of UK 200

law firms could disappear within five years if they

fail to make processes more efficient.

40% OF CLIENTS HAVE TURNED TO A COMPETITOR’S SITE AFTER A BAD MOBILE EXPERIENCESOURCE: GOOGLE

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J O I N E D U P N O R U P - T O - D A T E

Digital communication platforms are the engines of change in the

professional services industry, with social media and instant messaging

increasingly becoming the channels of choice for clients.

This shift in behaviour is being felt across the industry, with greater

numbers now reaching for the web to review credentials and

recommendations to simplify the decision-making process. If social

media is the new “word of mouth”, it means firms must either use this

platform to engage with clients, or accept a drop-off in the amount,

quality, and frequency of referrals and new business enquiries they

receive.

Figures from the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills suggest

that firms embracing this change are seeing the most success in

today’s marketplace, as they’re able to meet more than half (52%) of

prospective clients going online to buy - nearly DOUBLE the number

asking for word of mouth referrals.

While evidence suggests that some firms in professional services ARE

simplifying how clients should work and communicate with their

outside counsel, the chasm between those that do and those that don’t

remains huge.

For instance, Propero’s 2017 State of Digital Marketing in Professional

Services report found that 84% of law firms have a Twitter company page

compared to just 61% of financial firms and 66% of I.T. consultancies.

This means that the firms lacking in presence on one or more social

media platforms are not only missing out on conversations with their

audience, but also on critical industry commentary, which could

negatively impact growth.

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To remain competitive, your social and web presence should

comprise a range of tools that streamline client and enquiry

communications. In our 2017 State of Digital Marketing in

Professional Services report, we found the firms that use an

average of 4 different digital marketing techniques received

20+ new enquiries per month. Some tools may include:

• Popular social networks like Facebook (1.15 billion daily

active users on mobile alone), LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+

and YouTube to keep your firm ‘front of mind’

• Live chat website plugins like PureChat to provide your

clients and enquiries with immediate, on-the-go support

• Blog posts to demonstrate thought leadership and to

become a trusted source of advice, support, and education

• Newsletter sign-up forms to capture enquiry information

and boost your database, plus email marketing to become

the obvious choice when the need for your services arises.

SINCE ADDING SOCIAL MEDIA TO THEIR ONLINE MARKETING ARSENAL BARR ELLISON SOLICITORS ATTRIBUTES 20% OF THEIR REVENUE TO THE WEB. SOURCE: LINKEDIN

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C O N S I S T E N T A N D U P T O D A T E

A C R O S S E V E R Y O N L I N E C H A N N E L

Brands change and grow organically, but not everything gets

updated along the way. This means links on your site may be

broken, team photos outdated, or the most recent activity

on your social media accounts dates back to 2015.

Audit your entire online presence comprehensively. Your

digital footprint should be consistent, as it’s the single, most

effective way to build trust with people who’ve never heard

of your firm before.

To improve your enquiry-to-sale conversion rate, make sure

all client-facing information clarifies how your service solves

their problem AND does it better than the competition.

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K N O W Y O U R A U D I E N C E A N D

D E T E R M I N E Y O U R F I R M ’ S N I C H E …

Knowledge is power, which means in order to

deliver a solution that meets demand, you must

FIRST understand your audience’s needs. Although

your clients may share the same type of problem,

the specifics will likely differ.

To ensure your messaging is always relevant, it’s

worth segmenting your data based on variables like

location, budget, and gender (where applicable).

Without research and careful planning, you risk

attracting the wrong people to your offering, and

wasting marketing budgets by getting lost in the

shuffle of similar messages.

U S E S E A R C H E N G I N E M A R K E T I N G A N D

P A I D A D V E R T I S I N G T O R E A C H

Y O U R A U D I E N C E …

There’s no point in having a great service if no

one knows who you are. Start driving right-

fit enquiries to your website using Google

Adwords, and keyword optimised original

content that search engines can index and

rank highly on their results pages.

Couple this with Google Analytics software,

and not only will you be able to see the terms

that people are using to search for and find

you, but you’ll be able to respond to their

metaphorical hand raise with highly relevant

content that drives them to get in touch.

D R A W P R O S P E C T I V E C L I E N T S

T O Y O U R O F F E R I N G W I T H F R E E ,

E D U C A T I O N A L M A T E R I A L S …

Staying front of mind is key to outpacing your

competitors in a digital world. That’s why it’s

crucial to nurture your relationships with new

enquiries and existing clients.

Do this by keeping in touch with your audience

via educational monthly newsletters,

competitions, incentives, opinion-led articles,

and new blog post alerts.

Keep in mind that not every client who’s

searching for what it is you do will be ready

to buy at that moment – but you want to be

the obvious choice when that time DOES roll

around.

L E V E R A G E A T T R A C T I V E G R A P H I C S

T O C O M M U N I C A T E M O R E

E F F E C T I V E L Y …

Using social media for business purposes may

be unchartered waters for many professional

services firms, but you should embrace the

trend sooner rather than later.

With the modern audience showing a

preference for visual communication, ensure

your posts are attractive, informative, and

digestible if you want maximum engagement.

HubSpot (software that simplifies the inbound

marketing process), says that Facebook posts

with images see 2.3x more engagement than

those without images, and the number will

only rise.

Whether your clients and enquiries prefer to

use LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,

or YouTube, by showing up on the channels of

their choice with the type of the content they

like, you’ll stay front of mind for your widest

and best audience.

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TAKE THE DIGITIAL PRESENCE ASSESSMENT

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Plan your next move with our quick-fire assessment. You’ll

find out...

Fortunately, for the professional services firms that aren’t

marketing savvy or are slow to see the value of marketing,

there are a variety of tools and strategies available that can

assist you in creating a strong online presence for the audience,

practice area, and niche you want to attract.

• WHICH STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE TO ACHIEVE YOUR OBJECTIVES

• WHERE YOU RANK AGAINST YOUR COMPETITORS

• WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO IMPROVE YOUR ONLINE VISIBILITY

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YOUR SCORE NOW