Reputation Will Always Be King
Reputation will always be king because it is the number one thing that potential clients and customers trust. Why do they trust reputation so much? Clients trust reputation because it leans much closer to the truth than the advertisement and marketing that are presented by a company. Reputation is created by customers/clients, it is a collection of experiences that are shared, and the majority of the time it is the best information that a potential client can find out about a firm. Reputation is outside of the fantasy universe of a firm’s marketing efforts that only share great things about that firm. Also, Google and other search engines have highlighted all the reputable sources for businesses when Internet searches are performed. No longer can a company hide their reputation.
Managing Your Reputation Is Key
Reputation management is key to having a strong showing on the Internet. Back in the day, search engine optimization was the biggest thing pushed, but now everyone knows that customers of all types read reviews. When a company doesn’t have a system in place to help shape their reputation, they are missing out on a huge opportunity to attract new clients. Online reputation portals like Google and Yelp either work for a company, or it works against them. It works for a law firm by showcasing happy clients. When it works against a firm, it is because they either have too many negative reviews, unanswered negative review, or simply too few reviews that make them look like an inexperienced law firm.
Highlighting Clients Who Love You
There are many strategies and countless lawyer reputation management tool solutions available to ever suffer from not having positive reviews. Reputation management that is performed well is all about creating a system where the happiest clients are gracefully navigated to an online location where they can leave a positive review. There are countless ways to go about this, but it simply has to be done. The majority of firms have no system in place, and their online reputation suffers because of it.
Dealing With Disputes
Negative reviews are not the end of the world. What is awful is when law firms do not address the negative reviews that are listed under their name. For would-be clients, they only get to read the unhappy client’s narrative. Another benefit to replying to negative comments is that it allows would-be clients to see how a legal firm communicates and treats clients. There are too many benefits and necessary reasons to address disputes and bad reviews to allow them to go untouched.
The Issue of Too Few Reviews
It is not always bad reviews that damage a company’s online reputation. It is often the absence of reviews that hurt them the most. When a legal firm doesn’t have an online track record of happy clients leaving ratings, testimonies, and reviews; it can look like the lawyer lacks experience. Legal matters are far too important for people to go with such an unknown company. Social proof matters during the attorney seeking process, and having an adequate amount of positive reviews are necessary to not instantly be placed in the ‘will not give a chance’ lawyer trash bin.
Do Something
Reputation management is something that most attorneys will agree is vital to their long-term success, but only a minority truly invests in managing their reputation. Some go full bore and hire a professional, some invest in tools that allow them to take control of their reputation, but unfortunately, the vast majority only gives nods and not any action. As the Internet becomes even more integrative, those who do not manage their reputation will be at a loss. Even big companies who spend endless amounts of money on radio, TV, social media and video ads cannot overcome the damage of poor reputation management.
