In years past, the majority of successful lawyers had an unparalleled work ethic, not unlike many attorneys today. They worked hard and smart, produced great results for their clients and the business seemed to roll in naturally. For decades, lawyers relied solely on their reputation, personal recommendations, charisma and word-of-mouth to attract new clients. It worked well.

Today, however, technology has evolved — conveniently connecting people to unlimited resources, information and new relationships. The Web has created a one-stop-shop to find and consider any business imaginable – including law firms. This technology has rapidly weakened a firm’s ability to simply do a great job for a client and hope for a future referral in return. For better or worse, lawyers no longer have the privilege of relying exclusively on their past settlements, successes and decreasingly effective advertising media such as yellow page directoriesand TV advertising to draw in new business. To earn consistent business today, law firms that want to be considered by prospective clients searching on the Web must first be findable.

Connecting with potential clients today largely happens online through search engines, Social Media and other online channels. But you can’t walk into the Internet, as it were, and immediately command attention as if you are walking into a room.  Commanding attention on the Web requires strategic thought, consistency and resources.

To leave a powerful impression, your firm should consider bringing these four elements into your marketing plan.

A Strong Website

Your law firm website is your virtual office and should be seen as your “hub” on the Web. The professionalism you and your staff exhibit in your office should be equally represented within your site’s design. The most unique characteristic about your firm is you – the attorney. Professional videos and great photography will assist you in positively and powerfully delivering your unique message. Additionally, ensure you are using a domain that best represents your brand and firm. CityNamePracticeAreaLawyers.com might not effectively deliver the message you are trying to deliver, although it might. To the searcher, stuffed keyword domains have the potential to appear spammy or less professional. You should also choose a design geared toward conversions. By creating a seamless user experience for your visitors, you will retain prospective clients on your site longer and have more opportunities to convert them into contacts. Lastly, and most importantly, once you create a website for your firm, keep it updated with relevant, optimized content and fresh design elements. This will encourage the search engines to serve your site up more frequently in the search results.

Active Social Media Profiles

Social Media is arguably the fastest growing marketing platform readily available to businesses. There are over 1 billion Facebook users, many of which are “active users” meaning they log-on weekly. Twitter generates 58 million tweets per day and social sites like Google+ are quickly growing in importance and positively impacts rankings. If your firm wants to be where your clients are, then investing time and marketing dollars in Social Media is well worth the effort. On your firm’s social profiles, share a healthy mix of professional and personal updates to reveal more of who you are and why you practice law.

Gaining Positive Law Firm Reviews

Review sites such as Google+, CitySearch and Yelp! have become hotspots for customers to voice their opinions about local businesses. Encourage clients to share feedback on their experience with your firm once their case has been resolved. (Remember to follow ethics’ guidelines in how you approach clients for reviews.) Your law firm should take the time to thank those who provide positive reviews of your firm. Send them an email, a thoughtful handwritten note or, for a stronger impact, respond to their comment on the review site. This will show potential clien\ts you are welcoming and will illustrate your commitment to customer service.

Reputation Management Services

All of us want our business relationships to go well, but what happens when a client relationship takes a downhill turn? The situation can get ugly. How do you handle these predicaments? We can handle it by practicing reputation management. One of your law firm’s most prized possessions is its reputation. Be quick to respectfully handle negative reviews and initiate damage control efforts when needed. When your reputation is in jeopardy do not hesitate to bolster your firm with professional reputation management.