For many years, I’ve pushed the Internet as a way for a solo or small firm to market their business and secure new clients with a solid web presence.

And much of the focus has been on Google. And for good reason – because I’ve had clients zoom from low-six figures to seven figures in less than 14 months. Google is a gold mine if done right – and the most cost-effective marketing there is.

On the other hand, I’ve advised my clients to avoid Facebook like the plague, simply because most will not generate a single call from a Facebook page.

I didn’t advise against setting up a personal profile, then a business page. I just advised not spend a lot of time on it. Add some content, maybe syndicate your blog posts there….but that’s about it.

Because Facebook has NOT been a productive way to get new clients. Could you build a network where you could perhaps get a referral? Yes.

But spending hours-on-end playing around on Facebook was an absolute waste of time.

In fact, even those clients that have a solid presence on Facebook have not been able to attribute a single, non-referral client from Facebook.

But in recent months, Facebook is making moves to become a solid business tool, and I am now advising clients to keep a close eye on it. Because Facebook is growing up.

They are beginning to realize what they have – and the value it really holds.

Facebook now has more visitors worldwide than Google. And they want to monetize that in a serious way.

And they will do that by keeping Facebook users – on Facebook – for any information they would typically head to Google for.

For instance, Facebook signed a deal with Bing to provide search results. So if you’re signed in to Facebook, you can do a search right there – no need to jump to Google. Search results from Bing are just a few keystrokes away.

And they are working on a Places/Local/Maps product similar to Google’s which could be huge for law firms. If you’ve followed any of my blog posts over the years, you’ve probably noticed that I really like that type of product because it gets the phone to ring.

And what if they roll out Facebook e-mail (an open system) to compete with Gmail? How many millions will flock to that product?

Facebook is indeed growing up. And now is the time to start paying attention to them.

I’ll keep an eye out for further developments and pass them along. In the meantime, if you don’t have a Facebook page, now’s the time to build one.

And I’m considering writing a brief guide to setting up a Facebook page for law firms…if I can find the time.

Tom Kane, Larry Bodine and host of others have recently blogged about the “Issues Paper Concerning Lawyers’ Use of Internet Based Client Development Tools.”

Most blog posts have been critical of the ABA for even considering a review and possible new guidelines given that ethics rules are already in place regarding this subject.

And professional law firms know what the rules are, and so do I. This subject comes up in every conversation I have with a new client.

So why is the ABA sticking their nose into an area that is already well covered.

Here’s my spin…..

The ABA is a political organization that is controlled by Big Law. And and many solo’s and small firms are doing phenomenally well, even in a down economy, and it’s largely due to the Internet. As Tom Kane said in his post, the Internet has leveled the playing field.

So Solo’s and and Small Firms are taking a big bite out of Big Law’s pie and they don’t like it.

So behind closed doors, and at social gatherings, Big Law has been whining about how unfair all of this “Internet Stuff” is, and lo-and-behold, the ABA is going to take a serious look at it.

So, if you’re a solo or small firm, you’d better make your voice heard.

Larry Bodine provided a link to a template that you can use and then send to the ABA regarding this issue – http://bit.ly/id77JA.

If any of your firms revenue is derived from the Internet, take 5 minutes and spend .49 on a stamp to make sure they know how you feel.

I’ve talked to hundreds of attorneys over the last several years about how to grow their business.

Many listen – some don’t.

But the other day, I had a prospective client ask me, “How do I make more money with my online presence?”

I’d never been asked that question before. Prospective clients always ask how they can get their website on the first page of Google. Many think that by just having your website reach the first page for lucrative search terms, riches will follow.

And I’m partly to blame for that thought process – I even guarantee it as part of my business model.

Truth be told, it’s a little more involved that that. So, I’m going to answer the question, “How do you make more money with your online presence?”

They’re are four parts to Internet Domination for your law firm. They are:

1. Show up in Google Local (or Yahoo and Bing Local) almost every time a prospective client does a search related to your practice area.
2. Show up in normal search results (right below Local or map results) every time a prospective client does a search related to your practice area.
3. Set up a Pay Per Click campaign so you show up at the top of the search results page (above Google Local) or on the right side of the page, almost every time a prospective client does a search related to your practice area.
4. Have great content that builds trust and connects with prospective client when they get to your website or blog – as a result of the effort in part 1, 2 and 3.

When you dominate perhaps the most valuable real estate in existence – AND – build trust with your website visitors….

You cannot NOT make significantly more money.

How much money?

How about tripling your revenue within 12 months. For consumer related practices, I’ve seen it over-and-over again (I’ll be introducing a case study on this shortly).

Add a systematic referral system to your practice, and the numbers get exponentially higher…but that is story for another day.

Trey Ryder, in one of his recent newsletters, talked about the fear that potential clients have about calling an attorney on the phone. Think about it.

Most have no idea who to call for legal help, don’t know how to find a good attorney…and they are afraid.

Potential clients are afraid to pick up the phone? Are you serious?

Certainly am – and Trey even gives solid reasons why they are afraid.

• He or She is afraid you may refuse to talk with him over the telephone.
• He or She is afraid you may try to pressure him into making an appointment.
• He or She is afraid you may charge him for the phone call.
• He or She is afraid you may not handle his type of problem.
• He or She is afraid you may not have time to help him.
• He or She is afraid you may charge more than he can afford.

To remedy this problem, Trey recommends you make it very clear that you:

• You welcome their calls.
• You’ll gladly talk with them over the telephone or in person, without charge.
• You’ll return their calls promptly, if you aren’t available when they call.
• You won’t pressure them in any way.

Sounds simple, right? Yet so few law firms make it a point to insure that the visitors to their website see these assurances.

Why not try it – your phone will ring more.

Here’s one additional step I ask my clients to do – you might want to consider it as well.

After they add the assurances, I have them add this statement.

“And if for some reason I can’t help you, I will put you in touch with the very best attorneys in town…that’s my promise to you”.

With this simple addition of 27 words, these attorneys are establishing even more trust with the visitors to their website.

And when they do get a call, and they can’t help, they refer the work out to another attorney. The potential client is now happy – and the attorney you referred work to is happy.

And that attorney will return the favor.

When everyone is happy….bottom lines improve.

In case you haven’t heard, Microsoft is buying Yahoo – with regulatory approval expected sometime in 2010.

I’m thinking that this deal will result in Yahoo starting to dismantle its search engine shortly thereafter and dropping Bing (Microsoft’s Search Engine – a darn good one too) in it’s place.

With this merger/buyout, Microsoft will get an immediate bump in market share…from around 10% now to 30% after completion.

So what does it mean for law firm internet marketing?

Well, although a 30% market share is not a huge threat to Google, Bing now becomes a search engine you can’t ignore.

From the research I’ve done, search engine optimization for Bing is no different than Google. In fact, my clients rank equally well on either search engine for the search results they are targeting.

If your law firm website or blog is not doing well on one of them, it’s probably not doing well on the other either – so maybe a little work on your internet presence is in order.

One other thing you should do prior to this merger – register you law firm with the Bing Local Listing Center.

This product is similar to Google’s Local Business Listing…..and participation will result in client contacts, although at a rate less than Google’s. No surprise there with the market share Bing has/will have.

So hop on over to Bing and get your law firm set up on Bing.

I’m all for a company monetizing a website, but AVVO is beginning to turn to some questionable revenue generating models.

They’ve worked very hard in building traction by offering a great service to those looking for legal assistance. And they’ve created a good buzz in the marketplace that’s helped them tremendously with the search engines….while managing to not help any of the attorneys listed on the site in that regard (they no-follow every outgoing link).

AVVO has thrived so far (traffic numbers are very good) because they offer an individual the opportunity to review attorneys in a given practice area. AVVO will even include past client reviews and colleague reviews as well. It’s all there for the potential client to see – and make a decision if they want to contact that attorney or not.

Now they’ve moved on to squeezing the attorneys in order to drive revenue.

In the last couple or months, they’ve done two things.

One, they offer what’s called AVVO Pro – an opportunity to “Take Your Profile to the Next Level” – their words, not mine.

In my opinion, it doesn’t do much for driving business to a law firm – but it does protect you from the second product they’ve introduced – AVVO Advertising.

This is a sponsored type listing at the top of a practice area search – see this example of an AVVO search for a Los Angeles DUI Lawyer. (FYI – I got an e-mail from an LA Divorce Attorney that said AVVO wanted more than $500 a month for the AVVO Advertising sponsored listing).

There are three attorneys shown – no problem with this at all. It’s a smart way to monetize the space.

What gives me the heebie-jeebies is this -

If you are not an AVVO PRO member, AVVO is adding one of those Ads to every single attorney profile in that practice area. In some cases, there are two ads on a profile.

So if I’m an attorney and want to get the other attorneys ad off my profile, I have to pay $49.95 a month for AVVO Pro to accomplish that.

What B.S. – and if was an attorney that worked hard to build my AVVO profile, I would be livid if I saw some attorney that’s willing to write a big check…pollute my profile.

From my perspective…it’s just plain wrong.

Almost a year ago, I was gushing about how wonderful Justia was (see this post) by offering law firms across the country access to a directory where they could list their firm for free while leveraging the power of the Justia URL.

You could set up a profile about your firm and even set up links to point at your website a blog – a huge help in solid search engine ranking.

It was so refreshing to see a competitor of Findlaw offer this service as a counter to the Findlaw directory where they charge an arm-and-a-leg to take advantage of the benefits their directory offers for search engine rankings.

Well, in the no-to-distant past, Justia has turned to the dark-side. They set their techs loose and did some black-box magic which resulted in this….

Unless you are a paying client of Justia, you will not get any help from being in their directory. Those that are Justia clients get a lot of Google love. Those that are not….get none.

In fact, Justia sales reps are now using scare tactics in an effort to force clients to stay with them.

Yep, I’ve had two law firms call me recently – both said the rep indicated that if they left Justia, their directory profile would be impacted and their web presence would disappear.

Shame on you Justia….for changing how your directory was managed internally…and by threatening clients.

You’re no better than Findlaw….and if you read this Tim, that’s a shame, because at one time, you had an ethical and honorable company.

If you own or manage a small law firm, have you ever looked at search engine results in your area and wondered why “Big Law” was not plastered all over the first page of Google for search terms related to your practice area?

After all, they certainly have bigger marketing budgets than you, right?

Yet, you rarely ever see Big Law dominate – it’s always the solo and small firms that do.

Here’s an example – if you did a search for “new york injury lawyer” you’d find only one firm (Stark & Stark) shown in the top 10 natural search results that I would consider “Big Law” – and they’re down the page at #8 which is not a premium position.

Nine of the ten are websites or blogs owned by solos or small firms. That’s amazing, given how how many times that search term is typed in each month (almost 10,000 times) and how lucrative it is.

So the question is, why doesn’t Big Law show up?

The reason is simple – many of them rely on Content Management Systems (CMS), which are complex, database-driven web sites.

That is the complete opposite of solos and small firms which utilize static html, asp or php sites – or blogging platforms like WordPress.

So why do small firms have an advantage by using these types of systems?

Because the systems they use are designed to be search engine friendly, while many of the CMS offerings that Big Law uses are:

• Not Search Engine Friendly (or Management does not know how to make them that way). Examples would be dynamic URL’s that look like this (http://www.biglaw.com/practice.php?categoryid=1&productid=10) which the search engines can choke on, and duplicate meta tags or tags that are not search engine friendly;
• Managed by outside vendors that don’t have usability or SEO experts on staff.
• Paralyzed by fear because of the huge investment they’ve made and are unsure of what to do.

So while solos and small firms keep adding search engine friendly content to their sites (with a blog) or regularly post to their blog, Big Law keeps spinning their wheels.

My advice to the solos and small firms – keep on adding content and posting to your blog.

Because unless Big Law ‘”gets it” in the very near term, it will be extremely difficult for them to catch you in the search results…never mind leapfrogging ahead of you.

Michael Stelzner, of whitepapersource.com has authored a new report, “Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses.”

It’s probably one of the best reports I’ve seen to date about the use of Social Media tools like Blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., for your marketing efforts.

What I didn’t see is this….Can a businesses gain an increase in revenue by using all these social media tools.

The report has a number of statistics that lend credence to the benefits of using social media tools, but like most reports about this hot topic, there’s no hard numbers.

We all know that blogs lead to an increase in revenue. But what about Twitter? What can that do for the small business. Does it work for them?

Until I have Law Firm Clients tell me that the hours-and-hours they’re spending on Twitter is fattening their wallet….I will continue to say….if a marketing effort is not working – cease doing it.

I saw a bumper sticker on a car the other day.

It said….

The Shortest Distance Between Two People is a Good Story.

True statement, isn’t it.

We all enjoy stories….and so do your clients.

So, why not do yourself a favor and check the content on your website.

If it’s the typical boring effort that most web design firm’s slap on a website….change it….and tell a story.

Here’s a snippet from a web page for one of my newest clients – a PI attorney that has had some success in the past representing clients that were injured in accidents involving semi-trucks.

Several years ago, I was contacted by the paternal grandmother of a 6 year old boy whose mother, maternal grandmother and 2 year old brother had been killed after their car was struck by a semi-truck.

The truck driver had choked on hot coffee, lost consciousness, and crossed the median of I-75 in Northern Kentucky.

As you can imagine, she was extremely upset. The reason she called me was that she was now the young boys’ guardian and really didn’t know what to do.

At a time in her life when she should be planning her retirement, a horrible accident meant that she would be raising this young child.

And as you would expect, she had many questions and concerns.

She wanted to know how she was going to care for her grandson.

What was she going to tell him when he asked “Where’s Mommy” or “When will I be able to see her”?

She was concerned about how she was going to going to pay for his education.

And her biggest fear – What would happen to her grandson….if something happened to her? Who would take care of him? What if Grandma couldn’t take care of herself and this young man had to do it as a teenager? What would happen if Grandma was no longer around?…..

He then goes into a bit of detail on how he handled the situation and what he does for new clients.

So tell me….If a potential client looks at a couple of websites and see’s the typical content on law firm sites….and then see’s this guys, what do you think will happen?

I’ll tell you what happens….the other law firms don’t have a chance in hell at getting this client.

You have between 10 and 15 seconds to build some trust with your visitor….and by using a true story that targets the PC’s emotions and makes it crystal clear that you understand what’s going on in their life….you can do what none of your competition is doing.

So….tell a story. Your bottom-line will thank you.