I know….it’s been a long time since I posted. Twelve to 14 hour days and weekends too don’t leave me a lot of time.

Over the last 5 weeks, of the many calls I’ve taken from law firms, three stood out. All three had the same story. They were sold a pipe-dream in regards to Internet Marketing services.

All three left the companies they were doing business with. All three were not hitting a home run with their websites, but they were doing okay. They each had received a call from a very talented sales person that talked a good game.

And all three signed up for this company’s “Super Duper Platinum Level Service” to the tune of $20k a year.

All three law firms saw their websites disappear on the search engines….along with a lot of money. Sorry to say, this company (they are in Florida) did some of the poorest work I’ve seen in a decade – and had the stones to charge $20k for it.

Here’s what I’d recommend you do the next time a slick-talking, promise-you-riches, sales person calls…..

Ask them to prove it.

First, ask them what is the expected rate of return? If it’s an attractive number, say 5 times return on investment, do this:

Get the names and numbers of other law firms they have as clients and call them. Ask pointed questions. Ask what the time frame was before they started to see decent returns.

The bottom line is this; save yourself a lot of aggravation and wasted money. If you get a phone call from a pro….make them prove what they say before you invest a dime.

P.S. All three of the law firms have retained us to help right the ship.

In 2008, a new law school grad by the name of Josh Williams hit the road and accepted a job at one of the largest firms in Minneapolis. Within a year, he knew “Big Law” was not for him and made the decision to go solo.

This decision was extremely risky. He was such a “new” attorney and had a very limited network to leverage. To top it all off, he had just recently been married. It’s likely he spent many sleepless nights wondering how the hell he was going to pull this off.

Prior to opening his doors, he did two incredibly smart things – perhaps even brilliant – and that too few attorneys do when they go solo:

1. He researched law office technology so he new exactly what to put to use that would allow him to practice law and not be bogged down by the mundane tasks associated with running a law firm.
2. Since he had no network to leverage (yet), he had to find clients. It’s basic Business 101 that no clients equal no revenue. So he researched the the most cost effective marketing in existence – online marketing.

The result of his research, and then implementing the most effective small firm technology and marketing strategies, allowed him to net $100,000…..in his first year as a solo. I know this because he took the time to call and thank me for my help.

As time passes by, and Josh continues to utilize the technology in place, expand his online marketing and leverages his growing network, he’ll be on pace to double his revenue yearly over the next couple of years. And he’ll soon be at a point where if he wishes, he’ll have to hire other attorneys, which at the end of the day will increase his revenue even more.

Josh now wants to share how he did it – how a new attorney venturing out on their own, and even veteran attorneys, can work less while increasing revenue. And that should appeal to all.

He’s put all of his thoughts down on paper and is making it available three ways.

1. Approximately half of the material is available online for free at www.lawyer2point0.com
2. The complete volume is available for purchase in PDF format here for $20.
3. In paperback, it’s available here

If it was me, I’d pick up the PDF because you can click on the links to the resources he uses – makes it heck of a lot easier to use the info he provides.

And it might be the best $20 you’ve spent in a long time…even if you only use one of his ideas and it saves you 25 hours a year, you’re way ahead of the game.

For years, I’ve asked my clients to invest in Google Adwords because it is an effective way to leverage Google’s dominance for local search traffic. In fact, I have several clients that don’t care where their website shows up in natural search results.

They’ve relied solely on Google Adwords to generate traffic to their site – and with great content on their site, they do very, very well.

Others…..have not been as fortunate. Adwords can be a management nightmare for the DIYer – and a money pit for an extended period of time – before it begins to deliver new clients, even with professional help. So, many attorneys bail on the program prior to to their ad campaign gaining the traction it needs.

Google had to know this was a problem. And Google, as it normally does, addressed the issue small business was having with online advertising targeting local search.

Over the last 10 months, I’ve watched with interest as Google has rolled out two products to help small businesses that are trying to target local search.

The first product they rolled out was Google Tags – a yellow markers attached to your Place account that allows business owners to promote important aspects of their business.

The second product, Google Boost, is an absolute jaw-dropping product. Essentially, it is a Google Adwords campaign that is managed by Google – and tied to your Google Place account. And in my book, it is far, far superior to Google Adwords. I’ve put together a short video detailing these two programs just below…and how powerful it is.

But before you click on the video, here’s one more thing I have to point out – and it’s important.

I’ve been working in the Internet Marketing area for well over a decade, and the only time I’ve ever actually spoken to a Google employee when a client needed help, was when the client was spending well over six-figures on Google Adwords. And I’ve always been disappointed with Google’s customer service – and I’m not alone with that opinion.

With the introduction of Google Boost & Tags, that has changed. You can actually speak with a Google employee regarding these two products. They’ll guide you in setting up the products and answer any questions you have. Heck, they’ve even helped repair the Google Place account for some of my clients that had wrong data associated with it.

Click on the video and discover what Google Boost and Tags is all about – and how it can help your law firm. Then call the Rachel at 1-800-838-7971, ext. 23827. She’s the Google employee that manages this process for a large number of my law firm clients, and a large number of other law firms throughout the country.

To see a larger video, click here.

Although this is definitely off-topic, I have a client in Western New York that is heavily involved in the Clarence, NY Rotary and needs some help.

So consider this a Public Service Announcement.

As part of the Rotory’s mission, they raise funds to benefit those in the area that need healthcare, sponsor you activities, fund scholarships and community projects.

To help with that effort, the Rotary is having a Porsche Raffle. They are selling chance to win either a 2011 Porsche Boxster, a 2011 Porsche Cayenne or $40,000 in cash.

All proceeds go to the Clarance Rotary Foundation so they can help the community.

If you’re interested, go here – Porsche Car Raffle. It helps a good cause.

A number of my clients have a Facebook Fan Page (Business Page), as do many readers of this blog. But I’ve had a number of other clients and potential clients ask how to set up a Facebook Fan Page.

So I thought I’d put together a short video series on how to do it – and more importantly why.

Eds. Note:

My video software does not allow me to focus in on actual URL’s to help navigate this process so it’s difficult to see where to go.

So, here’s a bit of help after you’ve watched the videos.

• For those that do not have a Facebook presence yet, you have to set up a personal Facebook page first – go to http://www.facebook.com/ and sign up. Then proceed to the next bullet.
• For those that have a Facebook account (or just signed up), log in and go here – then follow the sequences in the video to set up a Facebook Fan Page correctly.
• For those of you that already have a Facebook Fan Page, you might want to give a quick view….I imagine you’ll see something you never thought about. Watch the the video series to see what you might have missed.

Part 1 – Setting Up A Fan Page For Your Law Firm:

Part 2 – How To Manage Your New Fan Page & Why Your Facebook Fan Page Title Is So Important

I’m not an Apple guy. I don’t own a Mac. I don’t own an iPhone. And I don’t own an iPod Touch or iPad.

But a heck of a lot people do – there are currently more than 100 million Apple mobile devices in use today and that number will only increase in the future.

Because of that, a large number of businesses are investing in apps that work on mobile devices – including law firms. And with the number of devices in use, having an app is close to being a “must have” for many law firms.

Large and medium size law firms might be able to afford custom designed apps but small firms and solos can’t afford expensive development costs.

So what does a small firm do if they want to have an affordable iPhone app?

You can enlist the help of business that offers a do-it-yourself platform for small business owners – where the business owner can create a mobile application in just a few simple steps.

One of my clients has partnered with one such company – http://www.biznessapps.com/

This client was very pleased with the the set-up process and final product. You can see their app at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gertler-law-firm/id407402557?mt=8

And here’s another law firm that set up their own app – Law Offices of Aaron J. Stewart.

From my perspective, an app gives a law firm one significant advantage over their competition – ease of contact. Two taps on a screen and a potential client can call you, e-mail or even visit your website. And isn’t that what any business wants?

Biznessapps doesn’t charge a setup fee, and gives law firms control over the creation, editing and management of their very own iPhone app.

Available features include turn-by-turn GPS directions, sharing capabilities that integrate well with Facebook, Twitter and email clients, in-app messaging and push notifications, check-in and coupon capabilities, calendering options and more.

Bottom line, every iPhone app is custom-made for the law firm, submitted to the App Store and regularly updated with new features and improvements by the Bizness Apps team.

And this full-service offer is only $39 a month.

Should every law firm have an app? I really don’t think so.

But if your practice focuses on business law or consumer law such as PI, Divorce, Criminal or other consumer litigation matters, it’s certainly something you should consider, especially since the cost is so low.

And considering the “big picture” is something you should think about as well. How many potential clients will be using mobile devices – exclusively – to search for law firms or legal related information in 5 years? The number will be staggering. Why not get in on the ground floor now.

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.

In the past, if Google didn’t like the information they found in your Google Places (Local) account, or it violated their terms of service, they would just ban or suspend your account, and you’d be left trying to figure out what was wrong.

But as of 11/30/10, a kinder, gentler Google is e-mailing the owner of the account and making “suggestions” and asking the owner to consider making the change they’re suggesting (thank you, Google).

In one instance, a client forwarded me the e-mail he received and they were suggesting that he change the web address on his account from….

abccompany.com to http://www.abccompany.com

This makes sense since Google largely recognized his site as the latter web address.

Another client received a suggestion that he should change one his categories from Medical Malpractice Attorney to Wrongful Death Attorney. Again, Google made this suggestion based on what it knows about his online presence and what potential clients are searching for in his city. This can do nothing but help.

And a third client received an e-mail that blew me away. This client has his website and a separate blog on the first page of Google for a number of very lucrative search terms, in a large city. They actually “suggested” that he change the destination web address on his Places Page (Local) to the other web address that shows on the first page of Google, because from their perspective, it is the stronger of the two sites.

And the client and I had just discussed that same idea three weeks prior, shortly after Google merged geographically based search and Places (Local) in early November.

I have a call today with this client to discuss, and perhaps implement, what Google has suggested.

Bottom line is this – if you receive one of these e-mails, don’t panic. Read it carefully and consider what they are suggesting. If it makes a lot of sense, go ahead and make the change.

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 received a call the other day. Haven’t had a call like it in years.

An attorney was on the other end of the phone. And after he introduced himself and we exchanged pleasantries, he said he wanted to…..

Thank me.

He had graduated from law school a couple of years ago, married a young lady from New Mexico, went to work for a large law firm in the upper Midwest for a short time… and then took the leap and opened his own shop.

He had no clients, was a year out of law school, with a mortgage and all the other fun stuff that life brings to us.

And then he said….

Because of me…. he was recently able to put a new roof on his home and he paid cash for it.

Because of me?

Yep – here’s why.

He downloaded my e-book, “Does Your Website Make This Mistakes” and my three-part series, ”
“Your Law Firm On The First Page Of Google In 2010 – For Free” – and just followed along as he built a very solid, and rewarding Internet presence.

In less than 12 months, he had hit six-figures. Two years out of law school – and he did this? All by himself? Freakin’ awesome. So what if I provided the guidance – he did it himself.

Honestly, he did have an advantage. He’s young and Internet savvy, so he gets all this Internet “stuff”.

The point is, this “stuff” works – and at the end of the day, it will significantly increase a law firms revenue, whether they do it themselves or hire someone smart to do it for them.

As his practice matures, he’ll likely discover that the real revenue comes from referrals. He’s a smart guy, he’ll figure it out…right JW?

I’m happy for him and grateful for his call – it made my year.