Across all industries, 90% of local consumers base their decision on what other people have to say. Getting positive reviews from previous clients is powerful for your law firm's marketing engine.
Reviews from former clients tell a story about what you're like to work with. By painting a picture for potential clients, reviews can help convert someone who needs to hire an attorney.
However, if your law firm receives numerous online reviews, it can be difficult to keep up with what people have submitted.
Law firm reputation management tools like the ones below could help you with this. By managing your online reputation, you could look more attractive to potential clients.
Benefits of Reputation Management Tools for Law Firms
When clients see multiple five-star reviews on your website or online profiles, it signals trust and credibility. People tend to trust the experiences of others just like them, so potential clients seek out reviews to understand what it may be like working with you.
Client Reviews Can Boost SEO Value
Client reviews are valuable for local SEO. Besides sending positive signals to prospective clients, they are an important ranking factor.
Reviews on your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) can help you up in local searches.
Google's algorithm takes both the review count and rating into account when ranking businesses. These factors determine your "prominence" and likelihood of showing up in search results. Complete and accurate data across your local business listings are important, too.
Reputation Management Software Can Save You Time
If you get a lot of reviews across many platforms, a reputation management tool can help you stay on top of them.
By consolidating reviews into one reputation management tool, they become easier to manage. You'll be able to see them all and respond to your reviews across multiple platforms. And they often help with automating your review requests.
One quick note, though. If you use automated review requests, they should follow any bar association rules. Verify that you're also following any rules from the review platform, too. Certain review sites are less comfortable with businesses soliciting reviews.
Reputation Management vs. Social Listening Tools
Finally, reputation management tools may get confused with social listening tools. They're similar but not the same thing.
Social listening tools help you hear what people are saying about your brand on social media platforms. Law firm reputation management tools track places like Google Business or Yelp to tell you when someone posts a new review.
The Best Review Management Software
Most lawyers don't need a law firm reputation management tool. But, if your law firm receives numerous reviews and you find tracking them overwhelming, one of these tools may be appropriate.
1. Birdeye
Birdeye takes a lot of the work out of requesting reviews. It also lets you know as soon as you've received a new review online. Using Birdeye, you can ask for and share reviews across over 200 sites.
You can even integrate it with your website. This feature lets your most recent reviews immediately show up in scrolling banners. By doing so, you showcase real-time feedback and social proof from satisfied clients.
One of the best aspects of using Birdeye is that they make it easy for your clients to leave reviews at their convenience. Automatic follow-ups increase the chances that past clients will take the time to write out their thoughts.
2. Podium
Housing all your primary review data in one place might make things much easier for you. With Podium, you get a dashboard that lets you:
- Easily track invites you sent to clients to give you reviews
- Manage your reputation on multiple websites
- Respond quickly to clients.
This combination signals an active law firm that's engaged with its clients. You can also send out review requests via text message through this platform.
3. ReviewTrackers
Compared to some other options listed here, Reviewtrackers is more for review collection. This tool gathers all of your client's feedback so you can better understand their needs. It can show you which feedback shows up most frequently and which may be helpful for fixing processes behind the scenes.
You can also learn more about what your clients enjoy the best. This makes it easy to translate feedback into consistent law firm marketing messages.
Being able to see the good and the bad quickly gives you options to fix problem areas and cultivate a positive online image.
4. SiteJabber
Every positive comment from a past client can be showcased as broadly as possible, helping you get the most mileage from it.
SiteJabber republishes your reviews on other feedback sites and major online directories like the BBB. You get the benefit of your clients' positive experiences across the web. You can then leverage their comments on your website, review platforms, and Google.
5. ReviewPush
Much like other review management tools on this list, ReviewPush puts your reviews in one place.
With it, you can monitor multiple sites and unlimited locations. This feature is most helpful for bigger law firms with a multi-state presence.
You can also see how your scores stack up against one another for different locations. You'll also get an email every time you have a new review. You can even respond to the review directly from your email.
6. Reputology
This reputation management tool simplifies the process of viewing, answering, and analyzing your law firm's online reviews.
Reputology is very specific to local markets. You'll get an email any time there's a new review about your firm. You can then use their platform to reply to that client's feedback.
7. Brand24
Many brands outside the legal industry use Brand24 to watch their reputation online. If you work with a major law firm with multiple law offices across several states, this tool can organize all your different online mentions.
Brand24's online reputation management services look at social media and crawl the web. This allows it to collect any mention of you or your lawyers on websites, blogs, news sources, and Google reviews.
8. StatusBrew
StatusBrew is primarily a social media listening tool, but that doesn't mean it can't help you. It also includes some lawyer reputation management options.
If your law firm gets mentioned a lot on social media, it might be worth exploring this option. For example, StatusBrew helps you manage reviews on Facebook and Google Business.
If that's where you get most of your feedback, this may be a nice all-in-one tool for you.
How to Deal with Negative Reviews
Negative reviews can feel disheartening for any law firm, especially when you've poured time and effort into providing excellent client service. However, handling these reviews effectively is crucial to cultivating a positive online reputation. Here's how to approach negative feedback in a constructive way:
Respond Promptly
Time is of the essence. A quick response shows potential clients that you value customer feedback and are committed to addressing concerns. Aim to reply within 24-48 hours to demonstrate that you are actively engaged with your clients and their experiences.
Stay Professional and Courteous
No matter how harsh the review may be, it's important to maintain a professional tone. If someone didn't have a positive online experience, you should first find out why.
Try to be understanding and empathetic, acknowledging the reviewer's feelings without getting defensive. A calm and composed approach can help diffuse a tense situation and portray your law firm as trustworthy and responsible.
Apologize When Appropriate
If the review highlights a legitimate issue with your service, don't hesitate to apologize and address negative feedback directly. Acknowledging where things may have gone wrong can make a significant difference in rebuilding trust and demonstrating your commitment to improving your legal services.
Take the Conversation Offline
Depending on the nature of the review, it's often best to move the conversation away from public view. Offer to discuss the issue further via direct messaging, phone, or email. This shows that you take the matter seriously and are willing to resolve it privately, which can leave a positive impression on potential clients observing the exchange.
Learn and Adapt
Use negative feedback as a learning opportunity. Analyze the concerns raised and assess whether there are changes you can implement to avoid similar situations in the future. This not only improves your services but also demonstrates to current and prospective clients that you are committed to continuous improvement.
By addressing negative reviews with care, you can turn potential crises into valuable insights and opportunities for growth and improvement. When handled well, they can even enhance your brand's online reputation by showcasing your commitment to client satisfaction and your responsiveness to feedback.
Engaging with Positive Reviews
Reputation management isn't just about responding to negative reviews with grace — it's also about engaging with satisfied clients and fostering customer loyalty.
Taking the time to engage with these favorable reviews can strengthen your relationship with clients, showcase your commitment to service, and attract new potential clients. Here’s how to effectively engage with positive reviews to maximize their impact:
Respond Promptly and Gratefully
When a client takes the time to leave a positive review, it’s essential to respond promptly. Acknowledging their feedback within a day or two shows that you value their thoughts and appreciate their business. Start with a heartfelt thank you and mention something specific about their case or interaction that they highlighted. This personal touch demonstrates that you genuinely care about their experience.
Example Response: "Thank you, Jane, for your kind words! It was a pleasure assisting you with your case, and I'm thrilled to hear you felt supported throughout the process. If you need anything in the future, don't hesitate to reach out!"
Use Client Testimonials in Marketing Materials
If you have permission from the clients to do so, you might select particularly compelling reviews to feature as client testimonials in your marketing materials, including brochures, newsletters, or advertisements. Presenting real client voices in your marketing strategy will enhance your credibility and serve as powerful social proof for your law firm.
Encourage Continued Engagement
Invite clients to stay in touch and become part of your legal community. If they are open to it, encourage them to follow you on social media for updates, legal insights, or community events. An ongoing relationship can lead to repeat business and referrals, as satisfied clients are likely to share their positive experiences with friends and family.
Show Your Team Appreciation
Consider sharing positive reviews with your staff to celebrate team successes. Recognizing the hard work that went into achieving a client’s satisfaction not only boosts morale but also reinforces the behaviors and practices that lead to exceptional client experiences. Team appreciation aligns everyone toward a common goal of excellence.
Learn From All Feedback
While positive reviews affirm your hard work, use them as learning tools as well. Analyze what clients appreciate and consider how to enhance those aspects of your service further. Engaging with positive reviews can help pinpoint areas where you’re excelling, guiding your future practice and marketing efforts.
Legal & Ethical Considerations for Review Management
Lawyers are bound by strict confidentiality rules regarding client information. When soliciting reviews or engaging with clients online, ensure that you never disclose any details related to specific cases without explicit consent. This also extends to the sharing of testimonials; always obtain written approval before using any client materials or experiences in your marketing efforts. Violating confidentiality can result in severe disciplinary actions and damage your reputation irreparably.
Monitoring Third-party Reviews
While third-party review platforms can be a game-changer for your reputation management, you should still be cautious about how you use them. Make sure you read the terms of service of these platforms to understand how reviews are managed and how you can respond. When responding to reviews, always adhere to the platform's guidelines to avoid violating their policies.
Develop Better Ways of Getting and Responding to Reviews
The sooner you set up systems to build on referrals and word of mouth, the better. Getting in the habit of asking clients to leave you reviews can help build a positive online presence.
Making it simple for clients and automating the process with reputation management tools can assist with this. Doing so can increase the chances they'll take the valuable extra step of leaving you a review.
There's good and bad news about digital marketing for law firms: you have access to more tools and things to track than ever.
When used properly, these tools are a great way to build your law firm's online presence. However, many legal professionals find it overwhelming to manage local business listings, social media, local SEO, reputation management, and public relations
Handing things off to a knowledgeable marketing partner ensures you've covered all the bases. If you want to grow a positive reputation and level up your law firm marketing, contact Rankings.io today.
