In our increasingly virtual world, potential legal clients are relying on the web more and more to search for and locate the legal services they need. While maintaining a polished website is a great way to attract more clients, monitoring online reviews of your legal practice is essential if you want to ensure that your online reputation accurately reflects your firm’s core values. Addressing negative reviews is a delicate art, but it’s equally important to consider how responding to positive reviews can also shape the public’s perception of your firm. Here’s a brief overview of why interacting with positive reviews is key to boosting your credibility and professionalism, along with a few tips for getting started.
The Benefits of Positive Reviews
The upsides of positive reviews are pretty obvious: potential clients can read about your exceptional services; that one mediocre review will be overshadowed by more glowing reviews; and consumers who read positive reviews about a business tend to see these reviews as personal recommendations, leading to increased consumer trust in your company. Of course, it’s essential that each review is authentic, as customers can spot fake reviews that appear insincere, overly emotional, or too-good-to-be-true. Fake reviews will likely discourage clients to work with you, as they may perceive you as inauthentic or untrustworthy. Keep an eye on the online reviews of your law practice so that you can take action if suspicious reviews pop up.
Why Respond to Positive Reviews?
It might seem appropriate to let positive reviews of your firm speak for themselves. While this strategy does work to some degree, those attorneys who respond quickly and appreciatively to a client’s positive review are usually viewed more favorably by potential clients. Think of your response to the review as a simple acknowledgement that they’ve taken the time to share their experience with others, and try to keep it brief. When potential clients read these reviews, they will see your thoughtful responses, which establishes you as a legal professional who is invested in your clients and their experiences.
Getting Started
First of all, try not to see this process as cumbersome. You do not need to create lengthy responses that drain you of time and energy. Instead, see these small responses as a way of investing in your firm—according to one customer review survey, a full 97 percent of consumers read business’ responses to reviews, and positive reviews make 91 percent of consumers more likely to work with a business. Your appreciative acknowledgement of each review goes a long way in determining whether potential clients will reach out to you, so it’s definitely worth getting into the habit of typing up a quick response as reviews come in.
The LegalRev team is here to help your firm build effective digital marketing strategies to grow your legal practice. Call us at (800) 893-2590 today to learn more.
