Post Revised on Feb. 5, 2016
We’ve said it time and time again – your attorney bio matters. It’s one of the most important pages on your law firm website. In terms of visits, your attorney bio page often ranks just behind the home page.
Our good friend and law firm marketing expert Larry Bodine reinforces that message in a blog post. The headline says it all: “56 Percent of Law Firm Website Visits Go to Attorney Bios.”
Given how vital lawyer bios are, Larry asks the burning question: “Why are they neglected?”
That’s a good question, indeed. At Consultwebs, we recognize how important those bios are. We work with clients to develop narratives that blend lawyers’ professional and personal highlights and appeal to the law firm website’s visitors.
A Golden Opportunity to Tell Your Story and Sell Your Strengths
When we review visitor analytics for our clients’ law firm websites, we’re consistently struck by one unmistakable fact: Attorney bios tend to be among the most-visited pages on lawyer websites, second only to the home page. The attorney bios typically outrank a law firm’s practice area pages.
What does that mean for you and your law firm’s online marketing efforts? It means your attorney bio page may be your very best opportunity to convert a site visitor into a client. Do not miss this golden opportunity!
Many people are already intimidated by lawyers. The typical attorney bio does little to make the visitor more comfortable. It usually contains a few dry facts — a bare listing of law school graduation dates, memberships in Bars or legal groups, the odd award or two, and a listing of practice areas.
Yes, that’s all good information, and it should be included. But never forget that a visit to your bio page provides the perfect moment to paint a richer portrait of yourself. Potential clients, especially those who have been through a serious car accident or personal injury, want to be assured that you have the legal experience their case demands. At the same time, they are looking for the human touch. People prefer to do business with individuals they like and trust. Some prefer to work with someone who is their age, sex and ethnic group and has a similar background. The bottom line is that they want assurance on an emotional level that you care about them and will be personally invested in their case.
At Consultwebs, we conduct interviews with our lawyer clients and encourage them to tell their story. We ask for the details that reveal who they are as legal practitioners as well as people. We want to know why they were drawn to the practice of law. We ask about the defining moments of their careers – the case they won against all odds for a deserving client – that shows they care about their cases and their clients. Our goal is to blend the professional details that demonstrate a lawyer’s experience with the personality traits that serve as strengths in the legal efforts on a client’s behalf.
The Person and the Professional
What should your bio narrative include to capture the person and the professional? Here are a few points to consider:
- Your approach to the practice of law
- Your areas of expertise
- How you relate to clients
- What attracted you to the practice of law
- Why you selected your practice area
- The personal and legal skills that make you good at your job
- Your community and civic interests
- Hobbies and other non-work activities
You should consider getting to know your clients on another level through social networking. If you have a professional Facebook account (separate from your personal account), you could provide a link to it from your bio page. You may be surprised to find that potential clients are more comfortable contacting you there for legal advice, and you can get the ball rolling on a case with them. Sometimes they might just ask you a question and not really have a case, but you never know when that person might recommend a friend or family member to you, simply because you took the time to show your willingness to communicate with a potential client.
It should be easy for a potential client to contact you using more traditional methods as well. Thus, we try to include contact information – for instance, phone numbers and email addresses – as part of attorney bios. A potential client just read about you and liked your story. Include a quick contact form on your page. Make it easy for them to get in touch.
Other elements to consider for inclusion on your bio page:
- Custom photography
- Impressive verdicts and settlements (assuming your State Bar allows these)
- Video
- Testimonials (if allowed by your jurisdiction’s ethics rules)
Examples of Effective Attorney Bios
Want to see examples of attorney bio pages our team has created? Please see the bios of Ken Harrell, a personal injury attorney in Charleston, South Carolina, and Ken Hardison, a Raleigh, North Carolina personal injury attorney and law firm marketing consultant.
We agree with Mr. Bodine’s assessment: Your attorney bio is too important to neglect. If you’ve neglected yours, turn to Consultwebs for help.
Consultwebs specializes in not only law firm website design and search engine optimization (SEO), but law firm content development as well. We realize the importance of content.
We have worked hard to develop a team of writers who can develop compelling content with minimum disruption to our clients’ work schedules. Our content team includes licensed attorneys and experienced journalists.
To learn more about our customized Internet marketing campaigns, give us a call today at 877-278-5677 or email us at getmore@consultwebs.com.
