LexisNexis, a leading global provider of content enabled workflow solutions designed for the legal community, recently published a research study into how consumers search for legal information and services.
The study focused on people looking for an attorney in the past year. The study found 76 percent of adult Internet users in the United States utilized online resources during the search process. Referrals from family and friends remain important, but the study found consumers are as likely to conduct an Internet search as they are to turn to family and friends for advice.
“A majority of consumers will need legal services at some point in their lives, and when people need attorneys, they are increasingly turning to the Internet to find the right one for their matter,” said Philip Livingston, CEO of Web-Based Marketing Solutions at LexisNexis. “Attorneys and law firms should consider how they can position themselves and their firms in order to be easily found by that 76 percent who search online.”
According to Livingston, attorneys should employ multiple approaches to online marketing, from having a robust website that utilizes search engine optimization to participating in reputable online directories and leveraging social media platforms.
“Many attorneys are hesitant to invest time and resources into expanding their online presence because of limited budgets or questions about the return on investment. But as the survey shows, lawyers who lack a robust online presence could miss out on significant new business opportunities,” Livingston says.
Some highlights from the survey
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- 60 percent of consumers (adult Internet users) in the U.S. have sought an attorney at least once in their lives (110 million people).
- 32 percent (58 million) did so in the past year.
- 57 percent of those surveyed, who sought an attorney in the past year, hired one.
- 57 percent of those surveyed, who sought an attorney in the past year, said they used online resources to check and compare the ratings/reviews of a lawyer or law firm.
- 65 percent found the ratings/reviews they found online to be extremely or moderately influential in their decision
Google is the most popular search engine used by consumers in their online legal search work and Facebook was the most-used social media network. - 65 percent of survey respondents used a laptop to search for an attorney and 12 percent used a tablet.
Takeaways for Attorneys
According to the report, these are takeaways for attorneys:
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- Consumers are going online to search for legal services.
- When gathering information about attorneys, the use of search engines, online directories, law firm websites, blogs and legal advice forums is growing.
- Social media is fast becoming a part of how consumers search for legal services.
- Consumers look for and trust attorney ratings and reviews.
- For attorneys and law firms looking to leverage their online presence, it's important to develop and maintain a robust Internet presence including, but not limited to, a website, an online directory listing, social media profiles and participation in legal advice forums. This will enable potential clients to easily find information they need, minimizing the amount of research they must do. If potential clients can't find what they need quickly, they may turn to another attorney who has created a more user-friendly, information-rich online presence with a variety of channels as described above.
What are your thoughts about this study? Have you used the Internet to research an attorney during the hiring process? Have you relied on social network to help you learn about an attorney you were researching? Leave a comment.
