Gone are the days when mobile devices were just “another way” to access information on the Internet. According to Google, mobile devices are now the leading digital avenue for Google searches, due to the fact that these devices have officially passed the 50% mark over desktops (as of last year).
What does that mean for your law firm? It means that you’re living in the past if you don’t have a solid mobile strategy in place. It also means that you are missing out on opportunities to attract new clients who are searching for legal services such as yours on their smartphones and tablets.
If you don’t have a mobile-focused strategy, one of two things will probably happen:
- The online searcher won’t see your law firm’s website at all in the top few search results he or she scrolls through. That’s because Google rolled out an algorithm update that penalizes non-mobile-friendly websites by giving them lower rankings in mobile search results. Not being found in mobile search results is a big deal, as data shows that more local searches take place on these types of devices. According to a study the Local Search Association (LSA) and Thrive Analytics, 60% of people search for local information on mobile devices while only 40% do so on desktops.
- The online searcher will come across your site but quickly click away (or “bounce”) due to how long it takes to load or how difficult it is to view or navigate on a mobile device. Data shows that 40% of people say they will leave a website if the load time is longer than 3 seconds. There are also other factors that could drive away mobile web visitors, such as text that is too small to read, buttons and links that are too close together, content that is wider than the screen (requiring excessive scrolling), and more. And remember, if they’re not on your site, they’re probably on a competitor’s.
If you don’t want this to happen to your law firm, then you'll need to redesign your website so it has a responsive design. This means that your website is designed to look good and function well on all devices, including smartphones and tablets. The easier it is for online searchers to access your website on their mobile devices, the more likely they’ll be to stay on the site and learn why they should hire your firm.
Want to see if your law firm’s website is mobile-friendly? Test it out on a number of different mobile devices. You can also use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and PageSpeed Insights tools, which tell you exactly which problems need to be fixed.
Other Ways Your Firm Can Get into the Mobile Mentality
In addition to having a mobile-friendly website, there are also other ways to bump up your law firm’s mobile marketing strategy. For example, you can run pay-per-click (PPC) ads that are optimized for mobile users, such as text ads with call buttons. These buttons (available through call and location extensions) allow smartphone users to call your firm with a single click of a button, straight from the ad. You can also run ads on social media sites such as Facebook that specifically target people on mobile devices.
Reaching potential clients while they’re on the go can be especially helpful for certain types of attorneys. For example, criminal defense lawyers and personal injury lawyers often have clients who need to find an attorney as quickly as possible, which may include from the scene of an arrest or accident. The key is to make it as easy as possible for people to find and contact you right in their moment of need.
Get Started on Your Mobile Strategy with Scorpion
If you want to improve your visibility in the mobile world and attract more cases from the Internet, it’s time to get started with a clear strategy. This is where Scorpion can help. Our award-winning web developers can build a mobile-friendly website for your firm, and our SEO and SEM experts can help make a bigger impact on mobile users through targeted campaigns. Call our law firm marketing experts to get started!
For more helpful tips, download our free online marketing guide for lawyers.
