June 16, 2022

How to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency for Your Law Firm

If you have stumbled across this article, it is highly likely you are in need of an online marketing agency for your law firm. You may be interested in an online marketing agency because you don’t have enough time or the right resources for your law firm, or maybe you are particularly interested in making the most of your law firm's website. Regardless of the reason, hiring an online marketing agency can significantly contribute to the success of your legal business. In summary, hiring an online marketing agency can build or convert your law firm's website, increase effective SEO strategies, increase website traffic, and increase the number of clients that contact you. Of course, this is the end result if you hire the right marketing agency. Marketing agencies should make your website the most efficient marketing strategy your law firm has while you focus on your law firm and its clients. However, each marketing agency is different and their strategies, capabilities, and expertise vary. Here is how to find and hire an online marketing agency that will work best for you and your law firm.

Why Should I Hire a Digital Marketing Agency?

Hiring a digital marketing agency can benefit your legal business, but is extremely important you find the right one. Digital marketing agencies are also businesses with different experiences and qualifications, so you want to ensure the services they offer are high-quality and performed by professionals. Here is a list of what digital marketing agencies can offer your law firm:

• SEO
• Local SEO 
• Review management
• PPC
• Website design
• Legal content

The above-mentioned list is all components of a website that can get your website to reach the top pages of search engines which increases visibility and puts your website in the eyes of your targeted audience.

Types of Digital Marketing Agencies 

You may have not considered the various types of digital marketing agencies there are. There are social media marketing agencies, SEO-specific agencies, email marketing agencies, full-service marketing agencies, and many more. Additionally, some marketing agencies offer services to any type of client such as doctors, bloggers, lawyers, franchises, etc., while other digital marketing agencies focus on one area. For example, Attorney Marketing Network is a digital marketing agency that focuses solely on lawyers and attorneys as clients and offers a wide range of services to their clients. This is why it is important to understand the agency you are hiring. You may not be interested in a large marketing agency that offers services to everyone because you run the risk of hiring someone who is unfamiliar with your profession. Alternatively, if you hire a small marketing agency that focuses solely on attorney and lawyer websites, you can expect the employees who are working on your website to be quite knowledgeable about your expertise.

Hiring an Agency that Focuses on Legal Websites

Digital marketing agencies that focus only on lawyer, attorney, and law firm websites may be best for your legal business. These types of agencies are able to really hone in on one expertise, providing clients with websites that are detailed, accurate, and precise. As we previously mentioned, when it comes to marketing agencies, a lot of them offer their services to any business. This can lead to complications because not all employees will have experience with different professions. If you hire an attorney digital marketing agency, experienced professionals will be working on your website, with writers who are skilled in your profession.

When do I Hire a Digital Marketing Agency?

Chances are you already know it is time to hire an online marketing agency to enhance your website, create quality legal content, increase SEO, and convert clients. Hiring an agency is a debatable topic because of the risks. Not only are you paying for services, but you are also trusting them with an important piece of your legal business. Consider hiring an online marketing agency if:

• You can’t seem to find the time to manage your strategy
• You have run out of ideas when it comes to marketing
• You aren’t seeing results from your current marketing strategies
• You are unhappy with your law firm's website

Steps on How to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency for Your Law Firm

We have created a step-by-step process on how to hire a digital marketing agency for your law firm to ensure you choose one that best fits your needs.

1. Identify Your Interests, Needs, Goals, and Expectations

Prior to looking for a digital marketing agency, it is important you understand exactly what is it that you are looking for. When interviewing an online marketing agency, it is very likely they will ask you what you envision your website to be. Think about the following prior to contacting digital marketing agencies:

Your marketing goals and what you want to accomplish.

Are your goals to run campaigns? Increase SEO? Create a beautiful, user-friendly website? Or All of the above?

How do you envision your website?

Are you interested in a simple or bright look? A specific template? Appointment booking capabilities?

What do you expect from an online marketing agency?

Do you want the agency to run the website themselves or do you expect constant check-ins? Are you only interested in legal-specific digital marketing agencies?

What is your monthly budget?

Depending on your needs, digital marketing agencies may become a pricey investment. This is because websites require professionals that put forth a lot of effort, time, and patience. Prices will vary, but you can expect to pay more for each service that you are interested in.

 Do you want to work with a local agency?

If you are someone that prefers in-person meetings, then it would be best to hire a digital marketing agency that is nearby. Most agencies operate online only so you will need to consider which you prefer. These are all relevant questions to ask yourself prior to meeting with an online marketing agency. This will allow you to decide which agency would be best for your law firm and if the marketing agency is capable of what you are asking of them.

2. Research Digital Marketing Agencies and Read their Reviews 

Now that you know exactly what you are looking for in a digital marketing agency, it is time to start doing your research. Take note of any digital marketing agencies that stand out to you. Ensure they offer what you are interested in. Read their reviews on different review websites. Reviews will tell you a lot about the company and what former clients had to say about the services they received. From there you should be able to narrow down the list and contact the agencies you are interested in. Contacting several agencies allows you to get a better perception of how they work and you can compare and contrast what they have to offer.

3. Schedule a Meeting with Digital Marketing Agencies

Scheduling a meeting with each marketing agency you are interested in allows you to put a face to the name, and essentially allows you to interview them. This way you can get an idea of who they are, what they stand for, and better understand the services they can offer you. Consider the capabilities, commitment, and focus of the agency you are meeting with. Furthermore, you can learn a lot about digital marketing agencies by the way in which they plan, coordinate, and attend the meeting. Keep in mind the meeting does not have to be in person and you can still connect with agencies via zoom, it is a digital marketing agency after all.

4. Ask Questions 

When you meet with a digital marketing agency for your law firm, they will have a lot of questions for you because they are interested in your business; however, it is also important to ask them questions as well. In this regard, you can learn about their services, how they can help you, what they can do for your law firm website, how they operate, etc. Here is a list of questions to consider when meeting with an online marketing agency for your law firm:

• What are the core values of your company?
• How much will it cost for the services that I am interested in?
• Is the fee monthly or yearly?
• Will I have a specific person to contact or is it a team?
• Will my law firm have a specific team working on our website?
• What resources will we have access to and how responsive are they? At what times can we contact them?
• If issues were to occur, what is the process?
• Are the employee's freelancers or in-house professionals?
• How much experience do you have with legal services and law firm websites?
• What digital tools and software do you use?
• How often will we be communicating?
• What can I expect from your agency within the first 60-90 days after signing a contract?
• What marketing roles will be left to my law firm?
• Can you show me examples of websites, content, and campaigns you have created for previous clients?
• How do you measure client success?
• What are the contractual terms and how long is a contract?
• What is the expected ROI?
• Will the content be created by a professional?
• Ask for a proposal that states the agreements of your contract (if you were to choose them)

All of these questions can be asked when meeting with an online marketing agency for your law firm. Additionally, the marketing agency will ask you a lot of questions which means they are interested in what you have to say as well. Make sure to give honest, thorough answers.

5. Consider Contractual Terms

Once you have asked about the prices and agreements of the services, it's important to review the contract before signing and agreeing to anything. Agreements vary depending on the agency, and you don’t want to get stuck with an agency you do not like. For example, some marketing agencies are based on yearly contracts — meaning once you sign the contract you have to pay the agency for one full year regardless of the circumstances. Additionally, some agencies will take complete ownership of your website which means once the contract ends, your entire website could belong to the agency. In these cases, you will either need to buy the website or start from scratch. Alternatively, there are marketing agencies that charge monthly and give you the option to resign whenever you'd like. Some allow you to take ownership of the website, so if you were to leave their agency, you can take your website with you. For these reasons, it's very important to thoroughly read proposals, contracts, and agreements before deciding and signing a contract with a digital marketing agency.

6. Choose a Digital Marketing Agency

Choosing a digital marketing agency for your law firm is tricky. You want to make sure you have the best agency to enhance your lawyer's website. Once you have met with all of the online marketing agencies, it is time to make a final decision. Narrow down the list by asking yourself:

• Which digital marketing agency can provide me with all of the services I am interested in?
• Which digital marketing agency has the most and best reviews?
• Which agency seemed to be the most professional, reliable, and capable?
• Which agency has the most experience with law firm websites?
• Which agency will be able to communicate at my best convenience?

This should help you decide on which online marketing agency would be best for your law firm. There is no rush when it comes to choosing an agency, though some will offer an agreement for a select time only. Choosing the best digital marketing agency for your lawyer or attorney website can be challenging, but it can result in a positive impact on your law firm. Digital marketing agencies should enhance every aspect of your law firm's website, and perform many marketing duties so you don’t have to. They should be attentive to your needs and requests, and maintain and upgrade your website when necessary. Follow the above steps to ensure you choose the best attorney digital marketing agency for your law firm website.