Your Practice Management System Won’t Win You Clients – Here’s What Will

Over-reliance on your practice management system may be holding you back

A lot of law firms have been sold on the idea that their practice management system is an all-in-one system that can do everything they need. 

Our view is that often practice management systems are nowhere near as good as the leading tools in individual areas, and that when results matter, this could be costing the firm substantially in terms of lost opportunities and revenue. 

Key examples include Customer Relationship Management, Sales and Marketing, Client Intake, and websites. 

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Enhancing Client Engagement with CRM Tools

In the competitive landscape of legal services, maintaining strong client relationships is paramount. One of the most effective ways to enhance client engagement is by leveraging Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools. CRM software like HubSpot (a combined CRM, sales, marketing and website platform) allows law firms to manage interactions with current and potential clients efficiently. By using CRM tools, firms can track client communications, schedule follow-ups, and ensure that no client inquiry goes unanswered.

A well-integrated CRM system can help your law firm personalise client interactions. For example, you can use CRM data to send targeted emails, offer tailored legal advice based on previous interactions, and keep clients informed about relevant legal updates. Implementing a CRM system also aids in centralising client information, making it accessible to all team members and ensuring a seamless client experience.

Streamlining Client Intake Processes with Digital Forms

Gone are the days when clients were willing to fill out lengthy paper forms or wait for business hours to initiate legal processes. Today's clients expect quick, digital, and efficient intake processes. Streamlining client intake not only improves the client experience but also boosts your firm's efficiency. Tools like HubSpot's forms, Cognito Forms and Settify can be integrated into your website to allow clients to submit their information online, anytime.

Digital intake forms can gather essential information upfront, reducing the time spent on initial consultations and enabling lawyers to focus on providing legal advice. Furthermore, these forms can be customised to suit various legal services, from wills and estates to family law cases. Integrating client intake forms with your CRM system ensures that all client data is captured accurately and is readily available for follow-up actions.

We've written a separate post on digital intake processes, which you can see here: Boost Client Satisfaction with Efficient Digital Intake Solutions

Optimising Your Website 

A high-performing website is crucial for attracting potential clients and converting them into loyal customers.

One of the key strategies to achieve this is by optimising your website content for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO involves using specific keywords, like "New Zealand wills and enduring powers of attorney" to improve your website's visibility on search engines.

Start by conducting keyword research to identify terms that potential clients are likely to use when searching for legal services. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your website content, including blog posts, service pages, and meta descriptions. Additionally, ensure that your website is mobile-friendly, has fast loading times, and provides a user-friendly experience. By optimising your website for SEO, you can increase organic traffic and improve your chances of attracting potential clients.

It's not enough to get prospective clients to your website.  When they get there, they have to recognise what you do, who you help, and how you could help them.  We've recently gone through a process of updating our website, and we wanted to make it really clear that our ideal customers are in-house legal teams, smaller law firms, and contract managers.  Once we narrowed that down, it was easier for us to then create sections on the website about what we do and how we help in each of those areas. 

Link it all together

Each of the above should not exist in isolation. 

When your ideal customers reach your website, and see all the ways you could help them, ideally you will have some forms on the website which they can complete to download useful resources (such as we have here, including several example Cognito Intake Forms) or just get in contact, as here. 

The details from those forms should go into your CRM so you now have some information on people who are interested in what you do, and that you may be able to help.  When the timing is right, you can reach out and start a deeper conversation informed by what you each already know. 

Because we wanted this integrated approach, when we re-built our website we chose to work with Concentrate Marketing who are experts in HubSpot.  Because our whole website & CRM is now built on HubSpot, we can be confident that we have a best-in-class platform where everything syncs together. 

Conclusion

A high-performing website is essential for law firms looking to attract and convert potential clients.

By leveraging CRM tools, streamlining client intake processes and optimising your website, your firm can significantly enhance its online presence and operational efficiency.

These strategies will not only improve client satisfaction but also drive business growth, ensuring that your law firm remains competitive in today's digital age.

While there is a lot of value in a good practice management system, relying on it in these key areas could be costing you a lot more than you think. 

If you'd like to know more about how we upgraded the LawHawk website and how you could approach something similar, get in touch - we're always happy to share our ideas and experiences.