Mobile for Lawyers

Mobile Is Bigger for Lawyers

Mobile Advertising, Mobile for Lawyers, Mobile Marketing, Mobile PPC /

MOBILE Mobile Mobile for Lawyers Most law firms have mobile sites by now, but actually some still have NO mobile presence and dont even know it.  Google has been stressing mobile more then ever, and it seems like every article is about making sure your site is mobile friendly. So the more mobile you can get the better. Yet start with at least having your site pass the Google mobile friendly test.  Yet there is a lot more your firm can do with mobile as far as creating a mobile app, doing mobile advertising, doing videos for mobile and optimizing different pages specifically for mobile.   NOW is the time to go ALL IN with Mobile. Mobile for Solo Attorneys and Small Law Firms CONTACT US FOR A FREE MOBILE SITE ESTIMATE Call us today at 630-393-0460 or fill out the form below regarding what kind of MOBILE service you need for your law firm.  

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Test Your Legal Site to see if it’s Mobile Friendly

Google Search Engine, Mobile for Lawyers /

According to Google…….. A page is eligible for the “mobile-friendly” label if it meets the following criteria as detected by Googlebot: Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash Uses text that is readable without zooming Sizes content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped If you want to make sure that your page meets the mobile-friendly criteria: Check your pages with the Mobile-Friendly Test

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Is Your Site Mobile Friendly in the Eyes of Google?

Google Mobile, Google Search Engine, Mobile Advertising, Mobile for Lawyers /

GOOGLE WANTS YOU TO HAVE A MOBILE FRIENDLY SITE, DO IT! Google has been preaching mobile for a long time and they want YOU to make sure your site is mobile friendly.   Looks like they are already making a big change here in the mobile search results. They are putting a big obvious tag as you can see below saying MOBILE FRIENDLY, so most people might just skip a site that doesnt have that mobile friendly tag on it.    SO its REALLY important now to have some kind of mobile friendly site. IS YOUR LAWYER SITE MOBILE FRIENDLY? According to Google…….. A page is eligible for the “mobile-friendly” label if it meets the following criteria as detected by Googlebot: Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash Uses text that is readable without zooming Sizes content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped If you want to make sure that your page meets the mobile-friendly criteria: Check your pages with the Mobile-Friendly Test Many sites today are “responsive” and that means they are mobile friendly and adjust to look good on any device.  YET Most sites are not setup to be responsive, so that means you need to then have another solution to get your site mobile friendly. FROM GOOGLE Blog – 11/18/14 Have you ever tapped on a Google Search result on your mobile phone, only to find yourself looking at a page where the text was too small, the links were tiny, and you had to scroll sideways to see all the content? This usually happens when the website has not been optimized to be viewed on a mobile phone. This can be a frustrating experience for our mobile searchers. Starting today, to make it easier for people to find the information that they’re looking for, we’re adding a “mobile-friendly” label to our mobile search results. This change will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks. A page is eligible for the “mobile-friendly” label if it meets the following criteria as detected by Googlebot: Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash Uses text that is readable without zooming Sizes content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped If you want to make sure that your page meets the mobile-friendly criteria: Check your pages with the Mobile-Friendly Test Read our updated documentation on our Webmasters Mobile Guide on how to create and improve your mobile site See the Mobile usability report in Google Webmaster Tools, which highlights major mobile usability issues across your entire site, not just one page Check our how-to guide for third-party software like WordPress or Joomla, in order to migrate your website hosted on a CMS (Content Management System) to use a mobile-friendly template The tools and documentation above are currently available in English. They will be available in additional languages within the next few weeks. We see these labels as a first step in helping mobile users to have a better mobile web experience. We are also experimenting with using the mobile-friendly criteria as a ranking signal.

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Time to Go Mobile is Now Lawyers!

Google AdWords, Mobile for Lawyers, Mobile Marketing, Mobile PPC /

3 Essential Mobile Ad Extensions to Get More Clicks from Mobile Devices With the recent announcement of Enhanced Campaigns, Google has made mobile advertising much easier for the average advertiser. Previously it was much harder and Google had advised marketers to create separate campaigns targeting different locations and device types in order to ensure ROI on mobile advertising. This quickly became too complicated and time-consuming for most advertisers, especially small law firms and solo lawyers. Now, with Enhanced Campaigns, AdWords users can target mobile users with the same campaigns they use for desktop search. It’s just a matter of checking a box that tells Google you want a given ad to run on mobile. The best way to optimize the ad experience for mobile users is to take advantage of ad extensions – essentially enhancements that will make your ad more compelling and clickable for mobile users. (These are really big deals) Here are the top three new or completely overhauled ad extensions you should use in your mobile campaigns to increase clicks and conversions. 1. Offer Extensions Offer Extensions are a brand new feature, one which wasn’t publicly available until this week! This exciting new extension type allows you to attach a redeemable offer (such as a coupon, rebate, or discount) to your AdWords ad. On a mobile device, it looks like this: When a user clicks on the offer extension link users will be taken to a Google-hosted landing page. From there, they can print out the offer or save it by sending it to the “My Offers” section for later in-store use.  (Now for lawyers you could put a Free Consultation, Free 1/2 hour meeting or some other kind of creative enticement to get them to visit your site) 2. Location Extensions At least 1 in 3 mobile searches have local intent, so if you’re the type of businesses that can benefit from local searches on mobile, you need to take advantage of location extensions. Location extensions allow you to add location data about your business to your ad, like a phone number and address. When combined with click to call extensions, that phone number becomes clickable, so mobile users can call you with one click. The advantages for you, the advertiser, include: A bigger, more noticeable ad: Location information, at a basic level, adds more lines to your ad, so it will stand out more from the competition that isn’t using location extensions.  (This is HUGE) Giving the user what they need now: Mobile users tend to be further down the funnel than desktop searchers. They’re on the go, in your area, and they want something now. Making your physical location or phone number available immediately, without them having to search around on your site for it, increases the chances that they will call you. 3. Click to Call Extensions Click to call extensions make your phone number clickable so a mobile user only has to click the number to make an appointment at your law firm. Again, since mobile users tend to be “hot” leads, in the sense that they are ready to convert immediately, it’s crucial to make the pathways to conversion as smooth as possible, or you could lose those leads to a competitor. According to Google’s Surojit Chatterjee, Group Product Manager of Global Mobile Search Ads, “When an advertiser uses click-to-call ads with call extensions and location extensions, we see an average CTR increase of 6-8%.” Mobile Campaigns Are Easier, More Measurable Enhanced Campaigns are a game changer because they make it much easier for small, local businesses to get ROI from mobile search ads – these are the types of businesses that stand to gain the most from mobile search, but (due to time and budget constraints) were least likely to advertise on mobile under the previous system. Does your law firm have a mobile advertising strategy yet? If not, now is the time! Contact Mobile for Lawyers for more info on creating a mobile version of your lawyer site. *  Professionally Done Mobile Design *  Custom Mobile Logo for site *  Custom Mobile Site Backgrounds *  Setup of Call To Action Buttons (Click to Call, Email & Maps) *  Conversion & Setup of Main Pages to Mobile *  Inclusion of firm images and other professional legal images *  Setup of Firms Blog RSS Feeds, YouTube Videos and other Social Media *  Custom Mobile Domain Setup – M.YourDomainName.com *  Mobile SEO Setup ; Custom Titles & Descriptions setup for mobile pages *  Mobile Web Hosting, Maintenance, Updates & SEO Included in monthly fee

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Benefits of a Mobile Site for Lawyers

Mobile for Lawyers, Mobile Marketing, Mobile PPC /

Benefits of a Mobile Site for a lawyer As an attorney in a high-tech world, increasing the business potential of your practice can be challenging. Game-changing technology is constantly emerging and it really is a matter of embracing the changes and working them to your advantage. It is true that this takes time, money and expertise, but rising to the challenge is the key to business growth. You are also welcome to dig your heels in and refuse- your competitors will be real pleased, for sure. The current online- marketing must-have for any niche is the ‘mobile site’. No matter how fancy, professional or high-ranking your current website is, it will be next to useless to your clients and potential clients who access the internet via their smart phone. Having to pinch and zoom and slide the screen around to read your information, the potential client will become frustrated and give up. It really is as simple as that. What is a Mobile Site? A mobile site is so much easier for your client to navigate. It basically is a version of your current website that is optimized for use on smartphones such as iPhone and other handheld devices. The layout on a mobile site is optimized for: 1. The smaller screen of a handheld device 2. The touchscreen platform of a handheld device A mobile site for your legal practice takes away the need for pinch and zoom navigation. All of the essential tabs are listed neatly, usually in a vertical fashion, providing your client with an instant ‘call to action’ in the form of a Contact Us button. Benefits of a Mobile Site Because of this instant call to action set-up, a mobile site can grow your legal practice like no other technology available. A conventional website can be quite distracting and overload the visitor with information. They may get so busy reading the information on your site that they forget to click the contact button. A mobile site avoids this scenario as it offers all the vital information in a pleasing yet non-distracting fashion. Conversion rates are higher with a mobile site because the Contact Us button is the first thing a client is offered when they access your legal practice’s mobile site. They can then complete the Contact Us form quickly and easily from their handheld device and there you have it; a client has initiated contact with your firm with no hassles as they sit on the train pondering their legal problem. An even more exciting use for a mobile website is the ease with which a client can call your office. When a client accesses your mobile site from their smart phone and clicks through to your Contact Us page, the phone number-integration feature means they literally are just one click away from calling your office. It is therefore an excellent idea to have your phone number on the Contact tab. The client simply clicks on it and their smartphone dials your firm. Too easy! For more information on the benefits that a mobile site can bring to your legal practice’s marketing campaign, visit Mobile For Lawyers for a free mobile site quote.  

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Top 4 Entertainment Apps for Attorneys

Legal Internet Marketing, Mobile Apps, Mobile for Lawyers /

 Top Entertainment Apps for Lawyers As a busy lawyer you are likely using your smartphone or tablet for all work and no play. How boring! There are many fun apps that attorneys are loving right now. From joke books to virtual law firms in your pocket, why not have a bit of fun laugh now and then? We have handpicked these highly rated apps just for the attorney who is looking to lighten up Francis. Lawyer Games #1 – Phoenix Wright This recently ugraded game is totally addictive. Step into fantasy land and become Phoenix Wright, the rookie defense lawyer who is new to the court scene with the wildest cross-examination skills in town. Prove your seemingly guilty client’s innocence, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem through five intriguing cases to reveal dramatic, stunning and even comical court proceedings. Great fun for lawyers and law students too; this is a genuinely comical game with cool graphics and intelligent gameplay. #2- Pocket Law Firm Grow your own virtual law firm by putting your legal wit and sense of logistics to the test. Decide if potential clients have a right, match them with the right lawyer, and win the case. The more clients you serve and the more cases you win, the faster your law firm grows! This is the most popular game ever made by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s iCivics program. Highly rated and totally free, this game has been well-received by attorneys and law students alike.  Its also a fantastic game for the children of lawyers who want to learn more about what mom or dad is doing at the office. #3 – Kaplan MBE Flash Cards OK, so not technically a game but this is a GREAT app and is loads of fun for law students to play around with. Basically, cards pop up, showing a legal term. The definition is revealed, giving law students the chance to test their knowledge. Many law students are raving about it this app, saying that it makes study for the Multistate Exam. Also provides instructional videos to give you some insight into passing your exams. Lots of fun. #4- Lawyer Jokes Ok, so attorneys don’t really like lawyer jokes- and that’s fair enough. You can run, but you can’t hide. Whether you like it or not, attorney jokes are out there and people are using them. How will you fight back if you don’t know what you’re up against? Try these apps with lawyer jokes written by people that think they are soooo clever. We all know who they come running to when they are in trouble!! So download these apps and have the last laugh. Lawyer Jokes HD This app is formatted as a book for iPad and has some pretty cool sound effects. Some old classics as well as some updated jokes thrown in for good measure. 500 Lawyer Jokes For Android platform, this is definitely the nastiest collection of jokes about lawyers we have ever set eyes on. Worth checking out as these lawyer jokes hit lower than ever.  LAWYER MOBILE APPS Need a mobile app for your legal practice? Visit Mobile For Lawyers for assistance with developing a mobile app for your law firm.

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Top 5 Legal Apps for Lawyers

Mobile Apps, Mobile for Lawyers /

With heavy demands on their time, lawyers will be pleased to know that there are several smartphone apps available to help them organize their work. From arranging your legal research neatly to managing the details of your client’s case as well as tracking your own billable hours, we bring you the Top Five Smartphone Apps for Lawyers: #1 – Fastcase If you have a subscription to the desktop edition of Fastcase, then it makes sense to download the free app for iPhone, which has won the prestigious American Association of Law Libraries New Product of the Year Award.  Fastcase for the iPhone/iPad also uses smart search technology from Fastcase’s fully-featured Web-based legal research application, which allows you to sort the most relevant results to the top of the list, customize and re-sort search results, and integrate citation analysis tools right into the results list. #2-  Black’s Law Dictionary There is nothing quite like being able to travel light. Smartphone technology makes life so much easier for lawyers in so many ways. It really can help to cut down on the amount of books lawyers have to carry around with them. Legal research is a large part of legal practice and lugging heavy books everywhere is inconvenient. With Black’s Law Dictionary now available for iPhone, lawyers can now have this invaluable Thomson Reuters reference text in their pocket at all times. View rest of top 5 list at Mobile for Lawyers…

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Legal Mobile Marketing: Push Notifications & QR Codes

Law Firm Marketing, Mobile for Lawyers, Mobile Marketing /

Mobile Marketing focusing on “Push Notifications” and QR Codes Mobile marketing makes staying in touch with your customer base a fun, dynamic experience- so everyone’s happy! With “Push Notifications” and QR Codes, you will have contact with your customers, no matter where they are. And best of all, it is something that they opt-in for. With careful strategy and a tasteful, restrained approach, you will be using your customer base’s smartphone as a medium for your business message. Here is how it goes; Push Notifications In short, a ‘Push Notification’ is a brief message altering the smartphone user as to a commerce-related opportunity. This message will be a prompt to either purchase a new amazing product or to visit a website for the full run-down on some hot-off-the-press news from your company. When your clients download your application- whether from Facebook or the App store or your website, you have the chance to get them to opt-in to receive “Push Notifications”. If they agree to this, you will then have the opportunity to incorporate this wondrous new technology into your marketing campaign. The do’s: Always give your client the chance to opt-in to Push Notifications when they are downloading your app. You can’t just spring your message on them whenever you like. Make the incentive to accepting Push Notifications irresistible. Make a promise such as “you will receive early-bird notifications” For heaven’s sake, deliver on the promise you make. Otherwise your client’s will opt-out before too long… The don’ts When sending Push Notifications, don’t overdo it. Depending on your niche, even once a day is probably too much contact with your client base. Think more along the lines of weekly. Don’t send Push Notifications at the small hours of the morning. Give consideration to time of day when sending out your Push Notifications. Quite frankly there is nothing worse than being woken up with a chime from your smartphone at 1am telling you that you should visit a certain site for a hot coupon. QR Codes You know the future has arrived when you look at these rather unsightly perfectly square bits of gibberish that translate into total customer interaction. Operate on the assumption that all of your customers use smartphones and have the ability to scan your QR code. What? You don’t use QR codes? Your business needs to get one- now. Why? Because QR codes are so hot right now and your competitors definitely make use of them. QR codes evoke curiosity and your customer base WILL want to scan. They can’t help themselves. You can put anything into the QR code- url, phone number, message- anything. They are free or next to free to generate. QR codes bring fun and creativity to your marketing campaign. Put one on your business card for example. It creates interest and makes the recipient want to hang onto your card for longer so that they can check out what your code is about. Don’t be shy about implementing mobile technology options into your legal marketing campaigns.  Push notifications and QR Codes are another part of mobile marketing and can be used to your advantage. Visit Mobile For Lawyers for more information on mobile solutions for attorneys.

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Pay Per Click and Mobile For Lawyers

Google AdWords, Mobile Advertising, Mobile for Lawyers, Pay Per Click Marketing /

PAY PER CLICK MARKETING AND MOBILE I see it all the time, lawyers who are advertising with Google adwords or other pay per click programs and they do NOT HAVE A MOBILE SITE. So unless they go in and change the settings to not include mobile devices, then anyone on a mobile device will then see the ad, and possibly click on it, and then they will be led to a NON MOBILE FRIENDLY Site, which is hard to read and has to be tapped in to navigate. People might leave if it’s hard to navigate your site and are less likely to continue on your site.  SO if your paying for these visitors, then it might be like throwing money away.  Example of Desktop Site on Smartphone                  Non Mobile                                        Mobile Friendly   CHANGE YOUR PPC CAMPAIGN SETTINGS If you do not have a mobile friendly site, then its probably best to change the campaign settings within Google Adwords so that you uncheck the box for mobile devices. This way your ad will NOT be shown to people on smartphones. YET that then means your losing out on all that valuable mobile traffic. SO the better idea is to first off get a mobile site for your law firm, one that is easy to read, navigate and contact you.  Then after you have a mobile site, it makes sense to create a Google adwords campaign that just focuses on mobile devices. Then you would make your landing page your mobile friendly site home page.  So now the visitors that come from these Pay Per Click campaigns will see your mobile friendly site and have a much better experience. LEGAL MOBILE WEB DESIGN So make sure you create a mobile friendly version of your lawyer site and then utilize it in your PPC campaigns.  If your not doing this, your possibly throwing money away and also losing potential clients.   Visit MOBILE FOR LAWYERS For assistance with both legal mobile design and Google Mobile PPC Campaigns.

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Example of Lawyer Site Where Mobile Traffic is Soaring

Google Analytics, Mobile Advertising, Mobile for Lawyers /

MOBILE IS BIG AND GETTING BIGGER Everyone basically now knows how big Mobile is. It makes sense because so many people are on smart phones these days. So it stands to reason that more people would use smart phones to search and visit web sites. The main way to see exactly how many people are visiting your site via mobile devices like Iphones, Androids and blackberry phones, is to view your Google analytics. Google tells you not only how many people are visiting your site via mobile, but exactly which mobile devices they are using. I’ve started to notice over the last 6 months that the mobile share of traffic was growing on most lawyer sites.  Yet it was only like 3-5% of traffic, yet now Im seeing 10, 15 and even 25% of total traffic coming from mobile. That is BIG!  That alone is reason to make sure your lawyer site has a mobile friendly version of it setup.  Otherwise people will visit the desktop version of your site and it will be hard to read and navigate and they probably will leave! OVER 20% OF TRAFFIC COMING FROM MOBILE If you look at the graphic below, this is from Google analytics for a lawyer client and they have had over 5000 visitors to the site in July. 1,159 of them came via a mobile device! Thats over 22% and this number has been growing steadily. IF YOUR SITE IS NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY, PEOPLE WON’T STAY LONG The above graphic shows that people that did come to site on a mobile device didnt stay nearly as long as people on desktop versions.  This is because this lawyer doesnt have his site setup in a mobile format.  We are in the process of setting this up and it makes sense because once its setup, then these 1159 people will then see a easier to read version of site, where they can click to call the lawyer, email him and easily navigate around the mobile friendly version of site. Contact us today for help on setting up a mobile version of your lawyer site.

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