How to Get Testimonials for Law Firms

For busy attorneys, it takes a little extra time to pursue testimonials for lawyers, but, boy, is it worth it! Testimonials are a powerful way to boost your firm’s credibility and trust factor, which leads to higher website conversions. Unbiased, third-party reviews are convincing and persuasive to other potential clients.  So, let’s take a closer look at how to get testimonials for law firms. Consider these statistics about the importance of testimonials for law firms:

• Regular use of client testimonials can help you generate 62% more revenue from every customer, every visit, according to one study.
• A whopping 92% of people say they read testimonials when considering a purchase.
• 40% of consumers form an opinion by reading just one to three clients’ comments.
• 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business.
• Customer testimonials are the most effective form of content, with an 89% effectiveness rating.
• U.S. consumers say that online testimonials are “very important” (38%) or “extremely important” (19%) in making decisions about purchasing goods and services.
• 88% of consumers say they trust reviews and testimonials just as much as personal recommendations from people they know.

Importance of Testimonials for Law Firms

Marketing has evolved, moving away from “here’s a list of what you get” toward an emotional “let me tell you why I’m so satisfied.” Online marketing has become an open line of communication between you and the potential client. In terms of testimonials, Law firm testimonials are somewhat different than reviews, even though they both involve a client writing something that conveys their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a firm’s services. “Testimonials” are client comments that you proactively ask for and place on your website. “Reviews,” on the other hand, are comments and/or stars clients leave on third-party websites like Google Business Profile, Avvo, Facebook, Yelp, and other independent platforms, as well as on your website. Consider these stats about reviews:

• 5-star ratings boost search click-through rates by 28%. And going from a 3-star to a 5-star rating increased clicks by 25%.
• Search Engine Watch says that online reviews account for 8% of total ranking factors that Google uses on its SERPs pages.
• 72% of consumers will take action only after reading a positive review.

Positive reviews in the form of stars on a SERP page below the name of your law firm are extremely effective.  Those gold stars are critical, especially when they hover around 4.9 or 5.  Even if your law firm has experienced a negative review, there are several tactics you can use to improve the situation.  Read our Gladiator blog here about responding to negative reviews.

“Social Proof” Persuades Potential Clients

“Social proof” relies on psychology and leverages people’s desire to be part of a like-minded group.  Humans are social animals, and they take their cues from each other.  This can affect their purchasing decisions.  According to Nielsen research, paid advertising — TV, print, digital and radio – has a trust gap, with many consumers saying they do not trust advertising.  On the flip side, 70% of surveyed consumers said they somewhat or completely trust consumer opinions posted online. Where onsite testimonials for lawyers are concerned, there’s nothing like an independent, third-party endorsement to tip the scales and convert a website visitor into a lead.  It’s hard to overstate the importance of testimonials for law firms.  Website content — even when it’s well-written and compelling — will always be made more powerful when it is accompanied by comments from an enthusiastic, satisfied client. It’s important to provide your site visitors with differentiators that set your firm apart from competitors.  Testimonials describing your law firm’s culture, client service, or positive results are particularly effective. Law firm testimonials are the low-hanging fruit of on-site differentiators because they’re easy to do and cost you nothing.

Law Firm Testimonials Increase SEO Performance

Testimonials reinforce the trust and credibility of your brand, thereby reinforcing E.A.T. – Expertise. Authority. Trustworthiness.  E.A.T. is insider SEO lingo referring to the power of credibility and trust in boosting your website’s SEO performance and Google ranking.  Law firm testimonials impact SEO by creating a deeper, more emotional appeal for your branding.  It’s important to reach potential clients through their intellect as well as their feelings.

What Are the Elements of Good Testimonials for Lawyers?

For law firms, there are certain elements that make a client testimonial powerful. The more of these that are included, the better:

1. A REALLY happy client
2. Length limited to 2 or 3 sentences
3. Statements that are convincing and believable
4. As many specifics as a client is willing to give, including the outcome, a circumspect reference to the amount of the award (“sizable” or “very large”), the practice area involved and the quality of your client service
5. Their full name, if possible, but even a first name and last initial is good
6. A headshot (remind clients that a selfie with a smartphone is fine)
7. And, if you’re really lucky, a client who is willing to provide a video review.

Testimonials for lawyers can be sprinkled across your firm’s website, with the most outstanding one appearing on your homepage.  Others can appear on your practice area pages.  If you’re fortunate enough to get 5 or 6 client testimonials, you can create a testimonials tab on your site with multiple happy clients that deliver a strong one-two punch.  Here is an excellent example of client video testimonials for Rieders, Travis, Dohrmann, Mowrey, Humphrey & Waters in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Video law firm testimonials are a little bit trickier and more costly because you need to hire a professional videographer, set up lighting and a tripod, and convince clients to get in their cars and drive somewhere for a shoot. But if you have the budget and cooperative clients, video testimonials are fantastic! Otherwise, clients can simply write a 2 to 3 sentence testimonial in an email, attach a selfie headshot, and hit the send button. Or you can create a template or automated system that makes writing a testimonial nearly effortless. It’s that easy to secure a testimonial from a satisfied client.

How to Ask a Client for a Testimonial

Strike while the iron is hot!

The best time to ask clients for a testimonial is when you hand them the award or settlement check and they are relieved and satisfied. Ask them in person if you can and then follow up a few days later with a phone call or email. Give them as many ways as possible to provide a testimonial, including email, text, website form or even by phone with a staff member taking notes. If you need more ideas about asking clients for testimonials, our Gladiator professionals would be glad to help. Encourage clients to write only a few sentences, stressing that a longer paragraph or two is not necessary. A request for a shorter testimonial is good for a couple of reasons. First, you’re more likely to get it if the client thinks it will take only a minute or two to write rather than hours of their time. And, second, website visitors don’t have the patience to read long narrative testimonials – they’ll only read a few sentences before deciding whether or not to make a phone call to your law firm. They are more likely to read several, if not all, of your testimonials if they can do so quickly. Boast, a specialty marketing firm in Lansing, Michigan, lists 9 Examples of Testimonial Request Emails That Work. Testimonials can be requested by email, text, in person, through your website, and via social media.  Here are some additional tips they recommend:

1. Don’t Wait
2. Solve Problems
3. Customize Your Testimonial Request
4. Make It Easy
5. Use Many Different Methods
6. Follow Up
7. Automate
8. Ask the Right Questions
9. Offer Incentives
10. Be Sincere.

Boast also offers 9 downloadable email templates that do the heavy lifting and show you how to create personalized requests for client testimonials.

Boost Your Website Performance with Law Firm Testimonials

There’s nothing more convincing than powerful client testimonials to convert site visitors into leads. In today’s marketplace, customers rely on other customers to get the honest lowdown on which companies and law firms provide the best services. Gone are the days when customers want to be “sold to.” Instead, clients are looking for third-party endorsements and feedback that convince them that they’re making the right choice. Testimonials for lawyers are a low-cost approach to law firm marketing that require only a satisfied client and a little bit of time. Often, a request at an in-person meeting when you hand a client their settlement check will do the trick. You can place online testimonials on your website homepage and practice area pages to reinforce the credibility and trustworthiness of your brand. All law firms have a finite budget for their marketing initiatives, so why not make use of client testimonials – an inexpensive, fast and powerful way to generate leads and build your brand.

Wondering How to Get Testimonials for Law Firms?  Gladiator Law Marketing Can Help.

Our award-winning team at Gladiator Law Marketing has decades of experience creating comprehensive marketing strategies for law firms that are unique to each client.  We spend a lot of time listening before recommending a marketing campaign to a client, and we work closely with attorneys to convey the compelling elements of their law firm’s brand.  We can guide and advise clients on how to get testimonials for law firms, how to boost your website’s SEO performance, and how to beat the competition and boost your bottom line.  For a free consultation about your marketing strategy, contact Gladiator at 888-683-3212.