Back in February, I installed a live chat widget on my real estate law blog. Since then I have been contacted through live chat 70 times. (70+ if you count my other law blog). We now present to you the Ultimate Law Firm Live Chat FAQ to answer questions on our overall thoughts on live chat and tips and tricks to more effectively use it within the context of a law practice. Including what you should do before implementing live chat.
70 Leads Proof
What Is Law Firm Live Chat?
A Live Chat app installs a widget on your website that allows visitors to send messages. You or a member of your staff can respond directly Think of it as simply adding another conversion opportunity to your website that can help boost your overall conversion rate.
Can You Give Use A Demonstration?
Ofcourse we can. Feel free to send me a message using the live chat widget on this page to see it in action.
How Did You Get So Many People To Contact You?
When you put out enough bait (content) in your niche you brand yourself as an expert. People (fish) will seek you out through the content that you have created. I put out a lot of bait. Learn more about our strategies by checking out our Online Branding For Lawyer Secrets. Spend your resources on creating compelling content before spending resources on Live Chat apps. Don’t be the guy with the greatest tennis racket that never uses it.
What Was Your Biggest Mistake Using Law Firm Live Chat?
My biggest mistake was not providing visitors with a chat prompt that gives them instructions. If you do not give people instructions they will leave their phone number and expect you to call saying that they want to talk without telling you what the legal issue is. This is bad for a number of reasons: (1) I do not want to talk to people on the phone who have not paid for legal consultations and (2) I cannot screen out cases that are not worth my time. Here is an example of a “bad lead” that I got due to not having instructions.
Bad Live Chat Leads Examples
I was able to fix most of the incoming leads simply by creating prompt instructing users that I do not make unscheduled phone calls and to leave a detailed description of their legal issue.
You don’t have to do what I did, but you absolutely must prompt users to give you the information in the form that you desire it for what works best for your practice.
Nevertheless, there are some leads that no amount of instructions can fix. As you can see, I was really asked whether or not I was a lawyer on my law firm law blog. I can’t make this up.
How Do You Use Live Chat Without Using Virtual Assistants?
It’s probably a best practice to use assistants to answer your live chat. However, I solo my live chat. I know you must be thinking, you should be spending your time lawyering and not in the live chat. You’re absolutely right. In the prompt I created, I also let people know that I am not in the chat, to give me the details and that I will follow up by e-mail. This way I can reply to all the leads via e-mail on my own time.
And that is how you solo your live chat until you’re in position to hire VAs.
What App Are You Using?
Live Chat Powered By ConvertFox
My law blogs and even this very sites live chat is powered by ConvertFox and I am very happy with it. I like that it has both Android and IOS apps so I can get notified on my mobile device when I get a new lead. To learn more about ConvertFox and the tools we use to power our law blogs check out the BrandedLawyer Toolbox.
Do You Get Haters?
Funny you should ask. The double-edged sword of live chat is that it requires less commitment on behalf of the lead to contact you. There is less friction. Meaning many people will reach out to you that otherwise would not have which leads to more conversions. Likewise, people will find it easier to be mean and get a taste of twitter fingers.
Haters Gonna Hate
[Side-Note: Check out the Branded Lawyer Toolbox to see to tool we use to create these images and other apps we use to power Branded Lawyer.]
What Do Good Leads Look Like?
Well, I showed you guys bad leads and a hater, so I should end this on a positive note by showing you what the good lead looks like. This is the money. If this can’t convince you that live chat is worth it, then nothing will. Here are examples of people that are interested in me helping evict bad tenants or helping them purchase homes. Fits perfectly with my niche of getting people in and out of houses.
Good leads examples
What Are Your Overall Thoughts on The Effectiveness of Law Firm Live Chat?
I get good leads and bad leads, but the good leads make it well worth it. It is a conversion opportunity that should be added to any law blog. But not until you have created a sufficient quantity of quality content that brands you as an expert in your practice area. See how we do it. Subscribe to get notified when new articles and secrets on online branding for lawyers are released.
Brian Pendergraft Esq.
Latest posts by Brian Pendergraft Esq. (see all)
- Your E-Book Download - May 27, 2018
- Bonus! - May 26, 2018
- How To Get 100 Leads Per Month For Your Law Firm While Staying At Home - May 26, 2018
No Comments