Law Firm Directories, Law Firm Marketing, and AVVO

I am often asked whether law firm directories are an effective way to advertise a law firm's services. The answer of course, depends on the particular directory. For law firm's just starting their internet advertising programs, and which have little visibility on the search engines, a law firm directory could be a good short cut for consumers to find your web site.

However, you always have to compare the cost of spending money to advertising directly on Google using Ad Words, with the cost of advertising in a law firm directory.

Directories of law firms can also look overwhelming to the consumer and the cost of a listing can be expensive. When I advertised in the Findlaw Lawyers Directory and the Nolo DIrectory for my virtual law firm in Maryland, I concluded that I would have a higher ROI, by just advertising in Google directly. Since I offer a low priced legal service, I have to carefully scale my Google Ad Words advertising so it doesn't exceed my budget and target my advertising for "pro se parties in family law and divorce." When I manage our Google Ad Words budget tightly, our data shows that we get a better ROI that when we advertise in either Findlaw or Nolo.com.

The other problem with Lawyer Directories is that the listing is priced by zip code or city, with the assumption that the primary market area is where the law firm's physical office is based. If you are a "virtual law firm", to get the maximum return on your investment, you need to be able to advertise state-wide at a low cost. This option is not available for any Law Firm Directory, except AVVO, which is discussed further below.

The Seattle start-up, AVVO, a newer directory that actually "grades" lawyers is becoming increasingly important as a destination for consumers, as an alternative to Martindale-Hubbell, which sponsors Lawyers.com. .

Avvo, appears to be catching up with Lawyers. com in the number of unique visitors per month, according to the latest comparison data.

The rate of growth for each website. Lawyers.com's traffic is up 43% the last year while Avvo's traffic is up 127%. It is likely that AVVO is going to pass lawyers.com in unique visitors in the coming year.

The basic AVVO listing is free so you can't beat the price. I would recommend that every DirectLaw law firm claim their profile, and then insert profile information to enhance it, and to bring increase your rating. This basic listing is free.

Click here to see my profile on AVVO.

You can display your AVVO listing on your web site as well as your AVVO rating. The Directory is very focused on consumers and small business, so it is the right target market for DirectLaw law firms.

AVVO has given my law firm a 10 rating, the highest, so it makes sense to get the benefit of that by publishing the AVVO badge on my Maryland Family Lawyer web site.

Once you claim your profile from AVVO, you have the option of upgrading to their PRO service, which has other advantages and benefits such as removing other law firm advertising from your profile page, providing analytical results, and adding a tag line to the my profile. The cost is only $49.95 a month which is relatively inexpensive.

Even if you sign up for the free listing, you can generate code on the AVVO web site to be inserted on your home page to display the AVVO badge.

If you send us the code for your AVVO listing, we will publish it to your site, so it appears on your home page just about the footer. (This applies only to law firms where DirectLaw has produced your front-end web site).