Tracking the Number of New Clients from Your Legal Web Site

By Kevin Mullikin

Due diligence is part of being an attorney. So how can you go about doing your due diligence when it comes to tracking where your new clients are coming from?

This can be a delicate situation. You don’t want to grill your potential new clients when they contact you, but on the other hand, it’s important to know which marketing dollars are paying off. I always make sure my clients and their staff ask the question “Have your visited our Web site?” This question should be asked on the paper intake form and in the face-to-face consultation. Ask this question twice, because, more often than not, new clients will leave the question unanswered when filling out the paper intake form. If possible, show them your Web site while you are meeting with them. This will help jog their memory and give them a means of learning more about you and your practice, and they may tell their friends and family to check out your Web site as well.

Another way to track business from your Web site is by placing a designated phone number on the site. When you get your phone bill, you will know where those callers are getting your number. It is best to have both a designated local number and a toll-free number on your Web site.

All too often, business owners think an e-mail is a lead from a Web site. This is often incorrect; most potential clients will call your firm. People like to talk directly with other people, especially when dealing with personal matters. That’s why it’s important to incorporate tracking methods, other than counting the number of e-mail messages you receive, into your daily intake process.

I recently met with a client who advertises heavily on TV. After reviewing his reports, I noticed that 42 percent of his search engine traffic was from people searching for his name, not to mention the potential clients that got his Web site address from his commercial. They saw the commercial and then went to his Web site for validation and more information. So did the Web site give more value? When these new clients contact the firm, they may say they heard about the firm from TV but they may not have called without a Web site to visit first. That activity needs be tracked.

I have had clients tell me that new clients have told them that they saw them on TV, when in fact, my client never advertised on TV. Or the new clients will say they got their name from the yellow pages, and my client didn’t advertise there either. By asking clients to visit your Web site, and by placing a designated phone number on your Web site, you should be able to track Web site leads more accurately without inconveniencing the client.