Deep Dives
Our survey covers a wide range of legal marketing and adjacent topics. Here you can learn more about a specific topic—or check them all out!
Choosing a Law Firm
Location, conflicts drive law firm change
Clients consider changing law firms for various reasons, but the gap between thought and action looms large. However, firms should know the factors that trigger thoughts of change as well as those that lead to actual change. Topping the list are cost, lack of efficiency and advice that is not commercial. In terms of prompting actual change, a firm’s inability to assist in specific geographic areas was cited as the #1 reason to switch firms — so if your footprint has expanded, be sure to let your clients know.
What factors are likely to:
trigger thoughts about changing law firms?
prompt you to try a new law firm?
Cost
- 85% 85%
- 35% 35%
Geographic needs not met
- 78% 78%
- 42% 42%
(increase since last survey — this was the #1 single reason for actual change)
Lack of efficiency/technology innovation
- 82% 82%
- 31% 31%
Personality conflicts
- 76% 76%
- 27% 27%
Advice is not commercially well thought out
- 82% 82%
- 29% 29%
DEI does not fit company culture
- 75% 75%
- 31% 31%
Not responsive enough
- 81% 81%
- 37% 37%
Not highly ranked in surveys
- 69% 69%
- 14% 14%
Too many conflicts
- 81% 81%
- 41% 41%
The top-rated ways law firms show they value your client relationship:
- Offering training tailored to your company
- Responsiveness
- Investing time to learn your business
- Flexible pricing
Since geography is a top reason clients try new firms, review the representative matters you use in proposals and online to be sure they showcase your geographic strategy and demonstrate your reach.
Websites
Your website is your first impression…but LinkedIn is gaining
Your website’s role as a screening tool can’t be overstated. Almost 90% of legal services buyers still say they will visit your site before meeting you for the first time. This is particularly true of general counsel and buyers in technology and consumer goods and retail companies. 81% of buyers will also visit your firm’s LinkedIn page, showing its strong influence as the primary social media platform for professionals. Less than 15% of buyers consult directories or visit other social media pages before their first call with a law firm.
How buyers find your site
Searching for:
Firm name
- 63% 63%
Specific lawyer
- 61% 61%
Practice description
- 54% 54%
Location
- 53% 53%
Thought leadership on a particular topic
- 33% 33%
Clicking through from:
Ads
- 21% 21%
Social posts
- 20% 20%
Emails
- 18% 18%
Desktop or mobile?
81% of buyers are most likely to view law firm websites on a desktop or notebook computer.
56% are most likely to view them on cell phones or tablets. As mobile use continues to grow, make sure your site is fully responsive.
The larger the legal department and the longer a person has been buying legal services, the more likely they are to click through from an ad. Raise the incentive by offering value in return for clicks — such as webinar access, practice information, white papers or a free consultation.
Information Hierarchy
Buyers want the basics
Website visitors check out a range of content areas, but service descriptions receive the highest average ratings for importance. Compared with past surveys, the firm’s approach to technology and digital transformation, its philosophy and values, and its industry area descriptions also rose significantly in overall ratings. Dropping down the list were firm history, bios, DEI programs and ESG initiatives.
The four most important areas of information on a law firm website
Other important areas, in order of ratings:
The four most important areas of information on a law firm website
Service area descriptions
Approach to technology and digital transformation
Philosophy and values
Industry areas and descriptions
Other important areas, in order of ratings:
Firm news
Representative matters
Approach to efficiency including project management
Awards and rankings
Publications, webinars, podcasts and resources
Firm history
Pro bono/community service
Biographies
DEI program
ESG initiatives
Service area descriptions
Approach to technology and digital transformation
Philosophy and values
Industry areas and descriptions
Firm news
Representative matters
Approach to efficiency including project management
Awards and rankings
Publications, webinars, podcasts and resources
Firm history
Pro bono/community service
Biographies
DEI program
ESG initiatives
Your philosophy and values are important to both prospective clients and potential new hires — but often these descriptions lack energy, originality and focus. Consider a refresh to help you stand out from the competition.
Biographies
Combine substance and personality in bios
Professional bios are often a flashpoint for dissention in law firms, with strong feelings emerging about everything from the photos used to the tone, voice and content. Buyer input can help inform information architecture and resolve disagreements.
What’s the most important information in a professional bio?
Lower-rated sections
What’s the most important information in a professional bio?
%
Areas of focus
%
Education
%
Industry experience
%
Recent matters
Lower rated sections
Accolades and awards
Government experience
Articles written by the professional
Memberships
Pro bono or charitable community involvement
Languages spoken
Speeches given
%
Areas of focus
%
Education
%
Industry experience
%
Recent matters
Accolades and awards
Government experience
Articles written by the professional
Memberships
Pro bono or charitable community involvement
Languages spoken
Speeches given
Preferred bio length of lawyer bio overview
44%
39%
2%
15%
3–4 paragraphs
More than 4 paragraphs
No preference
Preferred bio length of lawyer bio overview
44%
38%
2%
15%
1–2 paragraphs (rose from 30% in 2022)
3–4 paragraphs
More than 4 paragraphs
No preference
Preferred number of representative matters in a professional bio
78%
9%
13%
7–12
No preference
Preferred number of representative matters in a professional bio
78%
9%
13%
1–6
More than 10
No preference
Getting to know you
96% of responders would appreciate a 30-second video as part of a professional bio. The topic: anything from educational background to recent matters to practice approach, as long as it showcases personality and presentation style.
Are your bios stuck in the past? Too often, the last time a bio is reviewed is when an individual joins the firm or becomes a partner. As a result, there is a misplaced emphasis on achievements from law school 15 years ago, or representative matters that were “handled at a previous firm” — leaving the reader to wonder what the lawyer has accomplished lately. Reviewing and editing or even rewriting partner bios should be part of every brand project.
Service Area Descriptions
Distinctive content, but not too much
Service area descriptions still reign supreme in attractiveness to website visitors. 80% of respondents rated them as one of the most important areas on a website. And the search for these descriptions is the gateway to your site for 54% of buyers. So it’s important to get them right.
Preferred length of service area overview
54%
29%
1%
16%
1–2 paragraphs
3–4 paragraphs
More than 4 paragraphs
No preference
Preferred length of service area overview
54%
29%
16%
1–2 paragraphs
3–4 paragraphs
No preference
Preferred number of representative matters in service area descriptions
76%
6%
18%
1–6
7–12
No preference
Preferred number of representative matters in service area descriptions
76%
6%
18%
1–6
7–12
No preference
Preferred age of representative matters in service descriptions
48%
29%
23%
Within past 3 years
Within past 4–5 years
No preference
Preferred age of representative matters in service descriptions
48%
29%
23%
within past 3 years
within past 4–5 years
No preference
Standing out
Buyers complain that law firm service descriptions often seem interchangeable. So skip the lengthy table-of-contents style copy and focus on what sets you apart. Descriptions of actual matters are the most concrete and memorable ways to show your knowledge.
The way service areas are arrayed on law firm websites often reflects the firm’s internal organization and politics instead of a desire to make things easy for the visitor. Review your practice descriptions to see if your taxonomy needs to be simplified or updated. For the strongest showing, make sure that the lawyers listed for each service area are significantly active in that area.
Proposals
Proposal priorities shift
Proposals continue to be a key business development tool, but the relative importance of different sections has shifted since our last survey. Industry experience saw the most dramatic gains, leaping from 10th to 1st place in overall ratings, while service descriptions rose from 6th to 2nd and firm philosophy and values from 8th to 4th.
The most important areas of a law firm proposal
Other areas, in order of ratings
The most important areas of a law firm proposal
%
Industry experience
%
Approach to the matter
%
Service descriptions
%
Philosophy and values
Other areas, in order of ratings
Approach to tech and digital transformation
Bios of lawyers serving in an advisory role
Approach to efficiency
Bios of lawyers on the core team
Fee approach
Sustainability programs
Bios of paralegals and PM support
Thought leadership
Accolades and awards
Number of lawyers in offices/practices
DEI programs
%
Industry experience
%
Approach to the matter
%
Service descriptions
%
Philosophy and values
Approach to tech and digital transformation
Bios of lawyers serving in an advisory role
Approach to efficiency
Bios of lawyers on the core team
Fee approach
Sustainability programs
Bios of paralegals and PM support
Thought leadership
Accolades and awards
Number of lawyers in offices/practices
DEI programs
Preferred lengths of law firm proposals
48%
25%
11%
3%
13%
10 pages or less
11-15 pages
16-20 pages
More than 20 pages
No preference
Preferred lengths of law firm proposals
25%
11%
3%
14%
11-15 pages
16-20 pages
More than 20 pages
No preference
Preferred length of representative matters
94%
6%
10 or fewer
More than 10
Preferred length of representative matters
94%
6%
10 or fewer
More than 10
Show, don’t tell
Make your proposals visual and scannable to keep buyer interest. Collect and aggregate metrics that can be used quickly to illustrate key capabilities.
Make sure your proposal system is flexible to accommodate evolving preferences. Templated pages mixed with custom content will help you save time and highlight key information.
Good Citizenship
DEI, pro bono drop this year but matter long-term
It’s been widely reported that businesses are cutting back DEI programs as the economy weakens (particularly in the tech sector) and we move further away in time from some high-profile racial justice events. Our survey results are consistent with that trend. Compared with our previous survey, buyers rated DEI lower in importance for websites, proposals and changing firms.
However, we firmly believe that DEI communications remain a vital part of the law firm communications mix. In addition, your DEI commitment is a key message in talent recruitment and retention, and an important message internally. Your firm should show consistent commitment, rather than looking like a fair-weather friend.
How buyers rated the most important information about your DEI program
- Professional background of the person leading the firm’s DEI program
- Personal experiences of diverse lawyers and staff
- Numbers reflecting improvement over time in hiring, retention and promotion of diverse lawyers and staff
- DEI accolades and awards
- Firm policies on DEI
- Firm programs in support of DEI
- Firm’s public leadership in DEI
- Statistics on number of diverse members in leadership roles across the law firm
- How DEI leadership includes associates and professional staff
- List of affinity groups
- Retention rates of diverse lawyers & professional staff
- Statistics on number of top 100 clients led by a person of diversity
- Professional background of the person leading the firm’s DEI program
- Personal experiences of diverse lawyers and staff
- Numbers reflecting improvement over time in hiring, retention and promotion of diverse lawyers and staff
- DEI accolades and awards
- Firm policies on DEI
- Firm programs in support of DEI
- Firm’s public leadership in DEI
- Statistics on number of diverse members in leadership roles across the law firm
- How DEI leadership includes associates and professional staff
- List of affinity groups
- Retention rates of diverse lawyers & professional staff
- Statistics on number of top 100 clients led by a person of diversity
Pro bono and community service programs also dropped in the ratings this year, standing two spots lower in importance in lawyer bios than in the previous survey. However, pro bono, like DEI, is a vital part of talent recruitment and retention and should continue to be featured in your communications.
How buyers rated the most important information about pro bono/community service
- Percentage of lawyers and staff involved
- Testimonials from pro bono clients
- Representative pro bono matter descriptions
- Pro bono accolades and awards
- Firm policies on pro bono
- Billable credit awarded
- Pro bono history
- Hours donated
- Percentage of lawyers and staff involved
- Testimonials from pro bono clients
- Representative pro bono matter descriptions
- Pro bono accolades and awards
- Firm policies on pro bono
- Billable credit awarded
- Pro bono history
- Hours donated
Make sure to keep your DEI numbers updated and compare your progress. Year-over-year trend lines are just as important as overall of-the-moment numbers.
Thought Leadership
New avenues, new opportunities
Traditionally, personal calls have been buyers’ preferred method for staying up to date on legal and business issues. But today, technology gives us other ways to provide immediacy and a personal touch when calling every client isn’t practical. More than 2/3 of our survey respondents rated webinars and social media postings as their preferred methods, followed by a variety of other options.
Other than a phone call, how do you prefer your law firm to keep you apprised of legal/business/industry trends?
- 72%
- 67%
- 63%
- 59%
- 54%
- 50%
- 45%
Webinar
Social media postings
In-depth white papers
Video
Benchmarking surveys
Alerts
Podcasts
Studies and reports can help you stand out
Only 4% of buyers — down from 10% in our previous survey — say they have received a study such as a benchmarking survey or industry trends report from a law firm in the last year that they found helpful. The vast majority (96%) said they have not.
Too often, firms spend time and energy creating outstanding thought leadership pieces, only to have them vanish to the bottom of a list of insights and alerts posted in chronological order on a website. Reclaim an existing asset, such as a trend report or survey of regulations, by breaking it down into small chunks that you can highlight in digital ads or on social media to drive traffic to the full piece on your website.
Advertising
Advertising comes in from the cold
After experiencing a lull in print media, advertising is back in play for law firms — this time online. There are many options for creative online advertising that include the ability to measure results. Legal services buyers in our survey said they would be more likely to click through from an ad if there’s value offered at the other end.
By offering an incentive such as webinar access, practice information, white papers or free consultation, you’ll increase your conversion odds.
The top reasons buyers click on an online law firm ad
- 79%
- 76%
- 70%
- 65%
- 56%
- 54%
Service info
Free consultation
Webinar access
Thought leadership
Podcast access
CLE
Rules for online advertising are continually evolving. Make sure you are keeping up to date with the latest requirements and restrictions on important platforms.