The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/27607
BEST T PRACTICES Taking Your Firm’s Website Mobile here’s no debating that mobile devices are becoming the primary way for users to get information, communicate and even conduct transactions –– wherever and whenever. Gartner reports that: • 55 percent of mobile device users go online daily • Smartphone users currently spend as much time talking on the phone as they do browsing the Internet • By 2012, 50 percent of traveling workers will leave the laptop at home in favor of a mobile device, and worldwide mobile users will triple to 1.5 billion How does this dramatic increase in mobile users and mobile traffic impact the legal industry? For legal marketers, it has become increasingly important to consider the volume of mobile traffic now hitting their websites. In fact, Hubbard One data has shown that, on average, 2.9 percent of law firm website traffic comes from mobile devices, which is essentially the same amount of mobile traffic to nonlegal websites (2.8 percent). Some legal websites have even been shown to have more than four percent mobile traffic. Professional service audiences are increasingly choosing mobile devices as a preferred channel to navigate the Web, which means that legal marketers need to think about having a mobile-optimized website to ensure a user- friendly online experience for their mobile-savvy customers and prospects. LAYING THE GROUNDWORK Before making the decision to update your firm’s website to accommodate the mobile user, there are a number of factors to consider, including: • Budget – Obviously, budget is a huge factor for law firms when it comes to making a major marketing investment. 16 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer You’ll need to review your online marketing budget for 2011, and take into account design, and implementation, as well as ongoing maintenance for keeping up a mobile- friendly website. • Brand – If you haven’t done so recently, you need to conduct a brand exercise with your marketing team and senior partners to understand your firm’s brand identity. If your message to customers is that you’re innovative, forward-thinking and technology-savvy, you need to think about developing a mobile website that offers a custom- tailored experience for your audience. • Evolution – Devices are changing rapidly, and more mobile devices will certainly be coming. Make sure your team has allocated some of your budget to deal with the evolution of technology and the compatibility issues that will inevitably accompany the introduction of new versions and devices. • Expectations – Realize that your website won’t look perfect on every single device. There are, of course, many versions of devices. Set your firm’s expectations accordingly, and choose an option to “mobilize” your website based on your website statistics and how visitors are accessing the website. IDENTIFYING USER TYPES To make your website most suitable for your prospects and customers, you need to evaluate your website statistics to determine what types of users are coming to your website: what are they looking for and what are they hoping to achieve? We’ve identified three different types of mobile users: • Casual Surfers – These users are coming to your website because they have time to spend, and they’re killing time by surfing the Web. Your goal should be to make your