Since 2008, 2.2 million apps have launched in the Apple App Store and 2.8 million are ready for download on Google Play. There’s an app for everything, so why shouldn’t your law firm jump on the bandwagon?

According to Google developers, the web reaches three times as many mobile users than software applications when they compared the top 1,000 mobile apps to the top 1,000 mobile web properties.

App usage has taught us a lot about the end user, and by combining what we know with technology advancements, businesses don’t have to rely on expensive app development to reach mobile users in an effective and engaging way.

Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)

Progressive web applications combine the reach and familiarity of web properties with the speed and ease-of-use of apps.

Instead of asking a user to download an app, a step that most brands can’t overcome, PWAs are recognized by popular web browsers and deliver a seamless experience that mimics a mobile app.

This includes all the shiny bells and whistles: push notifications, placement on the home screen, and tools that reduce data usage for a speedier, more reliable experience on just about any device.

And here’s the best part: the cost is significantly lower than developing an app.

More on Bells & Whistles

Getting people to download your app shouldn’t be the hard part. The hard part is getting users to engage your brand and purchase your services. PWAs reduce this friction by cutting out the middle man—the app stores.

Web users are often redirected to an app store when they reach a web property on their mobile device. This extra step leads to drop off and user frustration.

PWAs avoid this process by giving the user an app-like experience with no strings attached. Instead, users are prompted to add an optional home screen icon to create a shortcut to the PWA. The icon lives on the user’s home screen and looks exactly like an app icon.

With a progressive web application, users won’t know they’re interacting with a web property. PWAs integrate the latest capabilities of HTML5, the standard used across the web—no special equipment or installs required.

The PWA’s responsive design and compatibilities function across nearly every device, without the need for multiple versions or constantly editing code.

Moreover, when launched from the user’s home screen, the PWA loads instantly, regardless of network connection. This allows the user to engage when and where they want.

Finally, with the addition of push notification, which are credited with enhancing user engagement on apps, web properties can now remind users to check back for updates, promotions, and other relevant news.

Money, Red Tape, & Other Considerations

App development is expensive and limited to users of a particular device. This often means multiple app versions to accommodate iOS and Android operating systems.

Moreover, the bureaucracy of app publishing is slow, involving community guidelines, forms, red tape, and reviews. The review process, specifically, takes place every update or iteration. With PWAs, changes can be made immediately and implemented without delay.

Law firms should think critically about their offerings before spending a lot of money on a branded app. Personal injury, for example, is a need-based service—you won’t find many users eager to download an app that’s only useful in crisis situations. This is contrast to popular apps like Facebook and Amazon, which deliver a want-based service.

That being said, a PWA can enhance your firm’s online experience, even if the user doesn’t add the home screen icon to their phone. With a PWA, the look and functionality of your site can be condensed to fit the expectations of the user, regardless of the device they’re on.

From a legal client’s perspective, this might include quicker access to contact information, service pages, and testimonials.

If you think your law firm needs a branded app to be successful, think again. PWAs can do just about anything an app can do and for much less.

Get more legal marketing news. Follow Network Affiliates on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.

Additional Info On Net Neutrality

What is Net Neutrality?

If you’re short on time, the Wikipedia entry touches both the basic and advanced thoughts on the topic. You can read the whole thing or cherry pick the sections for a quicker experience.

 

How Did This Argument Begin?

Another Wikipedia entry, but this is the court case that started this debate. Long story short, Verizon sued the FCC, claiming the FCC didn’t have the justification to regulate ISPs and telecoms under the FCC Open Internet Order 2010. Verizon won the case but opened their industry up to reclassification and additional regulations.

 

The Current FCC’s Position on Deregulation

Reason.com interviewed current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. In the 30 minute video, Pai explains why he believes the FCC should roll back the Title II regulations.

 

The Argument Against Deregulation

This piece argues against some major talking points used against Title II regulation. The piece also links out to examples of ISPs using secret data caps, throttling traffic, and giving their own services a boost over the competition. They were literally caught doing the things they said they wouldn’t do.

It’s long, but also has abbreviated answers if you’re pressed for time.

 

Major Brands Against Deregulation

Amazon and other tech companies planned a protest in an attempt to save the regulations. Other tech companies involved included Reddit, Kickstarter, Etsy, and Vimeo. Google, Facebook, and Netflix are also supporting the current regulations.

 

The Fight Gets Dirty

The FCC is allowing public comments on their plan on deregulating ISPs. But someone isn’t playing fair.  A bot was found submitting the same anti-net neutrality message using real people’s information.

In retaliation, someone created a service that allows users to find if their name and information has been used by the bot. Then Comcast sent them a C&D.

 

How To Comment On The FCC’s Proposal

This article from Techcrunch.com gives you a step-by-step instructions on how to comment on the FCC’s proposal. There’s also a pre-written message you can use if you’re having difficulty writing your own comment.

 

Tell The FCC What You Think

This is the FCC’s public commenting system. If you want to let the agency know what you think, click the link. To leave a comment, click “+New Filling” or “+Express.”  I’d recommend the Express option since it’s a shorter form. For your comment to be accepted, you have to fill out all fields and all the information you submit will be open to the public.

Video Transcript

We know you’re busy running a business and depending on your responsibilities outside of the office, you might be highly selective about how you spend your free time. Assuming, of course, you actually have free time.

I’m not here to tell you how to spend your down time, but there is one topic we think you should keep an eye on and that’s net neutrality.

Net neutrality has been in the news as of late and here’s why you should be paying attention to it.

Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers should treat data and traffic on their network the same. Meaning you should be able to visit any site without interference from your internet provider.

It’s a simple idea with a complicated past and uncertain future. But it’s an important topic to be aware of since it affects everyone who uses the internet.

In 2015, the FCC classified internet providers as common carriers under title two of the telecommunications act. This lets the FCC enforce net neutrality making sure companies like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T aren’t blocking sites or throttling traffic on their networks.

But this may not last much longer. On May 18th, the FCC voted to proceed with scaling back their title two classification.

While the final vote is months away, if it’s passed, it could dramatically change how you use the internet in your professional and personal life.

Internet providers could throttle traffic to the sites or services that are direct competitors. Take Netflix and Hulu for example. Both services stream on-demand tv shows and original content.

Now Comcast owns approximately 30 percent of Hulu. Without the current rules, Comcast could throttle the data transfer speed between your computer and Netflix’s servers, making Netflix’s videos virtually unwatchable but you wouldn’t have any problems connecting to Hulu. By throttling traffic to Netflix’s servers, Comcast hopes you would ditch Netflix and sign up for a Hulu account, increasing Comcast’s bottom line.

Throttling isn’t the only thing ISPs could do. They could also block your access to any site on the web. Consider this – without these rules, ISPs could create bundled internet packages that mimic cable packages. They could create a multitude of bundled sites and depending on your subscription level, your access to sites and services could be limited to a pre approved list. a basic internet package might include email and some news sites, a social package could just be a few social networks in addition to email and news, and an entertainment package would add YouTube, Hulu, or Amazon Prime (video). And just like your cable subscription, these bundles would be offered at different rates.

And those bundled internet packages may kill your law firm’s website. If the cable companies or ISPs created these internet bundles, they could charge companies a fee for inclusion, meaning if you don’t pay up, then you won’t get any traffic to your site from their network. On top of your marketing budget, you might have to pay Comcast, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, t-mobile, Cox Communications, Time Warner, Centurylink or Charter just so people can get to your site.

Of course, this is all hypothetical. At different times, the ISPs have said they wouldn’t do this. But companies like Comcast, Charter, Time Warner and AT&T are annually on lists of the worst companies in America. And while they haven’t created the internet bundles yet, there are news stories online where ISPs have been caught throttling traffic to specific sites. So my question to you is do you trust them enough to take them at their word?

At the end of the day, without net neutrality rules in place, cable companies and ISPs could pick the winners and losers on the internet. A complete 180 from the level playing field it is today.

To be honest, we do have a biased opinion on net neutrality. We are for the current set of regulations because to us, without them there would be nothing to stop Comcast from creating their own marketing department and throttle traffic to our site, damaging our ability to reach new customers, and in worst case scenario, putting us out of business.

But we want you to make your own decision on net neutrality. We’ve compiled a list of articles and videos explaining net neutrality in more detail. We recommend that you read or watch them so you can be more informed on this topic.

And if you’ve already made up your mind about net neutrality, then you should let the FCC know. Currently, they are taking public comments on their site about the proposed deregulation. we’ve put the direct link below so you can share your thoughts with the FCC.

Ive purposefully skipped a lot of information about net neutrality in this video. Including everything about it would make this video longer than it already is. But if you have questions about net neutrality and how its repeal might affect your business, feel free to reach out.

Thanks for watching.

Transcript

Hey there! I’m Emily Frickey and I’m here to keep you up to date on all things digital marketing. We know you’re busy running a business and practicing law so we’ll make this as short as possible.

Today’s topic is HTTP or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. So what does that mean? Essentially this means a website is secure meaning all communications between your browser and the website are encrypted.

Google made HTTPS part of their ranking algorithm because they are moving toward a more secure web for users. The goal is to give users the information they want as quick as possible. Ensuring that users can browse the web safely has become a top priority for Google.

So it’s time to take notice and take action. While google says they have no intention of increasing the boost HTTPS sites get in rankings, they are ranking secure sites over those still using HTTP. According to a study done by Doctor Peter Myers at Moz, over 50 percent of first page search results are secured sites.

Your site needs to be secure and the sooner the better. We know digital can be technical and overwhelming, but is extremely important to make the switch. All you have to do is contact your web provider or webmaster and ask them to make the change. And as always if you have any questions please reach out to us here at Network Affiliates.

Read about the most reliable platforms for digesting digital marketing data

Digital marketing dashboards come with a lot of buttons and switches these days. Lawyers need to know what to turn on to turn up the integration of data into smart marketing plans.

Most of you have most likely heard of, if not interacted with, Google Analytics, currently the most reputable and widely used platform. This is the free data-mining application that Google gives anyone with a website access to, like you.

But there are other analytic engines. For example, Facebook and other networking platforms can reveal beneficial, complementary information about how your digital marketing efforts are working—and what you can do better in the future. The key is understanding what Internet analytics even mean to your law practice—and, once you get it, how to take advantage of the most useful data sets.

So let’s start at Data Trailhead. It’s a crowded place, this Internet, but everyone enters cyberspace from said sign and leaves a trail of crumbs behind that can teach lawyers a lot about what people do when they visit your website, and maybe why they only stayed for a few seconds. Prospective clients leave footprints on contact forms they only fill out half way before exiting your site and the keywords they type in a search engine to find your website or social profile along their pathway.

Each recorded action says a lot about how users feel about a particular website, what they’re really looking for, and whether or not they’re likely to come back. Not only can this data trail help law firms improve the quality of their websites, but also it can help marketers decipher what drives a potential client’s decision-making process. All of these markings are part of a trail of data that users leave behind for marketing scientists to interpret and leverage for ROI.

Really it’s quite fun to access and analyze free information that can make our legal clients smarter, but you have to look closely and carefully, uncovering each print and the meaning behind each digital tailing. All of the information attorneys need to act on is readily available, but to decode it you’ll need the right analytics tools.

Choosing an analytics platform

There are plenty of analytics tools circulating in cyberspace, and some may be landing on your screen regularly. Each one boasts slightly different features and marginally distinctive purposes. To choose the most appropriate analytics machine, first evaluate business needs and goals to see how your priorities match up with various platforms. For example, one tool may do a particular data extraction really well, but does that platform give you what you need when looking globally at your website performance? Start with these questions:

• What do you want to achieve through analytics?
• What data does your firm deem most meaningful to measure?
• What features do you already know are important to you?
• How many employees will be using the analytics software and how tech-savvy are they?
• How much technical support will you need?
• How much customization do you require in your tool?
• Will you need to import data from other sources?
• What is your budget for an analytics tool?

 

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, that’s OK. An agency like Network Affiliates that specifically handles digital marketing for lawyers can walk you through each one to help you select the best platform for your practice’s particular needs and aspirations. At the bare minimum, most attorney websites can get away with an analytics engine that will collect the following information:

• How many people are visiting your website
• Where those visitors are coming from
• Who those people are and what they’re doing there
• What’s driving traffic to and from your website
• What visitors are searching for within your site
• Which website pages perform best and worst
• Which pages get the most clicks
• Which parts of your web presence need improvement
• What elements your top-performing content contains
• Which online campaigns are driving the most traffic and highest conversion rates

Start with two tools: traffic & social

As we mentioned there are a number of good analytics tools out there, but we’ll cover a couple that may be especially helpful to lawyers. Google Analytics and Facebook Insights are both relatively easy to set up and manage. The first measures website traffic and all those key performance indicators related to people coming to your site. The second strictly tracks social-media metrics which, when used properly in conjunction with website analytics, have the potential to give you an advantage over the competition.

Google Analytics

Designed to integrate into any website, Google Analytics is a free web-based application that tracks and analyzes visitors in real time and measures the ROI of your digital marketing campaigns. It also helps lawyers evaluate online visitors, learning what they like and don’t like, and see new ways to encourage visitors to return more often. To assist people just learning the platform, Analytics Academy offers a helpful selection of video lessons from experts to help you get up and running. The baseline Google Analytics is free, but Analytics Premium comes with a fee.

Key features:

• Google AdWords integration
• Internal traffic filters, so your stats are only affected by your customers
• In-depth geographic data on incoming traffic
• Navigation summary detailing how users move around your website
• Page-by-page breakdown of your bounce rate
• Analysis of keywords used to find your site
• Visitor loyalty tracking
• Easy PDF or email reports for sharing stats with business partners
• Future goal setting assistance
• Completely customizable dashboard

 

Facebook Insights

For obvious reasons, lawyers may choose to forego some social spheres. But most law firms maintain some presence on this leading social platform via a Facebook business page. As soon as you start an account, you will have access to Facebook Insights. This analytics tool can help you grasp what your Facebook “fans” are interested in, measure the engagement on each post, and help you communicate more effectively with your social media network. The best bonus? It’s free.

 

Key features:

• Daily tracking of page-visit numbers
• Evaluates most popular posts and post reach
• Measures “eyeballs” through numbers on likes, shares and comments
• Culls stats on where “likes” come from and what’s driving them
• Sorts posts using different parameters of engagement
• Keeps tabs on negative feedback
• Stats tracked on all posted videos
• Mobile apps available for on-the-go management

 

Analyzing the data

Once you’ve successfully selected, set up and started to see the potential of your analytics platforms, it’s time to really do something with the data. And for that you may need a skilled analytics professional to assist you in making the numbers actionable. It can be overwhelming sorting through the intelligence and deciding what to prioritize focusing on first. Sometimes KPIs from different platforms don’t match up. It’s important to have a digital marketing expert in your corner when things are not clear. Likewise, it’s important to make sure you understand how multiple platforms can work in tandem to help direct a future digital marketing strategy.

The point is to make good use of your new insights and not to let the statistics frustrate you. In the big world of big data, sometimes the best decision you can make is to secure some sage advice.

If you’re looking for a digital marketing agency for lawyers, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to leverage all the freebies that technology has to offer. And we’re here to make it as simple as possible. Call today for a free and confidential digital marketing evaluation. 1-888-461-1016

 

When TV was the primary marketing engine, viewers saw your law firm’s TV ad and called the number.

Today, if prospective clients are even tuned in, they are probably multitasking on a second screen (often a smartphone).

What does this mean for the future of legal advertising? Well, quite the opposite of the consumer trend: You’ve got to pay attention.

A cultural shift tied directly to emerging digital technology, consumer TV viewing behavior is changing—dramatically. People consume massive amounts of information in small snack-sized bites, at the tips of their fingers, all day long. You might know a little something about this. We’d guess your own attorneys engage in these habits before, after or even at work!

The truth is there’s nothing businesses and brands (advertisers) can do to make the first screen the most dominant again. That ship sailed when traditional TV viewership—through cable, satellite connection or antenna—peaked during the 2009-10 season, according to Nielsen.

There is something law firms can do to get ahead in marketing to potential clients who have increasingly competing interests: Pay attention to trends. For law firms advertising on television, a consumer trend toward higher second-screen consumption means two very important things:

TV viewers are more distracted or tempted by mobile devices, tablets and other second screens. They use them regularly to check email, shop online, play games, engage in social networks and surf the Internet.

Smartphones and tablets are pervasive, with 64% of Americans owning a smartphone of some kind. Tablet use is also approaching a majority. It follows that disruptive technology like Internet-enabled devices will inevitably compete in some capacity with television viewership.

Data from Nielsen shows second screens may be doing a more than distracting people. Second screens may be biting into first-screen viewing as more people stream programs on mobile devices rather than watching them on TV. A combination in more quality Internet-based programming, as well as savvy consumers realizing price-per-use may not add up any more on the first screen, may be to blame for this change.

This idea lines up with Nielsen’s finding that among a younger generation—18-to-34-year-olds—TV viewing alone has fallen by 10 percent. Whatever viewers are using their devices for, we know this behavior requires that any advertising on TV—still considered a highly efficient and effective medium—must be more strategic than ever.  If, as an effect of the new consumer “multitasking mindset,” TV is increasingly shifting into the background “lull,” your law firm advertising had better jump off that first screen in a compelling way that will make distracted viewers do what you’ve got to do right now: Pay attention.

Another effect: Viewers can instantly research your law firm online. In just seconds, a person can check the legitimacy of your lawyers and make a snap judgment about your legal team in one quick click to your website. The same viewers might also hit a snag along the way, such as an unfavorable review that happens to show up high on the first page of search results, or a competing firm in the same market that looks too similar to your brand or ranks better than your website or social presence.

If you’re paying attention to this on-demand consumer behavior, it means your brand needs to pay off your law firm’s marketing by looking and sounding consistent on every online platform you engage in, from your website’s blog to your Facebook account. Likewise, it would be smart to start get your ducks in a row in terms of search engine optimization, reputation management and social media if you want to capture those eyeballs up-close, keep them tune in and convert them to paying cases.

In law firm marketing we call this strategy an integrated approach. It’s an overused term that just happens to be right on the money. If viewers are changing how and when they consume information, advertisers must deliver that information with a strategic, consistent presence. If most Americans are doing something on other devices while half-heartedly watching television, wouldn’t it pay to be wherever they might be looking?

Legal advertising is increasingly a balance of presence, precision and provision. To find success with an integrated campaign, attorneys need to be everywhere they can have a brand presence; in the satellite and online spaces we know consumers spend time in most; and in control of experimenting with low-risk tests to fine-tune the art of advertising.

As prospective clients become more distracted and more tempted away from the first screen, yet still powerfully connected to instant decision-making information online, the opportunities to do something original in law firm advertising becomes the ultimate challenge.

If nothing else, you need to task an advertising agency with creating TV spots—and a brand foundation—that  articulates your law firm’s distinguishing characteristics and grabs attention. Today’s advertising must be clever, compelling, and more captivating than ever before.

Need more ideas for connecting your TV commercials with users on a second screen? Network Affiliates has expert media strategists to handle all your advertising needs. Call (888) 461-1016 today!

Get your digital marketing up to date or risk losing new business.

Law firm web development is going mobile. Why? Because more than 50 percent of search traffic now comes from mobile devices, with Google reporting it currently gets more U.S.-based search queries via mobile devices like smartphones than it does from people searching on a PC.

If your legal website isn’t yet optimized for mobile use or updated to make on-the-go browsing easier for potential clients, your case load is probably falling short too.

This cultural shift of consumers preferring mobile search should be driving all facets of digital marketing for lawyers, but let’s start with your website.

Here are three ways Network Affiliates helps improve websites for law firms to make them more mobile-friendly—and better at generating cases.

Update: With Google’s newest algorithm update (which happened 90 days ago!), the search-engine giant now boosts the ranking of mobile-friendly pages on mobile search results. For a consumer that means it’s easier to find and read relevant search results without tapping or zooming. For an attorney that means your website better be optimized for mobile or competitors’ sites that are will quickly start to outrank yours. Check to see how mobile-friendly your current site is by simply typing in your URL right here.

Analyze: Once you start to review Google Analytics on the performance of your site, you’ll quickly grasp how and how many people get to your site and just what they do there. Remember, what’s critical is that potential clients stay on websites for lawyers long enough to gain the right insight to make a call or quickly understand how they can take action. Monitor your unique visitors and you might be amazed at how many people are actually seeing your law firm’s website—and, more importantly, how many of those could convert to cases.

Optimize: The next step is starting to leverage the presence you do have on the Web. If your website is not mobile-friendly enough, start there. If people are not staying on your site very long, consider how you can beef up original content and set your firm apart as a thought leader. If visitors are rarely converting to cases, add a call to action on each page and use tracking numbers to gain metrics on phone calls. Consider adding video to further engage visitors and help people make a more informed decision about choosing your firm.

Consumer behavior, namely searching on phones, is driving SEO. As such, it should also be driving digital marketing strategy for lawyers.

Not sure where you rank these days? Give us a call to find out where you stand 303-817-7313. 

Why tracking your Google Analytics pays off.

By now law firms should know all about Google Analytics. Do You?
But what to do with those statistics on website performance? That’s a whole other story.

If this sounds like your office’s level of knowledge regarding your website, you’re not alone. Many law firms simply haven’t learned—or been taught about—how to read and leverage the numbers spit out by Google each month.

But ignorance is no longer an excuse. Laziness is not an option. These figures—free of charge to you—are really worth understanding, because they can dramatically impact how your website performs in the future, which can lead directly to new business you didn’t even know you were missing.

Remember, what you don’t know, you don’t know!

Likewise, prioritizing a wide-reaching TV campaign over your website is no longer acceptable. Your website should not only be the hub of your Firm—the platform for disseminating the information people need to know most—it should work in tandem with your TV efforts.

The point? You can no longer overlook this critical component of your legal marketing strategy.

Google Analytics 101

So what’s so great about tracking Google Analytics, anyway? Well, the search engine’s auto-generated statistics show both a big-picture view of how well your website is “performing,” as well as micro measurements that can provide helpful insight into how you can shift things to gain better traction on the Web.

Google Analytics gathers vast data on advertising campaign performance; audience characteristics and behavior; cross-device and cross-platform measurement; data capture; mobile applications; conversions; and more. It’s a tool worth getting to know better. Once you’re familiar reading the numbers, which are neatly broken down by category, you can very quickly glean information like:

Visitor type: Learn a user’s geographical location, dominant language, which browser they used, their screen resolution, whether they’re on a mobile device or desktop, etc.

Usage behavior: See how long users stay on your website, what pages they are visiting the most, which page is causing visitors to leave most often, how many pages an average user is viewing, etc.

Origination: How did the user find you—a search engine, popular social network, link from another website or direct type-in? Google Analytics also breaks down each traffic source, so you can focus on specific ones.

Content interaction: Gather knowledge about how users interact with your site’s content. For example, you can see how many users clicked on a specific link.

Timing: Find out what time of the day is the hottest for your website.

Google Analytics numbers are shockingly positive. Take a look: You might be surprised to learn just how many new people—called unique visitors—are actually coming to your law firm’s site.

Remember, anyone interested in doing even a quick background check might navigate to your home page, if even for a minute. Others might dig surprisingly deep on a blog post or attorney’s bio, for example. The details you can uncover are eye opening, and can help you adjust and re-target your marketing efforts.

So the question is no longer whether or not you’ve heard of Google Analytics. It’s how are you using this powerful resource to take marketing to the next level.

Google Analytics simply put, tells you exactly what is going on with your Website!

Anyone in this world that we live in that wants to know anything about you, looks you up online. Do not kid yourself by not engaging in this MUST DO part of today’s world.

Be honest with yourself and take responsibility for tracking all of your advertising. If your current agency is not pushing you to track your internet or the rest of your advertising activity and ROI, you should ask why.

The answer is they do not really know how to increase YOUR business.

Interested in learning more about making the most of this FREE online tool? Network Affiliates’ digital marketing experts can walk you through an introduction to tracking your Google Analytics.

The call is free and confidential. The advice is excellent and will help you capitalize on this opportunity. What are you waiting for? Call now: (888) 461-1016