The Top 5 Lawyer Review Sites Your Firm Needs to Be On

Did you know that over 90% of clients have reported that online reviews influence decision when hiring a lawyer? In addition, about 63% have claimed that they are willing to pay up to 15% more for the same service if they’re assured that they’ll have a better experience. 

Whether you’re a personal injury lawyer or you specialize in corporate law, one thing holds true for all of your clients: They come to you during stressful times. They want to hire an attorney who is capable of getting them out of the problem they’re dealing with. Not only do they need someone they can rely on but also someone they can trust. 

The key to acquiring clients is building trust, and in the digital world, that’s done via reviews. 

We’ve put together this blog post to help you understand the importance of online reviews and give you insight into the most important review sites that every law firm should show up on. 

The Importance of Online Reviews for Lawyers & Law Firms

When hiring a lawyer, people are looking for someone they can depend on. No matter how big or small the legal issue they’re trying to resolve may be, they need someone who is experienced enough to help them get their desired legal outcome.

In many cases, people still depend on word-of-mouth to find a good lawyer. But even if someone gets a personal recommendation for your law firm from a close friend or family member, they will likely still look up your firm online. And if you don’t show up, they might go straight to your competitors. 

In today’s world, people have so many options; there are thousands of other lawyers trying to attract the same set of clients you are. 

Establishing your presence across these review sites is the key to winning business. Here are a few ways reviews can be a game-changer for your business: 

• Reviews build trust. Nothing makes for a great first impression like 100 glowing 5-star reviews. Those positive reviews act as proof that you’re good at what you do. 
• Reviews help you generate leads. More reviews leads to more eyes on your business, and more eyes on your business leads to more clients for your firm. 
• Reviews improve your online presence. The more positive reviews you collect, the better your search visibility will be. 
• Reviews inspire decisions. When your potential clients see numerous positive reviews on your profile(s), they’ll build a positive image of you in their minds and be all the more likely to hire you.

The Top 5 Lawyer Review Sites You Should Be on

So reviews matter a lot, especially in today’s digital world. But with so many review sites out there, how do you know where to focus your efforts? Of course, Google Reviews are always a good place to start. But your review collection efforts shouldn’t end there. Here are five niche review sites every law firm should consider.  

1. Avvo

Avvo is one of the best attorney review sites that not only helps people find lawyers and get advice thanks to its vast resource library. It’s one of the most popular online legal marketplaces comprising profiles, peer endorsements, and reviews for 97% of lawyers based in the U.S. 

Want to find a lawyer by name? All your clients need to do is tap into Avvo’s search feature.

From exploring online lawyer profiles to calling them directly to sending a message, Avvo is an all-in-one online legal marketplace. 

Avvo is a great lawyer review site and a valuable resource for people looking to find a lawyer and/or legal advice. 

Want to grow your practice on Avvo? Sign up today.

2. Lawyers.com

Lawyers.com, another popular lawyer review site, allows its users to find lawyers or law firms by legal issue, lawyer name, practice area, and/or location. It’s one of the most popular lawyer review sites that provides instant access to information and reviews for more than one million attorneys in the U.S.

To narrow down their searches, users can select filters like Client Reviews, Peer Reviews, Free Consultation, and others. Every lawyer’s profile comprises an overview of his/her services, reviews, location, and contact details. A lawyer’s online reviews can be found under the “Reviews” tab.

You can even offer potential clients free consultations through Lawyers.com.

3. Martindale-Hubbell

Martindale-Hubbell is the “gold standard” when it comes to attorney ratings.

First, it’s important to note that unlike Avvo or other review sites, Martindale-Hubbell doesn’t create lawyer profiles for every lawyer they can locate. Instead, lawyers need to submit a request to show up there. Once a lawyer’s profile is created, it will be subject to one of the following three peer review ratings:

• AV Preeminent: The highest rating award that indicates the professional excellence, knowledge, good communication skills, and high ethical standards.
• Distinguished: Widely respected for high professional achievement and ethics by their peers.
• Notable: Recognized by their peers for strong ethical standards. 

Attorneys are not qualified for any of these awards unless their peers confirm that they exhibit high ethical standards. Review sites like Avvo, Lawyers.com, and others take a lawyer’s Martindale-Hubbell rating into consideration as a ranking signal on their websites.

4. LegalMatch

LegalMatch is not just another lawyer review site. It’s a client-attorney matching service focused on helping clients connect with the right LegalMatch lawyers based on the client’s case and the lawyer’s area of practice and location.

LegalMatch dives deep into a client’s case by asking them specific questions to help connect them with the right lawyer. 

After selecting the category and location, LegalMatch will ask you to choose a subcategory, answer issue-specific questions, describe the issue, and add your contact information. Once you’ve submitted your case, LegalMatch lawyers will respond to your request, share their background, state fees, and explain why they’re best qualified to help with your case. 

5. Better Business Bureau (BBB)

BBB, a popular non-profit organization, was founded in 1912 and has a great reputation for accuracy in ratings and reviews. While this platform isn’t specific to the legal industry, it’s definitely a place you want your law firm to show up. 

BBB allows people to narrow down their search using filters like serving my area, distance, categories, BBB rating, state/province, and more. 

BBB also has a thorough evaluation process and grants the “BBB Accredited” badge to deserving businesses. 

Collect More Reviews with Podium

By establishing a solid presence and collecting reviews on the above-mentioned review sites, lawyers and law firms can build trust and acquire more clients. And what’s the key to generating more reviews? Convenience—for both you and your customers. You want it to be easy to send reviews and easy for your clients to leave them. 

With Podium, you can automate review invites, manage reputation across different review sites and make it effortless for your past clients to drop their valuable feedback. 

Want more tips for collecting reviews? Watch our ShopTalk episode.