Integrity Marketing

IMS Client Spotlight - Law Offices of Freyman & Maltagliati, P.C.

Our Client Spotlight this week is the Law Offices of Freyman & Maltagliati, P.C. located in St. Louis, MO.

When the site was first released, F&M shot and purchased several videos with IMS. Those videos provide excellent resources to their web visitors.

They rank Google Page One for terms like St. Louis, MO Estate Planning Lawyer, St. Louis, MO Estate Wills and St. Louis, MO Medicaid Planning, just to name a few!

We are always excited to work with the team at Freyman & Maltagliati!

www.fm-estateplanning.com

Quote of the Month for Social Media Sharing

This month's quote is: "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." — Margaret Thatcher, 1925

To use this month's inspirational quote, download one of the following graphics and share it to Facebook (along with a simple comment if you desire). You can also share this graphic on other social platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest. It really is that simple to get social.

You may choose from three different color palettes: (follow the link, view the image, right-click and save; then share to your Facebook profile as your own!).

1. Navy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0514Quote_%201Margaret-Thatcher.jpg
2. Gold: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0514Quote_%202Margaret-Thatcher.jpg
3. Burgundy: http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0514Quote_%205Margaret-Thatcher.jpg

If you have a quote you would like to submit for consideration, feel free to pass it along to me, April at estateplanningpartners dot com.

Have a great week!

April

5 Great Things About Responsive Design

You may have noticed that the phrase “responsive design” has become quite popular recently. Designers are raving, marketers are excited … have you hopped on the responsive design bandwagon yet? Unless you know a little about it, it all seems pretty over-hyped.

Here are 5 reasons why responsive design is great:

1. Works seamlessly across all devices. A responsive website does just that, responds to the device it is being viewed on. Unlike a static website that requires mobile viewers to pinch and zoom and scroll every-which-direction to find what they are looking for, responsive websites scale and move elements around for a more user-friendly experience. When you’re out running errands, do you ever forget an address or wish you had a business’ phone number handy? A responsive website will give you that phone number or address on your smartphone quickly and painlessly -- no pinching and zooming required!
2. Up-to-date coding. Responsive websites are coded with some of the most current and up-to-date code and web standards. While this might not sound all that impressive, what it means is that new websites can have some pretty cool new features much more easily. Instead of using a lot of images to design a website (which can really slow down the site), we can now use just a few lines of code to do the same thing. This makes websites faster, smoother, and simpler overall.
3. Favors updated browsers. Because responsive design uses up-to-date coding, it looks and works best on browsers that can support that code. HTML and CSS code are basically a list of instructions for the browser to read before displaying the website you see. We’ve talked before about how browsers can read those instructions a little differently. With responsive design becoming even more widespread, now is a great time to pick a browser that also loves responsive design! (Firefox and Chrome are my favorites!)
4. Easier to manage. Having a responsive site means no more separate mobile sites. A separate mobile site often requires making some hard choices – all the content just cannot be accommodated for one reason or another. But no more! Responsive sites guarantee that, for the most part, all viewers get the same experience when visiting your website, no matter what device they view it from. Having just one site also makes it easier and faster to update the website for all formats and devices.
5. Future-proof. Responsive designs are not designed with a particular device in mind. So as even more mobile devices are created at smaller sizes, bigger sizes, etc., responsive websites will keep on working. While this isn’t to say that we won’t have to revisit and tweak websites to optimize them for more devices, for the most part, responsive design is future-proof.

So, what do you think? Ready to hop on the responsive design bandwagon? If you want to learn more about it or take a look at some of our newest responsive websites, give us a call today!

IMS Client Spotlight - Attorney Mike McCafferty

Our Client Spotlight this week is Mike McCafferty!

This Wichita KS law firm does a great job using all aspects of the Essential Solution to their advantage. They have a robust e-Newsletter list, blog each week, post to their social media and keep communications fresh with the IMS team.

They rank Google Page One for several important search strings, like Wichita KS Estate Planning, Wichita KS Estate Administration, Wichita KS Probate Administration and many more.

Excellent job, Mike (and team)!

www.mccaffertylaw.com

Memorial Day - IMS Offices Closed

Next Monday (May 26) is Memorial Day – our offices will be closed.

Memorial Day is dedicated to service men and women who gave their lives for our freedom and their country. It is also a time to remember loved ones who have passed away. The roots of Memorial Day go back to 1865 and the end of the Civil War.

We encourage you to get involved with your community and support or assist a local group who may be organizing a ceremony or special display. Most important, remember those who have gone before us, strive to keep their memory alive and honor them in whatever way you feel is appropriate.

Have a great weekend!

April Leabo

Why is Social Media So Important for My Firm?

Social media is a must for today’s law firms to reach a larger audience and direct more people to your website.  Just how does this play out to build a greater return on your internet marketing?

We all know that Google rewards high-traffic websites with higher placement in the search results and … more traffic.  But did you know that “referring traffic” plays a huge role in your website’s performance? And this is where social media can be your strongest ally.

When someone types your exact website address (URL) into the search bar, e.g., www.kylekrull.com, Google considers this a “direct search,” and it’s great. But Referring Traffic is even better.  Referring Traffic represents the visitors who saw your firm’s presence elsewhere on the web, and then chose to visit your website. This is where social media becomes so important. 

With most of our Essential Attorneys, social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are among the top drivers of referral traffic (usually right after your blog). Here’s how it works: A person sees something interesting on your Facebook page, and then clicks directly to your website. Chalk one up for Facebook as a referral source. You all know about referral sources, right? But you might not have realized that your website needs referral sources just as much as you do!

It’s all about having the most exposure possible. Social media outlets are all useful tools directing people to your website.  To optimize your social media performance, be sure to use relevant keywords and offer valuable content in your social posts. Google and other search engines use data from social media sites in order to determine where your website will appear in search results – whether on Page One or … oblivion. 

So, don’t neglect your social media presence and put the power of social media to work driving more traffic to your website. With a strategic approach that incorporates relevant keywords and valuable content, social media can be a very powerful way to drive new traffic, generate leads and get a higher rate of return on your marketing investment. 

Domain Series Part 1: The Science of Choosing a Domain Name

Choosing a domain name can be tricky. It’s permanent (or it should be), so you want to pick something that is effective and can last for a while.

1. Use Keywords in your Domain

Since you are running a business and offering services (that people are searching for on the internet), you want to include quality keywords into your domain name. Nothing too difficult, and nothing to specific. Estate Planning, Trust Attorney, Elder Law, Medicaid - are all good terms to use in a domain name. Estate Planning and Elder Law are by far the most popular.

2. Use Cities and States in your Domain

You are usually targeting a specific area when pulling in new clients. Including cities and states in your domain name is a smart choice. States are probably the best option. Domain registrars (like GoDaddy) usually charge top dollar for city specific domains. For instance, ChicagoEstatePlanning.com would go for a ridiculous amount of cash, but IllinoisEstatePlanner.com would probably be a little more affordable.

3. Use a Domain that is Quick & Easy

Since you’ll probably be telling people your domain name often, or people will need to remember it from a business card they had (but lost), you want your domain to be easy to recall. YourMissouriEstatePlan.com is to the point, and somewhat memorable. Don’t get too cute though, some attorneys like to use things like YourMissouriEst8Plan.com, or Your-Missouri-Estate-Plan.com. Numbers and hyphens should be avoided. They are too hard to explain, and easy to forget.

4. When in Doubt, Spell it Out

If your situation or your business is just too complicated and can’t be molded into a designer domain name, the name of the business usually does just fine as well.

We prefer to see domains like www.estateplanningaustintexas.com, or www.idahoestateplanning.com, but “named” domains like www.bellomoassociates.com and www.davidlefton.com do great in search as well. So don’t stress!

Look out for Domain Series Part 2: Multiple Domain Myths Busted to learn about the reasons why and why NOT to purchase multiple domain names.

Stop Competing on Price!

The Law of Unintended Consequences holds that our actions can have unexpected and unintended results. How does this apply to your marketing? There are two discrete, fundamental business strategies that can guide your firm: You gain market share either by positioning yourself on price (cost leadership), or on value (differentiation) … not both.

Only rarely do I see an attorney who intentionally chose to market himself like Walmart, the "the low-price leader." Edit out the word "intentionally," however, and the opposite is true: most law firms unintentionally position themselves to compete on price.

Being able to collect adequate fees for your work is the single most important driver of your firm’s success. Constant price pressure not only undermines your finances, it’s an absolutely miserable burden to carry into work every day. When clients or referral sources push for lower fees, you feel de-valued and worthless.

Nobody wants to live like that.

I hope you’ll join us for our next workshop here in Kansas City, June 23-25th, and learn how to market intentionally, differentiate yourself with value in the marketplace, completely eliminate fee pressure and stop competing on price.

To learn more about our upcoming workshop, call James at 877-352-2021 or email [email protected]. 

IMS Client Spotlight - Attorney John D. Feller

Our Client Spotlight this week is John Feller from Beemer, Nebraska!

We had a wonderful time working with John, Amanda, and Katherine as we designed and built their website and videos. The Feller Law Office team was quick, attentive and easy to work with. We designed a site to match their geographic area and fit the needs of the people who visit there.

The website is currently ranking Google Page One for Beemer, NE Estate Planning Attorney; West Point, NE Estate Planning Attorney; Omaha, NE Medicaid Planning and many more.

Great job, team!

www.fellerlawpc.com

Recipe for Social Media Engagement – Pizza Casserole

This month's recipe for Pizza Casserole is easy to prepare and sure to be a favorite! You can mix and match your favorite toppings and even let the kids help.

Sharing recipes – or images in general –  to your Facebook profile is a great way to get 'Likes!' 'Likes' get your profile seen (by way of the ticker you see on the right side of your Facebook profile). The more social you are the greater your chance to funnel people to your blog posts and firm website, where people can easily learn more about your firm and upcoming events. It's okay to keep it fun and light while maintaining your firm's branding and professionalism. Give it a try by downloading the recipe image and sharing it as your own! You can also share this recipe on other social platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest.

Get the Recipe!

Follow the link, view the image, right-click and save. Now upload and share to your Facebook profile!

• http://blog.estateplanningpartners.com/images/0514Recipe-2PizzaCasserole.jpg
  
  

If you have a recipe you would like to submit for future consideration, feel free to pass it along to me, April, at april(at)estateplanningpartners(dot)com.

Happy sharing!

April