Your Online Presence is Costing You Clients—Fix It Now
Three years ago, Sarah, a well-respected business lawyer, couldn’t understand why her referrals weren’t turning into clients. Her network of accountants, with whom she had built long-standing relationships, told her they were sending people her way, but only about one in four was contacting her. What was happening to the others?
The answer emerged when she finally asked one of the accountants why the prospect had chosen another lawyer. “I looked you up online,” they explained, “and I could see that they wouldn’t get a clear sense of your experience.”
While word-of-mouth referrals remain the lifeblood of smaller practices, a troubling percentage of these valuable connections never materialise into conversations, all because a firm’s digital presence does not align with its actual expertise and experience.
The Evolution of the Referral Process
Today’s referral process includes a critical step that many lawyers overlook. Between receiving a recommendation and making contact, 90% of referred prospects will research you online. This “digital validation” phase has become an automatic reflex for clients seeking professional services.
Even the warmest referral can evaporate during this research phase. A colleague might enthusiastically recommend you, but if your online presence creates confusion, lacks credibility markers, or fails to confirm your experience in solving the prospect’s problem in a context they resonate with, they are likely to continue their search elsewhere.
Many firm owners mistakenly believe a referral’s strength alone will drive contact. In reality, referred prospects are increasingly selective, conducting the same digital due diligence they would for any professional service, despite having a personal recommendation.
Three Critical Digital Disconnects Costing You Conversations
The most damaging issues preventing referrals from making contact are not technical complexities or design flaws – there are strategic content gaps that create unnecessary barriers:
1. The Experience Translation Gap
You have deep expertise in your practice areas, but your website speaks in general terms or fails to demonstrate this knowledge in ways prospective clients recognise. Your experience with similar matters remains invisible to referred prospects, who seek confirmation that you have handled cases like theirs before.
2. Missing Trust Signals
Referred prospects search for specific evidence that validates the recommendation they have received. Without elements like client testimonials focused on relevant outcomes, matter descriptions that resonate with their situation, or content that demonstrates thought leadership on their specific issue, they lack the confidence to reach out.
3. The Conversation Starter Problem
Most law firm websites create friction rather than facilitating initial conversations. Referred prospects often need a low-commitment way to start a dialogue. However, given their stage in the decision process, they frequently face all-or-nothing contact options that feel premature.
Your First Step to Fixing Referral Leakage
Begin by reviewing your website through the eyes of a specific referral type. Choose one category of matter you commonly oversee, then examine your digital presence, asking: “If someone was referred to me specifically for this issue, would they find clear, compelling evidence that I’m the obvious choice?”
Note the gaps between what a referred prospect would need to see and what’s presented. This simple review often reveals immediate opportunities to better align your online presence with your real-world expertise.
Of course, this is just the starting point. Systematically addressing all the digital disconnects that cause referral leakage requires a comprehensive approach.
The Next Step: Attend This Webinar
Law firm marketers Pillar & Scroll will host an upcoming webinar titled How to Stop Losing Good Referrals: Fixing the Digital Disconnects That Cost Lawyers Clients.
The session will be led by Paul Evans, CEO of Pillar & Scroll, who will guide attendees through a comprehensive framework for converting more referrals into client conversations.
Date: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Time: 11:00 am AEST (45 minutes plus a 15-minute Q&A session.)
This is a free CPD-accredited webinar
