Is Your Law Firm Maximising Digital Marketing? Signs You Need Expert Help 

The importance of digital marketing for law firms in 2025 

In a digital first world, potential clients will almost certainly scope out your law firm via Google search, social media, or reviews before they pick up the phone. If your online presence is weak, people are more likely to pass you over in favour of legal practices who have their digital ducks in a row. Maximising digital marketing is not always easy for law firms. Many legal businesses lack the expertise, time, and resources to manage their digital strategy effectively. If you’re not sure whether your law firm is making the most of your online opportunities, here are a few signs you need expert help. 

5 clear signs your law firm’s digital strategy is failing

There are numerous signs that your digital marketing isn’t working as well as it could be – some of the key indicators are: 

1. Your website is outdated or delivers a poor user experience 

• Old fashioned or cluttered visual design: recent research shows that you only have 55 milliseconds to make a positive first impression and 38% of people will leave your website if they don’t like the way it looks. 
• Slow load times: your web pages should appear within 2-3 seconds at the most if you want customers to stick around. 
• Bad navigation: if the user’s journey isn’t straightforward, intuitive, and engaging, customers will bounce. 
• No optimisation: your website should be optimised to look and work seamlessly on any digital device, from a smartphone to a desktop computer. 
• A lack of clear calls to action: if you don’t make it easy for people to click a big bold button to book a consultation, get in touch etc. they won’t. It’s that simple. 

A website isn’t a static asset. It needs to be maintained and refreshed as consumer trends and technology evolve. If you manage your website yourself, you need to be regularly testing and evaluating to keep everything up to par. The best way to ensure your website is at peak performance is to have a professional digital marketing agency running things for you.  

If you prefer to keep things in-house, it’s still worth asking digital marketing experts to conduct a periodic website audit to catch all the issues you may have missed. 

2. You’re not ranking on search engines 

You need to rethink your SEO strategy if: 

• you’re not showing up in search results for your main practice areas like “divorce solicitors near me” or “best probate law firm in [town]” 
• rival law firms rank above you in local searches 
• your Google Business Profile is non-existent or not optimised 

3. Your paid ads aren’t getting results 

Paid advertising for law firms can reap impressive results, but only if you know how to strategically target your messaging. It might be that your ad copy isn’t effective enough or perhaps your audience segmentation needs honing. Running ads that convert takes skill and a carefully crafted strategy – without that your advertising won’t be getting the returns you expect. 

4. Your competitors are getting all the leads 

If fellow law firms in your areas of practice and location are getting better engagement, plenty of strong reviews and higher search results, it’s a clear sign that you need to improve your digital marketing.  

5. There’s an awkward silence on your social media channels 

Almost everyone who goes online is on at least one social media platform. If your feeds are stagnant because you’re not posting enough or you’re pushing posts out but not getting any traction, you’re obviously missing the mark somewhere. Without a solid social media strategy and engaging content that resonates with your audience, you’re losing valuable opportunities to create leads and build authority. 

Common law firm digital marketing mistakes and how to fix them 

We’ve worked with many legal practices over the years, so we understand the common law firm digital marketing mistakes that can limit success.  

Mistake 1: Not having a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.  

If you’re taking your best guess rather than following a plan, you won’t get the optimum return on investment from your marketing efforts. 

Solution: Conduct a comprehensive digital marketing audit, write a clear content plan, and create an advertising strategy with defined outcomes and measurable targets. 

Mistake 2: Not optimising for local SEO 

Most law firms rely on local clients but don’t adequately optimise their digital marketing for local search. 

Solution: Make sure you have claimed and optimised your Google Business Profile, encourage local clients to leave reviews and include key local search terms in your content and paid ads. 

Mistake 3: Not using client-friendly language 

When you’re a specialist, it can be hard to explain things in more simple terms. Some law firms fall into the trap of using too much legal jargon in their content which can be intimidating and off-putting for clients. 

Solution: Use clear, simple language that explains information in a way that people who don’t have any legal knowledge will understand. 

Mistake 4: Not making data driven marketing decisions 

If you’re not tracking your website performance, social media engagement, paid ad conversion rate and the like, you don’t know what’s working and what isn’t. That means you can’t effectively adjust and improve your digital marketing for enhanced results. 

Solution: Use monitoring tools and analytics to collect all the important data. This will give you the key information you need to adapt your marketing strategy in real time and get the best possible outcomes. 

Why DIY digital marketing can hurt your law firm’s online presence 

DIY digital marketing is something many law firms choose to do. However, just as law is a highly specialist and technical subject, so is digital marketing. If you don’t have a digital marketing expert in-house, you will miss opportunities and not get the best return on investment. The risks of DIY marketing include: 

• Wasting time and resources on the wrong strategies 
• Ineffective ad spend  
• Missing key algorithm changes 
• Inconsistent and ineffective messaging  
• Poor audience targeting 
• Lack of quality leads and low conversion rates 
• Not leveraging powerful analytics to make more informed decisions 
• Poor website optimisation 
• Weak social media presence 

How to choose the right digital marketing agency for your law firm 

There are a few important things to consider when choosing the right digital marketing agency for your law firm.  

1. Do they have experience in working with law firms? 

A digital marketing agency that works with other legal firms gives you an extra advantage as they will have industry specific knowledge and understand your audience. 

2. Do they offer custom digital marketing services? 

Your law firm is unique, and your digital marketing needs to reflect that. It’s always better to work with a marketing agency who support clients on a bespoke basis and don’t take a one-size fits all approach. 

3. Do they specialise in SEO and local search? 

These are key areas for every law firm to get right, so you need to have confidence that the agency you choose has an excellent track record and provable expertise in SEO and local search. 

4. Are they respected, established, and have multiple excellent reviews 

Social proof, whether it’s from fellow law firms or a range of clients, gives you an objective idea of the level of service, expertise, and customer service you can expect. 

5. Are they transparent about their costs and services? 

No-one wants to find a surprise invoice in their inbox. So, find and agency who give you a clear, no-nonsense breakdown of all their services and any add-ons.  

Ready to transform your law firm’s digital marketing strategy with Web Adept? 

At Web Adept, we can safely say we tick all the above boxes and more. Established in 1997, we are highly experienced digital marketing experts who can get you the results you need. From our offices in Pembrokeshire, London, Hereford and Cardiff, we work with legal firms across the UK, including contentious probate specialists Will Claim and leading Pembrokeshire solicitors Price & Kelway.  

Whether you need help with one specific element of your law firm’s digital marketing or more comprehensive support, we’re here to provide tailored solutions. If you want to upskill your in-house team, we can also provide digital training. Or, for those who want to ‘try before you buy’, why not check out our regular free online digital marketing training workshops? 

Schedule a Free Consultation Now 

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