Jonathan Willett, Attorney at Law - Denver, Colorado

Jonathan Willett, Attorney at Law, has represented clients in more than 60 trials and more than 125 appeals. He has been admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Colorado, and in New York state courts, and before the United States Supreme Court. He brings this extensive courtroom experience to work for every client, analyzing the situation and developing a creative, aggressive strategy.
Whether you are facing criminal charges, struggling with a personal injury or ending a marriage, a dedicated Colorado attorney can help you accomplish your goals. Attorney Willett provides the personal attention and zealous representation you need.

Christopher T. Braddock - Denver, Colorado

Congratulations to Christopher T. Braddock on the release of his newly upgraded & designed custom website.

Since 1994, Attorney Braddock has dedicated his entire career to protecting criminal defense clients in the greater Denver area. From DUI and DMV concerns to sexual assault and violent crimes, he has helped people assert their rights and protect their freedom during encounters with the criminal justice system. It is always his goal to minimize the negative consequences, whether that means gaining a dismissal, negotiating for reduced charges, or fighting for an acquittal.
The state has a lot of power for enforcing criminal statutes. You want to have an experienced lawyer who knows how to fight against that power. Every person has rights, and you want someone on your side to help you protect them.

Gifford Stevens - Denver, Colorado

A collective thirty-plus years of experience among our attorneys tells one part of the story for our Denver, Colorado, law firm. Our track record includes founding partner Jennifer J. Gifford's distinguished work in employment and insurance law, and John H. Stevens' deep background in commercial litigation including construction defect cases, subrogation, contract disputes and more. Our partners and associates share a mission centered on providing innovative, client-focused solutions and legal services of the highest quality.
Adept, Versatile Negotiators and Proven Trial Lawyers
From providing extensive policy guidance for numerous businesses to filing mechanics' liens for our clients in construction, from litigating major injury and other casualty claims to handling trucking and other transportation-related matters, we know Colorado law and Colorado business. We emphasize diligent case assessment, financially sound solutions and balanced guidance, with negotiating strength backed by extensive courtroom experience.

Leah Bishop Law Firm - Fort Collins, Colorado

Congratulations to the Law Office of Leah Bishop on her newly released custom designed website.

Leah Bishop is a veteran trial attorney. Prior to forming her own practice, Leah was a Deputy District Attorney for nine years. As a Deputy District Attorney, Leah had the opportunity to litigate numerous cases. As a result, Leah gained an excellent reputation as an exceptional trial lawyer and formidable opponent in the courtroom.
In the criminal realm, Leah has handled thousands of felony cases, including many very serious and high-profile cases. In her years as a Deputy District Attorney, Leah tried many cases to a jury ranging from felonies, including, First Degree Murder, Kidnapping, Sexual Assault, Drug Distribution, to misdemeanors and traffics offenses, including, Third Degree Assault, Theft, and Driving Under the Influence, just to name a few. She was a Deputy District Attorney assigned to the Larimer County Drug Task Force where she learned the intricacies of drug crime cases and case building.
Leah has also taught at the national level as a faculty member of the prestigious National Advocacy Center or the NAC. The NAC was established by President Bill Clinton as a vehicle to train government attorneys to be premier courtroom attorneys. Leah also served the state of Colorado as the sole district attorney representative appointed to the Colorado Sex Offender Management Board which is responsible for the oversight of all treatment that sex offenders receive. In addition, she was involved in high level drug investigations and reviewed the grounds for issuing warrants and wiretaps.
Leah's skills as a courtroom attorney also serve people in the areas of real estate and family law. Leah has represented multiple clients in adoption and termination of parental rights legal proceedings. Leah also has a background in real estate. She understands what is at stake in your real estate ventures.
Leah believes that all people must be zealously and passionately represented, regardless of the legal issues facing them. She is fearless in the courtroom. She will use her skills both in and out of court to represent you effectively and compassionately.

Successful Colorado Springs Law Firm Manitou Development

The Law Firm of Moran & Heim has achieved a very high level of success and has recently developed a high-end housing community in Manitou Springs, Colorado. These single family homes and townhomes have the highest end finishes one can get. These homes have won a number of historic preservation awards and is now ready for sale. Check out the website at www.444winterstreet.info.
This completely renovated Victorian home retained its covered porch, clawfoot tub, wine cellar, and greenstone fireplace, but added modern touches like gorgeous wood floors, air conditioning, granite countertops, maple cabinets, stainless appliances, and a master suite marble fireplace. Located at the base of Pikes Peak next to tons of trails, this home is sunny and has amazing mountain views. Four off-street parking spaces, too!

Universal Search - What Is It?

There is a lot of confusion out there as to what makes one website perform very well and another, that looks very similar perform very poorly. I am often asked why this happens. They tell me they spent a lot of money on their site but get no results. The answer is because it's not just how much content your site has or how nice it looks. Google uses a Ranking process called Universal Search. Universal Search is a feature that blends results of different type like web pages, images, video, books, social networking, blogs, etc.

It's not enough to simply have a well-designed website anymore. With search engines like Google looking for as many different "components" as possible a website not only needs on-site optimization (content, anchor text, title tags, keywords, video, etc) but off-site optimization (blogs, video, social networking, inbound links, etc) as well.

If what your are looking for is a dominant position on the search engines you need to incorporate all these different components into your overall web presence. If you are able to do so then you will have an excellent presence online.

Video on Google Local

You are now able to upload your video to Google Local. Why does this matter? Because you are providing the Internet with that much more to give to those looking for your legal services a chance to find you online. Anything you can do to get a leg up on the competition should be done. Another major advantage at this time is the fact that not very many attorneys have video loaded onto their Google Local accounts. Be ahead of the curve. If you are looking for help please don't hesitate to call me and I will help you accomplish this. You can reach me direclty at 303-947-1737. Attached is an example of video loaded onto Google Local which you can see live here.

Why Content on Websites is So Important

Content is very important to the success of your website because the Internet is such a word driven medium. The Internet is a way to exchange ideas and provide useful information to those seeking answers. Thus the search engines look very favorably upon websites that are rich in content. The more relevant (to the actual search phrase used) the content is and the more of it that there is the greater likelihood your website will perform well (rank high in the search engines).

The most successful websites are multi-dimensional. They add real content to their websites. Here are eight benefits of adding topically related content to your website:

1. Increasing Content On Your Site - By increasing the content to your site, you are adding more pages that the search engine spiders can index. Increasing the content pages increases the listings you potentially have in search engines. This increases the chances of getting more qualified traffic.

2. It makes your site more search engine friendly- Google and other major search engines take into account the amount of content and its quality. The more informational content you have pitching your product, the higher the search engine ranking. This is because search engines understand that research and information take priority over shopping for most people.

3. Fresh, new content increases traffic - If your information provides fresh, new content and is updated frequently, the search engines pay more attention to the site. This enhances the ranking of the website and drives more traffic.

4. Adding new information brings return traffic - Purely sales oriented content typically does not stimulate return traffic. When you add new and useful content to your site, typically visitors tend to value your site more and return often.

5. Adding useful information makes your site more credible - Sites that offer new information that is accurate and useful are more credible than just pure sales websites. You become established, authoritative and credible. This in turn increases your conversion rate because your customers have fewer doubts when making a purchase.

6. Conversion - The more a potential client client can relate to the information contained within your website the greater chance their is that they will convert into an individual that actually calls you.

7. Good, quality content allows you to differentiate yourself from all the other attorneys out there.

8. Inbound Links - If you are able to produce a website with great content, relevant content and a lot of it, then you are setting your website up to be one that is linked into by other sites that want to promote websites that they feel are the best online.

9. The more relevant content on your site the greater the chance that a potential client will find information related to their particular issue.

Benefits of Blogs for Attorneys

I have working with my attorneys lately to get them set up with their own blog because I see a quality blog as a huge benefit to any law practice. Here are my top ten reasons why I believe a lawyer should have their own blog:

1. Helps with Universal Search. Anything you can do to make it easier for search engines to find you online you should do.
2. Helps establish and build your reputation in your niche area. Potential clients get to know you a bit better and decide if you are the type of lawyer they want to work with.
3. Very inexpensive way to get information online (usually free)
4. Attorneys can blog about cases they have worked on which is most likely going to be similar to an issue a potential client has. If that potential client believes you have the experience with a similar case, you will probably get a phone call.
5. Promote your website on your blog
6. Appear more authoritative
7. Reputation Management - You cannot control what other write about you but you CAN control what you write about yourself. The more information you provide online the greater the chance that positive information about you shows up.
8. Differentiate yourself from all the other attorneys practicing law
9. Blogging can make you a better attorney. Why? Because you are now writing about your cases and the outcomes and forcing yourself to review these cases on a more regular basis and coming up with ways to improve the next time you are presented with a similar case.
10. Fresh content on a regular basis. YOu are offering the search engines new information all the time with your blog and that information is easy to crawl by the spiders.

Regular blog content is very important to the success of any blog. This content needs to be informative, accurate, and written in a way that will appeal to your visitors.
With each blog posting, make sure you provide a link into one of your website's pages.

If you have questions about blogging or would like me to helpset one up for you please Jon Reiter at directly at 303-947-1737

Kathy Higby - Family Law Attorney

Congratulations to The Law Firm of Kathy Higby in Littleton, Colorado. She has been a client for many years and has recently done a refresh of her site.

Moran & Heim MDA Fund Raising Drive

Geoff Heim of Moran & Heim Criminal Defense Firm located in Colorado Spring, Colorado has a goal to raise $2,000 for MDA/Jerry's Kids. He is almost there and just needs a little more to reach his goal. Anything you can donate is appreciated. Click here to donate

Internet Advertising vs. TV Advertising

With so many ways to advertise these days, Internet, yellow pages, T.V., newspaper, etc it gets difficult to determine what medium is most effective. I believe there is a consensus amongst most attorneys these days that yellow page advertising is going the way of the dinosaur. But what about advertising on the television? Surely, there are far more people watching TV today vs yesterday.

As more television content is shown online, television executives/networks and advertisers are starting to get a better idea of which works better - Internet or TV advertising.

Companies marketing their products and services are distributing as much as 20% of their ad budget to online marketing. With this kind of money being distributed across different channels those spending the money of course want to know how effective Internet advertising is compared to TV advertising.

Lets face it, watching a television ad is not something anyone wants to do. I fact, with the advent of products like TIVO, commercials are becoming a thing of the past. My little boy has never even seen a television ad, which is exactly how I like it. I don't have to be the bad guy and say no you cannot have that toy. Most of the shows I watch now are recorded on my DVR (digital video recorder) and I watch them later so that I Can specifically fast forward through ALL of the commercials.

Now, I realize that not everyone does this but more and more households have a DVR, in fact, as of August 21, 2007, 1 in every 5 households has a DVR which is up from 1 in every 13 households in 2005 according to the Leichtman Research Group. Now that we are in 2009, the numbers are even higher, in fact, as of March 2009, 30.6 percent of households in Nielsen’s National People Meter Panel have a DVR, up significantly from just 12.3 percent in January 2007 with some areas of the country as high as 37%.

Another critical factor with television advertising is the fact that it is very hard to target a specific market. Oh sure, advertisers can place ads at specific times of the day to try and target a certain demographic but that is more of a shotgun effect.

With the Internet, search engines are finding that by learning each user's "personality" they can actually bring up websites and other forms of advertising by what they believe the user will be interested in. This is done by past user online behaviour.

Marketing research companies like IAG Research and ARSgroup have developed different methods to gauge how effective ads are in TV and the Internet.

IAG uses incentive-based Internet polls to see what TV ads viewers remembered, and they place “cookies” on hard drives so they know when panelists are exposed to an online ad. ARSgroup tests how engaging ads are in TV, Internet and movie theaters.

To be clear, these kinds of online measuring tools are still in the very early stages but are getting more mature every day.

NBC conducted it's own online survey of its NBC Rewind viewers and found that its Internet ads elicit higher brand recall than those on TV.

What does all this mean? It means that as an attorney, you should certainly explore many different advertising venues but to ignore the Internet because you are not as familiar with it can be a very costly mistake.

Just a last thought, people love to watch TV, I do. It's just the commercials we don't love. Video's on websites are almost the opposite of TV commercials. Why, because if a potential client is on your website, they WANT to hear what you have to say. They sought you out specifically to get answers and the more senses your site can appeal to the more likely they are to call you.

Lyons Gaddis Kahn & Hall, P.C. New Website

Congratulations to Lyons Gaddis Kahn & Hall, P.C. on the release of their new website. Their firm concentrates on providing efficient and precise responses to your legal problems and their lawyers are experienced, successful and knowledgeable. They have earned a reputation for excellence by providing innovative, cost effective, and timely legal services to businesses, governments, and individuals throughout Colorado. Because they practice in rapidly-changing areas, many of their attorneys focus on specific areas of the law in order to stay abreast of significant changes and trends. Through specialization, They are able to fully utilize the experience and talents of their attorneys and staff to serve the needs of their clients and the community.
Their team-oriented approach means that the attorneys in the Longmont, Colorado office serve as legal resources for one another, allowing them to provide practical solutions to legal problems by applying the right combination of creativity, innovation, and commitment.

Brian Boney - Family, Criminal & Estate Planning Attorney

Brian Boney is an attorney I have been working with for many years and he believes in giving back to the public. Brian has been doing Lawline 9 for Channel 9 for about three years now. He tries to make sure to be at all Family law nights, but he also participates in some of the general nights

An Interesting Note: Brian tries to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve in a foreign city each year. It allows him to see how a different culture and society celebrates these holidays. A small example is that in Italy, Santa climbs into your house up a rope ladder, not through the chimney. Fortunately, today's technology allows him to take his office on the road so he can handle emergenices if necessary.

David Foley - Criminal Law Attorney Colorado Springs

As a Deputy District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District, David Foley prosecuted hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases. As a criminal defense lawyer, he applies those insights to the aggressive and dedicated representation of clients accused of criminal offenses. In all, Dave Foley brings 10 years of focused experience in state and federal criminal courts of El Paso County, Teller County and across Colorado. He handles all criminal charges, from traffic violations to the most serious felonies.

If you have been arrested or accused of a crime in Colorado, you are probably frightened, confused, and concerned about your future and that of your family. At the Law Firm of David W. Foley, we take our responsibility as criminal defense attorneys seriously, and are available to help clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We represent individuals along the Eastern Slope and Front Range, including Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, and Pueblo. Our firm handles felony and misdemeanor cases throughout Colorado state and federal courts in the areas of:

Assault and Battery
Bail and Bond Proceedings
Constitutional Law / Criminal Procedure
Domestic Violence
Drug and Narcotic Offenses
DUI-DWAI Offenses
Juvenile Offenses / Delinquency
Probation / Parole
Sex Offenses
Theft, Grand Larceny, and Burglary
Traffic Violations
Violent Offenses
White Collar Crimes

In addition to our criminal defense practice, we also handle legal disputes involving:

Family Law / Divorce
Personal Injury / Wrongful Death
Motor Vehicle Accidents

Before opening the doors of his own law firm, founder David W. Foley honed his criminal law and litigation skills as a Deputy District Attorney in the Fourth Judicial District. As a Deputy District Attorney, Mr. Foley prosecuted misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses and handled a wide variety of criminal procedure issues. As a former prosecutor, Mr. Foley appreciates the importance of defending the rights of the accused, and uses all available means to ensure that his clients receive high caliber representation and access to justice. His clients come from all walks of life and need a law firm with an experienced, creative criminal defense lawyer who gets the right results. Mr. Foley has earned an outstanding reputation in the Colorado Springs legal community and is known for his efforts to repair an often-unjust criminal justice system. His reputation comes by way of hard work, belief in his clients, and an intimate knowledge of Colorado criminal law and procedure. Prosecutors know Mr. Foley to be an attorney with the ability and experience to defend the toughest criminal case. They know he is a former prosecutor who knows the Colorado criminal justice system inside and out. Do not kid yourself: prosecutors are well aware of defense attorneys that are either afraid or unwilling to try cases. A prosecutor with this knowledge has no incentive to negotiate or present a defendant with a reasonable offer to resolve a case. Prosecutors who know Mr. Foley know that there is a fair chance that his cases may end up in trial. His clients are treated accordingly.

In addition to his criminal law practice, Mr. Foley also applies his litigation skills to family law, divorce, child custody, child support, personal injury, wrongful death, and motor vehicle accidents.

Who's Online?

Today's topic is who exactly is using the Internet? This is broken down by:

1. 1. Total Adults
2. 2. Age
3. 3. Race/Ethnicity
4. 4. Geography
5. 5. Household Income
6. 6. Educational Attainment

As you can (click on the picture to see better) the largest percentage of ALL groups are using the Internet these days to find information of all kinds. Can you really afford to not have the best possible presence online today?

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, November 19-December 20 2008 Tracking Survey

Tiny URL

I do a lot of blogging and and have been using a product for awhile now called Tiny URL. What this product does is takes a very long URL, for example, http://www.legalmarketingguy.com/CM/Custom/Video.asp and allows me to shorten it to http://tiny.cc/Video773. They both go to the same place but one just looks much better. I hope you find this useful at some point.

Who's Using the Internet?

So, exactly who is using the Internet these days. I am going to explore this question over the next several days with different studies based on demographics like income, geography, race as well as a number of other factors.

Today's topic is Online Activities from 2000-20009. As you can see from the chart to the left (please click on chart to see full size view) activity online has gone up tremendously. Even back in 2000 there was still over 50% of the adult American population using the Internet in some capacity. Jump ahead to 2009 and that number increases to over 75%. The question you have to ask yourself as an attorney is; "Am I missing out on any potential clients because I don't have a presence online or at least one that shows when someone is searching for a lawyer like myself?" Can you really afford to not market your services to 75% of the adult population in the US?

Tomorrow's topic, "Who's Online"

Source: Pew Internet & Life Project - http://tiny.cc/XX4GJ

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Mitigating & Controlling Your Reputation Online

In this day and age Reputation Management is critical to your success to some degree. With more and more attorneys utilizing free services like Google Local or Yahoo Local they are opening themselves up to public scrutiny, good and bad. While there is not much you can do about the bad reviews (everyone is going to get one) there is something attorneys can do good reviews. Typically people that are happy with your services are not going to spend much if any time letting the world know how good you are. They will if they are not happy with you though. So how do you mitigate your reputation? Make sure that you know if they are happy. If they are ask them to write a review for you while they are in your office (maybe offer a free coffee mug if they do). That way you know who is happy and who is not.

Additionaly, you want to really make sure they are happy with your services. Send them an electronic survey they can fill out on their schedule. You can use a service like Survey Monkey which is very easy for the one taking the survey to fill out. You can have as many or as few questions as you like (make it fewer questions).

You are now on your way to managing the most important aspect of your practice, your reputation. If you have any questions please call Jon Reiter at 303-947-1737 and he will show you a number of ways to manage your overall presence online.

Law Firm Advertising Rules in Colorado

With all the marketing firms out there offering their services to attorneys I wanted to make sure that lawyers being marketed to by these companies have easy access to the rules that have been set up.

RULE 7.2. ADVERTISING
(a) Subject to the requirements of Rules 7.1 and 7.3, a lawyer may advertise services through written, recorded or electronic communication, including public media.
(b) A lawyer shall not give anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer’s services except that a lawyer may
(1) pay the reasonable costs of communications permitted by this Rule;
(2) pay the usual charges of a not-for-profit lawyer referral service or legal service organization.
(3) pay for a law practice in accordance with Rule 1.17; and
(4) refer clients to another lawyer or a nonlawyer pursuant to an agreement not otherwise prohibited under these Rules that provides for the other person to refer clients or customers to the lawyer, if
(i) the reciprocal referral agreement is not exclusive, and
(ii) the client is informed of the existence and nature of the agreement.
(c) Any communication made pursuant to this Rule shall include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content.

COMMENT

[1] To assist the public in obtaining legal services, lawyers should be allowed to make known their services not only through reputation but also through organized information campaigns in the form of advertising. Advertising involves an active quest for clients, contrary to the tradition that a lawyer should not seek clientele. However, the public's need to know about legal services can be fulfilled in part through advertising. This need is particularly acute in the case of persons of moderate means who have not made extensive use of legal services. The interest in expanding public information about legal services ought to prevail over considerations of tradition. Nevertheless, advertising by lawyers entails the risk of practices that are misleading or overreaching.

[2] This Rule permits public dissemination of information concerning a lawyer's name or firm name, address and telephone number; the kinds of services the lawyer will undertake; the basis on which the lawyer's fees are determined, including prices for specific services and payment and credit arrangements; a lawyer's foreign language ability; names of references and, with their consent, names of clients regularly represented; and other information that might invite the attention of those seeking legal assistance.

[3] Questions of effectiveness and taste in advertising are matters of speculation and subjective judgment. Some jurisdictions have had extensive prohibitions against television advertising, against advertising going beyond specified facts about a lawyer, or against "undignified" advertising. Television is now one of the most powerful media for getting information to the public, particularly persons of low and moderate income; prohibiting television advertising, therefore, would impede the flow of information about legal services to many sectors of the public. Limiting the information that may be advertised has a similar effect and assumes that the bar can accurately forecast the kind of information that the public would regard as relevant. Similarly, electronic media, such as the Internet, can be an important source of information about legal services, and lawful communication by electronic mail is permitted by this Rule. But see Rule 7.3 (a) for the prohibition against the solicitation of a prospective client through a real-time electronic exchange that is not initiated by the prospective client.

[4] Neither this Rule nor Rule 7.3 prohibits communications authorized by law, such as notice to members of a class in class action litigation.

Paying Others to Recommend a Lawyer

[5] Lawyers are not permitted to pay others for channeling professional work. Paragraph (b)(1), however, allows a lawyer to pay for advertising and communications permitted by this Rule, including the costs of print directory listings, on-line directory listings, newspaper ads, television and radio airtime, domain-name registrations, sponsorship fees, banner ads, and group advertising. A lawyer may compensate employees, agents and vendors who are engaged to provide marketing or client-development services, such as publicists, public-relations personnel, business-development staff and website designers. See Rule 5.3 for the duties of lawyers and law firms with respect to the conduct of nonlawyers who prepare marketing materials for them.

[6] A lawyer may pay the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit or qualified lawyer referral service. A legal service plan is a prepaid or group legal service plan or a similar delivery system that assists prospective clients to secure legal representation. A lawyer referral service, on the other hand, is any organization that holds itself out to the public as a lawyer referral service. Such referral services are understood by laypersons to be consumer-oriented organizations that provide unbiased referrals to lawyers with appropriate experience in the subject matter of the representation and afford other client protections, such as complaint procedures or malpractice insurance requirements. Consequently, this Rule only permits a lawyer to pay the usual charges of a not-for-profit or qualified lawyer referral service. A qualified lawyer referral service is one that is approved by an appropriate regulatory authority as affording adequate protections for prospective clients. See, e.g., the American Bar Association’s Model Supreme Court Rules Governing Lawyer Referral Services and Model Lawyer Referral and Information Service Quality Assurance Act (requiring that organizations that are identified as lawyer referral services (i) permit the participation of all lawyers who are licensed and eligible to practice in the jurisdiction and who meet reasonable objective eligibility requirements as may be established by the referral service for the protection of prospective clients; (ii) require each participating lawyer to carry reasonably adequate malpractice insurance; (iii) act reasonably to assess client satisfaction and address client complaints; and (iv) do not refer prospective clients to lawyers who own, operate or are employed by the referral service.)

[7] A lawyer who accepts assignments or referrals from a legal service plan or referrals from a lawyer referral service must act reasonably to assure that the activities of the plan or service are compatible with the lawyer’s professional obligations. See Rule 5.3. Legal service plans and lawyer referral services may communicate with prospective clients, but such communication must be in conformity with these Rules. Thus, advertising must not be false or misleading, as would be the case if the communications of a group advertising program or a group legal services plan would mislead prospective clients to think that it was a lawyer referral service sponsored by a state agency or bar association. Nor could the lawyer allow in-person, telephonic, or real-time contacts that would violate Rule 7.3.

[8] A lawyer also may agree to refer clients to another lawyer or a nonlawyer in return for the undertaking of that person to refer clients or customers to the lawyer. Such reciprocal referral arrangements must not interfere with the lawyer’s professional judgment as to making referrals or as to providing substantive legal services. See Rules 2.1 and 5.4(c). Except as provided in Rule 1.5(e), a lawyer who receives referrals from a lawyer or nonlawyer must not pay anything solely for the referral, but the lawyer does not violate paragraph (b) of this Rule by agreeing to refer clients to the other lawyer or nonlawyer, so long as the reciprocal referral agreement is not exclusive and the client is informed of the referral agreement. Conflicts of interest created by such arrangements are governed by Rule 1.7. Reciprocal referral agreements should not be of indefinite duration and should be reviewed periodically to determine whether they comply with these Rules. This Rule does not restrict referrals or divisions of revenues or net income among lawyers within firms comprised of multiple entities.

Miller & Steiert Charity Efforts

Steiert Supports Rotary Effort
Bob Steiert is very active in the Denver Tech Rotary Club, which has raised more than $100,000 over the past five years for food and education programs, vaccinations, and clean water. Its annual auction fundraiser, For the Love of Children, was featured in the Your Hub sections of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News.

You Can’t Rely on the Yellow Pages Alone: Success Strategies for a New Era of Law Firm Marketing

Years ago there were two ways attorneys and clients found each other — referrals, and the Yellow Pages book that was by everyone’s phone. Times have changed, and while word-of-mouth is still one of the best practice-development tools out there, usage of the print Yellow Pages is declining in many parts of the country. Today, we’re in a new era of law firm marketing and there are many additional marketing channels that law firms can consider to reach new clients.

Why is ad spending on the print Yellow Pages down and expected to decrease another 39 percent over the next five years, according to Borrell Associates1? This is partly because for you as an attorney, it’s not an ideal way to promote your law firm anymore. New varieties of Yellow Pages books appear in the mailbox every month it seems due to large books splitting into smaller books or new entrants to your particular market. This makes it increasingly difficult for law firms to determine in which book(s) to advertise. Plus, the format of the books makes it tough to separate your firm from your competition, as the advertisements tend to look similar and offer limited space in which to share your firm’s unique attributes.

More importantly, like other printed information the Yellow Pages have been eclipsed by the Internet, which offers the legal industry much more in terms of information quantity, quality, and creative flexibility. In a 2008 survey about local search user behavior, search engines (e.g., Google) have pulled ahead of print yellow pages as the leading source for local business information.2

Consider that today 80% of us have home computers3, and 55% have high-speed Internet access4. If you need a lawyer, going online allows you to make smart, well-informed decisions. If you are a lawyer, the power of the Internet to reach prospects and provide them with compelling information about your firm can’t be beat. But as Web-savvy attorneys know, it’s not enough to simply launch a Web site. In this new era of law firm marketing, it’s important to think critically about all the ways you connect with consumers — Yellow Pages, the Web, and others — and how you can communicate better, distinguish yourself from competitors, and bottom line, attract and gain new clients. Here are nine law firm marketing keys to success for your firm to consider: #1: Stay in the book, but be strategic. Keeping your contact information in the print Yellow Pages can still be worthwhile for prospects who are hunting for your phone number, or who just aren’t comfortable using the Internet. This is particularly true for non-metropolitan or rural areas. But is a color ad in every print directory really differentiating your firm — or are you better served with a simple, black-and-white listing in a few select books, and channeling the savings to other diverse marketing tactics? Cast a wide net to catch more fish!

#2: Consider bundling, but as a limited solution. To capitalize on the Internet’s popularity, most Yellow Pages providers now offer print and online directory advertising bundled together. That can be an effective way to expand your reach, but note that an online directory listing is only one piece of an effective Web presence, not a complete strategy. Legal marketing is unique, and your marketing plan should encompass not only directories but also a Web site complete with search-engine optimization and tailored content and design that has the unique needs of legal prospects in mind.

#3: Invest time in your site. You have a law practice to run, but even a few hours a month can go a long way in keeping the content on your Web site fresh, relevant and visible. Adding a newsletter, commentary or blog posting on a current legal topics or cases, or even an automated news feed (which many online providers can arrange for you) — all are effective, non-time-intensive ways to avoid becoming just another Web site that collects virtual dust. Why is that important? Updated site content appeals to both of your key Web site audiences: potential clients and leading search engines, such as Google. Search engines factor in the freshness and relevancy of your information to determine search rankings, so frequent updates are important.

#4: Own your niche. Online, being all things to all people is a great way to reach no one. Instead, differentiate your firm by zeroing in on what makes you unique — your approach to cases, background in law enforcement, Spanish-language expertise — and communicate it in the same keywords, phrases, and visuals online that you would use to connect with prospects when they’re in your law office. One good option: maintain a practice page on your site devoted exclusively to one of the firm’s key areas of expertise. Focused Web sites are more likely to succeed, and the same applies for the other channels you use to promote your firm.

#5: Make a strong first impression. Consider a potential client who gets three referrals and goes online to check them out. Realistically, you’ve got 5–10 seconds to hold that prospect on your site and potentially convert into a client. A Web site filled with informative content is great, but to keep prospects from clicking away to the competition, you must ensure your site is also well-designed for search engines, and most importantly, is easy to navigate for people with all levels of Web experience and legal knowledge.

#6: Reach prospects in new, high-impact ways. Online video and blogs are examples of fast-emerging law firm marketing tools that consumers love. They’re interactive and personal and they dispel the intimidation factor people feel when considering to hire an attorney. Nearly 60% of consumers, for example, say online video makes them more likely to contact a particular firm5. To take full advantage of a technology like video, however, it’s key to work with a company that knows the legal industry and how to effectively disseminate your message to search engines and popular third-party Web sites.

#7: Use pay-per-click selectively. With pay-per-click, you select a search term relevant to your practice, then pay for a link ad to appear when prospects type in that term. If they click your link, you get charged a set fee. These links are grouped together on results pages, separate from the free (―organic) results. 5

Pay-per-click can be useful as part of a well-rounded online strategy, particularly if your practice is highly specialized. But only 1 in 7 Web users click paid links, so it’s clear there’s not yet a high level of acceptance. Keeping your site updated, providing strong content and design, and adding compelling information tools like online video and blogs should be your firm’s main focus.

#8: Choose the right online provider. You want an online presence that works, but you don’t want to spend all day working on it. If you’re considering partnering with an online provider, the key questions to ask are: 1) does the company provide local representation, so you can get someone to stop by to help you if you need it?; and 2) do they focus exclusively on the marketing for law firms, so you don’t have to settle for a generic, one-size-fits-all solution?

#9: Expand your network. Write articles for your bar association journal. Create a newsletter, or buy one from a company that will create one for you. Get involved in online communities like LinkedIn or FaceBook. Disseminate your message and firm value in many and varied ways rather than relying exclusively on the Yellow Pages or even a Web site to get your message out to potential clients.

Sometimes, it’s a numbers game, so evaluate how often you’re promoting your firm through creative ways your competitors may not be. There are many options to choose from. Attorneys that use them strategically, and don’t allow their marketing effort to stagnate, have a terrific opportunity to generate leads and earn more well-qualified new clients, ultimately delivering the firm a steady stream of revenue.

1 Borrell Associates, "Say Goodbye to Yellow Pages, July 2008
2 http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Tmp-Directional-Marketing-908381.html
3 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0908456.html
4 Pew Internet & American Life Project, July 2008
5 FindLaw Consumer Online Study, 2007 6 Jupiter Research; Esquiro "Inside the Mind of the Searcher"

Bankruptcy Attorneys in the Denver Metro Area

The George T. Carlson & Associates Bankruptcy Law Firm located in Englewood, Colorado has been practicing now for over 39 years. One of the most respected and knowledgeable Bankruptcy firms in the Denver Metro area. They deal exclusively with Chapter 7 & 13. Because of this experience, they have had tremendous success with helping to keep people in their homes that were about to be foreclosed upon.

An interesting note: George Carlson is a collector of fine art and acquired an extensive knowledge-base of art history.

Referrals - Why Do I Need a Website

I have spoken with a lot of attorneys over the years and if there is one thing that is consistent it is the fact that a majority of their business comes from referrals. Referrals are a great source of revenue for these lawyers.

I always try to stress that while referrals are great and are necessary for a successful practice, they still need to not only have a presence on the Internet but a presence that can be found by people that do NOT know who they are.

Why? Well, when a potential client gets a referral one of the first things they are going to do is go online and check that referred attorney out. No website can have serious consequences as in that referred client decides to hire someone else. Not good.

The second part of this equation is even if a law practice gets plenty of business from referrals, that law firm can only enhance their practice by supplementing their referral business with some Internet business. An even more important consideration though is the referrals that kind of business can send the attorney's way in the future. Imagine setting yourself up for referrals from business YOU found yourself from someone randomly looking for a lawyer online. Talk about a steady stream of business for the life of your practice, and in good times and in bad economic times (especially in bad economic times).

Craigs List - Free & Effective

In today's economy you need every advantage you can get. Advertising your services on Craigslist is one way to get your name out there to a fairly large audience.

Keep in mind though, only posting once will not be enough. As each hour goes on during the day, more and more people are psoting their services. It would be a good idea to post your law firm services once a week or even every few days. Make sure you read Craigs List Terms of Service though.

Taking your advertising services up one notch you can use free services like VFlyer which will pretty much help you design and even walk you through the publishing of a nicely designed flyer that will look much more professional than just plain text.

If all this or part of this is more than you care to take on, that's ok. Please don't hesitate to call me and I will be happy to put these together for you and show you how easy it is to do on your own. You can always reach me at 303-947-1737. Good Luck.

Do People Really Go Online to Find An Attorney?

The simple answer is YES. As the Internet has become more accessible for people, more people are going online to find a lawyer to help them with whatever issue or concern they may have. Why is this? Well, only about 30 percent of this country had computers at home and of those 30% a majority of them had dial up access. Very slow and tedious. Not conducive to "surfing the net". Jump ahead to today. Almost 70% of this country (according to Internet World Stats http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats2.htm#top) has a computer at home (you can buy one now for $100.00) and most of these people not only have access to the Internet, but also have high speed access. Now surfing the "Net" is easy and fun.

It's almost shocking when someone says they only have a dial-up connection to the Internet.So what is happening then? Well, whereas most people looking for an attorney got a name through the yellow pages, or a referral or some other method, most people are first going online to research their situation and then looking for a competent attorney to help them with their situation.

What about referrals? People getting referrals don't need to go online. YES THEY DO! They now go online to research the referral given to them because it is so easy. Why wouldn't they. Think about your own habits.

CTLA Conference Steamboat Springs

Mark your calendar for the 2009 CTLA Annual Convention, August 6 through Saturday, August 8 at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort and Conference Center in Steamboat Springs.

Lodging Information

The Sheraton Steamboat Resort and Conference Center will be the site of the CTLA Annual Convention. A variety of lodging is available with special rates for attendees. These rates will be in effect from August 4 – 10, 2009. Please indicate that you are attending the CTLA Convention when making reservations. Room rates do not reflect resort fees or sales tax.
The room block at the Sheraton will be held until July 15th. After that date, all unreserved rooms will be sold to the general public. Please make your reservations early.

Sheraton Steamboat Resort & Conference Center (Convention Headquarters)
Call (800) 848-8878 for information or reservations. Hotel rooms are available from $179 to $199 and condos from $249 to $575.

Deposit and Cancellation Policy Deposit and cancellation policies are available from the individual properties.

Early DeparturesNo shows, late arrivals and early check-outs will be billed for the entire room amount.

Check In/Check OutCheck in time is 4 p.m. Check out time is noon.

Additional Condominium Lodging

These condos, off property, will be held until June 29th. One to three bedrooms available. Prices range from $180-$285. Call (866) 568-2074 for information on condominiums at Torian Plum, Bronze Tree, Trappeur’s Crossing and Timberline at Trappeur’s Crossing. (Minimum two night stay). Deposit and cancellation policies may differ. Prices do not reflect resort fees or sales tax. Visit Resort Quest online at http://www.resortqueststeamboat.com/ for more information.

The Ethics of Online Marketing

As ever-increasing numbers of the legal profession seek to expand their clienteles through Internet-based advertising, the Web site has become the key to a strong Internet presence and marketing plan. While it is important that a legal Web site has the correct mix of legal information, attorney biography and marketing copy, it is even more important that lawyers who seek to enter the online realm understand the ethical guidelines that govern the design and content elements that can (and cannot) be included in their sites.

Much of this regulation is, of course, state-specific. In every state, professional responsibility rules govern the ethical conduct of attorneys. Each state has rules that govern the interactions that the legal profession has with clients, adversaries, courts, potential clients and the public. All states also have rules specific to attorney advertising. Many follow the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Responsibility (www.abanet.org/cpr/mrpc/mrpc_toc.html) or a variation thereof.

In almost all instances, the ethical standards governing print ads, brochures and radio spots also apply to online marketing activities.

Even more than print, radio, TV and brochures, the Internet has delivered the information marketplace envisioned in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that lifted the ban on attorney advertising. Attorneys can go beyond sound bites to provide substantive information about their law firm, including areas of practice, factual results (provided state-specific disclaimer requirements are met), attorney-authored articles and FAQs. For consumers, meanwhile, the Web makes it much easier to research issues and find legal representation.

It is imperative to understand that it is your responsibility to ensure that your Web site complies with the state ethics guidelines that apply to the online information you are disseminating.

Recent polling shows that more Americans use the Internet to find an attorney than any other source. By familiarizing yourself with online marketing ethics, you can protect your firm from running afoul of the state ethics committee while taking advantage of this dynamic marketing tool.

What Information Is Regulated — and Who Regulates It?
With limited exceptions, most states regulate as "attorney advertising" any communication that is designed to attract clients. This should not be confused with "solicitation." Solicitation is direct communication with a person (not a close friend, former client or relative) known to be in need or thought to be in need of legal services. While the rules and definitions vary by state, solicitation is generally much more restricted than broad legal advertising.
It is important to note that the attorney advertising definition may not apply to all communications made in order to generate business. In some states, ethics rules may only come into play when the message indicates that professional services are available for hire. As a good rule, a communication that both proposes hiring an attorney and discusses non-commercial issues will most likely be regulated.

While the ABA promotes adoption of its Model Rules prohibiting "false and misleading" information, state-by-state differences still exist on the detailed interpretation. Most state rules apply to lawyers whose communications originate within the state or to outside communications targeted at potential clients within the state.

The key point to remember is that in addition to following federal laws governing spam and other online abuses, attorneys who seek to serve clients nationwide or in multiple state jurisdictions should understand and comply with each state’s attorney advertising rules.
The ABA provides three helpful resources for understanding each state’s ethics rules:

1. Links to the rules governing lawyer advertising, solicitation and marketing in all 50 states: www.abanet.org/adrules
2. An ethics page that tracks new developments in state advertising laws: www.abanet.org/cpr/professionalism/lawyerAd.html
3. A 50-state comparison to the ABA Model Rules that describes the content, design and disclaimer requirements unique to each state: www.abanet.org/cpr/professionalism/State_Advertising.pdf

In the day-to-day development of a Web site, one way to address this ethical requirement is to be as specific as possible — in the content your firm posts and in writing title tags and other HTML coding — about where your law firm is licensed to practice and the geography where your site is targeted. Another good idea: adding a disclaimer to the Web site that specifies the states where your firm does business.

Targeting a geo-graphic niche limits your exposure to multiple sets of ethics rules. Any law firm or lawyer that advertises "representation nationwide" on its Web site, on the other hand, needs to consider ethics burdens carefully.

Why It Matters
The cost of unethical online client development can include exposure to discipline, malpractice implications, fee forfeiture — even the expense of changing your brand. If your firm was directed to change its domain name, for example, your Web site would no longer be indexed in search engine rankings. It could take months to re-establish it and rebuild traffic. Even if your law firm is forced to take its Web site down for changes, for example, the lack of an online presence can adversely affect your search engine rankings.

Remember that whether you build and maintain your own Web site, or hire an outside consultant to handle it for you, you are ultimately responsible for compliance with the advertising rules in each state.

The Internet is one of the most powerful tools attorneys have to generate leads and develop client relationships. Its importance will only continue to increase. Knowing and observing the ethical guidelines, including the rules that apply in the states where clients are being sought, is a smart investment in the long-term growth of your client base.

Rosenthal & Heyman - Success Story

Zapien v. BBQ manufacturer

The client suffered bad burns on his leg when his BBQ became a blow torch and shot flames at his body. Rosenthal & Heymann hired the best experts who discovered a defect in the BBQ. The manufacturer refused to compensate our client fairly because they knew that the manufacturer's headquarters were in China and they gambled that we would not fly to China to depose their corporate executives. They were wrong. We flew to China; got everything we needed, and favorably settled the case within 30 days of returning to America.

Top Ten Reasons Attorneys Need An Optimized Website

10. People looking for you online better be able to find you
When a potential client has been referred to you they are most likely going to go online and search for information about who you are and how you might be able to help them. If they cannot find you, that business might be lost because while they are having trouble locating you, I can promise that they are finding other attorneys that do the same thing as you. That referral that you EARNED may now be hiring one of your competitors because they had a better web presence.
9. Potential clients can find you even if they don’t know you.
When your potential clients are looking for an attorney like you on the Internet and they cannot find you for whatever reason I can guarantee that that you will not get their business
8. Presents a professional image
Whether we like it or not people do judge books by their covers and in this case your web presence is your book cover. It is ok to have a simple website as long as it is pleasing to the eye and is easy to navigate through and also quickly lets people know what kind of attorney you are and what areas of law you practice.
7. Far better results than yellow page advertising
Advertising in the yellow pages was the way to go a decade ago but as more people look for attorneys online and fewer and fewer people are using the yellow pages you need to start putting your advertising dollars in the medium that is attracting the most potential clients.
The use of the yellow pages is in a freefall decline…the industry is expected to lose 39% of its revenue in the next five years. In fact, 58% of those surveyed, use the Internet to get help with a legal matter.
6. Your practice is now on par (or better) with the largest of law firms
In all the searches I have done for attorneys over the years, I have yet to see a “large” law firm show up in one of my searches. The majority of attorneys that utilize the Internet to highlight their practice are small practices (under 20 attorneys and usually just 1-3 attorneys). What this means for you is you have the ability showcase your talents and abilities without having to compete with firms that are 50-100 times your size.
5. Promotes you and your services
Your website is a very 3 dimensional view of you who are, what you offer and what differentiates you from all the other attorneys you compete with.
4. Your website makes you available to the World 24/7, 365 Days a Year
Unlike your company's office that may be open from 8-5, Monday thru Friday, your company 's website is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When someone needs a lawyer or information about a lawyer and they know that it is after hours like Saturday night at midnight, you can bet that they are going online to figure out their next step and who can help resolve whatever issue they may have.
3. Beat the competition
Make sure your site is the best one out there (as judged by your level of visibility, website design and content) and you will be able to generate as much business as you desire.
2. Online Forms
Well-written online forms can provide you with a wealth of information about a potential client and if they are the right fit for your practice or someone that is better suited for another attorney you know.
1. Return on Investment
If you believe that having a well-optimized website is just too expensive let me share something with you, it’s not. In fact, by not having a well-optimized site you are losing out on potentially hundred’s of thousands of dollars. Here is the bottom line: You can’t afford NOT to have a site.

Video - Why It's Important To Your Online Presence

Why is video important to your web presence? Because your videos are going to accomplish a number of things that the written word just will not do no matter how good your website is. Some of these things are:

1. It's Visual - People looking for an attorney like you can now see you and hear you and get a feeling for how you might represent them. A professionally produced video can have an immediate and very positive affect for your firm.

2. It's "Sticky" - What I mean by that is websites with video tend to keep those potential clients on your site longer. The more time they spend on your site the less time they are spending on some other attorney's site. And the more likely they are to call you.

3. It's Available 24/7 - Your website videos featuring you are going to always be available. Potential clients can always get a sense of you are and how you can help them just by going to your website and watching your video.

4. It's a HUGE Differentiator - At this time there are attorneys online that have video but not that many. Right now you are setting a trend that is only going to get better for those with video

These are just some examples of why having video on your website is so important. Why not do something that sets you apart from a majority of the other attorneys you are currently competing with

Google Local - How To

I believe this is an important free service offereed by Google and one htat I encourage the attorneys I work with to take advantage. If you are not sure how to go about adding your business to Google Local please call me and I will be happy to sit down with you and enter your practice into this valuable service.

Here is the link to the site; http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107528.

I have also cut and pasted the information below on my Blog

In Googles Words.........

"Local Business Center Guidelines

Google Maps aims to provide value for users and business owners alike. We've implemented a number of guidelines that align with these intentions. To protect users, businesses, and the integrity of our search results, we reserve the right to terminate Local Business Center access or broader Google access to individuals or businesses violating these guidelines.
These points cover the general guidelines for creating business listings through the Local Business Center, but are not an exhaustive list of policies. Some actions not specifically prohibited here may still be cause for removal from Maps. If you have any question about whether or not a tactic is deceptive, we recommend you stand on the side of caution. You may also request clarification by posting in our Maps Help Forum.Quality Guidelines:
Only enter listings for businesses that you own or are explicitly authorized to represent.
Represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world. The name on Google Maps should match the business name, as should the address, phone number and website.
Do not attempt to manipulate search results by adding extraneous keywords into the title field, and do not include phone numbers or URLs in the title along with your proper business name.
Create only one listing for each physical location of your business. Do not create more than one listing for each business location, either in a single account or multiple accounts. Service area businesses, for example, should not create a listing for every town they service. Likewise, law firms or doctors should not create multiple listings to cover all of their specialties.
When entering categories, use only those that directly describe your business. Do not submit related categories that do not define your business. For example, a taxi company might properly categorize itself as "Airport Transportation", but it would be inaccurate to also use the category "Airport". Also, please use each category field to enter a single category. Do not list multiple categories or keywords in one field.

Provide information that best identifies your individual locations and provides users with the most direct path to your business. For example, you should provide individual location phone numbers in place of central phone lines and the precise address for the business in place of broad city names or cross-streets.

Provide the one URL that belongs to your business both in terms of the landing page and the displayed URL. Pages that redirect to another domain, or act as "click through" sites may lead to penalization.

Use the description and custom attribute fields to include additional information about your listing. This type of content should never appear in your business's title, address or category fields.

If you believe that another business is abusing Google's quality guidelines, we encourage you to report the listing. Your reports help us to improve the overall Google Maps experience for everyone.

If you find that your listings were removed from Google Maps or you're unable to access your Local Business Center account, please file a reconsideration request. All requests are reviewed, and the decision of Google in this regard shall be final and binding. Please note that we won't necessarily respond to each individual request."

Bell & Pollock - Personal Injury Firm

Bell & Pollock has been serving the personal injury and civil litigation needs of Colorado residents since we opened our doors in 1984. In fact, managing partners Gary Bell and Bradley Pollock have been successfully working together on litigation matters in Colorado courts for nearly 30 years. We have successfully tried cases in nearly every area of personal injury and wrongful death litigation. No other insurance claims litigation firm in Denver can offer that kind of longevity in the community, or the aggressive reputation that comes with it.

Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration

My wife Traci and I and our little boy went to an old-fashioned 4th of July celebration today and we had a great time. It was at a Park outside of Denver called 4 Mile Historic Park. The celebration was set in the time of the Civil War and had everything from soldiers from that era to Abe Lincoln. They had re-enactments of the battles but the best part (for me) was when an orchestra played The Battle Hymn of the Republic while "Abe Lincoln" read the Gettysburg Address. All-in-all we had a great time there this afternoon and look forward to the fireworks display tonight to celebrate our country's Independence.

The 4th of July - Independence for America!

July 4th, 1776 was the day the Declaration of Independence was approved (it was actually signed on July 2nd, 1776, although there is also debate about this. I was not there so I am not sure), declaring to the world that the 13 states were united as one and became the United States of America.

I believe that America is such a strong country because we have gotten the best and brightest from around the world. America offers opportunity that other countries do not allow and these opportunities are what bring the best and the brightest to America's shores on a daily basis.

The line:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

is what makes this country great and I for one am proud to be an American.

What does this have to with the legal community? A lot. Lawyers get a lot of grief for the work they do but I know that when someone is in trouble they call a lawyer. When someone needs to make sure their family is provided for in times of trouble they call a lawyer. When justice needs to be served lawyers are there presenting there arguments as to what the best course of justice is. Innocent until proven guilty is so critical to this country. Many countries don't care of guilt or innocence, they just care about the agenda which serves their own needs. Well, in America, Justice is the agenda and it serves no man.

I enjoy working with attorneys which is funny because my political views are very different from many of the attorneys I am proud to call my client. But one area we always agree on is the fact that when the lone person is fighting against a system that far larger than they are and has more resources than they ever will, the one thing standing between them and injustice is an attorney that makes the strongest, most powerful government in the history of mankind equal to that one lone person.

AVVO - What Attorneys Need to Know

AVVO rates and profiles every attorney. Every attorney should go to AVVO (http://www.avvo.vom/) and make sure they manager their profile.

I believe very strongly that every attorney needs to manage their reputation on the Internet. When you have a client that you know is very happy with the services you have provided please tell me them about sites like AVVO where they can go and rate your services. There are a lot of things that can be said anonymously which makes it too easy for negative comments. Get those positive comments out there so that people researching you specifically can learn about the real you and how you have been able to help people in the same situation as they are in.

Are People Really Looking for Attorneys Online?

The simple answer is YES. As the Internet has become more accessible for people, more people are going online to find a lawyer to help them with whatever issue or concern they may have. Why is this? Well, back in the 90's only about 30 percent of this country had computers at home and of those 30% a majority of them had dial-up access. Very slow and tedious. Not conducive to "surfing the net". Jump ahead to today. Almost 70% of this country (according to Internet World Stats http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats2.htm#top) has a computer at home (you can buy a used one now for $100.00) and most of these people not only have access to the Internet, but also have high speed access. Now surfing the "Net" is easy and fun.

It's almost shocking when someone says they only have a dial-up connection to the Internet. So what is happening then? Well, whereas most people looking for an attorney got a name through the yellow pages, or a referral or some other method, most people are first going online to research their situation and then looking for a competent attorney to help them with their issue. What about referrals? People getting referrals don't need to go online. YES THEY DO! They now go online to research the referral given to them because it is so easy. Why wouldn't they. And if they cannot find anything of what they consider value in regards to you or your practice they will probably continue to surf looking for another Lawyer for their needs. Think about your own habits.

Jon B. Clarke - Business Bankruptcy Attorney

The right attorney in times of trouble is key. Jon B. Clarke is one of the top Business Bankruptcy attorneys in Colorado and would be happy to speak with you about any issues or concerns you may have.

You can learn more about Jon at http://www.jonbclarke.com/

15 Ways To Market Your Firm in a Tough Economy

Getting the Right Website & SEO Firm For Your Practice

I met with a law firm that just spent 10K on a website that unfortunately could have been done for 5 dollars per month (keep in mind, all that was provided to this firm was the hosting and a very simple template, nothing else). I hate coming across situations like this because I know they were taken advantage of but they simply did not know enough to make the right decisions.

There were over 100 pages of content on this site, ALL of it written by the firm. There were over 400 inbound links that had zero relevancy and zero page rank and a majority were either internal links or links from some photo site.

This website also had zero optimization done to it by this “SEO” Firm.

The person who is now in charge knows they got ripped off but cannot do anything about it at this time.

The older partners do not believe in the Internet, the younger partners know the power of the Internet and wanted a real presence online that would bring in business from clients that do not get referred to them.

Because of this rather large disconnect, they kept spending money here and money there. So what was originally about a $6,000 cost ballooned into $10,000. 6K was far too much for what they got and this money was spent because besides the template that was supplied and the hosting, NOTHING else has been done by this website company. The actual cost is not relevant though if the ROI is solid month after month. If you spend $3,000 per month but realize $25,000 in returns then you are making a great investment.

I am going to provide a very simple test for anyone contemplating a website for their business. Go online to Google (They get between 60-65% of all searches) and type in a random phrase like, “dui attorney denver” and see which websites show up on the first page. See who built those sites. But do this for a dozen or so random phrases so you can get a good idea of who to call. If the web design firm you are working with cannot show results like this then walk away.