The Perks of Using Avvo Ignite

Before having a software system in place, we relied largely on analog approaches. When we received a call or e-mail inquiring about our services, we would make a note of that call and transfer the contact to the appropriate attorney for consultation and also ask, in passing, where the individual had heard of us. Whatever the response ' and they were varied; sometimes they knew, other times they reported that they had stumbled upon us on the Internet ' we had no system in place of recording these responses in a unified manner. We looked at several ways to solve these problems; from manual entries into spreadsheets to CRM programs such as Salesforce. We eventually chose a CRM system called Avvo Ignite because it catered specifically to legal practices, was easy to use and was cost effective.
Avvo Ignite provides us with a tool that allows us to effectively keep in touch with our current, prospective and previous clients. We are able to send out automated messages after a certain amount of time without communication and are given reminders when follow-ups are due. If someone calls the firm, we are able to see where they found our contact information and can take call notes. Most important, we can create a comprehensive contact for that individual and can use the provided information to track our marketing efforts.

How Avvo Works

So, how does this all work? How does Avvo Ignite know about our calls? And how does it'know where they come from? Integral to the function of this software from a marketing standpoint are our 'sources.' Each of our marketing efforts ' from Facebook to our website ' has a unique phone number and e-mail address assigned to it so that when someone contacts us, Avvo knows from where they came. We have eight unique 'tracked sources' at our disposal and four 'untracked sources' that we can manually assign to a case. Untracked sources include things like referrals or former clients. How do we keep track of eight phone numbers and eight e-mail addresses? The short answer is that we don't have to. Everything is automated and all of our phone calls and e-mails are patched through seamlessly to our main office line and to our general 'contact us' e-mail address.'

Another handy feature is the availability of adding custom labels, which appear next to the contact and can give information about the nature of the case. These labels can be anything, but we have found that the most helpful approach for us was to create labels describing the type of case, and ones indicating whether or not we have sent a contract, or if we are waiting on a retainer. Assigning and keeping up with these labels also helps us target groups with our drip campaigns (discussed below).

Once a potential client makes an initial contact, either through e-mail or a phone call, we receive an e-mail notifying us of the prospect. The Avvo Ignite software will create a contact based on the e-mail address or phone number and our reception staff will fill in notes, add more contact information, and assign the individual to one of our attorneys for consultation. Also included in this data is where that client found us, which is key for tracking our marketing. Each time there is a communication, the information gets added to that contact and reflects the most current status of the case. Each contact can be assigned to one of our legal staff and that individual will be notified of any changes made to the entry and is notified after a certain amount of time without contact. This helps us keep track of not only our clients, but it also helps us see who the client was assigned to in the event that someone needs more information on a specific case. Within the suite, we can also send out correspondence that includes 'website tracking' links. These links invite our contacts to visit our website and we are able to track their activity on our site. With this, we are able to get data about what pages they visited and on what date, as shown in the screen capture below.

[IMGCAP(1)]

In addition to this correspondence, we are able to set up 'drip campaigns' that can target an audience based on status, source or label. Say, for instance, we want to target pending clients who came from any source but have a case that deals with a lawyer disciplinary issue. We can set up and include a message that invites them to read one of our articles related to this area of law. With drip campaigns, we can also send out campaigns that target former clients in order to thank them for hiring us.

Avvo Ignite tracks our sources, and through the Source ROI tool, the software keeps us updated on which sources are most productive. This allows our firm to determine the return on investment for various marketing efforts and make adjustments to campaigns as necessary. ROI allows us to see which of our online marketing efforts is providing us with the most exposure, keeping us from doing tedious analytics for each of our social media accounts and other marketing efforts. Basically, it makes it easier to see where we need to strengthen our marketing efforts, and where we can afford to ease up or cut back.

Another feature that our marketing team values is the monthly reports. These reports are crucial because they allow us to quickly see how our firm is doing in terms of client conversion. It quickly shows us how many total contacts we've had in the past month, how many of these contacts have become prospects, and how many of these prospects have become clients. Armed with this information, we can easily see where we need to work harder.

Implementation

It was very easy to show our staff how to use the software and our Avvo account representative was always available to answer any questions. The first thing we did was to introduce everyone to the new software and explain the available functions. From there, individual training meetings were scheduled with each staff person. Training was straight-forward and minimal time was needed to get everyone up to speed. When compared to other customer relationship management tools, possibly the most attractive feature of this software is the simplicity of use. With this new software, we have developed new practices when we get calls for consultations. The first thing we do when we answer the phone is get three key pieces of information: Full name, confirmation of contact information, and the type of case. This information is added to the caller's entry in real time and the call is then transferred to one of our attorneys. The attorney will then consult the individual and add notes about the phone call. From that point on, all e-mail correspondences will be linked with the software by forwarding e-mails to our 'ignite.avvo.com' e-mail address. As contacts are added to the software, we get a very clear picture of our client conversion rate, which types of cases are most popular, and which marketing efforts are driving the most clients to us.

Conclusion

The days of keeping a spreadsheet for potential clients are over for us and, thanks to Avvo Ignite, our firm is able to keep up with the times and our clients' needs. In this age of technology, businesses and law firms are being forced to switch from previous traditional marketing efforts to online and mobile efforts. The ability to track these is paramount. Sometimes adjustments are necessary and the software points us in the right direction. What is driving clients to us? From where are our best clients coming? Where are the prospective clients coming from that we end up having to refer to another firm? Avvo Ignite answers these questions for us.

We are currently looking into credit card processing through the service and new features are being added all the time. Avvo Ignite has just released a function that allows us to attach documents within the suite in order to send our clients or prospective clients important information. We look forward to a future option that would allow us to send out contracts and obtain electronic signatures. We also hope to establish the ability to have a client center where we can keep clients updated on the status of their case, recent fillings, or upcoming hearings, and the ability to sync calendar events between the Avvo Ignite and Outlook. In the few short months of using Avvo Ignite, it has saved us time, money and resources when it comes to our marketing efforts and the software is being expanded with new and helpful features all the time.

Robert S. Bennett is the principal of the Houston firm, Bob Bennett & Associates, which specializes in protecting professionals. He was a former federal prosecutor, former President of the University of Houston Law Center Alumni, and has practiced law since 1974. He can be reached at [email protected]. David Sickles organizes the firm's marketing efforts. He can be reached at [email protected].

Keeping up with calls, e-mails, and other inquiries can be a difficult proposition in any business. Those in the legal industry know this challenge perhaps more than most. Bob Bennett & Associates is a Houston law firm that deals primarily with professional ethics and licensing issues. We provide free consultation to people who are experiencing trouble with a licensing agency, and keeping up with the volume of calls that are received per day can be overwhelming. Some of these individuals become clients, others just want information, and others may not contact us for years but when their hearing before a licensing authority is eminent, we need to be prepared with all the information that has been given to us in the past.'

The Problem

The problem that we had to solve was two-fold: first, we had to find a way to keep up with prospective clients, and second, we needed to be able to determine which of our marketing efforts were the most effective. This article explains our search for a product to help solve the problem, the implementation, and the integration with our current practices.

Before having a software system in place, we relied largely on analog approaches. When we received a call or e-mail inquiring about our services, we would make a note of that call and transfer the contact to the appropriate attorney for consultation and also ask, in passing, where the individual had heard of us. Whatever the response ' and they were varied; sometimes they knew, other times they reported that they had stumbled upon us on the Internet ' we had no system in place of recording these responses in a unified manner. We looked at several ways to solve these problems; from manual entries into spreadsheets to CRM programs such as Salesforce. We eventually chose a CRM system called Avvo Ignite because it catered specifically to legal practices, was easy to use and was cost effective.
Avvo Ignite provides us with a tool that allows us to effectively keep in touch with our current, prospective and previous clients. We are able to send out automated messages after a certain amount of time without communication and are given reminders when follow-ups are due. If someone calls the firm, we are able to see where they found our contact information and can take call notes. Most important, we can create a comprehensive contact for that individual and can use the provided information to track our marketing efforts.

How Avvo Works

So, how does this all work? How does Avvo Ignite know about our calls? And how does it'know where they come from? Integral to the function of this software from a marketing standpoint are our 'sources.' Each of our marketing efforts ' from Facebook to our website ' has a unique phone number and e-mail address assigned to it so that when someone contacts us, Avvo knows from where they came. We have eight unique 'tracked sources' at our disposal and four 'untracked sources' that we can manually assign to a case. Untracked sources include things like referrals or former clients. How do we keep track of eight phone numbers and eight e-mail addresses? The short answer is that we don't have to. Everything is automated and all of our phone calls and e-mails are patched through seamlessly to our main office line and to our general 'contact us' e-mail address.'

Another handy feature is the availability of adding custom labels, which appear next to the contact and can give information about the nature of the case. These labels can be anything, but we have found that the most helpful approach for us was to create labels describing the type of case, and ones indicating whether or not we have sent a contract, or if we are waiting on a retainer. Assigning and keeping up with these labels also helps us target groups with our drip campaigns (discussed below).

Once a potential client makes an initial contact, either through e-mail or a phone call, we receive an e-mail notifying us of the prospect. The Avvo Ignite software will create a contact based on the e-mail address or phone number and our reception staff will fill in notes, add more contact information, and assign the individual to one of our attorneys for consultation. Also included in this data is where that client found us, which is key for tracking our marketing. Each time there is a communication, the information gets added to that contact and reflects the most current status of the case. Each contact can be assigned to one of our legal staff and that individual will be notified of any changes made to the entry and is notified after a certain amount of time without contact. This helps us keep track of not only our clients, but it also helps us see who the client was assigned to in the event that someone needs more information on a specific case. Within the suite, we can also send out correspondence that includes 'website tracking' links. These links invite our contacts to visit our website and we are able to track their activity on our site. With this, we are able to get data about what pages they visited and on what date, as shown in the screen capture below.

[IMGCAP(1)]

In addition to this correspondence, we are able to set up 'drip campaigns' that can target an audience based on status, source or label. Say, for instance, we want to target pending clients who came from any source but have a case that deals with a lawyer disciplinary issue. We can set up and include a message that invites them to read one of our articles related to this area of law. With drip campaigns, we can also send out campaigns that target former clients in order to thank them for hiring us.

Avvo Ignite tracks our sources, and through the Source ROI tool, the software keeps us updated on which sources are most productive. This allows our firm to determine the return on investment for various marketing efforts and make adjustments to campaigns as necessary. ROI allows us to see which of our online marketing efforts is providing us with the most exposure, keeping us from doing tedious analytics for each of our social media accounts and other marketing efforts. Basically, it makes it easier to see where we need to strengthen our marketing efforts, and where we can afford to ease up or cut back.

Another feature that our marketing team values is the monthly reports. These reports are crucial because they allow us to quickly see how our firm is doing in terms of client conversion. It quickly shows us how many total contacts we've had in the past month, how many of these contacts have become prospects, and how many of these prospects have become clients. Armed with this information, we can easily see where we need to work harder.

Implementation

It was very easy to show our staff how to use the software and our Avvo account representative was always available to answer any questions. The first thing we did was to introduce everyone to the new software and explain the available functions. From there, individual training meetings were scheduled with each staff person. Training was straight-forward and minimal time was needed to get everyone up to speed. When compared to other customer relationship management tools, possibly the most attractive feature of this software is the simplicity of use. With this new software, we have developed new practices when we get calls for consultations. The first thing we do when we answer the phone is get three key pieces of information: Full name, confirmation of contact information, and the type of case. This information is added to the caller's entry in real time and the call is then transferred to one of our attorneys. The attorney will then consult the individual and add notes about the phone call. From that point on, all e-mail correspondences will be linked with the software by forwarding e-mails to our 'ignite.avvo.com' e-mail address. As contacts are added to the software, we get a very clear picture of our client conversion rate, which types of cases are most popular, and which marketing efforts are driving the most clients to us.

Conclusion

The days of keeping a spreadsheet for potential clients are over for us and, thanks to Avvo Ignite, our firm is able to keep up with the times and our clients' needs. In this age of technology, businesses and law firms are being forced to switch from previous traditional marketing efforts to online and mobile efforts. The ability to track these is paramount. Sometimes adjustments are necessary and the software points us in the right direction. What is driving clients to us? From where are our best clients coming? Where are the prospective clients coming from that we end up having to refer to another firm? Avvo Ignite answers these questions for us.

We are currently looking into credit card processing through the service and new features are being added all the time. Avvo Ignite has just released a function that allows us to attach documents within the suite in order to send our clients or prospective clients important information. We look forward to a future option that would allow us to send out contracts and obtain electronic signatures. We also hope to establish the ability to have a client center where we can keep clients updated on the status of their case, recent fillings, or upcoming hearings, and the ability to sync calendar events between the Avvo Ignite and Outlook. In the few short months of using Avvo Ignite, it has saved us time, money and resources when it comes to our marketing efforts and the software is being expanded with new and helpful features all the time.

Robert S. Bennett is the principal of the Houston firm, Bob Bennett & Associates, which specializes in protecting professionals. He was a former federal prosecutor, former President of the University of Houston Law Center Alumni, and has practiced law since 1974. He can be reached at [email protected]. David Sickles organizes the firm's marketing efforts. He can be reached at [email protected].