Struggle to Stride, a Marketing Breakthrough Case Study
Learn how a Toronto paralegal firm went from struggling with marketing to the top of Google search results and so many leads that the owner sends away excess business.
Background
In Ontario, licensed paralegals are allowed to represent clients in certain types of legal matters such as small claims court, traffic court, landlord-tenant and human rights tribunals.
In some cases, paralegals join together to form larger paralegal-only practices. In other cases, they enter as junior members of law firms. And sometimes, paralegals venture on their own as sole practitioners.
According to the Law Society of Ontario's (LSO), the organization that governs lawyers and paralegals in Ontario, as of February 2020, there were over 829 active, licensed paralegals in private practice in Toronto. Therefore, getting noticed and attracting new clients is a significant challenge for sole practitioners, especially when competing against larger firms with more extensive marketing budgets.
In December 2018, Jennifer Mondejar, a sole practitioner paralegal, was looking for a way to grow her firm beyond referrals and was feeling overwhelmed trying to handle marketing and every other aspect of her business by herself. She needed help. She wanted a marketing breakthrough.
Contents
- Professional credibility is first priority
- Keep solution affordable
- Use inbound approach
- Start with marketing strategy
- Choose flexible, custom web design & development service
- Invest in content marketing
- Get found with local SEO services
- Choose a digital marketing consultant to handle it all
- Reap the rewards of your marketing breakthrough
Professional Credibility Was the First Priority
Jennifer's initial marketing objective was to develop a website and online foundation that conveyed professional credibility to prospective clients who might look for her following networking events or through referrals.
Example Rendering of Website Produced for Mondejar Paralegal
Keep the Solution Affordable
As a self-funded solo entrepreneur, Jennifer's marketing budget was limited. So any solution we pursued had to be affordable for the initial implementation, ongoing optimizations and long-term support.
Therefore it was essential to use resources, services and toolset that hit the sweet spot located at the intersection of high quality, low cost, and full functionality.
Use Inbound Marketing Approach
Our approach was to build a marketing website for Jennifer that would act as the hub of online marketing activities to attract and convert her ideal clients without the need for paid advertising. To accomplish this, we structured an engagement that included the following services:
- Digital marketing strategy
- Website design and development
- Content marketing
- Local SEO services
Start With Marketing Strategy
We started by working with Jennifer to articulate the purpose and vision for her business and began narrowing the focus to clients who were ideally suited to her practice.
Leveraging input from prior clients, we developed the brand promise and messaging.
We researched keywords and topics to develop a content plan that fit within her budget, authentically reflected Jennifer and established a convincing case that Mondejar is the preferred choice for paralegal representation.
Choose a Flexible, Custom Web Design & Development Service
With the strategy outlining our path, we built a fast, attractive custom-designed marketing website from the ground up.
We observed modern responsive design best-practices to deliver a contemporary experience. We added elements to organically attract search traffic and help visitors get to know, like, trust, and retain Jennifer.
From logo design to colour selection and site graphics, we implemented branding elements, including video, to balance between the formal impression needed to establish trust and convey authority while also remaining approachable to visitors who might otherwise feel intimidated by legal matters.
We continued optimizing the site for performance and functionality with no limit to the number enhances.
As measured by Google Page Speed Insights, a gold standard of site performance, Jennifer's site ranks in the top 10% of all websites for page load speed, a key measure in user experience.
Example of a Custom Video Produced for Mondejar Paralegal
Invest in Content Marketing
We researched and developed quality, SEO-friendly web copy and blog posts to attract visitors and advance prospects while adhering to mandatory rules for advertising and marketing set forth by the LSO, the paralegal and lawyer governing body.
Examples of Content Marketing Blog Graphics Produced for Mondejar Paralegal
Get Found With Local SEO Services
From SEO-friendly URLs to use of semantic keywords, schema markup and internal linking, we addressed over 50 onsite factors to directly or indirectly impact SEO for primary and secondary keywords.
We created and optimized Jennifer's Google My Business profile and 25 other general and niche directory profiles to maximize exposure, and build trust.
Choose a Digital Marketing Consultant You Can Count On to Handle It All
Mike is a certified digital marketing consultant, engineer, and executive with over 30 years of success leading teams in North America and globally to develop and launch products and services and transform sales and commercial processes.
He founded Protellus to help small local businesses like Mondejar Paralegal break through from struggling with marketing to reaching their stride using a systemic approach to online marketing.
Operating from Toronto, he serves clients across Canada and the United States.
Reap the Rewards of a Marketing Breakthrough
We helped Jennifer achieve her marketing breakthrough and within 12 months she is -
- Entirely focused on clients. We effectively removed the concern and demands associated with marketing Jennifer's firm, allowing her to dedicate her time and effort to deliver the best representation for her clients.
- Pleasantly surprised. Jennifer was thrilled when she received the first lead from the site within one month of going live.
- Ranking organically. Jennifer's site appears at the top or on the first page for at least nine search terms. Her site is
- #1 position for branded search
- in coveted 3-pack for at least four targeted terms
- additionally, over 30 search terms are in the top 20 spots
- Turning away business. Between referrals and new leads, Jennifer receives a steady stream of clients and has reached the point where she now has to refer leads to other firms because she's at maximum capacity.
- Tripling revenue. After one year, Jennifer is on track to triple her income, with about 50% of business originating from her website and 50% from referrals.
- Enjoying an expanding ROI. Jennifer's site generates high quality leads with no money spent on paid advertising. Instead, we invested our effort in constructing a website that continues attracting traffic and converting leads organically.
- Upgrading her office. Jennifer just signed the lease on a new location where she's better able to serve her growing client base.
Are your ready for your internet marketing breakthrough made easy?
If you have a paralegal firm or other local consumer service, specialty retail or lifestyle business; you want to grow, and you're uncertain how best to proceed, let us help you achieve a marketing breakthrough like we helped Jennifer.
Schedule a free, website audit and discovery session today! We'll identify what's holding you back online and recommend actions you can take for the most significant impact.
Protellus provides complete online marketing solutions to help small businesses leap from struggle to stride.
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