June 20, 2024 (LOS ANGELES) – With online access at our fingertips, are law firms keeping up with online leads? Annual research from Hennessey Digital, the leading digital marketing agency specializing in law firm SEO, reveals that 27% of U.S. law firms do not respond to online leads, while the 73% that do are doing so in record time.
Conducted with a mystery-shopper approach, Hennessey Digital’s Lead Form Response Time Study provides an industry benchmark through the analysis of the response times to online leads of nearly 1,400 law firms. The report details the shift in lead form responsiveness over the last four years, identifies the fastest and slowest-responding cities in the U.S, and highlights trends in law firm websites.
The agency also publishes a list of the fastest-responding firms and issues Response Time awards, recognizing law firms who respond in under 20 minutes. This year, nearly 400 law firms are being recognized for their excellence in lead form responsiveness. See who made the list.
“The legal industry is known for being a highly competitive market. We publish this research to equip lawyers with critical insights into the efficacy of online leads and responses, and empower them with knowledge about innovations and trends that impact online engagement with prospective clients,” said Hennessey Digital CEO and Founder Jason Hennessey.
Key Findings:
- Fifty-six percent of law firms are slow to respond – or don’t respond at all: 29% take more than 30 minutes to respond, while 27% of law firms do not respond to online leads. Not only is this key in standing out in communities they serve, law firms are missing substantial opportunities for new cases. It also exposes a critical gap in the ability to accurately measure the effectiveness of a firm’s digital marketing.
- Increase over four years in law firm response rates: 73% of law firms respond to online leads. There is no change in response rates compared to 2023, however this marks a significant 14% increase in law firms responding to online leads since 2021 when the agency began measuring online lead performance across the legal industry.
- Accelerated response times: The median response time to online leads has decreased to 13 minutes in 2024, down from 20 minutes in 2023. Notably, 28% of firms now respond in under 5 minutes, a dramatic rise from 18% in 2023.
- Personalization is prevalent – and important: 93% of email responses to online leads have a personal touch. According to Hennessey Digital analysts, adoption of AI-supported tools, improvement in email automation technology, and continued value placed on human authenticity and interaction are likely factors driving this trend.
- The future of text messaging is here: Ever imagine texting with your lawyer? Text messaging features are now present on 10% of law firm websites, indicating a growing trend towards real-time engagement.
Hennessey, whose innovative idea for the study that has become an anticipated report in the industry, notes the data emphasizes the importance of swift engagement in converting leads into clients, and measuring the ROI of law firm digital marketing.
| Fastest-Responding Cities | Slowest-Responding Cities | ||
| Cleveland, OH | 0 min | Charlotte, NC | 106 min |
| Little Rock, AR | 1 min | Norfolk, VA | 104 min |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 1 min | Syracuse, NY | 68 min |
| Savannah, GA | 1 min | Portland, OR | 66 min |
| Raleigh, NC | 2 min | Boston, MA | 49 min |
| *Reflects median response time in markets with five or more law firms responding to online leads. The full list of the top 10 fastest- and slowest-responding cities is available on hennessey.com. | |||
“Our findings show that law firms who prioritize fast and effective responses to online leads are in the best position to maximize their digital marketing investments and dominate their market,” said Hennessey. “The trends towards faster response times, personalized communication, and advanced website translation tools like HD Translate, reflect our commitment to helping law firms achieve greater success in a competitive market.”
For the second consecutive year, 35% of law firm websites feature Spanish or multi-language translation options. This number is expected to increase with the introduction of HD Translate, a cutting-edge, AI-powered website translation tool developed in-house by the engineers at Hennessey Digital. HD Translate is designed with search engine optimization and search engine rankings in mind. It not only makes it easier for companies to have a website accessible to website visitors in their native language, but boosts law firm SEO by publishing pages that are indexed by Google and appear in search results in that native language.
Teaming up as a sponsor of the study is Legal Conversion Center, a full-service legal intake provider for law firms that provides tailored solutions and improves lead conversion rates.
Check out the full report on hennessey.com, including the full list of fastest- and slowest-responding cities, fastest-responding law firms, and tips for increasing online leads and improving the intake process for law firms.
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About Hennessey Digital:
Founded in 2015 by internationally-recognized entrepreneur and best-selling author Jason Hennessey, Hennessey Digital is a multi-award winning digital marketing agency for top law firms and other industries. Specializing in technical SEO, content marketing, SEO for lawyers, paid media, pay-per-click advertising (PPC), conversion rate optimization (CRO), and website development, Hennessey Digital helps clients get more qualified leads and high-value cases through holistic marketing strategies and innovation in marketing technology. Hennessey Digital is an all-remote company that has received nods from the US Agency Awards and the US Search Awards, as well as The Financial Times list as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Americas. It’s been honored on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America for five consecutive years, and is a 2x recipient of the Quartz Best Company for Remote Workers honors.
For more information, contact:
Cindy Kerber Spellman, [email protected].
