New Website for Real Estate and Bankrupcty Law Firm

The Law Offices of Nathan Erlich recently launched their new site.  The attorneys in his office focus on Real Estate, Business and Bankruptcy.   They have locations in Forest Hills, Flushing, Nassau County and Manhattan, so it’s convenient for anyone (in New York, that is)

 Nathan has a deep international business background. He is from Australia, went to school in London and the US.  He was an attorney for one of the largest business and real estate law firms in Australia, before venturing to the US.

            His beautiful website describes his personal and effective practice.  It also features a great video of Nathan describing what they do for their clients.  The video truly conveys Nathan’s sincerity and passion for being an attorney.  It even has a little humor in it!

Foley, Griffin, Jacobson, and Faria's DWI and Personal Injury Video

Video on the web increases in popularity daily. When dealing with important services like personal injury law or finding the best DWI attorney for your needs, seeing how a professional speaks and moves is a big factor. Many attorneys have subtle differences and web videos let let the public see them.

Foley Griffin Jacobson and Faria created a new attorney video to display their personalities to potential clients. The Studio Shot 1 was filmed by the teams at FindLaw and distributed throughout the web. The documentary style web video is candid and not the typical “In-your-face-peronsal-injury-tv-commercial” that gives attorney marketing a bad name. Tom Foley, Jay Jacobson, and Brian Griffin portray who they are and how the firm helps those in legal need. The video gives the New York Lawyers more visibility but also eases the important decision of choosing the best advocates in a bad situation.

New Attorney Site addresses the rise in Foreclosures

With the rise in foreclosures comes the increased need for legal assistance. Homeowners on the brink also need someone to propose multiple solutions to the pinch of plummeting home value ARM s and exotic loans. Ardito and Ardito take their real estate experience and help the people of New York City and Long Island look for to prevent foreclosure and find suitable alternatives, such as short sales, forbearance agreements, bankruptcy, and reinstatements of the loans. Their new site displays what the lawyers in their firm can do to those encircled in the unfortunate process of losing their home.
The firm also takes preventative measures advising first time homebuyers through the steps into what could be their largest and most important investment
They also avail their services to home owners and buyers speaking Spanish and Italian providing this valuable assistance to those surrounding their Nassau County and Brooklyn offices.

Finding a professional: My experience

I work out and eat well and do not like doctors. I have had a lot of bad experiences. Not necessarily because of bad MD s but because of situations. Regardless the situations linger in my subconscious so I am finicky about going to a doctor.
Today I decided I wanted to find a primary care physician and started researching. My insurance company had recommendations. Friends gave me referrals. I still went to WebMD and did a Google search. Even when I found a couple of candidates I researched them further on the internet. The few doctors that did have websites became my short list of possibilities. In the end I chose a doctor that had some good background information, a narrative AND a picture. This was not a conscious decision nor really had to do anything with my professional background. I asked myself “Self, Why did you do this?”
I realized that once I entered the office I was going to be committed. It is difficult to change doctors, especially if something is wrong. There is more research, transferring files, developing a new relationship, etc. If this was the wrong doctor it is a process to change.
Also I wanted to limit my surprises. Due to the confidential nature, I wanted to make things run as smoothly as possible. I wanted to know ahead of time where this person was coming from that was going to be asking me tough, invasive questions. I wanted to know what the doctor would look like that I was going let see me at my most vulnerable.
Why do I discuss this? You know attorney client privilege is a parallel to doctor patient disclosure if not even more personal. Now realize that I work helping portray attorneys in their best light everyday and still was wooed by all of the factors I use to gain my clients new business. If it’s that powerful to me, how powerful is it to someone that is a basic user of the internet?
I have already decided I like this doctor. The “feeling out” period is shorter. The chances of me finding alternatives less and bringing new patients higher. This is why I stress a working hard to be found. This is why I tell you it is necessary to write a narrative, put up photographs and be personal.
I originally found the doctor through my Insurance Website, but did the research on Google. If asked where I found her, I would say that. Most would not. This is why I say ask pointed questions. Get your message out there. If you do not, the attorney that does will be the one getting the new clients.

Add Content to keep your site charged!

Adding Content

The content on your website is truly the engine. It drives sites like Google and Yahoo to rank your page higher. Well written, niched, keyword rich content helps the pages show up for more searches. It matches you with potential clients to answer their questions. It not only provides information to them but also helps convince them you are experts.

New content makes your site seem live to search engines such as Google. When they go to index your site and new content is found, your rank can increase. Since the programs that read websites, called spiders or crawlers, only register the “Freshness” of the content on your site by when it was added to your site.

Generally the more often a site is updated, the more often it is indexed. Although by no means scientific method, I watch several sites as well as search results and then do Google searches to track indexing.

Logically, it makes sense for a search engine to rank newer information higher. If you search the web for specs on the new Apple computer or news about a plane crash, you do not want even the best article from 1994 or even 2004. You want the best article from today.

What does this mean for an attorney’s website? Add content and do it often. Very rarely, especially if you do it on a new page, will content dilute your site. I will make sure to tell if it does not fit. By doing this your site will actually be fresh and often ranked higher. Optimized content on a variety of subjects within your practice area will make your site and therefore your firm, seem more like the expert.

The more specific problems you address, the better the chance of speaking to a specific search. If you are found for a precise type of event, a specific type of cancer misdiagnosis, a certain type of lease or a complex estate situation, and have content directly relating to that, think what that means to the person reading it. “This lawyer really knows what I am going through”

How do you add more content? What should I add?

Add a page that lets you address hot topics. Greenblatt and Agulnick are addressing the issues of the real estate financing and foreclosure crisis and helping homeowners save their homes by adding new content on mortgage modifications. This fits perfectly within their niche as Real Estate and Insurance Attorneys.

Add Cases of Interest. I know if you have ever spoken to me as a client, potential client or a passer by I have spoken to you about cases of interest. These not only do all of the above mentioned benefits. These show your firms experience as well, in a tangible way. Do not feel like you have to have a large list or big numbers. Just have specific events that really stand out. Large numbers are eyecatching, but the intelligent client is more likely going to hire someone with specific experience. David Pollack, just updated his medical malpractice cases of interest, to give you an example of a great way to do it.

Add Articles you authored Once again, David Pollack is a great example. He added an article of how he uses technology to win trials. This adds a lot of content, increases his position as and expert, increases his value as a client and also personalizes David’s practice.

Subdivide your practice areas The more specific the better. By doing this you are carving out the niche for your firm. Think of all of the type of product liability, all of the individual types of medical malpractice, all of the aspects of criminal law. Each one of these can be a page. Grunwald and Seman did this to get in depth with the many aspects of DWI cases on Long Island

Add A Blog Like this you are reading now, a web log (blog or blawg) is an easy way to comment on current events while adding content and a personal touch. Paul Cutrone’s Medical Malpractice Blog shows how it’s done properly. It does take discipline to fully utilize it, but it can be a worthwhile habit. Feel free to ask me more about it.

Keep thinking of what makes you special, the types of client’s you want and the cases that should be filling your time. Translate this into content on your site as soon as possible to make your goals reality.

NYSTLA and FindLaw launch a new portal together!

For several year, FindLaw has partnered with the New York State Trial Lawyers Association to help their firms grow through a web presence. Now the partnership has spawned its own site to further assist the members of the NYSTLA expand their practice. At the site you can explore member benefits, stories,

and FindLaw sites like Long Island Lawyers Grunwald and Seman's Criminal Defense and DWI website.

Check the new site out here.

Internet video quickly becomes a tool for attorneys!

If you have not noticed video is integral part of the web now, not just lurking the dark corners. As always there were false starts but now with the wide spread availability of high speed internet, almost anyone surfing the web can see view live action.

A majority of this is due to the widespread use of viral video, YouTube.com and Google’s subsequent $2,000,000,000 purchase of the video hosting site. Now Google is making sure video shows up in the “organic” results (the results that are not paid for and are based on algorithms of indexed sites).

There are many benefits as well as a few pitfalls to having a video on the web. Now, in the age of Youtube.com and broadband video, I believe the advantages not only outweigh the pitfalls, but also a properly designed AND optimized video can give your firm an edge in every step of your business growth in the 21^st century.

So, what does video mean to you, your firm and your online visibility?

• Your legal website video shows up in search results. It can show up independently or attached to the corresponding practice area. Extensive research shows that the eyes are drawn immediately to a video image regardless of where it is in the results. This means even if you are not in the top five results , there is a much higher chance of your site being selected
• A properly designed video can add one more layer of familiarity, not only increasing the chances of your firm being hired but also easing the relations with the client from the start
• Because of lower cost and selection of topic, you can have a broad variety of video. You can have a personal injury piece, a criminal piece and a family piece for less than the cost of a 30 second commercial
• Your desired audience is captured. Your video does not have to draw attention; it can be more about communicating a message. In other words it does not have to be as much of a “commercial” as a documentary about your law practice and its strengths
• A video that has the proper internet optimization can move your site higher in search results.
• A live action shot can hold attention for longer as well as better direct your message
• A site with live action adds a further air of expertise as well as further seeding your name. A well designed video message can stick better increasing the chance of being called down the road as well.
• In short Video helps you to be seen and remembered!

Although video on the web is not new, it is still emerging. Many of the benefits still are to be realized. Some of the potential advantages of early adoption are complicated. Many are trying to get in the game. Some have a good plan, some have a great plan and as always there are companies that have no plan at all. There are questions to ask about a video producer on the web.

There are technical questions:

• Do they have credentials?
• Do they have professional editing experience??
• Do they have experience creating video on the web?
• Is the player imbedded in the site?
• Does the player come up separate from the site?
• What type of video quality is available?
• Is the video distributed on the web? Where?
• Is the video optimized on its own?
• Is there speech to text optimization?

There are content questions as well.

• Does the video producer understand attorney marketing?
• Do they write a script for you?
• Do they understand the image you are trying to portray?
• How are they targeting YOUR audience?
• Does the video producer understand your message?

The problem is video is inconsistent in search results and even the short discussion above probably seems intimidating to most. Taking advantage of this new wave can give you not only an advantage in marketing as well as a high return on your investment because of increased conversion. As for understanding the changes, that is why you have me as your New York FindLaw consultant. Feel free to ask me any questions regarding video on the web and on your site.

Long Island Elder Law Trial Attorneys new custom site is up.

The Suffolk County law firm of Black and Black launched their custom site. The team did a fantastic job writing it and giving it a great design throughout. The firm focuses on Guardianship and Estate Litigation. They are skilled in fighting for their clients in complicated disputes such as Estate Fraud and in related areas such as Medicaid planning. Siblings Edwin and Bronwyn Black partnered as elder law and estate lawyers in1991. Since then their brother, Gregory has joined as another litigation attorney.

The internet surpasses FAMILY as main source of advice!!

Many of you who have successful websites already know this but a recent survey by the independent researcher, Pew Internet, confirms it.
"For help with a variety of common problems, more people turn to the Internet than consult experts or family members to provide information and resources."


The Internet is easier to access, comes up with a variety of solutions and won't tell everyone about your problem. (At least that is the general idea). It is not just advertising but a fountain of information that can be tapped into anytime. No, it is not always accurate nor perfect, but many deem it that way and the study further proves that traditional referrals are quickly falling behind the 21st century digital ones.

What does this mean to attorneys?
A wider audience. You can draw on larger areas.

Practice specificity. People do not need to one stop shop and can really search for someone that fill their legal needs in a complete but precise fashion.

The little guys can compete with the big guys. No one can tell how big you are by your site, and you can portray yourself in a appropriate fashion.

Constant vigilance is necessary. Even if directly referred, more and more people are going to input your firm into a search engine and you NEED to know what your image is and what information is out there. You may be the best, most experienced, nicest, hardest working attorney in the tri state region, but without a web presence, you might as well not exist in many peoples eyes.

Even fresh out of law school, a attorney at the top many searches with an effective website will be deemed expert to the many unitiated in the legal system.