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(CN) — For many smaller law firms and solo practitioners, just as for hotels, restaurants and other consumer-focused businesses, online reviews are one of the most important ways to get customers in the door.
And like those other businesses, lawyers dread the 1-star Google review by a disgruntled client that can put a dent in their business.
Since Google searches and reviews are the first step that many people will take in their search for a new car, a mover, or a lawyer, managing online reviews — and removing negative ones — has become big business and the internet is awash with companies offering these services.
One such provider that has gotten the thumbs-up from CalBar Connect, a nonprofit that offers California lawyers state bar-sponsored insurance products and other resources, is Kenect. The Utah-based tech company offers a text-messaging platform for lawyers and other businesses to connect more efficiently with clients, get leads from their websites, collect payments and, yes, generate and manage online reviews.
“Google reviews is a big part of how Kenect really upgrades the average law firm,” Kenect’s Cameron Jarvis said at a CalBar connect webinar this week. “They are of course the primary method for clients to share feedback about businesses.”
Since Google doesn’t verify whether someone posting a star rating and review is an actual client, anyone can leave a bad review, according to Jarvis, leaving it up to the law firm to prove that a reviewer isn’t an actual client. Given that Google reviews are today’s “word-of-mouth,” potential clients are likely to disqualify a firm if their rating average is below four stars, he said.
Moreover, Google stacks search results based on the quality and the quantity of ratings and reviews, Jarvis said.
“One negative review can cost you as many as 30 clients, which is quite a big deal,” he said.
To address this issue, Kenect offers a dispute management feature on its platform. Among the reasons why a negative review can be removed from a Google profile are conflicts of interest by the person posting it, who could for example be a disgruntled former employee or someone on the opposite side in a lawsuit, Jarvis said.
It also can happen that someone has their entire family leave negative reviews, he added, or that a negative review is off-topic or simply spam.
When negative reviews fit these disputable criteria, Kenect helps its customers to get them removed through a dedicated team that works closely with Google and knows its dispute process. The company boasts that it can remove 55% of a law firm’s negative reviews.
In addition, the company’s text-based platform has a streamlined function to get clients to leave positive reviews, which utilizes the fact that people are much more likely to open and read a text message than an email asking for a review, and which can boosts a lawyer’s overall star rating.
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