5 steps to digital leadership in legal services

The global legal digital landscape continues its remarkable transformation. The way in which your law firm operates, collaborates and delivers services to your clients will evolve in new and exciting ways, while remaining true to fundamental client-centric principles

With ground-breaking advancements in AI dominating the column inches, the winning law firms will do what the best have always done – place their clients front and centre of the experience they deliver.

Legal firms on the front foot will embrace this new era of innovation and digital disruption. They will harness the immense potential of available technology and enhance how they digitally engage with clients.

They will also gain speed in the development of integrated digital services and position themselves as far more than traditional legal advisors.

 You too can deliver value and cater to your clients’ ever-changing needs through relevant, engaging and integrated digital experiences that will generate more business and improve efficiency. 

This playbook will help answer a number of questions, including:

How to get the most out of the digital technology your firm uses?

How to get the most out of the digital technology your firm uses?

How to get the most out of the digital technology your firm uses?

How to get the most out of the digital technology your firm uses?

How to ensure your practice is getting the most value from its online presence?

How to ensure your practice is getting the most value from its online presence?

How to ensure your practice is getting the most value from its online presence?

How to ensure your practice is getting the most value from its online presence?

How to maximise the impact of content and SEO?

How to maximise the impact of content and SEO?

How to maximise the impact of content and SEO?

How to maximise the impact of content and SEO?

How to understand your potential clients' needs?

How to understand your potential clients' needs?

How to understand your potential clients' needs?

How to understand your potential clients' needs?

How the digital experience you deliver can provide the best results?

How the digital experience you deliver can provide the best results?

How the digital experience you deliver can provide the best results?

How the digital experience you deliver can provide the best results?

Read on to learn the steps you can take to achieve digital leadership in the exciting and evolving legal sector.

40%

of websites use personalisation or marketing automation

28%

of websites deliver intuitive user experiences

85%

is the average accessibility score across the sector

12%

of firms have an engaging landing page, 8% up from 2022

Living Group, 2023

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Justify your customer's attention

Justify your customer's attention

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Give reasons to engage and return

Give reasons to engage and return

Onboard with excellence

Onboard with excellence

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Serve with intelligence

Serve with intelligence

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Following a volatile and unpredictable few years, and with the spectre of a British and European recession looming, uncertainty continues with pressures on many fronts. In saying that, navigating the future successfully will still come down to the fundamentals of gaining trust through consistency, authenticity, and client-centricity.

The client will be at the heart of the experience

User-centric experiences pioneered in the B2C and B2B space have set elevated expectations whenever someone enters the digital realm to satisfy their needs, and legal services are no exception. 

Millennials have grown up and moved into decision-making positions. Gen Z has entered the workforce. And even though Gen X is still consumed by applications such as Facebook, if they are online, they have high expectations when it comes to digital.

 In the legal landscape, clients' expectations are shifting towards user-friendly and personalised experiences that cater almost magically to their individual needs. As an example, when clients search for "make a will" on Google and land on your website, they anticipate finding relevant and satisfying information related to their initial query, as well as ongoing support for their requirements.

Meeting these expectations with engaging and pertinent content is vital, as anything less might prompt them to return to search again for better options.

To thrive in this dynamic environment, it is crucial to comprehend how clients' objectives evolve and provide them with a seamless journey that fulfils their evolving needs.

The client will be at the heart of the experience

User-centric experiences pioneered in the B2C and B2B space have set elevated expectations whenever someone enters the digital realm to satisfy their needs, and legal services are no exception. 

Millennials have grown up and moved into decision-making positions. Gen Z has entered the workforce. And even though Gen X is still consumed by applications such as Facebook, if they are online, they have high expectations when it comes to digital.

 In the legal landscape, clients' expectations are shifting towards user-friendly and personalised experiences that cater almost magically to their individual needs. As an example, when clients search for "make a will" on Google and land on your website, they anticipate finding relevant and satisfying information related to their initial query, as well as ongoing support for their requirements.

Meeting these expectations with engaging and pertinent content is vital, as anything less might prompt them to return to search again for better options.

To thrive in this dynamic environment, it is crucial to comprehend how clients' objectives evolve and provide them with a seamless journey that fulfils their evolving needs.

The client will be at the heart of the experience

User-centric experiences pioneered in the B2C and B2B space have set elevated expectations whenever someone enters the digital realm to satisfy their needs, and legal services are no exception. 

Millennials have grown up and moved into decision-making positions. Gen Z has entered the workforce. And even though Gen X is still consumed by applications such as Facebook, if they are online, they have high expectations when it comes to digital.

 In the legal landscape, clients' expectations are shifting towards user-friendly and personalised experiences that cater almost magically to their individual needs. As an example, when clients search for "make a will" on Google and land on your website, they anticipate finding relevant and satisfying information related to their initial query, as well as ongoing support for their requirements.

Meeting these expectations with engaging and pertinent content is vital, as anything less might prompt them to return to search again for better options.

To thrive in this dynamic environment, it is crucial to comprehend how clients' objectives evolve and provide them with a seamless journey that fulfils their evolving needs.

Adapting to cultural and shifting mindset

Evolution and survival of the fittest are not the same thing. Evolution refers to cumulative changes through time, driven by those who are better adapted to the environment and gain an advantage over those who are not. In today’s business environment, if you do not evolve, commercially and culturally, you will not succeed.

But what do you need to evolve? To initiate a successful transformation, you must embrace flexibility and foster a culture of continuous innovation. As legal operating models undergo significant changes, propelled by the emergence of new Legal Practice Management Software, it becomes essential to instil agility and technological proficiency among staff to fuel innovation.

Without overcoming inherent apprehension and risk-aversion within the legal industry, there is little bandwidth for innovation to flourish. A profound mindset shift across the organisation is paramount. Alignment among all stakeholders is crucial, with a clear focus on generating value for the client as the driving force behind the change. Executives must act as advocates, fostering trust and nurturing a sense of psychological safety.

Upskilling and reskilling play a central role in this journey. As does recognising that change does not occur overnight.

It is essential to offer employees opportunities to learn skills beyond those traditionally taught. A dedicated change management team and a well-communicated plan, will be instrumental in guiding your firm through this transition toward success.

Adapting to cultural and shifting mindset

Evolution and survival of the fittest are not the same thing. Evolution refers to cumulative changes through time, driven by those who are better adapted to the environment and gain an advantage over those who are not. In today’s business environment, if you do not evolve, commercially and culturally, you will not succeed.

But what do you need to evolve? To initiate a successful transformation, you must embrace flexibility and foster a culture of continuous innovation. As legal operating models undergo significant changes, propelled by the emergence of new Legal Practice Management Software, it becomes essential to instil agility and technological proficiency among staff to fuel innovation.

Without overcoming inherent apprehension and risk-aversion within the legal industry, there is little bandwidth for innovation to flourish. A profound mindset shift across the organisation is paramount. Alignment among all stakeholders is crucial, with a clear focus on generating value for the client as the driving force behind the change. Executives must act as advocates, fostering trust and nurturing a sense of psychological safety.

Upskilling and reskilling play a central role in this journey. As does recognising that change does not occur overnight.

It is essential to offer employees opportunities to learn skills beyond those traditionally taught. A dedicated change management team and a well-communicated plan, will be instrumental in guiding your firm through this transition toward success.

Adapting to cultural and shifting mindset

Evolution and survival of the fittest are not the same thing. Evolution refers to cumulative changes through time, driven by those who are better adapted to the environment and gain an advantage over those who are not. In today’s business environment, if you do not evolve, commercially and culturally, you will not succeed.

But what do you need to evolve? To initiate a successful transformation, you must embrace flexibility and foster a culture of continuous innovation. As legal operating models undergo significant changes, propelled by the emergence of new Legal Practice Management Software, it becomes essential to instil agility and technological proficiency among staff to fuel innovation.

Without overcoming inherent apprehension and risk-aversion within the legal industry, there is little bandwidth for innovation to flourish. A profound mindset shift across the organisation is paramount. Alignment among all stakeholders is crucial, with a clear focus on generating value for the client as the driving force behind the change. Executives must act as advocates, fostering trust and nurturing a sense of psychological safety.

Upskilling and reskilling play a central role in this journey. As does recognising that change does not occur overnight.

It is essential to offer employees opportunities to learn skills beyond those traditionally taught. A dedicated change management team and a well-communicated plan, will be instrumental in guiding your firm through this transition toward success.

Composable technology architecture

A composable technology architecture is becoming the industry standard foundation for delivering engaging digital experiences. A significant amount of our legal clients approach us in the same state; grappling with a plethora of legacy technologies that are challenging to manage and maintain, which ultimately have a negative impact on the client experiences they deliver.

The emergence of Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) based on a composable architecture and using modern integration techniques are providing a transformative solution. These employ an API-first approach to integration that improves flexibility and scalability, decoupling the front-end presentation layer from the supporting architecture in what is known as a ‘headless’ configuration.

Composable technology architecture

A composable technology architecture is becoming the industry standard foundation for delivering engaging digital experiences. A significant amount of our legal clients approach us in the same state; grappling with a plethora of legacy technologies that are challenging to manage and maintain, which ultimately have a negative impact on the client experiences they deliver.

The emergence of Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) based on a composable architecture and using modern integration techniques are providing a transformative solution. These employ an API-first approach to integration that improves flexibility and scalability, decoupling the front-end presentation layer from the supporting architecture in what is known as a ‘headless’ configuration.

Composable technology architecture

A composable technology architecture is becoming the industry standard foundation for delivering engaging digital experiences. A significant amount of our legal clients approach us in the same state; grappling with a plethora of legacy technologies that are challenging to manage and maintain, which ultimately have a negative impact on the client experiences they deliver.

The emergence of Digital Experience Platforms (DXP) based on a composable architecture and using modern integration techniques are providing a transformative solution. These employ an API-first approach to integration that improves flexibility and scalability, decoupling the front-end presentation layer from the supporting architecture in what is known as a ‘headless’ configuration.

Respectful and accurate utilisation of data

Prioritising trust and security throughout the client journey are paramount. It is important to communicate this through accurate and transparent documentation and assurances regarding data usage. As legal firms utilise more comprehensive data gathering tools, effective communication of key metrics and insight between data teams and the rest of the organisation becomes imperative.

Data will remain integral to web performance and data teams play a pivotal role in leveraging the analytics they are collecting from websites and virtual ecosystems to enhance other business processes (such as sales, procurement, contracts processed, client billing and online payments).

Data aligned with user journeys provides clear actionable insights that can be used to reduce bounce rates and identify valuable trigger points. This enables legal firms to make calculated investments into enhancing digital experiences and improving metrics that truly matter. Hence, relevant legal professionals will need to get analytically savvy to generate these strategic insights. While Google Analytics is a renowned tool, noteworthy competitors exist that are increasingly placing privacy concerns front and centre.

Respectful and accurate utilisation of data

Prioritising trust and security throughout the client journey are paramount. It is important to communicate this through accurate and transparent documentation and assurances regarding data usage. As legal firms utilise more comprehensive data gathering tools, effective communication of key metrics and insight between data teams and the rest of the organisation becomes imperative.

Data will remain integral to web performance and data teams play a pivotal role in leveraging the analytics they are collecting from websites and virtual ecosystems to enhance other business processes (such as sales, procurement, contracts processed, client billing and online payments).

Data aligned with user journeys provides clear actionable insights that can be used to reduce bounce rates and identify valuable trigger points. This enables legal firms to make calculated investments into enhancing digital experiences and improving metrics that truly matter. Hence, relevant legal professionals will need to get analytically savvy to generate these strategic insights. While Google Analytics is a renowned tool, noteworthy competitors exist that are increasingly placing privacy concerns front and centre.

Respectful and accurate utilisation of data

Prioritising trust and security throughout the client journey are paramount. It is important to communicate this through accurate and transparent documentation and assurances regarding data usage. As legal firms utilise more comprehensive data gathering tools, effective communication of key metrics and insight between data teams and the rest of the organisation becomes imperative.

Data will remain integral to web performance and data teams play a pivotal role in leveraging the analytics they are collecting from websites and virtual ecosystems to enhance other business processes (such as sales, procurement, contracts processed, client billing and online payments).

Data aligned with user journeys provides clear actionable insights that can be used to reduce bounce rates and identify valuable trigger points. This enables legal firms to make calculated investments into enhancing digital experiences and improving metrics that truly matter. Hence, relevant legal professionals will need to get analytically savvy to generate these strategic insights. While Google Analytics is a renowned tool, noteworthy competitors exist that are increasingly placing privacy concerns front and centre.

Increasing automation

It is all about generating value for the client. The mission of the legal firms’ website should reside in generating a seamless experience for the client, while enabling business growth and optimal operational performance.

Looking ahead, many legal processes will be made available for self-service. The legal industry, not alone in its entrenched resistance to change, has seen the recent pandemic act as a catalyst for digital transformation. Furthermore, the latest phase of the AI revolution clearly has the potential to transform the way firms handle task and matter management.

While AI does not provide extensive legal advice, it is proven to add value for internal teams helping to resolve enquiries on specific issues, subject to human validation. This saves time, creating efficiency gains and optimisation enabling legal teams to focus on adding more value.

Nonetheless, the legal industry may have been slower to embrace technology than other sectors given its natural bias towards the apparent value and billability of the human touch.

Increasing automation

It is all about generating value for the client. The mission of the legal firms’ website should reside in generating a seamless experience for the client, while enabling business growth and optimal operational performance.

Looking ahead, many legal processes will be made available for self-service. The legal industry, not alone in its entrenched resistance to change, has seen the recent pandemic act as a catalyst for digital transformation. Furthermore, the latest phase of the AI revolution clearly has the potential to transform the way firms handle task and matter management.

While AI does not provide extensive legal advice, it is proven to add value for internal teams helping to resolve enquiries on specific issues, subject to human validation. This saves time, creating efficiency gains and optimisation enabling legal teams to focus on adding more value.

Nonetheless, the legal industry may have been slower to embrace technology than other sectors given its natural bias towards the apparent value and billability of the human touch.

Increasing automation

It is all about generating value for the client. The mission of the legal firms’ website should reside in generating a seamless experience for the client, while enabling business growth and optimal operational performance.

Looking ahead, many legal processes will be made available for self-service. The legal industry, not alone in its entrenched resistance to change, has seen the recent pandemic act as a catalyst for digital transformation. Furthermore, the latest phase of the AI revolution clearly has the potential to transform the way firms handle task and matter management.

While AI does not provide extensive legal advice, it is proven to add value for internal teams helping to resolve enquiries on specific issues, subject to human validation. This saves time, creating efficiency gains and optimisation enabling legal teams to focus on adding more value.

Nonetheless, the legal industry may have been slower to embrace technology than other sectors given its natural bias towards the apparent value and billability of the human touch.

Get in the mind of the client

Collage image visualising the mind
Collage image visualising the mind

What will be the trigger that leads the client to need you?​ 

It is important to understand where your clients begin their journey when searching for legal services. A chance event (an accident), a change in circumstances (marriage, divorce, a new level of income), a business decision (like buying or selling a company), or maybe it’s time to get a company’s legal affairs in order?

This behavioural understanding is what you can leverage to turn intent into consideration and action. You must consider the individual client profiles you wish to target. You must implement a digital content governance framework to set clear guidance on how to get the right result for them.

Navigation towards the website could start from a Google search, be triggered by a marketing email or social media post, the latest related news page, or an important update. Website traffic is a measure of success at this stage, and you can use this trigger to identify your audience’s 'legal enquiry digital footprint.'

Consider the relevant potential first steps for profiling your main visitors and curate a client journey that is directly aligned with their needs, their intent to learn, and relevant content.

Actions you can take

collage showing progress

Decide who your key client profiles are; every website should cater to a visitor or client type. These are personas, fictional characters that represent specific target clients or other visitor types. The number of personas you need depends on the legal services you offer and/or the services you wish to target.

To begin, start with one persona and consider their search intentions, goals in their role, the needs to be served, potential frustrations, and examine any influencing forces. A one-size-fits-all client approach is not effective, and creating multiple personas is a good practice to identify client segments (within reason).

Building these personas can help curate persona parameters in which you are able to track and engage target audiences and establish a better understanding of your value proposition.

Successful law firms have shown to prioritise website content and tailored interfaces for their defined clients, showcasing a deeper acknowledgement aligned with their clients' legal issues, and demonstrating their ability to help clients succeed.

 

Engage with actual clients to test and validate your persona assumptions. User research, even with limited scope, can provide real-time insights into visitor behaviour and articulate critical feedback that you can utilise.

Applied in user interviews, research activities may include user journey mapping and behavioural analysis techniques, such as eye-tracking of user interface interactions, interview responses, and facial expressions. Each interview outline and engagement technique should reflect the persona type. It is essential to look beyond both existing and known target personas to potential clients for firms in growth stages as well.

This curated approach to user research can reward law firms with a prioritised and relevant series of problem statements. The objective is to observe and test user experiences of key user journeys on the website to identify opportunities for enhancements in design, messaging and functionality, turning pain points into opportunities supported by validated business cases. This practice is better known as user-centred design.

 

Measure how this engagement can be translated into actionable insights and information-rich data sources. The usual web metrics of visits and bounce rate are key but used in the context of the specific visitor and their initial journey. Filtering the results per persona or defining new personas can further aid understanding of the client experience.

Metrics from user testing, such as System Usability Scores (SUS) and Single Ease Questions (SEQ), can provide a proxy measure of the overall usability of the website. They allow you to compare which modules of the interface accrue the most pain points or difficulties and provide a clear indication of client attitudes towards the experience.

You can generate data-based problem definition hypotheses to start creating business-justified requirements for the next phase. This is an iterative, client-centric process, which through continuous monitoring can be enhanced over time as personas evolve and react to changes in circumstances.

Winner’s circle: Baker Mackenzie, a trailblazer in client-centric digital leadership 

Baker McKenzie is a pioneer of a client-centric and insight-driven approach to digital strategy and intelligence. Through its clear and integrated social media strategy, the firm has achieved remarkable growth in its follower count, particularly on LinkedIn. Their social media efforts have significantly amplified the volume of trigger points leading to increased website navigation. 

Operating within an extensive field of law, they have demonstrated relevance and market reactivity in case study content. Within hours of a headline, they are swift to develop and push engaging and relevant content. This approach has earned them praise for connecting their content and social media pipeline, underpinned by their extensive understanding of the client journey, allowing them to tailor messaging and content across channels. 

The firm’s regular activity on social media conveys its leadership and expertise within the given field, instilling a sense of trust and influence amongst its audience who follow and engage with content.  

Additionally, Baker McKenzie showcases their accomplishments and updates the firm’s related legal talent at every opportunity, effectively communicating the exceptional quality of their lawyers and their culture. Through engagement, users can build relationships and connect to the legal team. Their approach has not only enhanced their digital presence but also solidified their reputation as a trusted and influential force within the legal industry.

Justify your client’s attention

collage image of lady pointing upwards
collage image of lady pointing upwards

Read on and learn the steps to digital leadership