3 Reasons Your Law Firm Needs Legal Appointment Booking and Scheduling Software

Increase your law firm's conversion rate from lead to client

Your receptionist is only present at your firm during business hours. Legal appointment booking and scheduling software can be available on your firm's website, Facebook Page and email signature 24x7.

Research shows that many online appointments are scheduled outside of business hours for the following day. In fact, many law firms that use contact forms (and even non-human 'chatbots') on their websites have low conversion rates because contact forms don't generate the instant response clients expect when booking an appointment with an attorney online.

This is especially the case if they are trying to see you the following day. The same goes for phone messages left outside of business hours: they must be checked the next morning by your support staff, by which time there is hardly a chance to schedule any same-day appointments.

Some clients are less likely to engage with your firm if they can't book appointments online; this is particularly true of the millennial demographic, who are more likely to book appointments online if given the opportunity and for whom to book an appointment online is preferred to telephoning the firm. Legal appointment booking and scheduling software captures these potentially lost bookings and increases your overall conversion rate.

Reduce cancellations and no-shows

Cancellations and no-shows are a costly affair for law firms. Research shows that online booking and scheduling systems reduce non-attendance rates common with traditional booking methods through regular reminders sent directly to clients' smartphones and email addresses.

This is effective because your clients will be regularly checking their smartphones throughout the day, so the chance of them not seeing your appointment reminder is unlikely.

This also means that if your clients do need to cancel, they can do so well ahead of time, quickly returning that appointment slot to the booking system for someone else to use.

Reminders sent via SMS (text messaging) and email are preferable contact methods for many clients, and studies reveal that many people prefer to minimize phone calls if they can utilize a digital interaction channel instead. The added benefit for your firm is that this method is much less time-consuming than reminder phone calls, which tie up your support staff from performing more productive (and valuable!) tasks to support firm growth.

Improve client experience for all client appointment bookings

Many clients often say it is difficult just getting in touch with their attorneys, let alone seeing them! When they can get in contact with the firm, there is a lot of back and forth, trying to find a suitable time for both parties.

For many clients, being able to book a service online is an important aspect of their experience with that business. If your firm doesn't provide the option, you risk turning clients away from your firm entirely, or otherwise blemishing their experience with you.

You lose nothing by offering multiple options for appointment booking, from traditional phone and walk-ins to an online booking and scheduling system – your clients will use the one they most prefer. For the digitally-savvy (an increasingly large group) an online booking and scheduling system simply offers them unparalleled convenience and ease. It also positions your firm as both client-centered.

Alongside an improved client experience, this puts you ahead of the competition and well-positioned for profitable growth.