Want to immediately upgrade your legal marketing strategy? Most people prefer electronic payment options – and most attorneys are on board with that shift now, too. In the 2020 Legal Trends Report by Clio, 73% of attorneys said that they used (or started using) online payment solutions. At least 96% said they wanted to continue accepting online payments after the pandemic ended.
Despite these numbers, consumers still don’t seem to realize that attorneys have easier payment methods. The same report found that only 40% of consumers believe that lawyers offer electronic payments at all.
If you’re not already promoting your payment options, now is the time. Consumers are making decisions based on their favorite payment methods, so offering greater flexibility can help you convert more prospects.
Best of all? It’s incredibly easy to include payment options in your legal marketing strategy.
4 Easy Steps to Showcase Your Payment Methods
Step 1: Create a dedicated payments or pricing page on your firm’s website.
Did you know that pricing and payment pages tend to be the most visited spots on websites? It’s good to be cautious when it comes to your firm’s pricing structure. But payment methods are a different story, and a surprising number of law firms don’t have any visible information on them.
All you have to do is add an online payment portal link or payment landing page to your site’s navigation bar. It’s not the only thing prospective clients will consider, but it might help get them in the door.
Step 2: Include payment methods in your call-to-action.
If your firm is already committed to a strong legal marketing strategy, it’s even easier to start promoting payment options in your PPC campaigns. As with advertising “free consultations” or “low-cost 30-minute sessions,” billing details that seem self-evident to attorneys can be really helpful information for clients.
Just be sure to include language like this in every call-to-action (CTA) on a form or web page:
- “We accept online payments via credit card, ACH, and payment plan.”
- “Now accepting flexible payments. Pay now or request an installment plan.”
- “We take electronic payments! Visit our payment page here.”
Step 3: Give your clients a payment link at every single touchpoint.
Online payment methods are appealing because they’re convenient. Increase that convenience by adding your online payment portal everywhere. That means including it on invoices, flyers, and any other communications so that the link will always be available. As a bonus: This can also help reduce your accounts receivable over time.
It’s a good idea to include your payment link(s) in all the following places:
- Invoices
- Emails
- Web pages
- Banners
- Table tents
- Flyers
Step 4: Offer alternative payment methods.
Want to really stand out from the competition? In the Clio Legal Trends Report, the data also showed that over 72% of consumers would rather pay their legal fees with a payment plan. It ranked 3rd in making attorneys seem “hireable,” and yet offering payment plans ranked as an extremely low priority for most lawyers.
We sent a short survey to clients of professional service firms in March 2021, to see if this data rang true for our users What we found is that 80% of respondents would prefer to use a structured payment plan for an emergency purchase, including unexpected legal expenses. And 95% would be more likely to use a provider that offered a payment plan.
Value-based payment structures are becoming more and more popular, even in the legal space. With QuickFee’s legal financing option, you can keep your clients happy without putting your firm at risk.
Ready to learn more about alternative payment methods? Contact us today to learn how we can help your practice grow!
