There’s always something to howl about.

The Guy With the Website

Since October 2009 – roughly 8 months ago – my website – www.chetson.com – has brought in just over $200,000 in business. Quite a lot of this business I’ve referred out. But in referring it out, I’ve made clear to the receiving lawyers that I’d like to learn from them, would approach them with questions from time to time, have them review briefs etc. I try not to be presumptuous or demanding. Right now I’m in the business of learning the law and building a reputation as a smart, helpful, and good criminal lawyer.

This has worked out well, to the extent that by the time the year’s over I’ll probably have had at least two jury trials. I’ve gotten to interact with some of the top lawyers in town. One guy – a fantastic lawyer – has taken to calling me, half-jokingly, a “cash cow” and whenever I show up at his door, unless he’s with a client, he’s happy to help. I’ve gotten a ton more experience than I ever could had I simply been an associate in a law firm. By operating as my own law firm, and by bringing things to the table, I’ve been able to present myself more as a “peer” with lawyers whom I respect.

To be honest, I could make a decent living by just doing the web work for other lawyers, but my goal has always been to become a great lawyer, and so this doesn’t interest me much.

Here’s how I’ve done it: focusing relentlessly on clear and cogent content, taking advantage of all the tools that Google – Google Local/Place, Google AdWords (for a time), Google Analytics to measure, and Google Webmaster – has to offer to promote my business, by building links to the website, and by offering a good service that people are happy to write reviews about following the conclusion of their cases.

By trading on things I already know – how to build a promote a website that will bring in business – I’ve been able to make headway quickly in learning the law and in getting real-world legal experience.

This has been cause for some jealousy as the guy “with the website”, which I’ve been careful to guard against. Basically my motto is: I’m not here to take business from anyone. I’m here to help people grow their businesses and, if they treat me fairly and honestly, refer business as I get business I can’t handle or can’t take.

I’m also transparent about my process. I tell lawyers who ask me exactly how to build a website. I tell clients who hire me exactly what they can expect from my services. I do this because I’m ultimately building a reputation and brand that will pay off in the future. I also am happy to tell lawyers how to build their businesses because I know it falls on deaf ears. In other words, the problem isn’t how to build a website that’s like mine. The problem is building a website that performs well and, importantly, is part of the entire client experience. If you have a great website, but offer a mediocre experience, the website will not perform. Knowing that most people won’t follow-through, I’m happy to give as much advice as they want. In addition, I’m happy to give advice to people WILL follow-through because those are just the kinds of colleagues I want in the legal community.