One thing worth adding…I’m an independent Internet marketing consultant and if my client required the level of support that Brea is getting here it would cost well into the thousands (above the orig. site design cost).

If Brea were my client: in order to be able to update her web site’s content to optimize the site for conversions she would have had to purchase a web site with a content management system plus training ($6k-$15k) or pay $100/hour for content changes.

Just my two cents. Thanks for the interesting content.

It appears that individuals who wish to file bankruptcy are concerned mainly about two things: the cost of filing bankruptcy and how bankruptcy will affect their credit. As a new attorney, my price for filing bankruptcy is slightly lower than the average bankruptcy attorney in Minnesota. If anything, my price for filing bankruptcy will be what ultimately persuades a person to file their bankruptcy with me.

Individuals who are contemplating bankruptcy are under a great deal of stress. Even though bankruptcy filings are on the rise, many people believe that there is a stigma attached to filing bankruptcy. People with financial difficulties really want to pay their debts and bankruptcy is the very last resort for them. Many individuals are also greatly concerned about Bankruptcy’s affect on their credit and ability to acquire more credit in the future.

I mentioned in the video blog that I encountered a potential client who was on the fence about filing bankruptcy. His concern was that his income was so low that it would take him months to come up with the attorney fee and filing fee. He did not have anyone he could borrow money from to cover the cost of filing bankruptcy. He was also greatly concerned that he would have difficulty buying a home in the near future if he filed bankruptcy.

The above concerns are understandable and legitimate. It may not always be possible to “close the deal” when an individual has very limited funds and concerns about bankruptcy’s affect on credit. This may be an issue that Yodel may not have contemplated.

I will return next week to provide an update about my two appointments.

-Brea

On average the account is seeing reasonable cpc’s. “Bob” seems to know what he’s talking about so I’m sure he realizes that cps’s will fluctuate. My guess is when all is said and done, cpc’s will be slightly below market average. Also keep in mind that we are not just getting Google traffic. We have over 100 outlets that we distribute to and not all of them are cpc based and most of the ones that are offer a significant discount on clicks versus the big three which will bring down average cpc.

We are also optimizing the account regularly to ensure the highest quality score possible. A higher quality score equates to lower bids needed for higher ad positioning. Thanks

-Mike

Thanks for addressing my concern.

If Yodle is able to deliver ~ $6 CPCs to their clients (66 clicks on $400 spend thus far) INCLUDING the company margin, then more power to them (especially if these are keywords that lead to clicks, which materialize into solid leads).

I must say, however, that bankruptcy lawyer-centric keywords generally trade at $6 + CPCs without any sort of service mark-up (“long tail” keywords and those with geo-modifiers included) .

I do agree with you 100%, though, that it is still too early to pass judgment on whether or not Yodle has ran an effective campaign for Brea.

-Bob

“* Free consultations are for individuals who are interested in filing bankruptcy. I will analyze your financial situation & indicate whether you qualify for filing bankruptcy. Free legal advice is not available from this office.”

Aside from explicitly saying “Do not call for free advice”, we thought this was the most effective way to approach the issue.

As for adding subtle filters into the content of the landing page and ad copy, I believe we set up the account with this in mind. The ad copy specifically says ‘Free Consult’, not ‘free advice’ and the site copy speaks to this as well. This is similar to an on-going issue we face in the home care industry: no matter what we put all over the site and in the ad copies (no job inquiries please, do not call for employment inquiries, etc), people still call for a job, most likely a by-product of the state of the economy. In the same vein, people are going to look for free advice wherever they can get it…especially people who are considering filing and may not have the funds to pay for it.

Mike

Ps- As for the other comment on margin, thanks for the concern but this account is being treated like every one of our other accounts.

One very important issue that lacks transparency is the margin that Yodle is charging on Brea’s account. The issue of margin in the local search reseller space is estimated to be in the realm of 30% – 50% (http://www.convertoffline.com/.....le-charge/).

Let’s assume that Yodle’s margin is on the high end (50%) for their typical client. It’s highly suspect that they would tack on that same 50% margin during Brea’s test – after all, they are trying to convey their value here. In fact, I would guess that they’re putting all of Brea’s funds towards purchasing clicks, rather than taking their standard 30% – 50% margin on her monthly budget.

If this is the case, then you can cut the number of impressions/clicks/calls in half for what their typical client should expect.

-Bob

Brea works in the same office suite as I do, which means she can draw on my experience (and I can draw on hers, for that matter). She can also draw on the experience of one of the most well-regarded consumer rights lawyers in the country, Pete Barry, and two other experienced consumer rights lawyers who also work in this space, Pete’s partner, Nick Slade, and John Goolsby. Chris Wheaton, another recent graduate, also offices here, and also started his solo practice right out of law school.

As for the potential client’s perspective, you may be right. But I am also a relatively young lawyer at 31, and I can honestly say it has never come up as an issue with any client. To the contrary, I have had many referrals and some clients eager to find a “young, aggressive lawyer,” which I am happy to be considered, if they like.

Perhaps prospective clients are concerned about Ms. Buettner’s lack of legal experience. They may be deterred by the fact that Ms. Buettner has practiced law for less than one year. However, I believe an even larger cause for concern is that she does not appear to have any sort of mentor or person with more experience to advise her or to teach her. When given the option of an attorney who has practiced for less than one year or one with more experience (which would be easy to find in this situation), who would you pick?

Granted, I may have a different perspective than Ms. Buettner’s target clientele, and I do not know what type of experience she had as a law student (classes, clinics, internships, summer jobs, etc.), or if she’s been working in another firm for the last year before starting her own practice. However, as a lawyer with about 2 years of experience, I would not think of starting my own practice, nor would any of my peers. Although I have learned a lot in the last 2 years, and feel comfortable representing clients, I know that I still have much to learn about the ONE area of law in which I practice. I also have a supervisor to whom I can turn when I have questions or need assistance.

The Yodle challenge is an interesting one, but I would be more curious to see the results of a lawyer with more experience under his or her belt. Though I am impressed by her seeming drive and ambition, I would not be surprised if Ms. Buettner’s lack of experience is a large factor affecting the results of this experiment.