Marin Trust and Estate Attorney Marlene Getchell recently asked me to help her publish her new web site which was being designed by branding specialist and graphic designer Kristi Frelkin.
Site for Marin Estate Attorney Marelene Getchell
Kristi propagated the look of Marlene’s other marketing materials into a web design, and I received PFD’s of each page which I published as Search-Engine-readable HTML pages.
I enjoyed the challenge of being shown a picture and being told, “Make me one of these!”
Working for Marlene also posed another challenge: I was already working for Marin Estate Planning Attorney Julia Wald. I have helped Julia become #1 in Google searches for 5 terms, including “Marin Estate Planning Attorneys”.
In fact, when we first met, Marlene told me that she and Julia were competitors for some type of business. She asked if I would have a problem helping her with her web site.
Yes, normally I would decline an engagement from a competitor to an existing client. There is only one #1 position in Google for any given set of keywords, and I don’t want to choose among clients about who I best promote.
I agreed to work on Marlene’s site only for one reason: Julia recommended me to Marlene and told me that she thought I should help Marlene.
With the client’s approval I felt comfortable helping another estate attorney get online.
Fortunately, Marlene and Julia have different focuses, although there are many clients who could benefit from either attorney. Julia’s ideal client wants to create an estate plan while Marlene enjoys litigating disputes. Julia’s most important keywords are “Marin estate planning attorney” while Marlene is looking for traction on “Trust and Estate attorney”.
I am careful not to suggest a marketing strategy to Marlene that I developed with Julia, and vice versa. They may be friendly competitors, but I want to separate the accounts as much as possible!
The good news, of course, is if you are looking for an attorney to help you with your estate issues, I know two great ones.
Leave A Comment