A plain-English guide for solicitors who want enquiries—not vanity metrics.
Did your last “award-winning” agency deliver glossy reports but zero qualified enquiries?
Are you worried your next partner will repeat the cycle of vague promises, long lock-ins, and no accountability?
This guide gives you a straight, copy-paste framework to vet agencies before you sign. You’ll protect your pipeline, compliance, and ownership.
By the end, you’ll know:
- The 7 Trust Tests every agency must pass
- The Must-Own list of assets (non-negotiable)
- Exit terms to insist on in your contract
- The KPIs that prove ROI (and expose fluff)
Why Law Firms Get Burned (And How to Avoid It)
Legal marketing is complex. Agencies that treat it like “just another campaign” fail to account for compliance, trust signals, long buying cycles, and specialised client concerns. That’s why so many firms end up with:
- Reports full of “awareness” metrics, not enquiries
- Websites that look polished but don’t convert
- Contracts where they don’t even own their own site
The solution: vet partners using clear, measurable criteria before signing.
The 7-Part Trust Test
1. Strategy: Do they build a system, not just pages?
- Ask for a 90-day plan with leading indicators (pages live, content shipped, tests running).
- Red flag: “We’ll figure it out as we go.”
2. Copy & Proof: Who writes, and what trust assets will appear?
- Expect plain-English legal copy, reviews, testimonials, and FAQs.
- Red flag: “We’ll need you to write everything.”
3. SEO & Migration: How do they protect rankings at launch?
- Require a redirect map, Core Web Vitals targets, and rollback plan.
- Red flag: “Google will reindex automatically.”
4. Compliance & Accessibility: Is risk designed out?
- GDPR, SRA transparency, WCAG AA accessibility built in.
- Red flag: “We don’t handle compliance.”
5. Measurement & Ownership: Who owns the truth?
- You own GA4, GSC, CRM, ad accounts, and call tracking.
- Red flag: agency-only dashboards.
6. Process & Communication: Who is accountable?
- Named lead, response SLAs, shared project board, 40–50 step launch checklist.
- Red flag: anonymous “support inbox.”
7. Terms & Guarantees: What if they fail?
- Break clauses, KPIs tied to enquiries, post-launch fixes included.
- Red flag: 12-month lock-ins without exit terms.
ROI: Bad Agency vs Good Partner
| Approach | What You Get | ROI Impact |
| Bad Agency | Generic design, vague reports, vanity metrics | Low ROI — lost enquiries, wasted spend, and no ownership |
| System-First Partner | Strategy, copy, SEO, CRO, compliance, tracking | High ROI — consistent enquiries, measurable ROI, long-term growth compounding |
💡 A low upfront “deal” often costs more in lost revenue than a proper system costs to build.
The Must-Own List (Non-Negotiable)
You should control:
- Domain registrar login
- Hosting/CDN/WAF
- Website admin + theme/plugin licences
- Analytics (GA4, GSC), ad accounts, call tracking
- CRM + automations
- All content + assets
If they refuse, walk away. Ownership = leverage.
Exit Terms to Insist On
- Handover within 5 business days
- Full export of site, content, and assets
- Transfer of domains, DNS, analytics, ads, CRM
- Read-me with stack + licences
KPIs That Prove ROI
Ask every agency to report on:
- Enquiries/month by practice area
- Conversion rate per service page (target 3–8%)
- Cost-per-enquiry by channel
- Speed to first response (minutes, not hours)
- Matters opened, tied in CRM to source
Proof in Practice
Fountain Solicitors — Their old agency delivered style, not substance. After switching to a system-first partner, they scaled to 60+ enquiries/month and expanded from 1 office to 5.
Onyx Solicitors (Commercial Law) — System-first rebuild + targeted ads delivered rapid traction: organic keywords rose 112 → 630, page-one visibility across key services, and ads converted 54 clicks → 50 enquiries at ~£10.77 per conversion on a £600 budget. Campaigns were paused to manage demand.
Final Thought
You don’t need another agency selling “awareness.” You need a system-first partner who engineers enquiries, proves ROI with numbers, and leaves you owning everything.
Want a diagnostic, not a pitch? Book a More Clients From Your Website Call and we’ll map your 90-day plan — strategy, SEO, CRO, and compliance included.
