Comparison Websites

(Posted on 08/11/11)

We found an in-depth and revealing report on the use of comparison websites and the role they play in a contemporary society. The report, released in September 2011, provides a rare glimpse of just how motivational and powerful comparison sites have become for both goods and services. Here’s a rundown of what’s included and you can view the report in its entirety here. Every solicitor in the UK would benefit from the gems found in the study.

There’s one particular quote that seems to sum it up nicely:

Current trends like globalization, digitization and the rise of electronic media have changed both the scope and the modality of human interaction and communication. Conventional models of business and consumer behavior from even a decade ago, as well as the traditional organizational structures of firms and industry are no longer sustainable in the electronic age.

There’s a reason that sites such as Solicitor.info have found great success in this new technological age; plus, with those sites that focus on credibility and ease of use, the potential for these comparison dynamics have proven more than helpful from a marketing and public relations stance.

Another quote is apt for solicitors, whether they’re just now hanging their own shingles or have built powerful law firms over the years.

Legal services have typically been characterized by a power imbalance where the consumer engages with the solicitor from a position of dependency and the solicitor determines what is in the consumer’s best interest on the basis of their professional judgment. However, the professional-consumer relationship in legal services has undergone unprecedented change…relationships that were traditionally dominated by respect for professional status are now being challenged by increasingly self-informed consumers.

That’s an amazing "across the board" statement and one that hits its mark. Unlike other industries, the attention to detail when it comes to solicitors is more about the price comparison; it’s about credibility and even transparency to some degree. When clients, who really have nothing at stake, can submit their feedback in an open environment that encourages that transparency, not only does the client feel more empowered, but the fact is, the best advertising, regardless of one’s profession or even his location in the world, is that offered by former clients.

As we mentioned, this report is chock-full of invaluable information and resources. A focus on solicitors makes this a definitive tool that every solicitor should strongly consider. Again, the report can be viewed here in its entirety.