Lawyer-rating site Avvo will introduce a premium version next week that will enhance lawyers ability to customize their profiles, enhance their visibility in other Avvo sections, and provide them with more detailed analytics. Called Avvo Pro, it will be available starting Nov. 6 for a monthly subscription of $49.95. (An initial promotion will offer the first month free.)
Avvo Pro will feature three components:
1. Enhanced profiles. Subscribers to Avvo Pro will be able to add a custom field at the top of their profiles that lets them add a tag line or a brief description of their practices. Also near the top of their profile, they will be able to feature two client testimonials that they select from among those that have been submitted.
Enhanced profiles will feature a prominent “sticky” contact box that remains visible on the page even as a reader scrolls down. The subscriber will be able to customize the contact information provided here and tie it into the analytics that Avvo will be offering in order to track responses.
Other enhancements of the profile will include integration of the lawyer’s blog and Twitter feeds and a Google map showing the lawyer’s primary office location.
2. Enhanced presence. Wherever an Avvo Pro subscriber shows up on the site, the lawyer will be identified by a “Pro” badge and other graphics that help the lawyer stand out. Thus, if a Pro subscriber answers a question or contributes to a legal guide, the lawyer will be highlighted. In search results, the lawyer’s ranking will not change but the lawyer’s appearance in the listings will include the Pro badge and also will include the lawyer’s contact information.
3. Detailed analytics. Avvo will be adding basic analytics available to all lawyers who have “claimed” their profiles. Pro users will get more detailed analytics than other users. These will show how many people saw you, where they say you (e.g., your profile, an answer you posted, etc.), and other information.
Pro users will also get reports on visitor conversions. The analytics will show how many people who saw a lawyer’s profile then visited the lawyer’s Web site or contacted the lawyer by e-mail or by phone. Lawyers will have to opt to enable call tracking, which will give them a phone number to use that will dial directly into their offices but allow collection of the analytics data.