I had expected to give CrossOver a resounding “buy” recommendation for anyone with a need to run Windows programs natively on a Mac computer. Unfortunately, even though CrossOver is the perfect answer to our office's specific needs, that will not happen. In more than three decades using and managing hundreds of Macs and their Apple and Lisa predecessors, there have been only a handful of times that have required that my office have the ability to run Windows-specific programs. In early days when that happened, we bought a few HPs. Later, a very slow and piggy version of Parallels — which has since dramatically improved — became our solution. Today, it’s CrossOver. ...READ MORE

Hashtags have long been a staple of social media sites like Twitter and Instagram, as well as Tumblr and Pinterest. Facebook’s new hashtag platform, launched in July, approaches hashtagging in a similar fashion. For the uninitiated, a hashtag consists of one or more words or phrases, typically at the end of a social media post. The characters in […]

What makes WordPress so appealing for blogs and even your law firm's website is that it works right out of the box but can also be customized with themes and plugins. In part one of "Top WordPress Plugins," Fred Faulkner recommended social sharing, comment management and search engine optimization plugins to help take your plain-vanilla blog to the next level. In part two below, he has favorites in four more categories. With the right balance of plugins, you can build a full-featured WordPress-powered blog or website for your law firm. Here are a few I personally use and recommend in the categories of performance, contact forms, analytics, and backup and security.  ...

If you have a blog, chances are it is powered by WordPress. These days, more law firm websites use WordPress, too. For those who do not know, WordPress is an open-source blogging platform that has matured in many ways to a lightweight content management system. It is used by over 19.5 percent of the top 10 million websites as of August 2013, according to usage reports by W3Techs.

With more than 200 sessions and 200 exhibitors, the International Legal Technology Association's Annual Conference represents the leading edge of technology in the legal profession — and generates plenty of post-show attention in the blogosphere. For this week's Friday Five, we asked attorney and legal technologist Scott Giordano to bring back his impressions. ... READ MORE

If you don't know, paid search ads are the listings that appear at the very top of the page, typically in a tinted block, when you conduct a search online. Search ads can be a significant way to secure new clients for your law firm: In 2012, Google reported that in the U.S., clicks on paid search listings beat out organic clicks by nearly a 2:1 margin for keywords with high commercial intent. Search ads can also be the quickest route to a high position for your law firm on key search engine results pages (SERPs). You also get to decide the search terms that will put your ad in front of the appropriate audience, while being able to measure the ad's performance and adjust your strategy accordingly. When creating search ads, many people fall into the trap of focusing only on ad bidding. It’s not enough to simply show up for appropriate searches. You need to think about what to include in your ad to entice people — and you need to do it within stringent character and word limitations. Without powerful and persuasive ad copy, potential clients will move on. Here are some quick tips to help increase your clicks ... READ MORE

I suppose there are still lawyers and law firms out there asking themselves the question: “What is it that clients want?” Some of them continue to invest a substantial amount of money and time in detailed surveys of their existing clients, poring over the results and trying to read the tea leaves therein. Most of […]

Question: "Why should we blog? We have a website. Clients hire lawyers because of a relationship, not because they see you on the Internet. Besides, a blog can be pretty self-aggrandizing. Other lawyers in the firm think the partner who blogs is just building a following so he can go off on his own." In this edition of "Ask the Experts," the Legal Marketing Association members Tina Emerson, Jim Jarrell and Stacy Smith let loose on why a blog plus your website is a good idea — and how to best use it to build client relationships ... READ MORE

You just can't avoid talk of school this time of year. It seems everyone is scurrying along on a scavenger hunt for essential supplies and first-day fashions, or losing sleep over what our "babies" will need in the dorm room. It's all about getting ready for school. Maybe you should join in, too, and get ready to write a little learning into your fall calendar! For this Friday Five, we're looking at five big events sure to expand the outlook of your law practice. So, what's on the fall class schedule? ... READ MORE

I’ve come to like Outlook 2013 quite a bit (despite the confusing blue icon). It contains some new features that I’ve wanted, or have had to employ workarounds for, or had to use third-party software to resolve. So, I thought it might be helpful to those forced to upgrade to Office 2013, using Outlook for email specifically, to point out some ways Microsoft got it right.