Referrals and network: how your website turns recommendations into mandates

First the referral, then Google

For professional firms, referrals are the most important route to new mandates. A colleague refers someone to you, a satisfied client mentions you over dinner, the house bank names you when a business is being set up. The trust comes from the person making the referral. But hardly anyone calls straight away. Almost everyone searches for the name on Google first, to find the phone number, the address and an impression.

This search is a moment of scrutiny. Anyone who types “Huber Anwältin Linz” and finds an outdated page without fields of activity, a profile with wrong opening hours or no result at all starts to have doubts. The referral opens the door; website and profile have to keep it open. Good online visibility does not replace your network, it makes it more effective.

What your website and profile must deliver at that moment

The person who was referred has a concrete question in mind: “Is this the right person for my problem, and how do I reach her?” Everything that answers this question quickly helps. Everything else gets in the way.

The name is particularly important. Often the referral is just “the Huber woman” or “Kanzlei am Ring”. If website, Google profile, door plate and directory carry the same name, you will still be found. How to choose a name that is easy to find and remember is explained in the guide Firm name and domain. What else belongs on a firm website is summarised in Content of a firm website.

Partner firms: who refers whom

Besides clients, other professions are the second big source of referrals. Anyone who hears questions in their daily work that they cannot or do not want to answer themselves needs reliable contacts. Typical connections:

Partnerships work best when both sides know exactly what the other stands for. “She does employment law” is a weak referral, “She represents executives in separation agreements” a strong one. If you appear publicly with partner firms, for example on a “Network” page or at joint talks, the presentation must make clear that these are separate firms. A partnership must not look like a joint practice. How tax firms focused on real estate build such partnerships with estate agents, property managers and notaries is shown in Tax advice for real estate: winning landlords and investors online.

Make recommending you easy

Anyone who wants to recommend you needs something they can pass on. The less they have to explain themselves, the more likely it is to happen.

• A clear focus: a firm that does five things well and says so gets recommended more often than one that “advises comprehensively”. How to describe fields of activity is covered in the guide to fields of activity.
• Shareable pages: a separate page for each field of activity can be sent as a link: “Have a look, she does exactly this.” A home page with everything on it is unsuitable for that.
• Business card with QR code: a stack of cards at partner firms, with name, focus and a QR code to the website, makes passing you on easy.
• E-mail signature: every e-mail to colleagues is an opportunity to show your website and focus discreetly.
• The same terms everywhere: anyone who reads “business succession” on the card should find exactly this term on the website.

The hard line: no commissions for referrals

This is where professional firms differ fundamentally from other industries. Referral bonuses, vouchers for recommendations or a share of the fee for whoever passed on the tip are prohibited for the chamber professions in Austria and Germany. This applies in both directions: you may not pay anything, and you may not accept anything when you refer someone yourself.

Be careful with portals and networks: if you pay per referred mandate or a share of the fee, this may fall under the ban. Business networks in which members are expected to pass work to each other and referrals are counted should also be checked against your professional rules before joining. The details are in the guides on advertising law, for example for lawyers in Germany, tax advisers in Austria, mediators in Austria or notaries in Germany.

Saying thank you properly

Anyone who refers someone to you appreciates a thank-you. Two things make this tricky for professional firms. First, a gift linked to a specific referral can be an impermissible benefit for the referral. Second, the very fact that someone is your client is covered by confidentiality. A “Thank you for sending Mr Berger to us” reveals a mandate unless Mr Berger has agreed.

Knowing where clients come from

To look after your network in a targeted way, you should know which routes work. The simplest method is a question in the first meeting or an optional field in the contact form: “How did you hear about us?” With answers such as “referral”, “Google”, “directory” or “talk”, after a few months you will see which partnerships carry weight. Only store what you need, and no third-party names without reason.

How to make your firm visible beyond that, for example via LinkedIn, expert articles or a well-maintained Google profile, is described in the other guides. An overview of the right order is given in the plan for more visibility.