Fix Leaky Law Firm Websites: Lessons From My Conversation With Anthony Karls

Why “more traffic” is not your first move

Most law firms think growth means buying more ads or writing more blog posts. That can help. But if your website and intake have leaks, you’re pouring more water into a leaky bucket. Calls go unanswered, web forms sit too long, and mobile visitors bounce. You end up paying for traffic that never turns into clients.

Meet our guest: Anthony Karls

Anthony Karls is the co-founder of Sterling Lawyers and president of Rocket Clicks. His teams focus on helping family law firms grow by fixing the full path from click to cash. He calls this the Waterfall. It tracks a visitor from the first visit all the way to cash collected, so you can see where value leaks out and what to fix first.

The mobile reality you can’t ignore

About 78% of website traffic now happens on a phone. A site that looks fine on your laptop may be hard to use on mobile. If people pinch, zoom, or wait for slow pages, they bounce. Google notices when users return to search after clicking your site. That hurts rankings and leads.

Online and offline signals both matter

Google wants to send people to pages that solve their problem. If your intake misses calls or responds slowly to forms, people go back to search. That is a negative signal for your site. Fixing offline steps like call answer rate and fast follow-up can improve your search performance without buying more traffic.

Fix these leaks first

• Put clear contact actions at the top of every page. Make it obvious how to call and how to submit a short form.

• Respond to web leads within 5 minutes. After that, the chance of reaching them drops fast.

• Answer at least 85% of calls during business hours. Use an answering service after hours.

• Keep forms simple. Name, email, phone, and a short note are enough to start.

• Track calls and forms. Use call tracking and connect form data to your CRM so you can see what sources bring qualified consults.

• Test your site on a phone, not just a desktop. Make sure someone can call or submit in under 10 seconds.

Define “qualified” and measure it

Many firms do not define a qualified lead. That makes it hard to judge marketing. A simple target is 55% to 65% qualified leads. That gives you enough volume without blocking good opportunities. Tag disqualified leads and learn which sources bring more of the right cases.

Nurture long research cycles

Family law buyers often research for 18 to 36 months before reaching out. Capture email and phone so you can remarket with helpful content. Send short answers to common questions and simple next steps. Stay useful and top of mind until they are ready to book.

The Waterfall view

Track the whole journey: lead source, cost per consult, set rate, show rate, hire rate, average fee, and collection rate. When you see every step, you can spot the one or two leaks that block growth. Often the biggest wins come from intake and follow-up, not from more clicks.

Want more from Anthony?

Anthony’s book, The Waterfall Method, explains the full framework from click to cash and how to apply it inside a firm. He and the Rocket Clicks team specialize in family law marketing that connects website behavior to real revenue.

Action checklist

• Add call and form buttons at the top of every page.

• Speed test your mobile pages.

• Set a 5-minute web-lead response rule.

• Aim for 85%+ answered calls.

• Define “qualified lead” on one page.

• Tag reasons for disqualified leads.

• Review Waterfall metrics each month and double down on what works.