WH IT E P AP E R

TWENTY-ONE
PRODUCTIVITY
TOOLS
Whether it is gaining visibility on the
internet, scheduling social media
posts, or managing your growing
list of clients, we compiled a list of
some of the best productivity and
marketing tools you should consider
in order to streamline your workload
and make more money for your firm:
1. Word Processor: Microsoft Office 365
$8.25/user/month

The classic staple of attorneys, Microsoft office 365 offers a powerful suite of tools such as
Word, Powerpoint, and Excel that help you draft and edit documents, generate spreadsheets,
and create beautiful presentations. Although Powerpoint and excel are useful tools, attorneys
typically spend most of their time editing and drafting new documents and contracts in Word,
making it our number one essential tool for any attorney.

2. File Storage: Dropbox or Box

Free or $5/user/month

With thousands of documents created online every year, you will need a place to manage
them all. With online file sharing apps such as Box and Dropbox, you will be able to keep all
your files in one place so that you can access them anywhere from any device. You can even
invite your colleagues or clients to share and edit documents inside the app and turn folders
into shared online workspaces. With more attorneys focusing on becoming more efficient and
less reliant on paper, Box and Dropbox are becoming critically essential tools for managing
your legal documents.
3. Tracking Software: Google Analytics
Free

Google Analytics is the most widely used free web analytics service on the Internet. It allows you
to track all of your traffic coming to your site so you can see exactly where your online marketing
efforts are paying off. This is especially true for attorneys who have their own website, as they
will need a way to track where their online visitors are coming from. Google analytics is the go-to
resource for any attorney serious about tracking their online marketing efforts.

4. Business Phone: Google Voice

Free

Upwork is a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals

connect and collaborate remotely. The power of Upwork is in its platform, allowing you to hire
freelancers in just about any part of the world in just a few clicks. Whether you’re hiring a part
time paralegal or just need a someone to write blog posts for your website, you can get your
work done in less time and for a fraction of the price compared to hiring someone full time.
5. Video Conferencing: Go-To-Meeting
Starting at $24/month

For attorneys who have clients in distant places and want to save on travel expenses, Go-To-
Meeting is a must have tool. Go-To-Meeting is an online meeting, desktop sharing, and video
conferencing software that enables you to meet with customers, clients or colleagues via the
Internet in real time. Go-To-Meeting is a simple and cost-effective method for those who want
to increase their productivity, spend less time traveling, and more time getting their work done.

6. Print Marketing: VistaPrint

Products start at just $10

Vistaprint empowers millions of business owners worldwide to market themselves

professionally. Whether you need your own business cards, signs and posters, corporate gifts
or any other marketing materials, VistaPrint can help you create the customized materials you
need to get your message across. Because VistaPrint is catered to small businesses, you can
order small quantities for affordable prices.
7. Website Builder: Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace
Starting at $4/month

A website, as everyone knows, is one of the most important branding and marketing strategies
for your company. When someone thinks about you, hears about you, gets referred to you, gets a
business card from you, will more than likely look you up online so you really want to make sure you
make a good impression. Fortunately, popular web builders such as Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace
have made it super easy to build your very own beautiful website. Simply insert a template, add text
and images and click publish and you’re live! If an attorney wants to make a good first impression
with potential clients, having a professional website is the key to making this happen.

8. Email Marketing: Mailchimp

Free or Premium

MailChimp is a popular software tool for attorneys who want to send out email newsletters
and announcements to their clients online. The idea behind starting an email campaign is
to enable you to start building an email list of leads, potential clients, or even of current or
past clients, where you can continue reminding them of yourself that you exist via beautiful
newsletters or monthly campaigns. So if potential clients are looking for your services, you will
always be on top of their minds.
9. Payment Processing: LawPay
Free with PracticePanther

It is critical for attorneys to handle credit card transactions correctly. In fact, according to LawPay,
trust account violations are one of the most common reasons for disciplinary action. Fortunately,
LawPay is designed to correctly separate earned and unearned fees to avoid commingling funds
when accepting credit card payments. More importantly, LawPay contractually protects your
client funds by restricting the ability of any third-party from debiting monies from a Trust or IOLTA
account. LawPay works with over 90 bar associations across the country, including the American
Bar Association, to ensure their program is up-to-date and in compliance.

10. Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 Scanner

$410

If you truly want to go paperless, having a good scanner is the way to go. All you have to do is
purchase a Fujitsu ScanSnap scanner and save all of your scanned documents to Box.com or
Dropbox. You never have to worry about losing another file while also being able to instantly
find and share any file with your team or opposing counsel.
11. Scheduling Software: AcuityScheduling
Free

Acuity Scheduling is an entirely web-based system for scheduling appointments and meetings
with your clients. There is nothing to download and it is completely responsive on any mobile
device. The best part about it is that you can customize it to your website and schedule meetings
straight from there.

12. Freelance Marketplace: Upwork

Free

So you think you need a special office or business phone to carry around with you? Think
again. With tools such as Google voice, you can have your very own customized business
phone number that will forward directly to your cell phone, for free. The goal is to make and
receive calls directly from your normal cell but with a different phone number – without
having to pay for another phone.
13. Note Taking App: Evernote
Free

Evernote is a free app for your smartphone and computer that stores everything digital in your
life to one location. Evernote works as one workspace that lives across your phone, tablet, and
computer. You can write free from distraction, collect information and find what you need in a
simple search. Attorneys love using Evernote because it enables them to keep track of ideas,
store legal research, and share notebooks with business partners.

14. Virtual Receptionist: Ruby Receptionist

Plans start at $259/month

Want your practice to look a lot bigger and more professional instantly? You can, with a virtual
receptionist. The most popular choice we recommend for a virtual secretary service is Ruby
Receptionists. With Ruby Receptionists, your clients will think you have some big law office –
without having to even lease any office space. The idea is that when someone calls your office,
a live secretary answers the phone professionally and exactly how you want them to answer
the phone. Almost everyone will agree that missed calls equal missed opportunities, making
Ruby Receptionists an important tool for almost any attorney.
15. Electronic signatures: Docusign
Starting at $10/month

Docusign has got to be one of the most popular tools for attorneys for signing documents online.
With Docusign, you can quickly and securely access and sign documents, upload and send
documents for others to sign, and send reminders and check signing status any time. If you are
an attorney who writes a lot of contracts and requires a lot of signing, Docusign is the way to go.

16. Password Manager: Lastpass

Free

Are you always having a hard time remembering your username and password? Well,
the hardship is over. LastPass is a useful tool that you can use to store all your log-in
information. In addition,LastPass is fully encrypted so you don’t need to worry about
anyone stealing your information.
17. Website Chat: Zopim
Free

Zopim is a simple and cost-effective way to engage your customers via a messaging system.
This is a very effective way to engage potential clients who visit your site who may have a
question about your services.

18. Social Media Management: Buffer

Free

Buffer is a great way to drive traffic and increase fan engagement on social media. You can
schedule, publish, and analyze all of your social media posts in one place without having to do
it manually everyday. Buffer also has tools that help you create beautiful images in seconds,
saving you time and money on hiring a professional designer to do it for you.
19. Business Email: Google Apps for Work
Starting at $5/month

Having a custom business email address not only makes you look more professional, but it also
builds trust. Google Apps for Work helps you get set up right away with custom email for your
business and allows you to add usernames and passwords as you grow your firm. One of the
hidden gems of Google Apps for Business is the communication features such as internal chat
and video meeting features.

20. Local Marketing: Google Business

Free

If you use Google Maps you should immediately think Google Business. Google Business
helps you list your law firm on Google Maps so potential clients can find out more about
your business and location. Not only is this a good strategy in generating potential clients
but also improves your SEO for your website.
21. Legal Marketplace: Avvo
Free

Avvo is a very popular online legal services marketplace. Attorneys can link to their website,
show off a list of academic and employment history, publication credits, awards, and
cases they’ve won in the past. One of the best features of Avvo is the Q&A platform. So if
someone, for example, posts a legal question about their small business and they see that
you give a qualified answer, you have a much better chance of getting hired for that job by
that potential client. If used correctly, Avvo can be an extremely useful tool for marketing
your firm and getting new clients.
 PracticePanther is a state-of- the-art, all-in- one, case
management and billing solution that makes running
a law practice simple and efficient. Thousands of
solo practitioners, virtual, small, and mid-sized firms
worldwide use PracticePanther to save time, work
faster, and grow their firms. Get world-class support by
phone, email, or live chat. Try it as long as you want for
your first 3 clients and 3 cases. No credit card needed.

FOR MO R E INF OR MATION

Eddy Bermudez
[email protected]

Copyright ©2017 PracticePanther. All rights reserved.