If there’s one thing the past few months in lockdown have taught us, it’s that we can conduct a lot more business online than we once assumed we could. Even as lockdowns relax, many businesses, including law firms, are wisely continuing to expand their “virtual reach” to limit people’s need to physically come into the office for face-to-face exposure. Examples may include offering clients appointments by video chat or allowing employees to continue working from home.
Whatever the case for you, your online presence as an attorney has become more important than ever—and that means your IT infrastructure needs to be robust enough to handle the increased activity. Let’s go over some ways you can reinforce and protect your law firm’s virtual infrastructure.
Expand Your Office Infrastructure to Adapt to the Need
The last thing you want on a client video call is for the picture or sound to get wonky while you’re relating important information. If you’re encountering slow Internet load times, pixelated video streams or dropped calls, it may be time to increase your Internet speed and bandwidth in the office, and possibly upgrade your hardware. Talk to your IT service provider about getting your current infrastructure evaluated and get the proper updates as needed.
Upgrades, Not Just Updates
If you use VoIP telephone service in the office, now may be an excellent time to get some of those additional features you’ve been holding off on—for example, call park or automated callback so clients don’t have to wait on hold. You might also explore some third-party platforms that allow your clients to set their own appointments, upload paperwork, and manage their account online to reduce phone calls and in-person visits.
Reinforce Telecommuting Options
If you’ve decided to keep some of your staff working from home, you may face the dilemma of inconsistent online performance depending on their at-home Internet setup. It might be worth a bit of extra investment to set everyone up on the same provider as a business expense because it makes troubleshooting easier. You might also consider hiring a managed IT service. These services are relatively inexpensive, and they can handle system monitoring, diagnostics, updates, and troubleshooting for you in the background.
Strengthen Your Cybersecurity
The more you do online, the more susceptible you are to possible hacking, cyberattacks, data breaches, etc. Make sure you speak to an IT professional to make sure you’ve got a good firewall and a secure network—and train your team to change passwords regularly, avoid opening suspicious emails, etc.
A stronger online presence may actually be one of the greatest tools in your arsenal to keep your law firm growing during a global pandemic. We’re here to help with more specific guidance on your virtual infrastructure, if needed. Give us a call at 888-207-2869.
