First consumer-based website for PI services
Moneysupermarket.com, the price comparison website, has launched a personal injury (PI) leads service to give business leads to people seeking PI legal advice.
The first consumer-based website to enter this arena, Moneysupermarket claims 30 law firms have signed up to receive business leads for people seeking PI legal advice.
PAA Leads, the leads generation business behind Moneysupermarket, expects conversion rates on PI leads to reach up to one in four, based on numbers from its conveyancing, wills and employment leads, launched in October 2008.
Moneysupermarket and PAA Leads will attempt to create potential customers out of those searching the web through sites such as Google. This is achieved by reading the keywords they use, as well as by more direct approaches on the website.
Because PI claims are generally ‘one-off’ purchases not relying on previous experience with a law firm, PAA Leads says it makes “a good legal business type” for sites such as Moneysupermarket. Pricing will start at £40 per lead; it is expected that the best leads will be open to electronic bidding.
Beth Powell, head of marketing at claims referrer National Accident Helpline, one of the businesses to sign up to the service, said: “It is great news for consumers to be able to access this advice through another trusted information point. We think it will do very well.”
Beth added this could be a “useful new route to market for PI firms, as some potential clients may be uncomfortable contacting a claims firm direct,” or may not be the kind of people who would catch claims firms’ daytime TV adverts.
Alastair Moyes, a legal marketing consultant said: “We will be seeing a lot more of these enquiry broker services popping up on popular, heavily promoted websites like Moneysupermarket.”
He suggested the move represents a double-edged sword for solicitors – as enquiries are lost to high street firms – but agreed with Beth that it could also generate enquiries “that wouldn't have materialised without their prompting”. “This is more evidence of the “land grab” going on in the legal services market,” Alastair said.
The National Accident Helpline is just one claims specialists working with Moneysupermarket in its new personal injury claims referral scheme.
Alan Kennedy, chief executive officer of National Accident Helpline said it “is good news” that individuals can access claims advice “from a second well trusted source” – although the price comparison site is better known for its credit card, loan, mortgage and insurance comparison.