How a Law Firm Started Winning Clients Again with Micro-Conversions
What sounds like a technical issue is, in truth, a human story about trust and control.
What sounds like a technical issue is, in truth, a human story about trust and control.
At Wolf & Bär, we help service-based businesses make Google Ads profitable not just through better ads, but through better measurement.
Many companies invest money in Google Ads and end up disappointed. Hardly anyone fills out the contact form, leads don’t come in, and the budget burns fast.
That’s exactly what happened to one of our clients — a Swiss law firm. In 720 days, they received just two contact form submissions through Google Ads.
Two.
The Problem: The “Macro Conversion” Trap
In red: the macro-conversion — submitting a contact form. A big hurdle for many users (spam fears, commitment, etc.).
So we restructured the strategy — data-driven, precise, human:
How can we measure whether people are even showing interest before they submit a form?
The answer: Micro-Conversions.
Suddenly, we saw movement. People were showing interest and interacting — just not in the old way.
With this insight, we rebuilt the Google Ads strategy from the ground up. We no longer optimize blindly for leads, but for real user behavior.
The result:
Within the first few weeks after switching, we could clearly see where interest was emerging — and why nobody had been using the form before.
Today, the firm regularly wins new clients through this campaign — even though the budget hasn’t changed.
The ad spend is now used more efficiently, we understand the audience better — and the lawyer gains new mandates. In other words, the “conversion rate” has increased.
Instead of 2 form leads in 2 years, the firm now gets multiple qualified contacts every month — via email or phone — measurable, verifiable, scalable.
The secret to successful legal advertising lies not only in budget, but in measuring the right things.
If you’re wondering why your company isn’t getting online inquiries — we’ve already found the answer.
Contact us!
or read more about us!
Level 1 – The Technology Behind It:
Why Micro-Conversions Are the Foundation
Micro-conversions aren’t just interim steps — they’re the heartbeat of the system.
When there’s no clicking, no copying, no scrolling, you get data silence. And that’s doubly dangerous:
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No Click, No Cookie
No interaction means no cookie is set. Without cookies, there’s no remarketing — meaning you lose touch with people who showed brief interest but weren’t ready to reach out. -
What Remarketing Is
Remarketing means showing your ads again to people who have already visited your site. Google displays them specifically to those users — not randomly — because they’ve already shown interest. That creates recognition and familiarity. -
Why It Matters
Only about 3–5% of visitors convert on their first visit. The rest need multiple touchpoints. Remarketing brings back the people who would otherwise disappear — it’s the second conversation after a good first impression. -
Why Accurate Tracking Is Crucial
For remarketing to work, these micro-conversions must be precisely measured and correctly reported to Google.
If tracking is poorly set up, incorrect or incomplete data gets transmitted — and Google optimizes based on false signals. That leads to inefficient campaigns and wasted budget.
This is where Wolf & Bär comes in.
Our specialty lies in not only capturing these micro-conversions, but also setting them up properly in tracking systems and reporting them to Google.
That ensures every valuable interaction is visible — and Google learns which signals truly indicate new business opportunities.
Without this step, Google can’t start learning — and that’s what determines whether your budget works or burns.
Micro-conversions aren’t just an analytics tool — they’re the technical heart of every high-performing campaign.
Without them, marketing is blind. With them, it’s precise, adaptive, and measurable.
Without precise measurement, Google can’t learn — and no budget can perform efficiently.
This is exactly where Wolf & Bär comes in: we make visible what truly works — micro-conversions that turn clicks into clients.
Contact us!
or read more about us!
Level 2 – The Psychology Behind It:
Why People Prefer Copying Emails to Submitting Forms
We humans are not rational click machines.
We follow feelings — security, and a sense of control.
And a contact form is, psychologically speaking, the opposite of that.
A form says:
“Give me your data, and I’ll get back to you sometime.”
That feels like a leap into the unknown.
We don’t know who will reply, when, how — or if at all.
Copying an email address, on the other hand, says:
“I decide when and what I send.”
It gives control back.
And control is the strongest antidote to fear.
Humans as Cautious Decision-Makers
In behavioral economics, this is known as Loss Aversion — the idea that the pain of losing something is about twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining it.
Imagine finding 10 francs on the street. You’re happy — for a moment.
But if you later lose that same 10 francs, the frustration feels far stronger.
The minus weighs heavier than the plus.
That’s why people avoid giving up control in digital interactions.
Loss Aversion in Online Behavior
When someone fills out a contact form, they experience this exact loss aversion unconsciously:
“I lose control once I hit send.”
“I lose visibility over who gets my message.”
“I lose privacy because my data could go anywhere.”
By contrast, sending an email feels safe:
“I see my message in the Sent folder.”
“I can find or follow it up later.”
“I can block the recipient if I don’t like their reply.”
That’s why people prefer sending their own email — or calling directly — rather than submitting a form.
It’s classic Loss Aversion Behavior: people avoid the feeling of losing control, even if the alternative takes more effort.
Should You Remove the Contact Form?
One might say: then let’s just get rid of the contact form.
But that would be a mistake.
Loss aversion only works when there’s something to lose.
If there’s no friction, there’s no feeling of safety either.
Without “bad,” there’s no “good.” Without resistance, there’s no sense of choice.
A website with only frictionless options feels empty — users experience no decision, just indifference.
So the goal isn’t to eliminate the form, but to embed it within a conscious system of choices:
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Email address: for users who want full control
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Phone number: for those who seek direct contact
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Calendar embed: for people who want to schedule right away
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WhatsApp or chat button: for spontaneous questions
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Contact form: for those who want to write quickly — without pressure
Each option appeals to a different decision type.
Together, they create a sense of self-determination — the antidote to loss aversion.
The Philosophical View: The Power of Small Steps
In the philosophy of action, this is called gradual commitment.
No decision happens all at once — it’s built from many small “yeses” until the final one feels effortless.
A micro-conversion is exactly such a small yes.
A click on “Contact,” copying an email address, or tapping a phone number — these are the moments when a person leans forward ever so slightly — a tiny act of trust, still without risk.
When we make these small movements visible, we can finally see genuine interest as it forms — not just at the endpoint.
And that’s progress: marketing that observes people instead of pushing them.
Summary
Loss aversion explains why people prefer sending their own email or making a call instead of using a contact form.
They fear losing control more than they value the potential gain of being contacted faster.
For a law firm, that means:
It doesn’t matter how contact happens — via form, call, email, chat, or direct booking.
What matters is that people have a choice.
A good contact page isn’t a tunnel — it’s an open door with multiple entrances.
It should include, above the fold, at least one simple, visible action — a micro-commitment that feels easy, safe, and trustworthy.
Because in the end, it’s not about clicks.
It’s about the moment a person decides:
“I trust you enough to reach out.”
At Wolf & Bär, we measure that moment — when interest becomes trust.
And that’s exactly where your growth begins.
Contact us!
or read more about us!