Managing Your Specialties and Industries
Quick Answer
Select up to 10 specialties or industries in your Profile listing to match with relevant client leads. Choose specialties that accurately reflect your expertise - more specialties mean more potential matches, but staying relevant maintains lead quality. These selections directly determine which client requests you receive through Heritage Web's matching system.
Overview
Your specialty and industry selections are crucial for connecting with the right clients. They act as Filter #3 in Heritage Web's six-filter matching engine, determining which paid referrals, pro bono cases, and other opportunities come your way. Strategic selection balances casting a wide net with maintaining relevance to your actual expertise.
How to Add and Manage Specialties
Step 1: Access Your Specialties Section
Log into your Heritage Web dashboard
Edit your Profile listing
Navigate to "Industries/Specialties" section
Click "Select Specialties" or "Edit"
Step 2: Browse Available Categories
Heritage Web organizes specialties hierarchically:
Main Categories → Subcategories → Specific Specialties
Example hierarchy:
Legal Services
Immigration Law
Family Immigration
Business Immigration
Deportation Defense
Step 3: Select Your Specialties
Choose up to 10 specialties that match your expertise:
Click checkboxes next to relevant specialties
Selected items appear in your list
Counter shows how many selected (X/10)
Mix broad and specific selections
Step 4: Save Your Selections
Review your chosen specialties
Click "Save Specialties"
Changes saved to your profile
Submit for review when ready
Strategic Specialty Selection
The Balance Principle
Approach | Benefits | Drawbacks | Best For |
Broad Selection | More lead volume | Lower relevance | New practitioners |
Narrow Selection | Higher quality matches | Fewer leads | Specialists |
Mixed Strategy | Balanced volume and quality | Requires careful selection | Most professionals |
Recommended Selection Strategy
Layer your selections:
Core Specialty (1-2 selections)
Your primary area of expertise
Where you want most cases
Related Specialties (3-4 selections)
Adjacent practice areas
Natural extensions of core work
Broader Categories (2-3 selections)
General practice areas
Catch wider range of leads
Growth Areas (1-2 selections)
Specialties you're developing
Future focus areas
Examples by Profession
Legal Professionals
Immigration Attorney Example:
Immigration Law (broad)
Family Immigration (core)
Marriage-Based Green Cards (specific)
Deportation Defense (related)
Citizenship & Naturalization (related)
Business Immigration (growth)
Work Visas (specific)
Asylum Cases (related)
DACA/Dreamers (specific)
Immigration Appeals (specialized)
Personal Injury Attorney Example:
Personal Injury (broad)
Auto Accidents (core)
Motorcycle Accidents (specific)
Slip and Fall (related)
Medical Malpractice (related)
Wrongful Death (specialized)
Product Liability (growth)
Insurance Claims (related)
Pedestrian Accidents (specific)
Workplace Injuries (related)
Medical Professionals
Family Doctor Example:
Family Medicine (broad)
Preventive Care (core)
Chronic Disease Management (specific)
Pediatric Care (related)
Geriatric Care (related)
Women's Health (specialized)
Mental Health Screening (growth)
Diabetes Management (specific)
Hypertension Treatment (specific)
Annual Physicals (routine)
Specialist Example (Cardiologist):
Cardiology (broad)
Heart Disease (core)
Hypertension (common)
Arrhythmia (specific)
Heart Failure (specialized)
Preventive Cardiology (growth)
Cardiac Imaging (technical)
Interventional Cardiology (if applicable)
Pediatric Cardiology (if applicable)
Sports Cardiology (niche)
Financial Professionals
CPA Example:
Tax Preparation (core)
Small Business Accounting (specific)
Tax Planning (related)
Bookkeeping (broader)
IRS Representation (specialized)
QuickBooks Consulting (specific)
Nonprofit Accounting (niche)
Estate Tax Planning (growth)
Business Formation (related)
Financial Statements (routine)
Financial Advisor Example:
Financial Planning (broad)
Retirement Planning (core)
Investment Management (core)
401k Rollovers (specific)
Estate Planning (related)
College Savings Plans (specific)
Insurance Planning (related)
Tax Strategies (complementary)
Social Security Planning (specialized)
Risk Management (broader)
Mental Health Professionals
Therapist Example:
Individual Therapy (broad)
Anxiety Treatment (core)
Depression Treatment (core)
Couples Counseling (related)
Trauma Therapy (specialized)
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy (specific)
Grief Counseling (related)
Stress Management (common)
Life Transitions (broad)
Teen Counseling (if applicable)
How Specialties Affect Lead Matching
The Matching Process
When a client submits a request:
System identifies the service needed
Searches for professionals with matching specialties
Your specialties must align with client's needs
More specific matches rank higher
Broader categories catch overflow
Matching Priority
Match Type | Priority | Example |
Exact Match | Highest | Client needs "Divorce" → You have "Divorce" |
Parent Category | High | Client needs "Divorce" → You have "Family Law" |
Related Specialty | Medium | Client needs "Divorce" → You have "Mediation" |
Broad Category | Lower | Client needs "Divorce" → You have "Legal Services" |
Updating Your Specialties
When to Update
Quarterly Review: Assess performance and adjust
New Certifications: Add newly acquired expertise
Practice Changes: Shift focus areas
Low Lead Volume: Broaden selections
Poor Lead Quality: Narrow selections
How Updates Work
Important: Any changes trigger re-review
Current version stays live during review
Creates pending version with changes
1-3 business day review process
Approved changes go live automatically
Tracking Performance
Monitor which specialties generate leads:
Review lead sources in dashboard
Track conversion by specialty
Note quality of matches
Adjust based on results
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake | Problem | Solution |
Too broad only | Poor quality matches | Add specific specialties |
Too narrow only | Minimal lead volume | Include broader categories |
Unrelated selections | Confusing to clients | Stay within expertise |
Outdated specialties | Missing opportunities | Regular reviews |
Maximum not used | Leaving money on table | Use all 10 slots |
Optimization Tips
For New Practitioners
Start broader to establish flow:
5-6 broader categories
3-4 specific areas
Adjust after 3 months
Narrow as practice develops
For Established Professionals
Focus on profitable specialties:
2-3 core specialties
4-5 related areas
2-3 growth opportunities
Highly targeted approach
For Multi-Disciplinary Practices
Represent all service areas:
2-3 per practice area
Balance across disciplines
Don't favor one area too heavily
Cover team capabilities
Special Considerations
Multi-State Practitioners
Same specialties apply to all states
Cannot vary by location currently
Consider broadest applicable set
Email support for special configurations
Language-Specific Services
Your specialties combine with language capabilities:
Specialties + Languages = Better matches
Don't need language-specific specialties
System handles combination automatically
Community-Focused Practice
Specialties work with Community Connections:
Both factors influence matching
Specialties determine service match
Communities determine publication placement
Powerful combination for targeted practice
FAQs
Can I have different specialties for different locations? Currently no - specialties apply to all your locations. Contact [email protected] to discuss custom configurations.
What if my specialty isn't listed? Choose the closest available options and mention specific expertise in your bio. Contact support to suggest new categories.
Should I select specialties I'm learning? Only if you can competently serve clients in that area. Consider adding as you gain experience.
Do specialties affect my publication assignments? Yes, specialties influence which professional directories you appear in (LegalGlobal.com, DoctorsGlobal.com, etc.).
How quickly do changes take effect? After approval (1-3 business days), changes apply immediately to new lead matching.
Can I see which specialties generate the most leads? Lead cards show which specialty matched. Track this to optimize your selections.
Next Steps
Review your current specialty selections
Analyze which specialties generate quality leads
Adjust your mix of broad and specific categories
Use all 10 available selections
Set quarterly reminders to review and optimize
Track conversion rates by specialty