Your website plays a critical role in setting your law firm apart from other firms that provide the same services. Gone are the days when a website with a list of services, attorney bios, and contact information sufficed. Today, your firm’s website must immediately capture your ideal client’s attention by acknowledging their problems and clarifying the reasons your firm is the one that can solve them.
Here Are 11 Tips For An Effective Law Firm Website.
1. Know your potential clients and understand the problems they face: Understanding the problems your clients need to solve, the pressures they face, and their emotional state when they search for legal services is a crucial foundational step for developing your firm’s website. These insights will guide your site’s words, tone, and design to form an immediate connection that establishes trust and credibility.
2. Write content that resonates: You have mere seconds to capture the attention of site visitors. Your goal is for readers to think: “This is just the type of attorney/firm I’ve been looking for!” Effective website content acknowledges the problems clients face, articulates the unique way your business solves them, and guides site visitors to take action. Read more about the importance of clear, concise, client-focused website messaging.
3. Keep content and design simple and clear: The most effective websites feature clean, modern layouts that are easy to navigate. They avoid using industry lingo that can alienate readers. Your website copy and visuals should tell your client’s and your firm’s story without unnecessary complexity. It’s tempting to go overboard in encouraging visitors to learn about your firm, but doing so can create overwhelm and decision paralysis.
4. Present content in scannable, modular sections: People don’t read web content the way they read books – they scan! Your law firm’s site should use headings, color, spacing, bullets, and other formatting techniques to make it easy for readers to see important details and calls to action. Continuum Legal Group‘s new website presents thoughtful, client-focused, easy-to-read content that connects with site visitors.
5. Introduce visitors to the legal team: Prospective clients want to know the people they will work with. In fact, attorney bio pages are some of the most visited pages on law firm websites. The bios on your firm’s website should include experience and credentials as well as personal details to humanize attorneys and connect with clients on a personal level. Bios should be displayed in a consistent, scannable format.
6. Guide visitors to the next step: Your website should make it easy and intuitive for visitors to take the desired next step. Primary calls to action encourage visitors to contact you or schedule a call. Secondary calls to action may direct individuals to sign up for your email newsletter.
7. Provide contact information: Display your phone number on every page of your site to make it easy for visitors to reach you. Including this information in the header or footer is an easy way to accomplish this. Make sure your contact information is accessible to mobile and desktop users.
8. Share client reviews: Reviews and testimonials boost confidence in your ability to get the job done and reduce a prospective client’s decision anxiety. Reviews that include client names, company names, and reviewer photos are especially powerful.
9. Add tracking code: Tracking user behavior is important because it allows you to see your most frequently visited pages, your most frequent exit pages, the amount of time people spend on your site, and so much more. And getting this valuable data is super easy to do. Once you add the tracking code, remember to review reports periodically. You’ll gain insights into visitor behavior that can help you optimize your website’s navigation, design, and content.
10. Test your site on a variety of devices: Nearly 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Your site should be mobile responsive, meaning the content should adjust to provide an optimal browsing experience no matter the visitor’s screen size.
11. Keep your content and design up to date: The blessing and curse of an effective website is that it’s never done. Though you likely don’t need to look at it every single day, you should review your website content periodically. It’s also helpful to share news and perspectives on a blog. Visitors will notice your commitment to keeping up with industry developments. Design standards evolve as well, so you’ll want to refresh the look of your site every couple of years.
Take the first step
A thoughtfully constructed website plays a crucial role in separating your firm from other firms that provide similar services. New Tricks can help you develop messaging and design a website that resonates with your audience and stands out from the crowd.
Reach out to find out if we are the right partner for your firm.
