Why Your Law Firm MUST Have A Great Website

Tough love ahead. You may say that you get clients from referrals. This is probably true, but the REAL truth is that these potential clients look for your website and social media - even if they have received your name as a referral. Additionally, reports suggest that 85% of people who need a lawyer start searching online, and this is one reason why your law firm needs an attractive, user-friendly website. A quality website for a law firm is absolutely critical. If you do not have an SEO optimized website, you are literally leaving money on the table (#ISaidWhatISaid)

Whether you are a solo law practice or small law firm, your law firm needs to attract an online audience, and building a quality website can help you do this. Done right, your law firm website acts as a company ambassador that can inform, inspire and attract potential clients. That said, let's get to work! Here are a few tasks that a quality website can perform for your law firm, along with tips to make your website more appealing. 

A Quality Website for a Law Firm Educates Your Audience

Your website can provide the key information that casual browsers seek. That same authoritative information can show visitors your expertise and turn casual seekers into leads and potential clients. A website informs without a lecture or an office visit, and it gives users the exact information they require. Websites are one of the best ways to give relevant information to the people who need it, and it will help them make an informed decision regarding their legal needs. A quality website for a law firm also educates your prospective clients about what type of law you practice, and whether or not your law firm is a good fit for them. This helps you efficiently channel ideal clients toward you, and redirect others. If you need help creating the kind of informative content that engages your readers, consider the smart investment of hiring a content company. 

A Quality Website Also Promotes Your Services

A solid website helps you market your legal services. It serves as a convenient package to display your law firm’s experience, expertise and other relevant information. With an effective About Us page, your website can introduce your team to any potential clients. You can post client reviews to speak for your company more inexpensively than any banner ad could do, and a website showcases your unique brand without having to shout it. Instead, your brand identity can naturally flow in every page of your website, as you outline your unique services. 

Builds Trust

The ability to build trust and inspire confidence in your law firm is crucial, and a website can be your partner in doing so. Client testimonials are a powerful way to confirm your credibility and show visitors that you can help them with their legal concerns, just like you helped others. Since people hire a law firm they believe they can trust, your website needs to spotlight your trustworthiness. Establishing thought leadership throughout your website is another area that shows potential clients you are a leader in your field. 

Connects You With Potential Clients

Websites do not have office hours, and they never sleep. Your law firm’s website makes you reachable at all hours, answering any questions of your potential clients. Using smart Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics will allow your website more visibility in the search results, allowing your law firm to stand out above the competition. A great website can help you develop and retain a good relationship with clients and attract new ones. With chat bots, live chat and other contact options, you can serve your audience outside of office hours and your compelling content can tackle visitors’ typical questions.

7 Ways to Stop Frustrating Your Website Visitors

Your website may accomplish all of the above, but if visitors do not have an easy and pleasant experience, they will not be compelled to stick around. Website users may be judging your company based on the quality of your website, because 75% of consumers admit to making their decision based off of a website.  Consider these 7 ways to improve your website’s user experience for all of your visitors. 

Make it Mobile Friendly

Mobile-friendly website pages are becoming the default norm instead of an add-on design. Making your pages mobile-friendly is a smart move, since more and more individuals will use their phones to investigate your law firm’s website. Google’s recent efforts to go to mobile-only indexing provide one more reason to optimize your website for mobile users. 

Allow Access to All

A quality website for a law firm should be accessible to everyone, including vision impaired, disabled or elderly users. These are actually considered legal requirements in many cases under the law. Create easy access for these individuals by considering these steps:

• Use bold, readable headings
• Add captions to all video elements
• Insert alt text, giving the message of images to the user
• Use skip navigation, so screen users can navigate your website easily
• Include descriptions within links

Structure a Quality Website for a Law Firm Strategically

View your website pages from the perspective of potential visitors. Is information easy to find? Is it easy to get back to the home page? Is there a handy search box placed in an obvious location? Creating a compelling landing page is a great start, and leads visitors easily from there. 

Create Readable Content

Since the average consumer skims content before reading everything, the material on your pages should accommodate this. Adding visual elements, bulleted lists and lots of white space make your website more engaging and scanning more effortless. Avoid common design mistakes and focus on making everything easy for the user. 

Stay Updated

Providing lots of quality content is a must on a quality website for a law firm, and it is also critical to keep this stash of content updated and relevant. Conduct a content audit to determine if your links need fixing, if there are content gaps, or if content is duplicated or obsolete. Adding fresh material takes time, but it is a key step for any law firm that desires a quality website. Here are some tips for staying updated with relevant content for visitors:

• Polish up old content by rewriting it
• Harvest content ideas from typical client questions, or from your FAQ page
• Hire a content writing company that specialises in legal content

Speed Up Loading

Nothing causes users to exit faster than a slow-loading website. If yours takes too long, be sure that visitors will just proceed to a faster website that belongs to a competitor. Speed up your site so it loads within 4-6 seconds. Sometimes website plugins, widgets or bulky themes can bog down a site, so try to limit these. You can check your loading speed with several free online tools. 

Make Forms Usable

The contact forms on your website are crucial, and they allow users to interact with the site. They also connect you with potential clients. Place your contact forms in the proper locations and make them easy to use and accessible to all by checking off the following:

• Use proper labels in the fields
• Follow excellent design principles
• Do not add too many fields
• Offer help and suggestions
• Display a confirmation message

How Law Quill Can Help

For any business, a website is a powerful tool that welcomes visitors, builds brand awareness, and informs an audience. It may be a critical first stopping place on the consumer’s journey to find your law firm.  If you already have a website, consider refreshing it for optimum use. When your website is in top condition and offers quality content in a user-friendly way, it gives visitors a stellar introduction to your law firm. 

We are here to help and would welcome the opportunity to visit with you for free regarding your law firm website’s content, and how we can take these tasks off your plate! Schedule a free visit with us by scheduling a quick phone or zoom call at your convenience on our calendar today. You can also email us at support@lawquill.com.

Annette Choti, Esq. has over twenty four years of combined legal and digital marketing experience. She founded Law Quill, a full-service digital marketing agency for law firms and businesses in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Annette is a sought-after CLE and keynote speaker for Bar Associations and legal events throughout North America. She creates and hosts the Legal Marketing Lounge podcast, and is the author of the bestselling book, Click Magnet: The Ultimate Digital Marketing Guide For Law Firms. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so far from the law, if we are all being honest.