We assume that any law firm operating today has, at the very least, got themselves a full-fledged website. Having a social media presence is great, but it cannot be the extent of your online presence. There are many things for which social media is an ideal tool and platform, but the same is true of a bespoke website.
But simply having a website isn’t going to be enough. There was a time where you would be thanked just for having a website, bonus points for those who splashed out on a mobile-friendly version. Today, all of your competitors will have their own professionally-built websites. If yours is obviously lacking when compared to theirs, you will feel it in your numbers.
A Sleek Design
Unless you are practicing a very niche area of law – and practicing it in a very rural setting – you aren’t going to be the only game in town. Even if you are the only attorney in your field who is based in the town or city where you practice, you still have to contend with other firms online. Consumers who are looking online for a law firm may well be willing to travel further if they think they’ll get better service.
Your website, therefore, needs to make an excellent first impression and needs to be easy to navigate. If your website looks unappealing or is difficult to get around, then visitors will simply move on to one of your competitors. A sleek website design is easy to pick up and shows that you care about professionalism.
Informative but Engaging
The ultimate purpose of your website is to get more clients to use your firm. Your website needs to provide potential clients with the information that they need to decide whether your business is right for them. However, if your copy is too dry, your audience will glaze over and go elsewhere.
Take this website for an auto accident lawyer in the Houston area. Notice how the two paragraphs beneath the promotional video give you plenty of information about the attorneys while expressing it in a way that engages the audience.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization, commonly known as SEO, is an absolutely vital consideration for any website. You can find some excellent beginners’ guides to SEO online, but all you need to know for now is that your SEO score determines your visibility in search results rankings.
When people search for terms that are relevant to your business, you want to be appearing as near to the top of the list as possible. The vast majority of the traffic that a search result generates goes to the first page of results. Of those, more than half visit the top three first. You want your firm to appear above your competitors in order to maximize lead generation.
A business’s website should be one of their most valuable assets. However, a website will only work for you if you invest in it properly. It takes time and money to build an effective website for your law firm, but it is an essential investment.
