First impressions, as we all know, are critical, and when visitor’s surf your law firm’s website, they will immediately judge your company strictly on the look of your website. This could be the first time your visitor has seen or heard of your law firm. They are likely in some sort of trouble, or need, and find themselves in search of the best law firm for their particular issue. While it may seem rather shallow in some ways, the appropriate color choices, image selection, smart page layouts and visually intriguing graphic design will determine if your visitor clicks away to a more visually appealing website or stays put.
Lawyer websites come with a particular set of requirements, the first being the need to combine sophistication, uniqueness and professionalism in a warm, welcoming, and easy-to-understand presentation. The legal profession is still a serious business and while your website must reflect that, it also needs to be accessible to the average person—no “legalese” allowed when trying to bring clients into your firm. Whether you are a small, single attorney practice, or a large, international law firm, you need to leave an impression to your website visitors that your firm, while professional and solid, is also made up of real people who are ready and extremely able to help you.
If you hire a professional company to design your law firm’s website, they will ask pertinent questions which will enable them to examine your overall online marketing strategy from all angles. The idea is to reflect your unique business in all its aspects onto your legal website. You will discuss all the components that will come together to create your one of a kind website such as keywords, taglines, slogans, navigation menus and logos. When creating your website, keep these thoughts in mind:
- Understand search for attorneys; learn how normal people search for a lawyer to represent them on the internet. You might be surprised to find that the words you use to describe your law firm might not be the same words a visitor would use.
- Understand your website’s keywords–they are the foundation of your law firm’s SEO campaign, therefore you must be vigilant when building your website around your carefully chosen keywords.
- Use legal industry keywords strategically because each page on your website is a potential doorway to your law firm. More doors=more opportunities for prospective clients to enter in.
- Use your keywords in the page titles which are displayed at the top of the browser. Each page title should be unique according to the very latest website requirements.
- Use keywords in your content, however not to the extent that it becomes stilted or unreadable. Use the keywords in their proper context, and avoid at all costs “stuffing” keywords into your content.
- Incorporate links in your law firm’s website. Search engines follow the online community, which includes what the community is saying about you and your website. For search results to remain relevant, the sites which remain at the top must be rewarded. If a page receives links to it from a site that is already highly ranked, it will help boost the search engine rankings of the receiving site as well.
Creating a website design that will bring you the type of clients your firm wants is a skill and an art; you owe it to your firm to hire the very best website designer around. After all, would you wear your old sweatpants and t-shirt to an interview? Of course not, because you desire to make a great first impression. Your website needs to “dress up” and make the same unforgettable impression.
Free lawyer website coaching calls available by calling (769) 218-6099 hassle free assistance.
