These days, you can't just come up with straightforward, mashed-up details about your firm and lawyers and expect that it's going to turn out to be a winning website.
Since we live in a highly digital age, most people are going to go online, seek information and conduct necessary research about the problems they need to solve.
That's why brands, companies, and businesses are strengthening their online presence so that they can take advantage of these digital opportunities. Even law firms are no exception to the rule.
1. Landing Page with Clean and Modern Design
In the world of digital marketing, a landing page is a page that's explicitly created for your marketing and advertising campaign. It is where your visitor "lands" the moment they click on Google AdWords or something similar to that.
That's why this standalone webpage should be compelling enough for visitors to follow you instead of a competitor. It also lets your audience know whether or not you're the right professional to handle their case.
Moreover, it's essential to keep a sleek, and modern design. If you have a website that's designed three years ago, chances are, it looks outdated, and that speaks large volumes to clients.
Think of it this way ‒ if you can't put in an ongoing effort on your firm's website, how can you provide the care and attention your clients need throughout the entire legal process?
So, always make sure that you are paying attention to your website.
2. Team Showcase
If you have many attorneys in your law firm, this is one of the most crucial pages in your site, after your home page.
It's the part of your website wherein prospects will get to know their potential lawyer, as well as their story.
That way, they'll feel more confident and at ease that they're trusting legal matters in the right hands.
3. Custom Forms/ Contact Page
In your homepage, you should include one of the easiest methods of contact ‒ a custom, or a contact page.
Don't just add your phone number. Instead, place a short contact form there. Usually, the ones placed higher up on the page performs better. However, having a footer is also better than not having one at all.
If you don't want to include a contact form, then at least try to include clear links that are well-thought out on your contact page.
4. Appointment Scheduling
One of the main reasons why you're building a steady online presence is to ensure that you can cater to clients in just a click of a button. These days, you're no longer limited to cold calls during office hours or through direct advertising.
Owning a site makes it easier for clients to look you up online, understand what you have to give them, and schedule an appointment.
5. Reviews Integration / Enhanced Testimonial
Integrating client testimonials in your site can be challenging. It also usually depend on the type of law that you specialize in.
However, it's one of the easiest ways to build trust and credibility, because people are more at ease with the fact that you've previously handled clients who had the same case as them and resolving them successfully.
6. Blog Page
You can build a wonderful website with a brimming copy, compelling visuals, and sleek design elements. But if you don't regularly publish content, engagement will stay low and search engines won't index your site very often.
Fighting for the top spot is hard, and it's difficult to become visible in the search results.
Meanwhile creating a regular, relevant, and useful blog content enhances your performance in search and gives you an excellent opportunity to build a massive following. You'll also have the chance to position yourself as a thought leader.
7. News, Media, Honors, and Awards
News, awards, and media exposure is an excellent way to build credibility and maintain positive perceptions. That's why you have you have to ensure that the industry awards and recognition that you receive are highlighted accordingly.
To build a connection with your audience, focus on social initiatives ‒ emphasize on pro-bono cases featuring facts, images, and figures.
8. Events Manager
Having an events manager is a valuable feature because it allows you to show upcoming speaking events, legal conferences, and more. That way, clients booking for appointments will know your availability.
You can also co-promote different activities, as it is an excellent platform to network with other people and expand your reach.
9. CRM
By having an excellent CRM incorporated to your site, it's possible for you to outsource the majority of your client relationship work in the software.
10. Lead Capture Pages
Information-capturing contact forms not only gives way for prospects to reach out on their own terms, but it also allows you to get various information about a prospective client.
That way, it's easier to send them targeted follow-up information via email which helps them build confidence in your brand, and sway them into hiring your firm.
11. Case Studies
You can show off your knowledge and experience through case studies about the previous cases you've dealt with. Publishing case studies on your site give you an edge with your competitors, making it easily stand out.
Publishing pages like these are not only valuable for people who'd like to know more of what you do, but it's also excellent for search engines as well.
12. FAQ Page
A FAQ page provides answers to the most common questions, giving clients more than what they can get from their initial consultation. It's also an excellent opportunity to show off your skills and expertise to your audience. It also builds your credibility over time.
Over to You
So there you have it. It's up to you on how you can build a fantastic first impression with your audience. Working with a web design company helps you create powerful attorney websites and help you design your website in a way that it stands out from the rest of the competition. After all, you only have mere milliseconds to make a significant impact on prospective clients.
About the Author
Bryan Mixon is the owner of AmazeLaw, the website building for solo and small firm attorneys. Bryan has been building websites since 1999 and has spent his last four years helping companies like HubSpot, Mill33, and LivingSocial. Bryan knows first hand how difficult it can be for small business owners to get their digital marketing off the ground, so he built AmazeLaw as a super-simple place for solo attorneys to build their sites, collect leads and get on with their days of doing lawyerly things.
Bryan Mixon