Law Firm Website Design

In today’s world, it’s clearly evident that every successful business requires an active and functional website. Speaking in literal terms, the website is a reflection of the services you offer, but you still need to have not just “A” website, but a great website. It’s how your potential clients know who you are, and how they have a means of contacting you. This concept holds exceptionally true for attorneys, as the very nature of the business requires dealing with people who are often in less than ideal situations. An alternative way of viewing things is to ask why someone in a happy home with a successful business would require your services.

Why Your Law Firm’s Website Design Is Important

The layman may not understand how different law firms have different specialties. Although both are equally qualified for either task, the fact remains that a real estate attorney is probably not the best choice for someone facing criminal charges, nor is a criminal defense lawyer going to be the best choice for someone filing legal paperwork concerning administration of an estate. Your website is important because it lets potential clients know what you do. It’s a professional courtesy to refer someone who approaches you to someone who better suits their needs, but you can’t make a living by giving free consultations. An effective digital marketing strategy and website channels qualified potential clients in your direction while diverting people who need a different lawyer away from your firm.

Improve Your Law Firm’s Brand Awareness

One of the first things a website accomplishes is to improve awareness of your brand to potential clients. Name recognition is a tried and true form of marketing, and helps build relationships with both potential clients and the community at large. The “hard” part of your job should be providing the services you are talented and skilled toward providing, convincing client to trust your skills and intentions should simply be a given based on your standing in the community, and your website helps establish such an initial trust.

Establish Credibility For Your Law Firm

Again, as this can’t be emphasized enough, you can’t run a successful business without achieving and maintaining your credibility within the community. A website accomplishes neither of those purposes, but it does allow you the opportunity to show what you do, how well you do it, and why someone should hire you for the valuable services you provide. When someone asks a friend about legal services, that friend is more likely to give them your web address than your phone number. Within such a concept, your website is often the first impression people have of you as an attorney. Don’t ever forget the old saying in whatever form you may have originally heard it, “You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.”

Attract Ideal Clients In Your Market

A third aspect of your ideal website is that it attracts the clients you need and want to represent. You don’t want your website to be the first search engine result for someone who got a traffic ticket, unless you “do” traffic tickets. Representing someone charged with a misdemeanor is a different scenario than representing a suburban community which has to incorporate instead of being annexed by a larger nearby city.

The fact remains, if your law office provides criminal defense services, your website should market you as the best choice for someone who has found themselves facing criminal charges. Your website should reflect what you do, how you can help, and your experience helping others in your particular areas of practice.

Law Firm Website Goals

There are other goals your website can accomplish than simply telling potential clients who you are. You can add contact information, and one-to-one personal contact during normal business hours. Allowing live access is always going to appeal to your clients, assuming they recognize you’re busy with work and will answer their questions as soon as possible if your aren’t immediately available. The website also defines who you are and what you do, which weeds out the nuisance of answering questions for people who need the services you don’t provide.

Website goals can vary according to individual needs, but generally speaking, you want to advertise your service. Your website should draw people in who have need of a lawyer, explain to them what legal services you provide, and offer them a convenient means of contacting your firm.

eProphet Media Can Help

We’ve been helping solo practitioners and law firms for over fifteen years. We know how to build a great website and are experts at getting attorney websites in front of potential clients when they are searching for specific legal services on the internet.  The most important aspect of any digital marketing effort for a law firm is generating new client leads and we have years of experience doing just that for both large and small law firms with a wide range of practice areas.