When someone visits your website you want them to stay and explore, get to know your brand, gather information and eventually convert into a client.
But if your website is lack-lustre, it just isn’t going to happen. It’s like making a sandwich; if the ingredients are lacking, they’re not going to come back for more.
So here’s how you can invite someone into your website cafe of freshly made sandwich goodness.
Bread and Butter: A Responsive Design
More and more people are searching for your website on their mobile device: Fact. If you don’t have a responsive website then prepare to see people leave pretty swiftly. This really is the bread and butter of any website. Try our website healthcheck to see where your website stands right now.
Mayonnaise: Client Testimonials
People tend to choose law firms through recommendation and word of mouth, so naturally, testimonials are vital for your website, what we often call ‘social proof’. They can be words or in video form, either way they reflect the trustworthiness your firm naturally has. It’s also worth asking clients if they can leave reviews on your Google+ business page to potentially boost your rankings.
Salad: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO driven content is the main way to lure people to your website in the first place; if you don’t have that then you may as well be floating around on a little dinghy in the middle of the ocean. This doesn’t mean you should write like a robot though. Google is clever and can tell when a website writes with people in mind. Find out what keywords and language your audience use to find you and go from there. If in doubt, our SEO team know all about it!
Cheese: Personality
Standing out from the competitive crowd is achieved by building your firm’s personality. Firstly, be clear about the ethos of your firm, what do you stand for? What makes you different from the firm down the road? Do you have an Eric The Owl in your firm?
You should have a look at our demo links to get some design/functionality ideas that might suit your firm.
Also, bear in mind that your people are your biggest strength. It’s a good idea to ensure that each staff member’s profile is personalised: what do they do in their spare time? What’s their favourite food? Don’t forget to link to their LinkedIn profiles. This level of personalisation will make your website look simply brie-lliant! (Ed, sorry!).
Meat: Blogging
As I mentioned, people visit your website to gather information. Blogs showcase your knowledge and offer straightforward advice. It’s also worth linking blogs to specific practice areas for optimum effect.
But remember to ditch the jargon. You’re talking to people, not lawyers. People visit your website to gain information about the service they require, if they don’t understand what you’re rattling on about, they’re going to leave and visit a Plain English Lawyer they found on Google.
If blogging seems a little daunting to you, we have our very own legal copywriters at hand!
And voila! You’ve got yourself the perfect legal website (and sandwich!). Tuck in and reap the benefits!
