A law firm website serves as a digital representation of your firm and plays a crucial role in attracting and engaging potential clients. The benefits of a successful website include increased traffic and engagement, improved user experience, showcasing your law firm's experience and expertise and a competitive advantage.
With these benefits in mind, you might be wondering how to create a successful law firm website.
So, let us help. Here we have detailed ten essential elements for success with a law firm website.
1. A visually appealing design
We’ve all heard the saying, ‘first impressions count’, and this means your law firm website too. When users visit a website, they form an immediate impression based on its appearance.
A visually appealing website creates a positive first impression, making users more likely to stay on the site and explore further. A visually appealing and well-designed website conveys feelings of professionalism and credibility. It shows that the business values quality and attention to detail, which can instil trust in visitors and increase the likelihood of them engaging with the business. These feelings are all essential in generating leads.
A website that is visually appealing, is also more likely to be user-friendly too. A visually appealing website is likely to have a clear navigation, intuitive layout, and engaging visuals making it easier for users to find what they need and encouraging them to stay longer on the site.
Overall, a visually appealing website can significantly improve conversion rates because users are more likely to stay longer, engage with the content, and ultimately take the desired action, such as making filling out a contact form or sending an email.
2. A logical layout
But as mentioned, it isn’t all about looking good. Your website also needs to be navigable.
A logical structure ensures that users can easily navigate through the website, find the information they need, and have a positive experience. It helps users understand the website's organisation, find relevant content, and complete desired actions, such as downloading a booklet or submitting a form.
A logical structure also helps search engines crawl and index the website effectively. It allows search engines to understand the hierarchy and relationship between different pages, which can improve the website's visibility in search engine rankings (more on on-site SEO later in this blog post). A well-structured website also helps search engines discover and index all the important pages on the site.
To create a logical website structure, it is important to plan the hierarchy in advance, use descriptive URLs and anchor text, implement a clear navigation structure, and optimise internal linking. These practices enhance the user experience, improve search engine visibility, and facilitate efficient content management.
3. A responsive and mobile-friendly law firm website design
Following on from a logical layout, this needs to be consistent on desktops, tablets, and mobiles. There should be a seamless user experience no matter what device a user is viewing a website on.
Responsive design ensures that the website adapts and displays properly on various screen sizes and resolutions. This provides an optimal user experience, allowing visitors to easily navigate, read content, and interact with the site.
Additionally, responsive websites are preferred by search engines, as they improve mobile usability and can lead to higher rankings in mobile search results.
Overall, responsive design is essential for attracting and retaining mobile users.
4. A website that is quick to load
In addition to a responsive design, loading speeds are very important. A webpage should ideally load within 2-3 seconds for optimal user experience. This is particularly crucial on mobile devices due to their limited processing power, slower internet speeds, and smaller screens.
A fast-loading webpage ensures a positive user experience, reduces bounce rates, improves search engine rankings, and increases conversion rates. It is important to optimise webpages by minimising file sizes, leveraging caching, and using efficient coding practices. Make sure you test your law firm’s website against Core Web Vitals.
5. Content that is regularly updated
Content should be updated regularly to ensure a successful website. This is because laws and regulations change, updates come into play – like the ‘reject all’ cookies banner, content is more likely to answer the questions of users and it helps with security too.
Updating your website with fresh and informative content demonstrates your expertise and authority in your field. It helps you build trust with your audience and positions you as a reliable source of information. In comparison, outdated content or an outdated design can look sloppy and like you do not care about your firm.
And, when you update your website content, you provide your audience with valuable and shareable content for their social media channels. This can help increase brand awareness and bring new visitors to your site.
6. Calls to action
The number of calls to action (CTAs) on a website can vary depending on the purpose and complexity of your law firm's website. But in general, we recommended firms have multiple CTAs strategically placed throughout the website to guide users towards desired actions.
However, it is important to maintain a balance and not overwhelm users with too many CTAs.
Key placement areas for CTAs include:
- Above the fold - A prominent CTA should be placed near the top of the page, visible without scrolling, to grab users' attention immediately.
- Throughout the content - Insert relevant CTAs within the content to capture users' interest when they are engaged and looking for more information. This could be sending a user to another important page.
- Sidebar or navigation menu - Include a CTA in the sidebar or navigation menu for easy access and constant visibility across different pages.
- End of content - Place a CTA at the end of an article or page to encourage users to take the next step after consuming the content.
These strategically placed CTAs will help convert content that lands on your website.
7. An interactive website
One of the main reasons for a law firm's website is to give people what they want. Smart forms are an interactive and engaging way to do this.
Think of things like conveyancing, probate, personal injury, debt recovery and tax calculators. In addition, include things like online payment services, secure data collection through smart forms and client satisfaction surveys, allowing you to understand how good, bad, or indifferent you and your services are.
Ultimately, your website is there to make the lives of users easier.
8. Well-written client-focused content
Content should be client-focused because it helps to establish a strong connection with your target audience and meet their specific needs and expectations. By understanding your clients' interests, preferences, and pain points, you can create content that resonates with them and offers value.
Client-focused content helps build trust, credibility, and loyalty, as it demonstrates that you understand the challenges of your potential clients and have the solutions they are looking for.
It also increases engagement, encourages conversions, and boosts client satisfaction. Ultimately, client-focused content is key to building meaningful relationships with your audience and generating new enquiries.
9. On-page search engine optimisation (SEO)
As mentioned above in different sections, we couldn’t talk about a successful website design, without mentioning SEO. It’s not only about having a visually appealing website after all.
Search engines, like Google, prioritise websites that regularly update their content. Fresh content signals to search engines that your website is active and relevant, leading to better search rankings and increased organic traffic. So, it’s important to generate new content such as blog posts and include the relevant keywords to bring traffic to your site. After all, does a successful website not entail a lead-generating and converting website?
Not only is an SEO-optimised website essential for appearing in the search engine results pages (SERPs) over competitors but optimising your website's on-page elements such as page titles, headings, meta descriptions, and the content structure helps users navigate and understand your website and content, leading to a positive user experience. Remember, not everyone who lands on your website will be clear on what the next steps are with their problem.
In addition, optimising your website's on-page elements, including high-quality and informative content, helps establish your brand as an expert and authority in your industry.
10. A secure website
Finally, to enlist the full level of trust and credibility, your website should be secure. This includes an HTTPS certificate, two-factor authentication when it comes to logging in to edit content and regularly removing admins and editors from your website when people leave the firm or change roles.
Need help creating a successful law firm website?
That’s where we’re here to help. Conscious Solutions has over 19 years’ experience in helping law firms become more successful online. We work with several of the Top 200 and Top 500 firms and help them inform clients, answers questions, satisfy needs and generate new clients through their website.
If you’d like to discuss your law firm’s website requirements get in touch at sales@conscious.co.uk or 0117 325 0200.