What makes a good law firm website?
A good law firm website is one that embodies professionalism, user-friendliness, and is informative. It should have a clear and well-organised design, intuitive navigation, and offer relevant and current content that highlights the firm's expertise and services. The website should also feature prominent calls to action, including contact details and online forms, to facilitate easy connections with potential clients.
In addition, it should be compliant with the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s regulations and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), to ensure the privacy and security of clients’ information.
Overall, a high-quality law firm website is essential to showcase the firm's competence, establish trust with potential clients, and ultimately drive business growth.
So what four features should my law firm website have?
1) Clear calls to actions
A law firm website should have clear calls to action (CTAs) because they help convert website visitors into clients. CTAs provide a clear direction to website visitors on what action to take next, whether it's to schedule a consultation, submit a contact form, or download a free resource.
Here are some reasons why clear CTAs are important for a law firm website:
- Encourages website visitors to take action: A clear CTA tells website visitors what action they should take next. Without a clear CTA, visitors may not know what to do or may not feel motivated to take any action.
- Increases conversion rates: A well-designed CTA can significantly increase the conversion rate of a law firm website. If visitors are encouraged to take action, they are more likely to become clients.
- Improves user experience: Clear CTAs help improve the user experience of a law firm website. By providing a clear path for visitors to take, CTAs make it easier for visitors to find what they're looking for and engage with the website.
- Helps measure website performance: By tracking CTA clicks and conversions, law firms can measure the performance of their website and make improvements to increase conversion rates.
2) Clear navigation structure, with a usable menu
A clear navigation structure and a usable menu are essential for a website because they help visitors find the information they are looking for quickly and easily.
A well-designed navigation system ensures that users can easily access different sections of the website and understand the hierarchy of information.
Here are some reasons why clear navigation and a usable menu are important for a website:
- Helps users find information: This helps to reduce frustration and increases user satisfaction, which can lead to increased engagement and a higher likelihood of return visits.
- Improves user experience: A usable menu ensures that users can find what they are looking for quickly and easily. This helps improve the user experience and can lead to positive perceptions of your law firm and its competence.
- Enhances accessibility: A clear and easy-to-use menu makes the website more accessible to people with disabilities, such as those who use screen readers or have limited mobility.
- Supports search engine optimisation: A well-designed navigation system can help search engines crawl and index the website more effectively, which can improve search engine rankings.
3) A visible, open contact form high up on your website page
Having a visible, open contact form on a website page is important for several reasons:
- Ease of Contact: Visitors to your website should be able to easily get in touch with you if they have any questions or concerns. Having a visible contact form makes it easy for visitors to quickly send you a message without having to search for your contact information.
- Lead Generation: A visible contact form can also serve as a lead generation tool. By making it easy for visitors to get in touch with you, you increase the chances that they will reach out with questions or interest in your products or services.
- Improved User Experience: By placing the contact form high up on your website page, you make it easy for visitors to find it, reducing frustration and improving their overall experience with your firm.
4) Show all staff on a team page
There are several reasons why it is important to show all law firm staff on a team page on your website:
- Credibility: By displaying the full team of lawyers, paralegals, and administrative staff on the website, it demonstrates the size and professionalism of your firm. It helps build trust with potential clients who may be seeking legal representation.
- Personalisation: Including staff bios and photos on the team page can add a personal touch to your website. It allows potential clients to get a sense of who they may be working with, which can help build a rapport and make them feel more comfortable with the firm.
- Transparency: Displaying the full team can also be a sign of transparency. It shows that the firm is not trying to hide anything and is proud to showcase all their staff.
- Recruitment: The team page can also be a useful tool for recruitment. By displaying the full team, it can attract potential employees who may be looking to join a firm with a strong and experienced team.
I have written a full blog post on the benefits of adding your whole team to your website if you still aren’t convinced!
Does your law firm’s website make the cut?
So how does your firm’s website stack up on these four key features? If you’re not seeing the results you are hoping for from your website, it could be down to one of these features not performing as it should or offering the user-experience clients are looking for.
If you think it might be time for a refresh of your website give us a call on 0117 325 0200 or email sales@conscious.co.uk.