The worst mistake is to violate the rules and regulations which have been set by the state in which you’re planning to market your website.
When you are going about the law firm website design, there are certain mistakes which you should avoid at all cost since they’ll make potential clients not want to visit your firm again. The worst mistake is to violate the rules and regulations which have been set by the state in which you’re planning to market your website. All attorney websites should comply with all rules and regulations which govern the code and conduct of attorney ethics. To avoid the most common mistakes people make during a law firm website design, you need to focus on the following key elements:
The Use of Legal Terms Throughout the Website
You should understand that your clients are not lawyers and it is for that reason that they’ll be visiting your website for help. You should avoid the jargon and the language you’re accustomed to as you practice. Most people do not understand this jargon. During the law firm website design, you need to understand your audience. By using language they can understand, it will be easier to attract more clients. The content should be that which is easy to understand and they should be able to understand the main reasons why they need to hire you to represent them in court. The best way to go about this is to get someone who’s not an attorney who can read over the content on your website to ensure that the ordinary person can comprehend every component of the website.
Using Copied Templates
Why don’t you have something which is totally different from your competitors? Law firm website design doesn’t imply that you use the same old template your competitors have used. In fact, there are several companies which claim to have specialized in this field, yet they only reuse the same website templates. They only change the color theme and claim to go about the law firm website design process within a short period of time. Just go an extra mile to get a website with a different structure. You should be very cautious about certain quotes which are too good to be true.
Overusing the Typical Attorney Stock Images
In law firm website design, people will tend to incorporate almost all images which are associated with the legal field such as the Constitution, U.S. flag, or scales. All these images are found on almost every attorney’s website, thus it will only make your website unmemorable to clients who have browsed through other attorney’s websites.
You can replace these cliché images with other interesting images during the law firm website design process with: Your lawyers in a court room; pictures of your firm meeting with clients, or when you’re working on cases. An image of your office can also make the firm’s website unique and attractive. You should use unique content to show people that you’re a lawyer. Just try to make the website memorable to your visitors.
Strength
Incorporating the “practice area page” during the law firm website design is not enough. You need to demonstrate to your potential clients the exact services your firm can offer. The fact that the firm has included the bio info about every member in the law firm may not be enough to pitch clients on their level of expertise. Don’t think clients will read meticulously through the attorney bios. As a matter of fact, it may not be convincing.
You need to understand that a law firm website is a powerful marketing tool which should indicate to potential clients the main reasons why they should actually opt for your services. It should educate clients through the use of informative content. You can incorporate a blog where you can discuss various issues relating to the legal field such as the latest cases or various legislation which has been enacted within your practice area, etc. This will make your clients want to come back for new information all the time. Furthermore, it will also demonstrate to them your expertise in this field.
Ethics Compliance
As you go about the law firm website design, you need to understand this profession is regulated and all websites should comply with the attorney advertising disclaimer. Firms are obliged to make certain disclosures on their websites. Of course, the legal rules also apply to the website and it is the main reason why you should opt for an individual who’s an expert in designing law firm websites.
At any given instance, you need to refer to all the state legal ethics which regulate attorney advertising, include all the necessary disclosures, and the website must be free from any content which could be violating other ethics rules. Legal action can be taken against your firm if you fail to follow these rules and regulations.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
How do you expect clients to find your website without incorporating recommended SEO practices? Law firm website design for SEO may not be sufficient, it’s the SEO technique which will determine whether the website will be found on the first pages of the search results or not. Search engines such as Bing, Yahoo or Google have different criteria which they use to rank websites. Normally, you can hire a third party who can help you to optimize the law firm website.
Content
Despite the fact that the law firm website design may have all these factors listed above, a law firm with an outdated copyright date may find it difficult to attract new clients. Website users are always looking new and fresh content. Can you imagine a website with a © 2009 yet, we are in 2020? You need to update the content of your website regularly with current and informative content. At times, you may find it difficult to update the content of the website regularly thus, you should employ some else to do it for you.
Join the conversation!