Five Killer Mistakes Law Firms Make With Their Websites
In today’s technology driven world, every law firm needs to have a website.
If you have a small firm tucked away in a sparsely populated geographic area or a solo practice, you still need to have a website for your firm. Your law firm’s website can be a marketing tool or it can simply be a way for current clients to find you. Many people today use websites like digital business cards. They save websites to their favorites and refer to them when they need to contact their dentist, doctor or lawyer.
A good website gives your firm credibility. Not having one gives potential clients the impression that your firm is not established or that your firm is not keeping up with the trends in business and technology. Neither impression is a good one. Fortunately, more and more attorneys are realizing just how important it is to have a website for their firm. Unfortunately, many legal websites make mistakes that are easily avoidable.
Like it or not, your firm’s website will require more than minimal attention. A website that was haphazardly thrown together is easy to spot. Don’t give your clients the impression that your firm doesn’t care enough to do things well.
Following are the 5 killer mistakes made by attorneys on their law firm websites.
1.) Not having a plan. When you design a website you will be faced with a myriad of different choices regarding design and set up. In order to make the best choices for your firm, you need to know what you want and what is most important to you. Before setting up a website for your firm, decide if you want your website to attract new clients or if you would like it to provide a service to existing clients or both.
For many potential clients, your website will be the first interaction they have with your firm, so it should support your brand and your firm’s values. You will need to have a color scheme for your website that works in concert with all of your print materials including brochures and business cards. The website of a discount divorce attorney should look very different from that of a well established tax attorney.
2.) Using odd domain names. The most obvious selection for a domain name is the name of your firm. If your domain name is already taken, choose one that is simple and logical. If you have the names of several attorneys listed in the name of your firm, you will have to shorten the names, use an acronym, or come up with an original domain name that makes sense for your firm. Choosing a domain name is not the time to be humorous or overly creative, these types of domain names can be hard to remember and can come across as lacking professionalism.
Don’t sublet a domain by renting space from someone else. Buy your own domain and pay a small monthly fee for hosting. A web address that includes the name of the company who is doing your hosting is unprofessional.
3.) Having poor, disorganized content. Many visitors will only spend a minute or less trying to navigate a poorly designed website. Your content should be organized in a way that is inviting and easy to use. Avoid moving graphics, bright colors, and loud backgrounds. Make sure that every page has a menu that lets clients move from one page to another with ease.
Break up your content into easy to scan chunks of information. Clients will read more text if it is broken up with headers, bullets, numbered lists, or unobtrusive graphics. The text on your website must be free of typos, sentences that run on, and other grammatical errors. If writing is not your strength and you are designing your own website, then have someone read it over for you or pay to have a professional copywriter do the job.
4.) Pages that don’t go anywhere or that appear in duplicate. Any and all links on your website need to go to pages full of rich and useful content. If your site is under construction, don’t put it up until it is done. Remember that your website says something about your firm. Again, this is an aspect of web design that will reflect on the competence of your firm. It is better to have fewer pages, than empty unused ones.
5.) Leaving out critical information. Make sure that basic information about your firm is easy to find. Your firm’s phone number, street address, and a map or directions to the office should definitely be included. Make sure that your website makes it clear what your firm specializes in. Another piece of critical information for a legal website is a disclaimer about legal advice. Clients and potential clients alike need to know when they visit your site that it is not to be equated with a visit in the office. Your firm’s website may use a blog or a Frequently Asked Questions link to answer very common questions related to your specialty, however it needs to be crystal clear that these statements are generalizations and do not take the place actual legal advice.
Designing a comprehensive and well organized website may feel like too much to take on if your schedule is crammed with servicing clients and networking to get new ones. Keep in mind that a well designed site can actually make your life easier. You can direct people there to get basic questions answered and to learn more about your field of law. Remember that, in today’s information based society, a strong website is not an option; it is a requirement.
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