When people encounter a legal issue, they want to trust that the attorney they work with will treat them with the care, attention, and respect they deserve. As a potential client begins their search for a lawyer who has the required experience to help them resolve their dispute, they will likely start with a simple web search for “law firms near me.” Once the search engine presents pages of results, how does the searcher decide which law firm to call? As a small- to mid-sized law firm, how can you set yourself apart from other larger (or more established) law practices in your community? While having an active website for your law firm is a critical component of any marketing strategy for law firms, this is rarely enough on its own to drive traffic to your website and encourage potential clients to engage your services. All websites are not the same—some are overly distracting, inaccurate, or clunky, which can send potential clients in search of other law firm websites that are more soothing, inviting, and engaging. When we talk about impactful website design for law firms, we’re really talking about what’s known in the marketing world as “user experience” (UX for short). So, what does UX mean for your law firm, and how can you leverage UX strategies to boost your law practice’s visibility to both search engine algorithms and potential clients in your area? This post will cover the importance of investing in an effective UX strategy and how it can cultivate meaningful client connections and generate interest in your law firm.
Why User Experience Makes a Difference for Consumers
In any industry where a company is selling goods or services to consumers, the client experience matters. It’s helpful to think about customer reviews—in today’s increasingly online world, you usually rely on customer reviews of a product or service to decide whether it’s worth your investment. Essentially, UX encompasses anything that the consumer experiences while interacting with a service or product, such as the accessibility of the website, its visual appeal, ease of use, and overall satisfaction. How quickly did the website load? How easy was it to locate the information you wanted to see? How long did it take the firm to return your call or respond to your email? Did you feel welcomed and valued when interacting with the company or firm? The more positive your interactions and experiences with the law firm are, the more likely you will be to sign on as a client. As you look to improve your content marketing for law firms strategy, you can remove as many barriers to client engagement as possible to encourage potential clients to move forward with your services.
Understanding the Psychology of User Experience
A considerable amount of the user experience occurs subconsciously or unconsciously. For instance, emotions play a critical role in influencing a user’s decision-making process. If a potential client arrives at your website and is confused or overwhelmed by a brash, chaotic layout or a cluttered page, their automatic reaction may be one of exhaustion or frustration—prompting them to click elsewhere. Instead, creating an intentionally calming law firm website design that welcomes the site visitor and puts them at ease can make all the difference in inspiring the potential client to remain on the page and even schedule an appointment (all because they felt soothed and reassured by what they saw within the initial microseconds of landing on your firm’s website). User experience also involves being attentive to a site visitor’s cognitive load. When someone lands on your website and encounters daunting, densely-packed blocks of text, the amount of cognitive load will likely confuse them and prompt them to disengage. Designing a digital marketing for lawyers strategy that reduces cognitive load (i.e., using clear language, concise headings, and well-organized layouts with ample blank space) can increase your website’s usability and accessibility—in turn, inspiring more users to move forward with your services.
Prioritizing Client Satisfaction to Generate Trust
You can use law firm web design to sing your own praises, but this self-promotion only goes so far. Like any consumer in search of high-quality products, potential clients want to trust that your firm has provided outstanding services to other people in similar situations. Incorporating a reputation management system is a crucial part of any successful marketing strategy for law firms. Not only will potential clients appreciate reading reviews from those you have represented over the years, but search engine algorithms like Google use reviews to influence your website’s rankings among the search results pages. Generally speaking, a law firm with several favorable client reviews will rank higher than a similar law practice in the area with few to no reviews. However, it’s important to recognize that one negative client review will wreak havoc on your firm’s reputation and ranking—in fact, algorithms become skeptical of companies with reviews that seem overly perfect. Receiving less-than-perfect client feedback actually creates an opportunity for your law firm to cultivate client relationships and showcase your genuine concern for delivering high-quality services. Most people would prefer to work with a law firm that received a poor client review and addressed it with professionalism and care than to move forward with an impersonal law firm with few or overly glowing reviews. If you are interested in learning more about how to incorporate reputation management into your law firm’s content marketing strategy, reach out to the knowledgeable legal marketing team at LegalRev today to discuss your goals.
Forge Meaningful Client Relationships to Build Your Law Firm
Once you have helped a client resolve a legal matter, the relationship does not end there. Instead, there are ways to continue to foster an ongoing relationship with those you have served over the years. Should they encounter another legal issue later on, they can trust that your law firm is ready to step in and advocate on their behalf once again. Also, satisfied clients you have served can refer others to your law practice. As you focus on improving your law firm’s digital marketing efforts, it’s worth enlisting the guidance of a seasoned legal marketing professional to ensure that you are making steady progress toward your goals.
If your law firm is ready to level up your user experience and improve your digital marketing strategy to bring in more clients, give the LegalRev team a call today at (800) 893-2590. Our friendly content marketing experts are here to help you identify and achieve your goals.
