As a small to mid-sized law firm, your website is often a potential client’s first point of contact. The decision to hire an attorney usually starts with a central legal question. For instance, if someone has a question about what to include in a will, they may enter their query into a search engine and peruse a few of the websites ranked highly among the search results pages. As the searcher reviews the content of these websites, they may determine that working with an estate planning attorney is the most strategic way to protect their assets and secure their legacy. So, how can your law firm ensure that your website gives potential clients the information and inspiration they need to enlist your services? This post will highlight some key strategies for ensuring your law firm’s website resonates with and engages potential clients, leading to a more stable and sustainable uptick in clients.
Include Client-Centered Content
As you review your law firm’s website, put yourself in the position of a potential client. It helps to take some time to create a profile of your target audience to understand their concerns, priorities, and goals. Once you’ve identified the wants and needs of your potential clients, you can use this information to create content that anticipates and addresses these concerns. Below are a few tips to help you keep your content client-centered and engaging.
Use a Conversational Style
Legal professionals may feel pressured to showcase their authority and expertise at every opportunity, but content written in an overly formal tone can come across as cold, distant, and impersonal. While your clients care that you have the background and experience necessary to help them with their legal matters, they also want to work with someone who is friendly and approachable. Many clients struggle with legal issues that are deeply personal—the last thing they want is to feel judged or intimidated by their attorney. Use your website’s content to project compassion and cultivate trust.
Tell Site Visitors What Makes Your Legal Services Special
It’s important to recognize that someone who visits your website will likely visit the websites of law firms in your area providing similar services. With this in mind, consider how you can differentiate your law practice from your competitors—what unique experiences or services can clients expect from your firm? Think about your mission statement and values. Do you pride yourselves on listening closely to each client? Can clients expect innovative legal solutions that are customized to address their specific needs? Use your website to highlight what makes your legal practice special and worthy of contacting.
Think of Your Website as a Mirror For What Clients Want
While it may feel intuitive to write content for your law firm’s website that focuses on the experience and accomplishments of the attorneys, site visitors gravitate to content that reflects their goals and priorities. It may be helpful to think of your website as a mirror—write content that resonates with your site visitors and engages them where they are. Use their concerns, values, and goals to craft content that responds directly to these elements. Site visitors will feel as if you understand their needs and concerns in a genuine way, increasing the likelihood that they will opt to move forward with your firm over the others in your area.
Use Intuitive, Client-Focused Website Design to Engage Visitors
Although content is important, your law firm’s website’s layout and navigation are equally vital. The visual impact of your firm’s website makes an immediate (and often subconscious) impression on site visitors, so use the following strategies to maximize the probability of securing client trust when they engage with your website.
Simple and Clean Layouts Reassure Site Visitors
When someone lands on your website, they will form an immediate impression based on the visual layout of the page. This initial reaction—made in a matter of seconds—can be the difference between landing a new client or losing them to another firm. Overly cluttered or “busy” websites tend to overwhelm visitors. Instead, use titles and short blocks of text (surrounded by plenty of blank space) to make your website appear clean, straightforward, and calming. Avoid bombarding your visitors with intimidating paragraphs of dense text or brightly flashing banners.
Website Organization Matters
Many law firms have websites with a home page, an “About” page, and several pages highlighting their areas of practice. As you organize your website, put yourself in the position of a prospective client looking for specific information on a legal topic. Consider navigating your website from the client’s point of view to determine how easy (or challenging) it is to locate the information you need. The more you can anticipate your potential client’s concerns and questions, the more purposeful and strategic you can be in implementing an intuitive site navigation experience.
Give LegalRev a call today at (800) 893-2590 to discuss your law firm’s digital marketing goals.
