Robert Davis
It’s not enough to just have a law firm website today—you need a site that actually stands out, appeals to potential new clients, and effectively generates more cases for your firm! However, there are a few common mistakes that get in the way of these results for many attorneys.
Here’s our list of the top 7 law firm website blunders:
1. You’re Using an Outdated Design
You wouldn’t walk into a courtroom within anything other than professional attire, would you? Of course not. As such, you should have nothing less than a modern, professional-looking website.
Remember, your website represents your firm on the Internet—and in many cases, it’s the first opportunity you will have to make an impression on a prospective client. Don’t let your firm look like anything less than the best due to a dull, outdated, or cluttered website design. Instead, use a design that immediately catches the user’s attention and positions your firm as a leading practice in your market.
2. Your Site Doesn’t Work Well on Mobile Devices
People today spend a lot of time on their smartphones and tablets. In fact, 69% of the time people spend on digital media is on a mobile device, according to comScore. So, if your law firm’s site isn’t mobile-friendly—meaning it’s not easy to use and navigate on mobile devices—you could be alienating a large portion of your potential client base.
You could even lose visibility in Google search results, thanks to Google’s mobile-first indexing (or its shift to using the mobile versions of websites to establish organic search rankings).
When you use responsive design, your website adjusts to fit the size of the user’s screen, creating a smooth experience no matter what type of device the user is on.
By making your site fast and mobile-friendly, you can avoid losing online visitors due to problems such as:
- Slow load times
- Excessive scrolling
- Small font size
- Difficult-to-tap buttons and fields
- Digital media that doesn’t work
3. Your Website Content Doesn’t Set Your Firm Apart
When potential clients visit your legal website, it’s because they want to see why they should choose your firm over others. If you aren’t immediately telling them what makes your firm different, you’re going to blend in with—or worse, get overshadowed by—your competition.
To fix this issue, use prominent messaging that highlights your firm’s greatest strengths, such as the fact that your firm is backed by decades of experience, your attorneys have been recognized as leading lawyers in the state or region, or your firm has an impressive track record for case wins or favorable judgments. Don’t bury this information—highlight it in easy-to-spot headers and bullet points!
4. You Aren’t Leading Your Site Visitors to Take Action
Getting a lot of website traffic, but not enough calls and messages from prospective clients? The problem could be that your website isn’t properly leading visitors down the right path of action. You need to first clearly explain how your firm can help the potential client, and then use direct calls to action such as “Schedule a Free Consultation” or “Call Us Today” to guide them to the next step.
These messages add a sense of urgency and provide a simple path to working with your firm. Also, make it easy for your visitors to find your contact information and web forms!
5. You’re Not Using Live Chat
According to a study by Kayako, live chat is rated as consumers’ most preferred channel for receiving customer support, followed by phone support, email, and then social media. The legal industry is no exception, as many prospective law firm clients use the web chat feature to ask questions and find out how a firm can assist them. It’s a fast and easy way for them to get the information they need!
Live chat allows firms to capture new leads where they might otherwise have had to wait, such as when the online user is unable to make a call or simply isn’t ready to take this step. Additionally, firms that use live chat conversion specialists to respond to prospects around-the-clock can generate new leads after-hours.
6. Your Site Doesn’t Answer Common Questions
Remember, while your website is there to spread the word about your firm, it should be primarily focused on the needs of your clients. These individuals have questions about how the legal system works, what their next steps should be, and how you can help them resolve their legal matters.
Think of the types of questions your most ideal prospects might ask when they’re doing basic research on Google, and also when they’re trying to decide if your firm is the right one for them—then answer those questions on your legal website and blog. This not only helps you better serve potential clients, but it can also help you get your site ranked higher in the organic (unpaid) search results.
7. You Aren’t Using Ads to Boost Website Traffic
If you’re only focusing on your organic rankings, you’re probably only getting a portion of the web traffic and leads that are available to your firm. To maximize your visibility in search engines such as Google and Bing, you need both organic and paid listings. Through pay-per-click advertising (PPC), you can get your law firm seen higher up on the search engine results page page (SERP)—above the organic listings. Through targeting, you can also better control the types of audiences you reach, as well as when and how you reach them.
About two-thirds of high-intent commercial traffic (people looking to buy or hire now) goes to the paid ads, and if you’re not advertising, you will miss out on a lot of opportunities to get in front of the right people at the right time.
Is your law firm making any of these website mistakes? If so, our legal marketing experts at Scorpion can help you correct them and start generating more business for your firm. Contact us today to learn more!
