Depending on where you live, the legal industry can be very competitive. There may be multiple law offices located on the same street as you, making it difficult to stand out.
Establishing yourself as a trusted attorney in your specialty is key to building your clientele, and having a stunning website is a huge part of that.
You’re an attorney, not a website designer, so you may be somewhat lost when it comes to designing websites. You can do it yourself or hire someone to help you—either way, here are a few key design tips to use:
1. Consistently Place Your Logo
You probably have a logo for your services, whether it’s an arrangement of your law firm’s name or a symbol representing what you do. When you’re trying to establish a brand, logo placement is key. It should appear on every web page to build brand recognition.
Traditionally, the logo is placed in the top left corner of the site. It appears in a header that stays present no matter which page you visit.
2. Provide an Informative Homepage
Potential clients are often directed to your website because Google sent them there. They usually land on your homepage, and this is where you’ll want to establish your value proposition. In other words, your homepage is a great place to show what makes your business unique.
Consider the homepage for Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers in Chicago. It has relevant headings with lengthy details about their services and what makes them unique. It provides a great opener for clients still shopping for the perfect attorney.
3. Strategically Place Your Call to Action
All websites need a clear call to action (CTA). It tells consumers what to do with the information they just encountered on your website. Depending on the services you offer, you may want more than one. Keep your CTA simple. It might say “Call Now!” or “Contact Us Today!”
More importantly, place your CTA where clients can easily click on it when they’re ready to do business. A good website will have a CTA drop-down that appears on every page of the website. It may also have CTAs built into the content of the page.
4. Avoid Cluttered Pages
It’s important to explain your unique value proposition and how you can potentially change a person’s life. As you include this information and relevant images, don’t let it become cluttered. Clutter can overwhelm your potential clients. They’re likely to look at a cluttered site and run the other way.
Instead, use plenty of white space and well-placed images. White space helps with comprehension to help your website stay clear and compelling.
5. Optimize for SEO
Although this doesn’t necessarily impact the design, it should be a major factor you consider when designing websites. When your website is optimized for search engines, it will show up in more searches. After all, if no one sees your website, what’s the point of making a good design?
Much of your SEO traffic will come from your marketing efforts, but for now, you can focus on the right plugins. WordPress is typically the best builder regarding SEO since it features many effective plugins including Yoast SEO.
6. Create Attorney Profiles
Attorney profiles are essential to a good user experience. You’ll be working closely with clients, and it’s important for them to get to know you before they hire you.
A strong attorney profile will include a high-quality, professional image and a brief, informative bio. The bio should include the attorney’s credentials, area of expertise, years of experience, and success record. For a good example, look at the attorney profile page for a family law office in Texas.
7. Focus on the User Experience
Remember that good web design doesn’t only revolve around looks—it’s just as vital to consider functionality. This means prioritizing a simple user experience. The user experience encompasses navigation, first impressions, strong headlines, structure of the page, and anything else that contributes to the orderly, easy-to-comprehend nature of your site.
The user experience is also essential for search engine optimization. Google prioritizes a strong user experience, so excelling in this area will help your pages rank higher.
There are dozens of resources available to learn about good website design, and this is a great start. Invest time and energy into this project—it could potentially bring you thousands of clients in the future if done right.
