The Yellow Pages is no longer potential clients’ go-to when selecting an attorney to represent them. Instead, most Americans prefer to do research online, comparing and contrasting different firms before deciding with whom to initiate contact. Because of this fact, it is crucial for law firms to not only have a web presence in general, but to have a web presence that sets them apart.
Category: Web Design
How Design & User Experience Affects a Law Firm Website
What makes a law firm site successful? Most will say it’s optimization, some will say design, and a few will say usability. The answer is all three. Individuals are often shocked to learn that both design and usability play a substantial role in how a website ranks on search engines. When designing a website for your law firm, it is important to keep this in mind and not prioritize one of these aspects at the expense of the others.
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Should You Choose a Custom Website or Template Website?
When running a law firm, one of the most important branding and marketing strategies is your website. How can you decide if your firm is better off with a template or a custom-built website? First, think about the goals, budget, and scope of your campaign. For example, if the main objective is a quick, low-cost redesign or the creation of your first website, a template-based website could be beneficial for your firm.
However, while many firm owners create their own websites using templates through sites like FindLaw or LexisNexis, these templates may not fit into your overall marketing strategy or long-term budget. For example, you may set up a website that is functional for the time being, but you may later want to add features such as contact forms which may only be created for an extra fee, or not at all with the template have you chosen. Alternatively, the website may continue to function, but may be incompatible with key features of SEO or digital advertising campaigns. Therefore, plan ahead and make sure your website is not only effective for today, but for the next 2-5 years.
First Impressions
Your website is oftentimes the first point of contact with a client, and you want to make a good first impression. Consider that the average amount of time a viewer spends on a webpage is less than one minute. Therefore, you want to figure out how to quickly convert visitors. First, your website should look professional and should be carefully constructed to influence viewers to stay as long as possible. Continue reading “Should You Choose a Custom Website or Template Website?”
10 Things YOUR Website Needs to be Successful
By John Zaher
The internet is now the main way for law firms to gain exposure. It’s an easy and fast way to get found, communicate with clients, and bring in new business. This is your first impression—make it count! When developing or maintaining a website, there are quite a few factors to consider since websites can easily help or harm a brand. What should the site include? How can I maximize the return on my investment? These are all questions that can be answered by considering a few important factors to gain traffic and build your reputation.
Domain Name
The domain name is the primary way to brand your site. This is what will be typed in the search bar to locate your site. Using a .com domain is best because of its popularity — many individuals believe that .net sites are less reputable.
You want your web address to be simple, but including a keyword can help SEO (ex. www.longislanddivorcelawyer.com). Something long and difficult to remember may result in loss of visitors to your site. We recommend using your firm’s name or a keyword-based description.
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Anatomy of a Mobile Website
By John Zaher
According to a study by Nielsen Media Research, mobile Internet usage is growing at a rate of 30 percent each year. With more people surfing the Web using their smartphones, businesses and law firms must recognize the need for their websites to be compatible with these devices. By creating a separate site for mobile users, you are enabling them to experience faster browsing speeds, easy navigation and an overall improved user experience. Having a mobile website can also provide strong search engine optimization (SEO) benefits since it will boost your rankings on mobile-friendly search engines, such as Google and Yahoo. This article will explain why your law firm needs a mobile website, what your mobile website should look like and how you can convert your existing website into a mobile site.
Why Does Your Firm Need a Mobile Website? — With the variety of mobile devices to choose from, such as iPhones, iPads and Androids, the mobile Web is rapidly replacing traditional desktop browsers. As an increasing amount of people use smart phones to browse websites, law firms should not hesitate to reach this important mobile audience. Often, potential clients do not realize they will need an attorney until something unexpected happens (a car accident, an injury, etc.), and some of them may try to find one right away with the ease of their smartphone.
