Ever since the arrival and spread of the Internet, things have shifted from traditional communication methods to more instant and digital based methods like e-mail, instant chats, and social media. Today’s law firms couldn’t be an exemption to this rule and the average client looks for attorneys online first to determine their decision on who they’ll choose.
The thing here is, some law firms have managed to make their websites a successful extension of their offline business-while others are downplaying their business without realizing it.
If you don’t want to end up with a website that doesn’t serve you, here’s what you should be asking yourself:
Does my website have new or outdated look and content?
First impressions last. And if a potential client that comes to your website immediately thinks “This site looks like it’s been built from the 90s” or “this site looks pretty old and boring”, obviously your online reputation and business will suffer. You may even have posted decent content inside, but without a polished and new appearance, you will still leave off the wrong impression.
Recommended solution: Make sure you adopt a new and responsive design that works in a wide range of platforms and screen sizes e.g. P.Cs, i-pads, or Smartphones Be proactive and seek feedback every now and then from your visitors of special consultants to improve any appearance issues of your website before they ruin your business.
Does my website offer options for more info and engagement with my users?
Visitors come into your law firm’s website in the first places, looking for both informational content and possibly contact options. If you offer some amount of content without any of these options, visitors will sway away to other websites that have all they need. This of course equals to a big loss of good and quality leads that could turn into real clients.
Recommended solution: Offer more information and options to engage users further from your website. You could for example add “See more” links in each of your posts or add an e-mail subscription form so users can subscribe and get offered more information. You can also add relevant e-books, videos, infographics regarding the topic and offer users the option to explore the material or not.
Do I publish content consistently and frequently on my website?
Many law firm websites do the mistake of not posting regular and new content on their website’s blogs. This is both damaging to your Search Engine results and audience credibility. If the visitor doesn’t find any new content that covers their needs e.g. information on new domestic policies in 2016, they will go elsewhere.
Recommended solution: Come-up with a plan and generate content that is new, quality, and informational on a regular basis. There is no exact frequency number in which you’ll post regular content, but most experts agree that posting at least once a week is enough to keep things going.