Use your website to increase your exposure and visibility. What is the primary goal of your marketing strategy? Who is your "target client"? Allocate resources to online advertising.
When hiring a professional website design firm, make sure you stay in contact with the developers as they progress - establish intermittent steps for checking website functions and appearence. Personalize the basic template with your firm's specific areas of expertise - business, civil or criminal law. Provide basic contact information: attorney names, specialties, phone numbers and a map to the office. Emphasize professionalism, law and justice. What sets your firm out from others?
Start with a basic foundation that communicates your message to potential clients. Legal firms should use a classical, sophisticated layout - powerful browns, blacks and grays - with standard fonts that are easy to read. Good graphics ideas include the law firm's group photograph, classical landmarks and a justice balance. Include glowing customer testimonials.
Make the website easy-to-read and easy-to-use. People don't need to waste their time trudging through confusing websites.
The website must be interesting with valuable content. Most web surfers have very short attention spans. If bored, they can easily access other websites.
Determine a number of keywords that are important to your firm. Search engine optimization (SEO) depends on keyword usage. Place your most important keywords as early and often, as possible. Search the Internet to see how your competitors appear, when different keywords are used.
Develop a "hierarchy of access". What is most important for you to emphasize? What are relevant current events that can help your business? How will you highlight your attorneys?
Your opening page may need to use shorter lines and simpler language to attract interest. Deeper pages can include more complicated legalese and even attorney winning percentages. Establish a basic standard website template, with lawyers writing text for individual pages.
Make downloading, page refreshing and printing, rapid and convenient. Experienced web surfers will conclude that there is a problem, with your website; if it takes too long to process requests. Guide your visitors through your website with proper instructions and directions.
Make sure your website can handle a lot of content and traffic. Offer interesting and helpful links. Provide the latest law updates. Provide relevant content for search engines. Make it easy to update your website. Designate someone to collect and update website informaion quarterly. Gain name recognition as an expert in your field through helpful newsletters or free legal advice on local radio programs.
A website is 24/7 and very convenient; the possibilities for high traffic are nearly limitless. Develop a database of potential clients. Get your own "domain name", with a web address that is easy to remember. Keep it simple -driving home your message - and your firm's website can be successful.
