5 Ways to Optimize Your Law Firm’s Website Today

Imagine this: There’s a man who needs legal help. He’s never engaged a law firm before, and isn’t entirely sure which attorneys to hire. So how does he decide? There are a lot of factors he might consider, but a lot of them are going to boil down to what he reads on each firm’s website. Websites represent the front doors for your firm, and in many ways they establish first impressions. A site that is highly visible to online searchers, easy to navigate, professional in its appearance, and helpful in its content is going to draw more readers, engender more trust, and ultimately cause your phone to ring.

So how do you make sure your website shines? Truthfully, that’s an ongoing process. You’ll always be fine-tuning your firm’s site. With that said, I have a list of five things you can do today to make your firm’s website more engaging and more effective. Get my tips after the jump!

How to Optimize Your Law Firm Website

1. Do the five-second test. It’s good to begin with some knowledge about where your website stands. Open it up, look at it for five seconds, then shut it down. Ask yourself: What kind of story does the site tell? What’s the central message? What does it communicate about the law firm? That’s how potential clients will appraise it, so it’s smart to try to see it through their eyes. If there’s not any central message that emerges in five seconds, that means you need to overhaul some things!
2. Ensure visible CTAs. Make sure every page of your firm’s website has a good, clear, call to action—a simple sentence or two, instructing readers on what to do and what value they can get—as well as the firm’s contact information. No matter which page a potential client is reading, he or she should be able to easily contact your firm right away.
3. Ensure the site is mobile-ready. Look at it on various phones and tablets to make sure it’s easy to read and to navigate; if it isn’t, go to your CMS control panel or contact your webmaster to make it mobile-friendly.
4. Upload a video. An engaging welcome video—a simple minute or two of you explaining who you are and what your firm does—can be invaluable. Upload to YouTube and embed it on your Home or About Us page.
5. Invest in some high-quality, professional headshots for each member of your firm. Trust me: They’re much more convincing than generic stock photos!

Start with these five tips, but then pursue more insight into law firm branding. Check the ACES course offerings today!