The Top 7 Features Every Great Law Website Needs
Are you looking to upgrade your law firm’s web presence? Whether your firm wants more clients, a better reputation, or to establish itself as an industry leader (or all three), you’re in the right place.
When potential clients search for you online, you want them to be met with a website that gives them everything they need to know. It should make them feel secure and confident in hiring you. It should answer all of their basic questions about your firm. And it should help them figure out if you’re a good fit for their needs.
If you can do all that clearly and quickly, then you’ll find yourself with loads of qualified leads.
But it’s easier said than done and if you’re uncertain about what elements and features are a must-have for any well-built law firm website, we’re here for you. Here’s a list of the key features your law firm’s website needs to be the best version of itself.
1. Details on areas of practice
If you’ve ever looked for a service online, you know that the more information a company provides about their product, the better. Plus, you don’t want to waste your time with irrelevant leads – so make sure to describe your areas of practice well.
“Areas of practice” should be in your main menu bar so that it’s easy to find and when a user clicks it, they should be brought to a page that outlines these areas. Don’t be afraid to give detail – even show a case study for a case in each area in which you were successful. The sooner a potential client realizes that you offer services they need, the sooner they’ll reach out.
And vice versa – if they’re looking for something specific that you don’t offer, they won’t reach out and waste your time (or theirs) with a dead-end phone call.
2. What makes you special
It might be obvious to you why your law firm is better than the competition. But, to a potential client who’s comparing several firms, it won’t be. State clearly why your firm is unique. Maybe you have a special approach, a top-notch team, or a stellar cases-won rate. It’s all fair game.
Dig deep into your strengths and pinpoint the major element that convinces clients to work with you over others. Whatever you choose, make sure the benefit to the client is clear. Having great breakroom coffee won’t compel a client to work with you. But, having an energized team who’s willing to work through the night (thanks to the coffee) to win a case will certainly compel clients.
Don’t be shy – put this on your homepage. If you have a strong point of difference, it will be one of your firm’s best selling points – so shout it from the online rooftops.
3. Our team/founders
Another important menu item is “Our Team.” This page introduces key firm employees – sharing headshots, bios, and more. Depending on the size of your firm, you can include everyone or just senior management.
There are two main reasons this page is important. The first reason is that showing your team’s background and experience will give potential clients confidence in your firm’s abilities. This confidence comes from seeing degrees, work experience, and cases won.
Another reason this element is important is because people like seeing people. Seeing smiling faces of real people makes your firm more relatable and approachable. It helps the potential client envision themselves working with the people in the firm and pushes them one step closer to reaching out.
4. Reviews
Similar to seeing bios and experience of team members, seeing reviews or testimonials instills confidence in potential clients. There is no better confidence booster than seeing past satisfied clients. As much as you might want to brag about your own firm, it’s even more powerful when an outside source compliments you. Having a third party validate all of the great things you say about your firm reinforces those ideas for the visitor.
When you’re choosing which testimonials to include on your website, consider what makes your firm special. Then, use that to guide which reviews you pick. Choose reviews that reinforce the ideas you’re already trying to convey.
5. Information about won cases
Portfolios are not just for artists. Dedicate a significant amount of web-space to writing about cases that you’ve won. Choose a mix of your most impressive cases, biggest cases, most complex cases, and most diverse cases. You want to show website visitors your breadth of expertise so that no matter their needs, they see them covered.
If you can’t share confidential information, that’s okay. Look for a creative way to write about those types of cases. Instead of writing about one case individually, maybe write about several similar ones together. Share whatever you can and include the key information you think would convince clients that you have what they need.
6. Press coverage & Resources
Another way to show external validation is to have a section of your site dedicated to press coverage. Link to positive articles that have been written about your cases, news clips, or video content like interviews. This can include resources that your firm, or anyone in your firm, has produced. Whether it’s academic articles, research papers, or even informational and helpful blog posts or video, this is the place to include it.
This is another opportunity for potential clients to get to know you and your team so include any media that features your company.
7. Contact us
The most important step to secure clients is actually making contact with them. Make sure that your preferred method of communication is very clear and obvious. Want potential clients to call you? List your phone number. Want them to email? List your email or create a form.
These preferred modes of communication should be the most prominent. Have call-to-action buttons that say “get in touch.” When users click those buttons, they should be brought to a page that shows them exactly how to reach out.
Even if something isn’t your number one preferred communication channel, include it anyway. Every reputable website will have a phone number, email address, and even physical address.
If you want to see these features in action, check out these law firm websites we love.
After you’ve done all of this, your website will be a force to be reckoned with. There will be no need for an FAQ page because you will have already answered all of the most frequently asked questions. You can sleep easier knowing that clients who reach out to you will be much more relevant and compatible with what you offer.
Putting together a website might seem like hard work at first, but in the long run you’ll be spending more time signing new clients and less time looking for those clients.
If you’re looking for a simple and straightforward solution to building a website, check out Lunteer. It’s code-free, uses a drag & drop interface, and is packed with useful features. Have a free consultation with a Lunteer specialist to see if the platform is the right fit for your business., just fill in your details below.
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