Introduction
Nowadays, potential clients are researching legal services online. Specifically, they want to make an informed decision when choosing a lawyer or law firm. Consequently, your website will be the first place they’ll visit to see if you’re the right choice. Thus, for your law firm to draw in new clients, an outstanding website design is a must.
Your website design should demonstrate your authority and expertise, as well as drive traffic and inquiries for your law firm. An authentic website design will help your law firm stand out, increases brand exposure, draws in your ideal client, and provides value to current and potential clients. By understanding the importance of a high-quality law firm website design, you can convert your visitors into leads.
Website Design Basics
To start, think about what type of website will work best for your firm’s needs, and what do you want it to look like. Moreover, consider what do you ultimately want to achieve with it. How much is best to spend on your law firm website may depend on the industry and practice area you work in.
For example, if your law firm relies on word-of-mouth referrals and repeats business, you might only need a simple website including basic information to confirm your identity online. However, if there’s a need to stand out from your competitors, it might be worth investing more into your law firm’s website design.
Law Firm Website Design Principles
Law firm website design refers to the aesthetics of a website or the visual aspects involved in website creation. It includes the creation of the overall layout from images to text. Your law firm’s website design can heavily influence your online presence. Appearances impact how potential clients see you, and how they use your site to gather more information. In fact, your visitor’s first impressions are mostly design-related and only last 0.5 seconds. To achieve a great first impression using your website design, it’s critical to follow a few law firm website design principles.
Unique Value Proposition
A unique value proposition defines the unique value you deliver to your clients that your competitors don’t. It outlines the reasons why your client should choose you and should be visible throughout your law firm website design. To identify your UVP:
- Identify your target client’s main concerns. Use your client persona to discover their concerns. Ultimately, these will depend on your main service areas as well as the client you want to attract.
- Define how your services solve these concerns. To start, list the benefits of your services instead of the features.
- Position yourself as the provider of the value. Place your UVP at the center of your homepage and throughout your website.
Functionality
Functionality refers to the interactive parts of your website and the process a client must go through to find the information they’re looking for. Around 75% of consumers admit to making judgments on a company’s credibility based on their website’s design. Hence, to avoid any negativity stemming from your website, start with simple functionality. For instance, use plenty of whitespaces and visual elements across the page to emphasize readability. Additionally, use headings in your text as well as easy-to-read typography. Ultimately, make sure to use good font sizes.
On-Site Navigation
Your website navigation should be easy to understand and follow. For example, each page title should say exactly what your visitors can expect from the page. Thus, place your navigation at the top of your website. For pages that have sub-pages, include drop-down menus tied to your main navigation. Next, include a sitemap- a visual map of the pages on your website.
This will ultimately help you boost your search engine optimization. Additionally, include a low scroll option so your visitors can scan through your website. Be mindful of the length of your website pages and keep scrolling to a minimum. Finally, add a search bar to help your audience find the information they need fast.
Mobile Friendliness
Around 85% of consumers think a company’s mobile website should be as good or better than the desktop. Google uses mobile-friendliness as one of the key signals for ranking in search results on any platform. Hence, improve the way your site appears on a mobile device to help them find you. Make sure your law firm website design is responsive and fits the screen size of different devices automatically.
Accessibility
Having an accessible website is key for connecting with potential clients. Consider technical ways to make your website accessible to people with low vision who may be using screen readers, or those with mobility concerns who may be using alternatives to a mouse. You can also make certain design choices, such as contrast checking the color of your text versus the background of a page, or considering colors for those who are color-blind.
Additionally, use alt text for your images. All images should include alt text so that screen readers can convey the image’s message to the user. Moreover, utilize headers to break up your content. Headers are used by screen readers for scanning, allowing them to consume the content faster. Ultimately, add a skip navigation feature. Include a skip navigation feature that enables screen readers to skip reading the big sections on your website. Finally, make sure links have descriptive names. In-text links should be descriptive, defining exactly what the user can expect from the next page after clicking the link.
High-Quality Imagery
Images can say a lot about your practice, hence, keep all images on your law firm’s website relevant and professional. To start, they should be of high quality and reflect your brand story. Additionally, it’s important to consider the image size too. Overusing higher-quality photos can have the potential to slow down your website. A slow mobile experience drives clients away, while a fast mobile experience can help attract them. You can check your law firm website’s site speed with Google’s Test My Site tool.
Hire Experts To Do A Website Design For You
With the right approach, we can create an effective law firm website for you that attracts more clients. By having an outstanding website, you can help convince them why they should hire you. When making a winning website design, we always think about how your target client would likely use your website.
Besides that, Carmine Cloak’s expert team is here to educate your company so you can make informed decisions. Before hiring us, we schedule a free consultation to take a better look at your current situation and develop a plan according to your desires. If we agree that our services are the best fit for your firm, we proceed to educate, explain and help you make the right choices.