While there are many aspects of legal marketing, we cannot overemphasize the importance of your law firm website. An outdated, poorly designed, or poorly optimized website will cost you visibility and ultimately clients.
In this blog, we discuss some of the many reasons why your law firm’s website is so important to your digital marketing efforts.
PMP has been designing and optimizing law firm websites for more than 15 years, helping law firms across the nation to convert visitors and sign more cases. If you have questions about improvements to your website, contact PMP to discuss our website services offerings for law firms and find out how we may be able to assist you.
Below, let’s explore the value your website can provide…
Why Does Your Law Firm Need a Website?
Simply put, a website allows potential clients to learn about your firm at any time. This includes learning how to contact your law firm about a potential case.
Websites inform potential clients about:
- The types of cases you take
- Your expertise
- Your years of experience
- Awards and recognition from others in the legal field
- Hours of operation
- Client reviews of your services
- And more
When potential clients need legal help, they often need a lawyer right away. Your website is one of the ways your firm can effectively respond to that urgency.
Law firm websites are an extension of their brand. When potential clients see a billboard or TV commercial for a law firm, they go to the website to learn more about the law firm. This is another chance for them to see your brand and learn what makes your law firm unique from all the others in the local market.
As with many other products and services, consumers compare different websites. They often look at multiple attorney websites before making a phone call or complete a contact form. While they are comparing the content of these sites, they are also comparing site speed and user friendliness.
SEO-Friendly Websites Show Up When Potential Clients Seek Legal Help
Simply having a website is not enough. You also need to optimize your website, so it will show up when potential clients are seeking out a lawyer. This is sort of like how businesses that sell products want to show up in search results, so consumers will be more likely to engage with the business.
Appearing high in Google search results is not just about getting your brand in front of potential clients. Appearing high in search results also helps establish your credibility, as people often assume the best law firms in their local area will rise to the top of search results.
How Does Your Law Firm Website Complement Your Other Digital Marketing Efforts?
Law firm websites are platforms for publishing content that potential clients want to read. For example, you can write blogs that answer frequently asked questions or provide more information about a wide variety of practice areas, such as different types of car accidents or medical malpractice cases.
Unique, detailed, SEO-friendly content can rank in search results and allow you to connect with potential clients who are higher up in the marketing funnel. Blogs allow you to share knowledge and even demonstrate thought leadership in your industry.
Your website can also host landing pages for your paid digital advertising. For example, when you post a paid media campaign on Facebook, you can have the image link back to your website.
Your non-paid marketing efforts can also include links back to your website. For example, you can post a link on your Instagram story that redirects to an About Us page on your website.
Furthermore, your website can provide valuable data that you can use to help develop marketing strategies. For example, you can track the demographics of your website visitors and discover what information they often look for. You can use this data to refine your marketing efforts to make them more effective.
How Can a Website Enhance Our Customer Service?
Your website should contain information that can help guide and inform customers, including:
- Comprehensive FAQs
- Detailed descriptions of your practice areas
- Biographical information on your attorneys that helps to show their experience and legal knowledge
- Clear explanations of attorney fees and your core values
- Contact Us page, so people know how to get in touch with your law firm
Another feature that can enhance your customer service is a chatbot or live chat support. For instance, an AI chatbot can handle initial interactions with potential clients and direct more complex inquiries to human representatives, helping to reduce wait times.
If you do not have an AI chatbot, you should consider live chat support. This way you can offer real-time assistance to customers when they interact with your website, even outside of normal office hours.
In general, you want to make it as easy as possible for potential clients to contact your law firm. Too much friction causes people to look elsewhere, and once they leave your site, they are unlikely to return. The transition from finding your website in search results, to visiting your website and contacting your firm should be as seamless as possible.
Your Website Can Serve as a Portfolio of Your Successes and Achievements
Law firms often have impressive case wins, awards and even research that potential clients would be interested in consuming. Your website is a great place to showcase this information in an easily consumable way for your target audience.
If you are looking to improve your website, contact PMP to discuss how our experienced marketing professionals can help your firm reach its goals. We have in-depth knowledge of the many facets of digital marketing, from SEO and pay-per-click advertising to video marketing.