In this week’s edition of Things I Wish I Knew, Joleena Louis shares her experience of updating her firm’s website and offers advice on how you can do the same.
When did you last update your law firm’s website?
When I started my practice in 2013, I threw together a basic, cookie-cutter website. It was intended to be temporary, but unfortunately, it took me longer than anticipated to create a new site. I didn’t update that site until the end of 2015.
Updating your website is one of those annoying things that always gets pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. Then whenever you decide to start updating it, some urgent client matter comes up and takes priority. Ideally, you would just hire someone to take care of it. But as a new solo, that option might not fit into your budget.
However, as your company’s virtual headquarters, your website should be a top priority. Your website is a reflection of your personal brand as a solo lawyer. If it’s not visually appealing, functional and easy to use then I can assure you that you’re missing out on potential clients.
Here are five quick ways you can update your website in less than an hour.
1. Make Your Website Consistent With Your Brand
My original website design was dark with cheesy lawyer stock photos and did not reflect my brand at all.
When I updated my site I chose to use brighter colors and coordinated them to match my brand. Now my letterhead, social media, business cards, and everything else reflect the same brand image and theme.
2. Update Old Content
Old content makes your website look neglected and is terrible for SEO. Make sure your bio or about page is up to date and that you have a recent photo, which accurately reflects your current appearance.
Also, comb through old blog posts and“Firm Updates” to make sure the information is up to date. There is nothing worse than clicking on the blog tab of a law firm website and seeing that the most recent post is from over a year ago.
3. Make Sure Your Website Client-Centric
Potential clients care more about what you can do for them versus your accomplishments. Yes, your website reflects your brand, but ultimately everything should be about benefiting them.
When I first updated my website, I had it critiqued by a Facebook group and they really helped me see where I needed to make things more client focused.
Review your website and change the words “I”, “we” or “us” to “you”. This simple change will go a long way in making your website feel more open and welcoming to potential clients.
4. Make Sure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly
Google now uses mobile friendliness as part of its ranking system. So if your site is not mobile friendly you will rank lower in search results.
Also, failing to have a mobile friendly site can cause you to lose lots of potential business since over half of internet searches are done on mobile devices.
If you have a WordPress site there are plugins that will make your site mobile friendly. These are simple to use, just install the plugin and it will do all the work for you.
5. Include Links to Your Social Media Profiles
People now turn to social media, even more than static websites, to learn more about a company. So make this process simpler for visitors. Let prospective clients know how to follow and connect with you by including links to your social media accounts.
I’ve added links to my accounts to the footer of every page and frequently link to my accounts in blog posts.
A site that is fast, functional and visually appealing will have a lower bounce rate and encourage people to stay on your site and learn more about you. Which can result in more leads converting into new clients.
Take a little time today to make these quick updates to your site and see the difference for yourself!
