The browsing experience can make or break whether a lead becomes a client.
Your website is where your leads learn the most about your firm. While social media or ads give them a starting point, your website teaches them to trust you.
A recent study found nearly half of all website visitors view a website's design as crucial for credibility. A lack of credibility makes it difficult for leads to trust your ability to help them.
Not only is credibility important, but so is a seamless browsing experience. At least 42% of people view seamless browsing as a top expectation. Learning, chatting, and hiring without difficulty increases the chances of a lead converting. You can create a seamless experience with a few simple design tips.
Updating your site to follow law firm website SEO and user experience best practices has a positive impact. For example, take a look at these results we got for an attorney website in The Bronx:
Two days before we launched the redesigned site, this law firm was almost invisible in Google Maps results. But three weeks after we redesigned it, people all over New York City can now find the firm.
Who This Guide Is For
Hey there! Welcome to our guide on law firm website design tips. If you’re an attorney or a law firm owner looking to step up your online game, you’ve landed in the right place. This guide is perfect for you if:
- You’re a solo practitioner just getting started and need a website that stands out.
- You’re part of a small or mid-sized firm looking to modernize your online presence.
- You’ve got a website that just isn't converting leads into clients like it should, and you’re ready for a revamp.
- You want to attract more clients through effective and engaging web design.
What You’ll Learn
Ready to turn your website into a powerful tool for growth? Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Essential Design Elements: Learn about the must-have features every law firm website should include to impress visitors and keep them engaged.
- User Experience (UX): Learn about the importance of a seamless user experience and how a well-designed site can increase conversions.
- SEO Best Practices: Get tips on optimizing your website for search engines so potential clients can find you easily online.
- Content Strategy: Find out how to craft compelling content that addresses your audience's needs and positions you as an expert in your practice area.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Understand why your website must look great on mobile devices and how to achieve that.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be armed with practical tips and insights to create or improve your law firm’s website, attract more leads, and ultimately grow your practice
We'll help you create a law firm website that attracts and converts. Below are practical design tips and examples from some of the best law firm websites to get you started.
Should You DIY Your Law Firm Website or Hire Professionals?
When it comes to building your law firm’s website, one of the most critical decisions you'll face is whether to tackle the project yourself or hire a professional. Both options have their pros and cons, and understanding them will help you make an informed decision that aligns with your firm’s goals, budget, and available time. Let’s delve into the two routes.
DIY (Do It Yourself)
Pros:
- Cost Savings: The biggest advantage of going the DIY route is the potential to save money. With many website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress offering user-friendly templates, you can get your site up and running without spending a fortune. However, these website builders can have serious drawbacks down the line. Moreover, they can convey a lack of professionalism in your law firm's online presence.
- Learning Experience: Building your website can be an excellent opportunity to learn valuable skills. You’ll gain insights into website design, content management, and digital marketing that can benefit your firm long-term.
Cons:
- Time-Consuming: Let’s face it—designing a professional website takes time, especially if you're not experienced in web design or coding. What might seem like an easy task can quickly turn into a project that consumes your valuable hours, pulling you away from your core legal work.
- Skill Limitations: Unless you have a background in web design or digital marketing, there’s a learning curve. Missed details in design, search engine optimization, or user experience can lead to a site that’s less effective at converting visitors into clients.
- Lack of Professional Polish: While DIY tools make it easier than ever, most law firm websites built on out-of-the-box builders lack the polished, professional look that’s often necessary for law firms. You want your website to instill confidence in potential clients, and a DIY site can sometimes come off as amateurish.
Hiring Professionals
Pros:
- Expertise: Professional web developers and designers bring a wealth of experience to the table. They know the ins and outs of what works for law firm websites, from user experience to compliance standards to SEO best practices.
- Time Efficiency: Hiring a pro allows you to focus on running your practice while they handle the heavy lifting. They can efficiently manage the project, ensuring everything comes together on time and to the highest standards.
- Custom Solutions: Professionals can create a custom website perfectly tailored to your firm’s unique needs and goals, ensuring that your brand and messaging resonate with your target audience.
- Ongoing Support: Many agencies offer ongoing support, maintenance, and updates. So, when things need tweaking down the line, or you want to add new content, you won’t have to figure it out on your own.
Cons:
- Cost: Engaging professionals can be a significant investment. Prices can vary widely depending on the level of expertise and the scope of your project. For small firms with limited budgets, this can be a critical factor.
- Less Control: When you hand over the reins to a professional, you might feel a loss of control over the creative process. Initial ideas and concepts need to mesh well with the professional's vision, which could sometimes lead to unexpected results.
- Finding the Right Fit: Not all marketing agencies or web developers specialize in legal websites. You’ll need to invest time to find a partner who understands your specific needs in law firm marketing.
Finding the Solution that's Right for You
If you're caught between DIY and hiring professionals, there are tiered options you can consider:
- Freelancers: For a more budget-friendly solution, consider hiring a freelance designer or developer. They can provide professional quality at a lower cost than larger agencies.
- Template Services: Look into semi-custom website design services that offer templates specifically catered to law firms. This can give you more polish than a typical DIY project while still saving some costs.
- Hybrid Approach: Another option is to start with a DIY platform to get your site off the ground and hire professionals later for a complete overhaul or specific components like SEO and content strategy.
Ultimately, the decision to DIY or hire professionals depends on your firm’s budget, your comfort level with technology, and the value you place on a polished, effective online presence. Make sure to weigh these factors carefully to choose the path that will best serve your law firm’s goals.
Questions to Ask Your Designer or Agency
When you’re ready to engage a designer or agency for your law firm’s website, it’s crucial to set clear expectations and ensure everyone is on the same page. Here are some essential questions to ask that will clarify your needs, align your vision, and establish ownership:
- What is the design process? Understanding their process will give you a sense of how they operate and what to expect at each stage. Ask about timelines, milestones, and how feedback will be integrated.
- Can you provide examples of similar law firm websites you’ve created? Reviewing their portfolio will help you assess their style and see if they have experience in the legal field.
- How will you ensure that the design aligns with my brand? Discuss how they plan to capture your firm's unique identity and values through the design.
- What happens after the website is launched? Clarify what ongoing support and maintenance is included after the initial project is completed. Will they provide updates, security, and backups?
- Who will retain ownership of the website and its design? Once the project is finished, it’s vital to know who will own the final design and content. Make sure you retain full ownership so you can manage or modify the website as needed in the future.
- What kind of training and documentation will you provide? Ask if they will train you or your team on how to update and manage the site. You want to feel confident in maintaining it in the future.
- How do you approach law firm SEO and mobile optimization? Since visibility and accessibility are crucial, make sure the designer has a clear strategy for implementing best practices in these areas.
- What metrics will you use to measure the success of the website? It is important to understand how success will be measured post-launch. Ask what tools and analytics they’ll use to track performance.
- Are there any additional costs I should be aware of? Get transparency on all potential costs, including hosting, domain registration, maintenance, and any future upgrades.
- How will communication and feedback be managed throughout the project? Establish a clear line of communication from the start. Know who your point of contact will be and how often you can expect updates on progress.
Asking these questions will help you gauge the agency's capabilities and approach and make sure that your expectations are met and managed throughout the design process.
Ethical Considerations for Your Law Firm Website
The legal profession is built on trust, and your website must reflect that commitment to integrity and professional responsibility. Here are some key ethical elements to keep in mind:
Honesty and Accuracy
Whether you practice personal injury, family law, criminal defense, or any other practice area, transparency is fundamental in legal marketing. Your website should present truthful and accurate information about your practice areas, attorney qualifications, and case outcomes. Avoid making exaggerated claims or guarantees about results, as this can lead to ethical violations and damage your reputation.
Compliance with Legal Advertising Rules
Each state has its own rules governing lawyer advertising, so it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the regulations in your jurisdiction. Make sure your website adheres to these guidelines, which may include restrictions on false or misleading statements, disclaimers required for testimonials, or information about prior results.
Respecting & Including Accessibility Standards & Privacy Laws
An ethical law firm website must be accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. To provide an inclusive experience for all users, ensure that your site complies with accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). You must also comply with website regulations, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (even if your practice is based in a different state) and the General Data Protection Regulation. While the latter is specific to the European Union, you should still ensure compliance unless you're planning on geo-restricting your website visitors (which we don't recommend.)
Ethical SEO Practices
When optimizing your website for search engines, focus on ethical SEO practices that promote organic growth rather than misleading tactics. Avoid black-hat techniques such as keyword stuffing or deceptive link-building, as these can harm your site’s credibility and lead to penalties from search engines.
10 Tips for Effective Law Firm Website Design
At its core, a great law firm website combines aesthetic appeal with a clear focus on user experience. This means intuitive navigation so visitors can easily find what they're looking for, engaging content that speaks to their needs and concerns, and a mobile-friendly layout that caters to on-the-go clients.
Moreover, a strong website establishes credibility through professional visuals, clear branding, and evident expertise in the law market. It’s also about optimization—ensuring that your site functions seamlessly, loads quickly, and is easily discoverable by search engines.
Now that we’ve laid the groundwork let’s dive into some actionable tips that will help you implement these design principles effectively. Ready to transform your website into a powerful tool to attract and convert clients? Here are 10 tips to get you started!
1. Have Clear CTAs
Your website's goal is to attract leads and convert them. Clear CTAs increase your chances of converting.
A call to action encourages visitors to take a step, such as contacting you for a consultation. These are most effective when used consistently throughout your site. You can put these at the end of blog post content, your homepage, contact page, service pages, and more.
When potential clients visit your site, they are in different stages of the law firm marketing funnel. Each CTA can be tweaked to reflect these stages and better match their needs.
Keeping your CTA clear involves two factors — location and language.
The location should be easy to find, no matter which page the lead is browsing. Bold text and a large button can help make your CTA hard to miss.
The second factor is using straightforward language. Long sentences, legal jargon, or multiple intended actions will likely confuse your lead.
For example, compare the following sentences:
- “Call now for a free consultation!”
- “Are you worried about your case? We offer free consultations. Call us today to set your appointment!”
Which one is actionable and clear? Likewise, which is bloated and doesn't get to the point?
You can find good examples of CTA usage on the website of the personal injury attorneys at Dolman Law. They have multiple clear CTAs on their homepage. The first is in the upper right-hand corner with the words “Call us!”
The second is next to their case winnings, saying, “Book your free consultation!”
The third CTA is in their live chat feature, offering a free case evaluation.
Placing CTAs in these locations is a best practice in web design. Here is another example of the same formula on a website we built for Abels & Annes. The CTAs are bright, bold, and in the places a user expects to find them.
All of these CTAs are useful for potential clients in the middle and bottom of the funnel. They use encouraging tones and short sentences for maximum impact.
2. Reduce Constant Popups
A relevant popup can be useful here and there. But too many chat widgets, forms, or offers can frustrate visitors.
A well-timed popup needs to take into account the lead's journey.
A lead that's not sure if they need a lawyer yet could find a “Free consultation!” popup annoying. Since they're still trying to learn about and solve their problem, you haven't given them anything useful.
Someone who's at the bottom of the funnel may find this popup helpful. Since they're already seeking information, a free consultation is a relevant solution. The law firm below has a firm grasp on timing their popups.
D'Amore Law's website offers a free case evaluation when you click on certain pages. Their homepage and About page don't use popups. But their Testimonials page does. Using it there makes sense because people at the bottom of the funnel are likely to read client success stories.
3. Cut Back on Stock Photos and Video
The visual identity of your firm helps you stand out from other businesses. Too many stock photos work against this idea. They can make your firm seem generic or untrustworthy.
How can your leads trust you if they don't know who's behind the business? While a few stock photos or videos are fine, too much is a problem. Some stock photos are so overused that people can spot them instantly.
It's also vital to know where to use stock photos. For example, a stock photo or two in a blog post is fine. Since the focus of the post is your writing, the visual is a side detail.
Compare this with an About Us page or your home page. Since these showcase your firm's identity, stock photos seem insincere or strange.
Other law firms can't recreate your employees or business philosophy. Custom photos and videos show your firm's identity among similar businesses.
The Levin Firm skillfully blends stock photos with original work. They use original photos where it's most impactful—showcasing the people behind the firm. While a stock cityscape fills the background, the lead attorney is front and center.
4. Declutter Your Homepage
First impressions go a long way toward building trust. A cluttered homepage will leave people confused or irritated, not eager to hire you.
Your homepage has a few tasks it needs to accomplish. The first is creating a headline that targets your lead's pain points or questions. You can also use the headline to explain what you do and who you do it for. Either way, your lead won't be confused about what to do next.
Criminal law attorney Cody Warner has a headline that cuts straight to his potential client's pain points.
His homepage is clutter-free and draws the viewer's eye first to his value proposition and then to a picture of himself.
5. Speed Up Slow Pages
While most Americans have fast Internet, slow loading times can push people away. Slow pages may also reduce your chances of ranking high in search engines. One to two seconds is an ideal loading time to keep your lead's attention.
Several factors contribute to a page's slow loading time. One factor is too many videos. One or two videos per page is usually enough.
Rubenstein Law's front page has an optimal speed of one and a half seconds. While there is an animated video that could slow things down, their site still runs quickly.
6. Use Client-First Copy to Connect with People
Focusing on your prospective client's needs results in better copy. The language you use on your site is on the right track when it targets concerns or answers questions.
If you're not sure where to start writing copy, remember the client's journey. Awareness, evaluation, and decision are the stages your lead goes through before hiring. The tone you use will also work to resonate deeply with your client. Choosing the wrong tone could compromise your message and turn people away.
Blevins & Adams know the power of focusing on the lead. With the headline “Your Accident, Your Injury, Your Money,” they put their lead first not once but three times. They then expand on this with expectation management and a CTA.
The evaluation stage (or middle of the funnel) is when a lead knows they have a problem but hasn't decided on a solution. In this stage, they're educating themselves more deeply. Great copy can offer these people detailed answers to their questions when seeking legal services.
Blevins & Adams has several testimonials for leads in the evaluation stage. These generate trust by showcasing past success for people with similar issues. These testimonials are brisk yet specific. They talk about relevant details like easy contact methods and long-term relationships.
7. Focus on Accessibility Features
Website accessibility widens your audience in ways you might not think possible. It's also legally necessary. Statistics show website accessibility improves visitor experiences and reduces legal risks.
Poor color contrast, lack of captions, and mouse-only navigation are common barriers.
Failing to provide accessibility accommodations could put your firm at risk. Recent studies show website accessibility lawsuits are increasing significantly. Some of these lawsuits concern websites that don't accommodate disabilities.
Accessibility expands your website to more people and keeps you compliant. You can achieve accessibility with visual updates or built-in features.
For example, websites now make it easy to add alt text to images. This feature is necessary for people with vision issues or sensory processing disorders.
Another way to improve visual accessibility is with strong color contrast in text. Light blue text on a dark blue background, for instance, would be hard to read.
In the example above, personal injury lawyer Bryant Law Center is using a background image for its hero section. This is a common practice, but it's important to create a separation between the copy and the image when using one.
This is usually done by either putting the text on a solid background or putting a dark overlay on the image. With neither, the text is hard to read for users with vision issues or those using older monitors.
On the inverse, here is an example of a well-implemented background image on a website we built for King & Jones. While a background image is below the text, the overlay is dark enough to create enough contrast to make the text easily legible.
8. Show Social Proof
Client testimonials and reviews give potential clients more reasons to trust your firm. Social proof shows your leads that you're not all talk. Testimonials also show the effort your firm goes through to protect your client's interests.
Miller & Zois provide written and video testimonials for visitors. People who check out these testimonials learn about the firm from someone like them. Instead of relying on the firm's word, they see an endorsement from someone they can empathize with.
9. Make it Easy to Reach You
A law firm that's easy to contact has a higher chance of converting leads to clients. There are several tools you can implement to create a frictionless user experience.
Live chat is an accessibility feature that also works as a bottom-of-funnel tool. It's become a popular feature for simple questions or concerns. This feature also lets people contact your firm without a scheduling commitment. Live chat video is another variation your firm could try. Some leads may feel more comfortable seeing someone face-to-face.
Short consultation forms are another method of easy contact. These forms only require a little information and provide a swift response.
The attorneys at Gilormo Injury Law make it easy for potential clients to get in touch. At the very top of their homepage, visitors can find a simple contact form. This allows the attorneys to capture leads right away without making them jump through hoops.
Gilormo also makes it easy to reach them by displaying their phone number prominently at the top of the page.
10. Design Convenient Tools
Since the field of law isn't user-friendly, helpful tools can make converting easier.
These tools work best when they solve a problem immediately. They can also work as a step toward solving a problem. For example, a case estimation calculator helps a lead take the next step. They learn more about their case and whether it would be worth their time.
Crossen Law Firm provides a case settlement calculator for visitors. This useful tool lets leads estimate medical costs, lost wages, and/or property damage. The lead can scroll down for answers to common questions to help them use the calculator.
Ideally, everyone should win with a convenient tool. The tool empowers Crossen Law Firms' leads to make informed decisions, increasing the law firm's chances of working with a high-quality lead.
Improve Your Law Firm Website With Professional Help
Improving a website is an ongoing task due to ever-changing expectations and technology. Professional help will keep your website competitive in the long term.
While ads are useful while they're running, they stop working when you stop paying. An optimized website works around the clock to bring in leads and convert them.
Maintaining a well-designed website involves updating technology, adding tools, and optimizing the user experience. Specialized marketing help will save you time and effort so you can run your firm.
We work with personal injury firms so they can free up their schedule to work with clients. Since 2013, we've helped law firms maximize their lead-generating potential and optimize their law firm websites. Contact us today for a consultation so we can improve your leads' browsing experience.
