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 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:
 An attorney's local map rankings 2 days before and three weeks after a total redesign.
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This law firm was almost invisible in Google Maps results two days before launching the redesigned site. But people all over New York City can now find the firm three weeks after we redesigned it.
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.
1. Have Clear CTAs
The goal of your website is to not just attract leads but convert them. You increase your chances of converting when you have clear CTAs.
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.
Potential clients will be in different stages of the law firm marketing funnel when they visit your site. 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 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 testimonials.
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 making a page load slowly. 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 haven't decided on a solution. They’re educating themselves more deeply in this stage. Great copy can offer these people detailed answers to their questions about your 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, Bryant Law Center is using a background image for their 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
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. The law firm increases its 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 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.
