Creating a Winning Website for Your Law Firm

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Your law firm may be the best choice for clients who are struggling with a particular legal issue. But if your website isn’t up to par, potential clients won’t trust you enough with their valuable business. According to Forbes Advisor, more than half of consumers are less likely to recommend a business after an unsatisfactory website experience. 

Creating an easy-to-use, well-designed website is one of the foundations of your law firm’s success. This is because a website is more likely to convince potential clients that you’re the best choice to solve their legal issues. 

Whether you are starting from scratch or considering a website redesign, there’s a lot to consider. After all, having an effective website is more than just establishing a presence. Once they arrive on your site, you need to get them to stay and eventually sign up as clients. 

What Pages Should Be On a Law Firm Website?

The most effective law firm websites share a similar structure. Trying to get too unique or cute with your navigation will likely confuse and frustrate your visitors. For the most part, people who visit a legal website expect to find certain elements present. If they’re not there or too difficult to find, they might hit the “Back” button and try a competitor. 

Almost all successful law firm websites contain a similar page layout. Despite having different titles, you’ll find many similarities between the pages on a family lawyer’s website and those on a criminal defense lawyer’s site. The basic elements of a law firm website include:

  • Home Page — Your home page is like your law firm’s digital front door. It welcomes potential clients who click on links from a variety of sources and creates a valuable first impression of your business. 
  • Practice Area Pages — Your practice area and service pages expand on the summary of the services you list on your home page. These pages provide an opportunity to detail how your firm can help a client solve specific legal issues. 
  • About Us Page — Your About page will tell the story of your law firm, such as how and when it was founded, its core beliefs, and the qualifications of its different attorneys. 
  • Contact Page — This is a simple page that details how a potential client can get in touch with you. It should list your office locations and phone numbers and have a contact form for lead generation. 
  • Blog — Your law firm’s blog should be populated with fresh and engaging content that is relevant to your potential client’s interests. For example, your posts can answer frequently asked questions, discuss relevant changes in the law, and help your firm rank for geographic and long-tail keywords. 

This isn’t to say you can’t use some slightly different terminology for your main pages. For example, some law firms label their blogs as “resources” or “news.” There are many ways you can differentiate your firm through website design and content. 

Creating a Winning Website for Your Law Firm

Knowing how you want your website to look is only the first part of the process. Here are some basic steps for creating a winning law firm website:

1. Acquire Your Domain Name

Before you can create a law firm website, you need a domain name. Choose a name that is simple and reflects your law firm’s name and/or location. If at all possible, stick to “dot-com” names as they are the most memorable. 

2. Get Quality Website Hosting

You will also need somewhere to host your website. You definitely don’t want to look for the cheapest web hosting because you need a business that offers fast hosting and an SSL certificate for your site. 

3. Choose a Content Management System (CMS)

There are many CMS options available, allowing you to create, publish, and edit your website. However, most of them won’t offer the technical features and search engine optimization (SEO) you need to achieve competitive results. The most feature-rich CMS is WordPress, which can have a learning curve. 

4. Select a Page Builder

Depending on the CMS you choose, you may also need to select a page builder. For example, you also need a page builder if you decide to use WordPress. 

5. Develop Your Website

The next step is to develop your website. This is a complex process that involves designing headers and footers, outlining your navigation, choosing original and attractive images, researching keywords, creating content, and putting all the pieces together. Doing this on your own can be a major undertaking, and it’s easy to let important elements slip through the cracks. 

6. Test Everything Before Publishing

Finally, it’s critical that you thoroughly test everything before the site goes live. By putting the website through its paces, you can confirm that it is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, has functional forms, and has working links, among other things. 

Should Lawyers Build Their Own Websites?

In most cases, it’s more beneficial for law firms to work with an experienced website developer than trying to go the DIY route. Building an effective and SEO-optimized website is a time-consuming and complex process. Few lawyers have the technical background to accomplish this. Also, why would you want to invest so much time in this endeavor when there’s a strong chance you won’t get the results you need?

When you work with a professional, you’ll get an attractive website that ranks well for valuable search terms. DIY websites rarely achieve high search engine rankings, which should be one of of your goals. When you partner with an expert, your website will load fast, be easy to navigate, have accessibility features, and convert more visitors into new clients. 

Are You Ready to Create a Winning Law Firm Website?

Creating a law firm website that produces results can be challenging. But when it’s done right, it can transform your business. Your website will inform potential clients about your services, build trust, and bring new business to your firm. 

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we specialize in helping law firms create engaging websites that convert. Our digital marketing specialists will spend time getting to know your firm and its goals before creating a customized strategy designed to produce results. Call us today at (800) 649-1764 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. 

7 Reasons Your Law Firm Marketing Plan Isn’t Working

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Managing a successful law practice requires a specific strategy. When you take a case, your firm wouldn’t waste thousands of dollars on unnecessary investigations, discovery, and litigation. But many law firms waste that much, if not more, on ineffective legal marketing.

The business of law is incredibly competitive, so marketing is critical. But there are many approaches to marketing, some more effective than others. If you aren’t getting the results you want and need, there’s certainly a reason — or several. Here are seven reasons your law firm marketing plan isn’t working.

Why Isn’t Your Law Firm’s Marketing Plan Working?

  1. You Don’t Have a Well-Defined Strategy.

If you don’t have a well-defined strategy in place, you are simply relying on luck to produce the results you need. This is rarely a recipe for success. For example, many law firms decide they’re going to invest in tactics (like social media marketing) but do so without a comprehensive marketing strategy.

Your firm needs a clear strategy that outlines a framework for achieving specific goals that includes a plan to measure success. Many businesses use what are called SMART goals, which are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. From there, determine what strategies you will use to achieve each goal and the key performance indicators you need to measure progress and success.

Having a solid marketing strategy in place is critical. But it must be unique to your law firm — not your competitor’s plan or a cookie-cutter plan some agency hands out to everyone. This study shows that implementing generic marketing strategies isn’t effective.

Your legal marketing strategy must be tailored to your law firm’s needs and goals. If you haven’t been working from a well-defined strategy, it’s time to start.

  1. You’re Targeting the Wrong Audience.

If your marketing isn’t reaching the right people, it’s not going to produce positive results. Even if you have an outstanding website and great messaging, you’ll be unhappy with your results if you’re not reaching the people who are most likely to need your firm’s legal services.

Instead of trying to reach the broadest audience possible, it’s often a better strategy to narrow your focus. Of course, many law firms have multiple target audiences, such as those that offer different practice areas like criminal defense and family law. In these cases, it’s best to create multiple unique client personas to help guide your marketing strategies.

When creating client personas, it’s important to be as specific as possible. This includes things like age, location, academic background, and more. In addition to creating different client personas, law firms must focus on a customer’s particular wants and needs. Specifically, what problem is each group facing, and how can your firm help solve it?

  1. You Haven’t Considered Your Law Firm’s Branding.

If you aren’t getting the client referrals you want from your digital marketing efforts, it could be because of your branding. Customers and clients want to work with businesses they know, trust, and like.

It’s essential that you build a brand that positions your law firm and its attorneys as knowledgeable in their practice areas and approachable. If potential clients aren’t convinced that you are trustworthy or that you have the ability to solve their problems, they’ll hire someone else.

Your law firm’s branding is how you distinguish yourself from your competitors. It includes things like your logo and taglines. It also includes your value proposition, which is the overarching promise you intend to deliver to every client, whether that be aggressive defense, compassionate advocacy, cost-effective representation, or something else equally compelling.

  1. Your Law Firm’s Website Is Lacking. 

You might feel as if you’ve done enough by creating a website for your law firm. But a website alone isn’t enough to produce the results you want. After all, there were nearly 2 billion websites in existence as of January 2023, according to StatsFind. How is yours going to stand out?

Fortunately, you only need to outperform your competitors. But even that can be challenging in some markets. Consumers increasingly turn to search engines to research answers to questions and find local businesses to help them solve problems. And searching for a lawyer is no different. When someone needs a lawyer, whether to defend them against criminal charges, file for divorce, create a will, or something else, you must have a website that accomplishes several goals:

  • It tells a client how you can help them solve their problem
  • It explains why you are qualified to take on their case
  • It is easy to navigate
  • It loads fast and is secure
  • It is attractive and engaging

In short, your website is your firm’s digital front door because it’s often the first contact a potential client has with your law firm. It needs to count.

  1. You Aren’t Investing in Legal SEO. 

In addition to having an engaging website, your law firm must make search engine optimization (SEO) a priority. This is a series of actions and strategies that make your website and content more attractive to the search engines (i.e., Google), which will help get your site found by your target audience.

You may be able to find plenty of SEO tactics online, but these strategies must be used correctly for them to be effective. For example, Google is known for penalizing websites that use some aggressive or otherwise dishonest strategies meant to achieve quick results.

To get a meaningful and lasting outcome, you need an ongoing SEO strategy. First, your website must have the proper on-page and off-page SEO elements that will get it noticed by the search engines and your target audience. You will also need to post ongoing content that includes relevant keywords to provide better search results for your users. This content can be in the form of blog posts, videos, white papers, and more. The content you post should aim to solve the problems your potential clients are most likely to have.

  1. You’re Ignoring Social Media. 

It’s not enough for your law firm to have a Facebook page. Depending on your audience, you also need to have a strong social media presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

According to Pew Research, roughly 72% of the public is using some type of social media to connect with one another, share information, engage with content, and stay entertained. Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are the most-used social platforms among U.S. adults.

If your law firm isn’t using social medial to promote its business, you’re missing an opportunity to boost your online visibility and grow your business. Take a close peek at any of these major platforms, and you’re almost guaranteed to find that your competitors are already actively using them. In fact, a recent Attorney at Work social media survey revealed that 70% of law firms have made social media marketing part of their overall strategy.

When approached correctly, social media marketing can elevate your entire digital marketing strategy. Specifically, it will help raise brand awareness, build trust and credibility in your firm, attract new clients, help you retain existing ones, and improve your SEO.

  1. You’ve Failed to Set Benchmarks and Track Results.

Successful legal marketing requires a commitment of resources. Unfortunately, you’ll never be “done” marketing your law firm if you want to continue to produce amazing results. One mistake many law firms make is quitting too soon or failing to make proper adjustments to their strategy as they go along.

You’ll never understand what’s working and what isn’t if you don’t establish benchmarks and track your results. Digital analytics demonstrate the effectiveness of your campaigns, but you must track the proper key performance indicators (KPIs) for those figures to be meaningful.

When you begin your legal marketing campaign, you’ll want to clarify the top things you want to accomplish and identify some KPIs that align with those goals. If you want to increase engagement, a KPI might be “page views.”

Failing to track your results would hold your law firm back from making improvements to its strategy. It would also prevent your business from taking advantage of any opportunities the data might uncover.

Bonus Reason — You Aren’t Working With the Right Legal Marketing Agency

Marketing isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. You didn’t go to law school to become a digital marketer, and there are plenty of professionals who can help elevate your business while you focus on representing your client’s interests. When you work with Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, you can feel confident knowing your digital marketing strategy is in the right hands.

Our team of experienced legal marketing experts will take the time to understand your firm’s business and specific goals. We will develop a digital marketing strategy that will get your firm found and chosen by its target client base and improve bottom-line results.

If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to us for a free website evaluation. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about our top-rated legal marketing services.

Builds Credibility and Trust

People want to hire a lawyer and law firm that they trust will solve their most pressing legal issues. Your legal marketing strategy can build credibility and trust by demonstrating the attorney’s knowledge of the law and background in helping others resolve a wide range of legal matters. When website visitors get answers to their questions, they begin to trust that your firm can provide the assistance they need.

Improves SEO Rankings

One of the goals of law firm marketing is to show up in the search engines ahead of your competitors for various search terms, like “divorce lawyer near me,” “car accident attorney in Birmingham,” or “estate planning in Mobile.” A well-organized and written law firm website will also answer many frequently asked questions, which improves rankings.

When your website appears in organic (free) search results, potential clients are more likely to click on those results to learn more about your law firm. Your investment in SEO can pay off for your business long term.

Give us a call at (800) 649-1764 or reach out to us online to schedule a free initial consultation.

What Makes the Perfect Law Firm Website

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Your law firm’s website is its most important marketing tool. Sure, you might get some word-of-mouth and social media referrals. But a large percentage of those people will go straight to your website to confirm your legitimacy before making contact.

The legal space is only getting more competitive. A good law firm website is an essential tool to generate and cultivate leads, which helps your firm grow. So it’s important to get the design of your website correct from the start.

If you’re creating a website from scratch or thinking about a re-design, it’s tempting to jump straight to the visual aspects. But there’s a lot more to it. Visitors of legal websites are usually dealing with pressing legal challenges and are searching for the advice of a highly-skilled professional. Your website must showcase that the firm has the experience and skill to help.

So, what makes the perfect law firm website? Here are some key components we believe are must-haves for every law firm website.

  1. Clean and Professional Design

According to Google, visitors form opinions about websites in less than a second. This means your law firm’s website needs to make an incredible first impression. Only after that will users take the time to engage with your content.

A poorly-designed website is often associated with feelings of mistrust by online users. In other words, if you can’t do this “right,” how can you be expected to solve their legal troubles? When a person arrives at a website they find unattractive, they’ll be quick to leave.

So the first order of business is to create a website that has a professional and clean design that reflects your law firm’s branding and instills confidence. It should have a visually appealing layout, use a consistent color scheme, and incorporate easy-to-read fonts.

  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

For a law firm website to qualify as “perfect,” it must have comprehensive search engine optimization (SEO). This refers to the efforts necessary to achieve strong organic search engine rankings for keywords and phrases that will draw in your target audience and produce results.

SEO starts with keyword research, and it involves a lot of on-page and off-page activities. On your website, every page will need to be optimized using title tags and proper headings. There should be meta descriptions and proper permalinks for pages. Local SEO and off-page linking programs can improve overall rankings.

  1. User-Friendly Navigation

Several years ago, Google began emphasizing the user experience (UX). A big part of the UX is the ability of visitors to your law firm’s website to find what they need quickly. This requires user-friendly and intuitive navigation.

If your firm’s website is too difficult to navigate, you will lose visitors in favor of competitors. Visitors might land on your website for a variety of reasons — to learn more about a legal challenge, research a law firm recommended to them, or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

A good UX design can help visitors achieve their goals by making finding the information they need easy and seamless. Menus should be clear with logical organization for effortless navigation.

  1. Mobile-Friendly & Responsive Design

Smartphones and mobile devices comprise over 55% of the total browser usage worldwide. Your law firm’s website should be designed to be mobile-friendly and responsive. This means your site will appear professional and functional no matter what size screen or type of device the visitor uses. Also, websites designed for desktops tend to load slowly on smartphones. When you have a responsive design, this will enhance the user experience for everyone.

  1. Delay-Free Speed

Another aspect of delivering a positive user experience, which also happens to be one of Google’s search engine ranking factors, is website speed. And for good reason. Studies have shown that conversion rates drop as website load time increases.

Ideally, your law firm’s website needs to load in three seconds or less. Your website designer will use a variety of technical tools to speed up this process and prevent potential clients from abandoning their efforts.

  1. Website Accessibility

Continuing with the theme of delivering a stellar user experience, your law firm’s website must also be accessible. What does this mean? An accessible website provides solutions for anyone with limitations, such as poor eyesight or lack of mobility.

Google tends to reward accessible websites with better search engine rankings. Conversely, businesses that don’t make their sites accessible have faced lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

  1. Clear Legal Practice Areas

Most consumers aren’t well-versed in the law. They just know they have a problem and need help. Some aren’t even sure what type of attorney can or should take on their case. Your website should be crystal clear about the kinds of cases you handle.

You should state your legal practice areas in several different ways to avoid confusion. For example, you say you’re a “family law attorney.” But you’ll also want to emphasize that you handle divorces, child custody matters, adoptions, and anything else in that area of practice.

  1. Case Results

When a potential client is facing a legal challenge, they’re usually looking for a law firm that can produce results. If you have years of experience, have won hundreds of cases, or secured millions in compensation on behalf of past clients, you should say so explicitly on your website.

Many law firms dedicate a page on their sites to their firm’s outcomes and case results for clients. The more results you can post on your site, the greater impact it will have on building trust and getting prospects to choose your firm.

  1. Testimonials and Reviews

Another thing you want to list, in addition to talking about your past successes, is testimonials and reviews from prior clients. Consumers love reading online reviews, whether it’s to choose a restaurant, a new vacuum cleaner, or a personal injury lawyer.

Many resources are available for client reviews, including Google, Facebook, legal directories, and testimonials sent directly to your firm. Regardless of the source, you can dedicate a page or section of your website to provide social proof that backs up what you’re saying about your experience and capabilities.

  1. Calls-to-Action and Contact Info

Not every visitor to your law firm’s website will know what they should do next. This is where calls-to-action (CTAs) come in. Throughout your website’s content, there should be prompts encouraging the reader to take some desired action, such as “call now to schedule an initial consultation.”

And if your visitor decides they want to contact you, don’t make them work too hard to do it. Your firm’s phone number and/or email link should be posted prominently on every page.

  1. Professional Photos

Having a website full of words alone isn’t going to get you the results you need. While there are a ton of image options for your law firm’s website, you need ones that are inspiring and produce results.

Your images should be of the highest quality possible. But you also want to avoid the same photos you’re likely to see on other legal websites, like gavels and law books. The photos you choose should also have a consistent look to go with your branding style.

  1. Attorney Profiles

Many consumers facing legal issues aren’t interested in hiring a law firm. They want to hire a lawyer. Your firm’s overall branding is important, but so is showcasing the individual backgrounds and accomplishments of each lawyer. Your website should include a section of attorney profiles that includes professional headshots, experience, qualifications, areas of practice, and any other relevant certifications or accolades.

  1. Educational Content

One of the best ways to attract visitors to your law firm’s website is through the use of educational content. Your firm’s blog, FAQs, and white papers can address a wide variety of common questions people have related to your practice areas.

This content also establishes your firm as an authority in its field, builds trust with prospects, and provides excellent SEO material for the search engines. Educational content should be an ongoing effort to ensure you are providing a fresh and engaging experience for your audience.

  1. Video Content

When it comes to building trust and rapport with potential clients, there’s no substitute for video content. Adding video content to your home page and blog that introduces your firm, explains various aspects of the law, and even relays testimonials, is a great way to reach an audience that prefers to consume information this way rather than read what you’ve written.

  1. Secure Website (SSL/TLS)

Finally, your law firm’s website will never be perfect if it isn’t secure. If you use contact forms or have a live chat feature, encryption is a must. Without an SSL certificate, hackers could intercept data sent to your firm, which jeopardizes your clients. Google also places value on having a secure website, so this could impact your search engine rankings.

Are You Ready to Create the Perfect Law Firm Website?

Planning for and creating a winning law firm website might seem like a major undertaking. But when you do it right, it can transform your business results. You’ll build awareness about your law firm’s brand, improve your search engine rankings, and convert more visitors into clients.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we specialize in helping law firms get found and chosen in their designated markets. Our digital marketing specialists spend time getting to know your firm and its goals before customizing a strategy designed to produce results. We create award-winning law firm websites that present your firm’s face to the world and help grow your business. To get started or for more information, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

The Importance of Website Accessibility for Law Firm Websites

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Creating a successful online presence for your law firm isn’t easy. You are facing the challenge of ranking higher than your competitors in the search engines and being viewed as professional and knowledgeable by prospective clients. But another factor you need to consider is your law firm website’s accessibility.

When you create a positive online experience for potential and current clients, it needs to exist for everyone, not just those who lack limitations. After all, some people with limitations or disabilities might be the very ones your firm is seeking to help with its services. Here is what website accessibility means, why it’s so important, and how your law firm can make its site available to a broader audience.

What Does Website Accessibility Mean?

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) dictates that individuals with physical or mental limitations are protected by law from discrimination, entitling them equal access to goods and services. The language in the Act is broad enough that any business marketing itself online falls under the legislation. So, if your law firm’s website isn’t accessible to those with disabilities, you could be in violation of the ADA and face a discrimination lawsuit.

Persons with disabilities who need meaningful access to websites generally break down into several different categories of users:

  • Those using voice dictation technology;
  • Those using screen readers;
  • Those who are deaf or hard of hearing and require captioning.

Why Should My Law Firm Website Be Accessible?

While you might see the term “ADA-compliant website,” this isn’t really a thing as far as the law is concerned. However, Title III of the ADA does require “meaningful accessibility.” So, if your website isn’t meaningfully accessible to persons with disabilities, you may face a discrimination action. Legal requirements aside, here are several other reasons your law firm’s website should be accessible:

Promotes Inclusion

The primary reason for making accessibility a priority is that it’s simply the right thing to do. Making your firm’s site available to everyone means that any visitor, regardless of a disability, can have a positive user experience.

Broadens Customer Base

Website accessibility can substantially increase your customer base. As a law firm, you need to be able to reach people who may be facing extreme challenges due to accidents or disabilities. If your website isn’t accessible, you would miss serving clients from these groups.

Increases Search Engine Rankings

Finally, accessibility is important because Google says it is. When you deliver a better user experience through better accessibility, your search engine rankings are likely to improve. This will lead to more visitors to your website and improved bottom-line results.

Some Notable Website Accessibility Cases

If your firm’s website isn’t accessible, there’s always the possibility that someone could pursue legal action. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), more than 3,250 lawsuits were filed in federal courts in 2022 alone, claiming websites were in violation of Title III of the ADA. Some notable ADA cases include:

  • In 2012, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) sued streaming service Netflix for failing to provide close-captioning for many of its movies and shows offered online.
  • In 2018, Burger King was sued by a visually-impaired woman who claimed she was unable to use the website without assistance.
  • Amazon was also sued in 2018 due to the inability of visually impaired users to access and use the website.
  • In 2022, the same plaintiff filed separate class action lawsuits against Ally Financial and Morgan Stanley, alleging the two firms failed to design, construct, and maintain their websites so that they are fully accessible.

How to Make a Law Firm Website More Accessible

The best way to meet the needs of your prospective clients, rank well in the search engines, and avoid potential legal trouble is to make your website completely accessible. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) states that it requires public accommodations to ensure websites meet the ADA accessibility requirements of “general nondiscrimination and effective communication provisions.” While the DOJ doesn’t specify any standards, it makes clear that companies should use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) when creating ADA-compliant websites. When thinking about your law firm’s website, WCAG guidelines stress that sites must be:

  • Perceivable — The information your firm’s website presents and its user interface must be presented to all types of users in a way they can easily perceive.
  • Operable — No matter their disability or limitations, any user should be able to navigate your law firm’s website and access all of its features.
  • Understandable — All information, such as blog posts, images, videos, and forms, should be understandable to your users.
  • Robust — The content on your website should be robust enough that it can easily be interpreted by a wide variety of users, even those using assistive devices.

As a start, here are some of the specific things we recommend:

Focus on the Technical Basics

Making your website accessible requires a bit of technical know-how. Here are some of the items that should be on your list:

  • Alt Tags — These are brief phrases or a few words describing images, audio files, and videos on your website to make them more user-friendly for visually-impaired users.
  • Text Transcript — Similar to alt tags, a text transcript of audio files and video content assists your hearing-impaired users.
  • Contrasting Colors — Background and foreground colors should adhere to at least a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Without these ratios, visually-impaired users will find it challenging to distinguish between colors.
  • Keyboard Navigation — Users with limitations may be unable to navigate a website using a touchpad or mouse and instead rely on a keyboard. So, your firm’s website should enable keyboard navigation using the Arrow, Backspace, Tab, and Esc keys.
  • Label Form Fields — Many law firms have forms on their website to facilitate initial contact or for other purposes. To ensure everyone can use them, all fields on a form should be labeled outside the field.

Avoid Relying on Widgets

Some website owners have tried to employ quick fixes through the use of various accessibility widgets. These are marketed as automated solutions to “fix” any website accessibility issues. Unfortunately, they have proven to be mostly ineffective and won’t help your search engine rankings.

Include Robust Testing

There are a variety of tools you can use to test your website for accessibility and identify any existing problems. But these automated tests are only so useful. You also need human testers who know what to look for in terms of various digital interfaces. To get the best possible results, consider having your site tested by people with different limitations to understand the overall user experience.

Commit to Long-Term Maintenance

Nothing in digital marketing is “one and done.” In other words, you won’t be able to fix all of your accessibility issues and expect that everything will remain perfect from that moment forward. The digital landscape is frequently evolving, as are the people who use online tools. True accessibility requires having a long-term commitment to accessibility maintenance and testing.

Get Help With Your Law Firm Website’s Accessibility

Making your firm’s website fully accessible is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also something that can significantly boost your digital marketing strategy. And in some cases, it can keep you in compliance with the law.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, we have over 20 years of experience helping our legal clients get found and chosen by their target audience. We specialize in legal industry digital marketing solutions that ensure your website is optimized for both the user experience and search engines.

To learn more about how you can upgrade your online presence to be more accessible, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

The Importance of Design in Law Firm Websites

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In the past, if you needed to hire a lawyer you opened the phone book and searched it’s pages for the most eye catching ad. Today, potential clients search out an attorney the same way they look for restaurants and the best brand of shoes – with an online search. From the consumer’s perspective, your website is your law firm. It sets you apart by creating a lasting first impression of who you are and how well you can satisfy a client’s legal needs.

Website design is vital to capturing a visitor’s attention and communicating the right message. Your window of opportunity is very small. You only have a few seconds to persuade a visitor to give your firm a chance. Your online presence is an integral part of your marketing and your legal practice as a whole.

Why It’s Important to Have a Great Law Firm Website

Now that roughly 95% of the U.S. population is online, it’s a safe bet that your target audience is searching for your services. And your website can make it easier for them to find you, trust you, and ultimately, hire you.

If you haven’t gotten serious about law firm marketing in the past, it’s time to begin paying it some attention. Unless your website is better than your competitors on many levels, there’s a good chance you’re losing potential clients without even knowing it.

Here are a few of the reasons why it’s important to make law firm website design a priority:

  • Your Website Directly Represents Your Brand

Every law firm has a brand, whether it realizes it or not. The real question is, how well do you control the message, or is the market doing it for you?

If your website design is outdated and visitors have a hard time finding what they need, this is a direct reflection on your business. And it doesn’t place you in a positive light. According to one UK study, 70% of online users refuse to purchase from a business with poor website design.

Most consumers show up on your virtual doorstep knowing nothing about you, meaning they’ve found you through some generic search term such as “how to beat a DUI in Mississippi.” You have a short time to make a first impression, and a modern, engaging, and visually appealing website can help you accomplish this.

  • Helps You Stand Out from the Competition

There are roughly 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S., so the competition is fierce. Statistics show that consumers will visit about 4 or 5 law firm websites before deciding which one they will contact.

Most people who are dealing with a legal issue are frustrated and looking for a combination of answers and encouragement. Overall, they’ve probably never hired a lawyer before, so they have no idea what to expect.

The best way to stand out from the crowd is to provide the information they want and the compassion they need. Let them know what to expect, that you have the experience and skills necessary to help and give them the next steps to take to get started.

  • Boosts Your Organic Rankings

It’s going to be tough for potential clients to learn about your law firm if you don’t have any online visibility. Specifically, your firm’s website needs to show up in the results when someone searches for a “divorce lawyer near me” or asks Google, “how can I appeal an SSDI claim denial?”

A properly designed website will be optimized for the correct keywords to help you achieve some of those valuable organic rankings. It will also pay attention to technical SEO items like page speed, mobile-friendliness, HTML tags, navigation, and link-building.

  • Improves the User Experience

A good website design delivers a positive user experience (UX). This is something that can also impact your rankings because Google has made it clear that providing a positive UX is one of its latest priorities.

But what does that mean? Specifically, your content should match the intent of the searcher. In other words, if a person is searching for an estate planning attorney, it would be a poor experience if they were taken to a personal injury page.

Great website design delivers what it promises quickly and efficiently. And this builds trust with both the search engines and your potential clients.

  • Maximizes Your Conversions

While driving traffic to your website is essential, it’s even more important to get those visitors to call your law firm or submit their information through your contact form. That’s the only way you’ll ever make the connection that will lead to signing up new clients and growing your business.

Great website design is about much more than just getting your website to the top of Google’s search results. If you hit number one for all your targeted keywords, this is an incredible accomplishment. Having tons of people visit and read your blog is also noteworthy. But, neither of these is adding anything to your bottom-line results.

Your website should be structured in such a way that it continually guides visitors to contact your law firm for further assistance. There should be a sense of urgency built into some of your content that warns visitors about the potential consequences of trying to handle a matter on their own or waiting too long to act. Further, there should be plenty of calls to action giving the reader clear direction about how to contact your firm to get the help they need.

Take Action to Bring Your Law Firm Website to Life

You probably already know how competitive the market is for law firms. Getting your business to stand out from the crowd has a lot to do with the quality of your online presence. This starts with your law firm’s website design.

First impressions are vital, which is why you should consider professional assistance when planning and designing a website. At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing Group, we specialize in creating beautiful, engaging, and functional custom law firm websites that are geared toward your target audience. Contact us today for a free consultation to review our top web designs and learn how our services can help your law firm improve its results.

Easy Tips That Will Improve Your Website

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  1. Update your website pictures and content– Too many websites have old, outdated pictures and content that has not been updated in months or even years. You may not realize this, but it makes you seem like you do not care about appearances or if you look like you can’t afford a nice website, then how much could you possibly care about my case. Appearance is everything when it comes to a website. It’s your business card, your resume and your sales pitch. Make sure it looks as successful as you really are.
  2. Reduce the clutter – The attention span of a normal red-blooded American is very short. When your website is cluttered with background images and boxes all over the place, it’s an attention deficit person’s nightmare. Streamlining your home page with professional looking, high quality images, along with bulleted, easy to follow content that directs the visitor to landing pages is much more effective.
  3. Check your contact form and your phone number; Is it easily visible on the home page? People should not have to work to find out how to contact you.
  4. Have a call to action. Does your firm offer a free consultation? Encourage your visitors to fill out a “free case evaluation form”. A no cost “professional” analysis of their situation is a huge benefit for someone that doesn’t even know if they have a case.
  5. Be unique. Stand out amongst your peers. The best law firm advertisers will find a niche that they can exploit. Some law firms will say they are the biggest, while others will say they have the most locations. And, still others will say they will personally return someone’s call. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if everyone offers a free consultation, or everyone will call a potential client back. What matters is that you find something that makes people think you are different.
  6. Be Successful! – I know it sounds crazy, but I can guarantee you that your competitors are not singing your praises, which means, you will have to do it yourself. No one wants to hire a loser, so show people you’re a winner. Put your successes out front and easily visible.
  7. Testimonials Rule the Day – How do we decide on a product or service we’ve never used before? We listen to our friends and read reviews. If someone can read the experiences of others, then they feel more confident that they are getting the best attorney for their case. Make sure you have client testimonials front and center, right on the home page.
  8. Get Videos – The best videos are of your attorneys and of your clients. People love them and will watch them before they read your website information. It’s also a great way to insure a potential client that you are very well versed in the subject matter and to instill confidence in their potential decision.

While all of these tips will help you present a more professional and confident look to the general public, there is always more you can do. Don’t let your website be the weak link in your marketing chain. Instead, it should be the cornerstone of everything you do.

I hope this information helps you improve your website and web marketing program. If you need help with your website or assistance coming up with an effective marketing plan for your law practice, please give us a call. Our team at Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing has over 20 years of law firm marketing experience and we are here to help you. No law firm is too big or too small, so call us today for a free marketing evaluation and website review. Call us today at (800) 649-1764 or through our website contact form.

Don’t miss next week’s tips on improving your placement on Google Search. Have a great weekend.

Improving Conversions on Your Law Firm Website

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Most law firms today understand the importance of having a website. But an online presence alone isn’t enough to make your law firm stand out in a crowded market or convince potential clients to use your services.

For years, law firms have focused on generating leads from their websites but haven’t given enough thought to improving the chances of converting those leads into paying clients. For some law firms, a single small change is all it takes to turn your results around. For others, a series of actions may be in order.

Here are ten strategies that will help you get a prospective client’s attention and convert your website traffic into new clients.

  1. Make your law firm’s contact information conspicuous and obvious. 

No visitor to your law firm’s website should ever have to search for your phone number or other contact information. Since the goal is to have a prospective client call or send you a message, your contact information should be front and center. Ideally, put your phone number above the fold, within the content, and in your website’s footer. There should also be a dedicated Contact page in case a visitor wants to use that route.

  1. Create custom landing pages for specific services and campaigns. 

Not every potential client should “land” on your law firm’s home page when they first learn about your services. Some prospects have specific pain points or questions that your home page won’t address, and this will only lead to frustration and high bounce rates.

Consider hosting some custom landing pages on your website that are specific to each area of practice and geographic area you serve. These pages should be designed with multiple opportunities for visitors to contact your firm for assistance.

  1. Create strong calls to action (CTA) statements. 

Your prospective clients are more likely to do what you want if you give them some clear directions. Make your calls to action (CTAs) clear, convincing, and prominent. What’s your goal with the content on your page?

Give actionable directions: Call Now, Book an Appointment, Schedule a Free Consultation, Contact us Immediately. Bring attention to your CTAs via buttons, font color, bolding, and other formatting techniques that make them stand out from the rest of the content.

  1. Make it easy to convert on mobile devices. 

Did you know that more people than ever are searching the web and looking for products and services using mobile devices? It’s true, and that includes trying to find a lawyer. If your website isn’t set up for mobile conversions, you are probably losing a large majority of your search traffic to frustration and competitors. Make sure your website is set up for mobile-first and is easy to navigate on all devices. Test your site on a smartphone and confirm that it’s easy to fill out a contact form and even click on the phone number to call your firm directly.

  1. Take another look at your site’s top exit pages. 

Pull up your website analytics and figure out which pages have the highest Bounce Rates. If one of them is your website’s Homepage, that could be a serious problem. Either way, make a list of these top Exit Pages and figure out what is causing people to leave without converting. You may need to add some additional content, rewrite what you have, or redesign the page to optimize it for better conversion rates.

  1. Set up remarketing ads on Google.

Just because a visitor leaves your website, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are lost to you forever. They saw your content, so you’ve already created some brand awareness. You can now use remarketing ads to put your name in front of that person again to remind them that you still want to help.

You can set up these ads through Google (and Facebook), and they will appear to users who have visited your website and are on other pages that use the Google Display Network. It’s a good idea to work with a digital marketing agency to get the best results from this strategy.

  1. Speed up your website. 

One easy way to speed up your legal website’s conversion rates is to reduce the page load time. Walmart discovered a correlation between conversion rates and page load times, with lower conversions associated with pages that took longer than two seconds to load.

While a second doesn’t seem like that long, it is when a consumer is waiting for a web page to load. If your law firm can make small improvements in page speed, it may be able to significantly increase its conversion rate.

  1. Post proof of your qualifications and results.  

Before someone hires your law firm or even contacts you, they want some assurances that you’re up for the job. When a person’s freedom, livelihood, or health is at stake, choosing the right attorney is a big deal. You can boost your conversions by posting your credentials, past case results, and any accolades you’ve received. Make sure you also post testimonials if they are available.

  1. Offer live chat services on your website. 

Many visitors don’t want to wait until your regular office hours to make contact or get an answer to a question. And some are just more comfortable with the online version of texting. If you offer a live chat service on your website, you’ll certainly get increased engagement. Acquire reports that this feature has a 92% satisfaction rate among consumers. Live chat can also schedule those initial consultations with your office while you sleep, so you can start the day with a full calendar.

  1. Make it personal. 

For the most part, potential clients want to hire a lawyer as opposed to a law firm. Build rapport and trust with your website’s visitors by telling them about yourself and how you plan to help them. Let them know about your background and emphasize that you care about their outcome. One way to make this strong connection and boost conversions is through attorney introduction videos.

Digital Marketing Strategies to Reach Your Law Firm’s Conversion Goals

Conversion rate optimization allows your law firm to lower its client acquisition costs by getting more value from every visitor to your site. When you optimize your website for conversions, you can increase your revenue per visitor, acquire more clients, and boost your overall results.

If you’re ready to start growing your law firm today, Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing can help. Whether you’re a solo attorney or a small firm looking for ways to increase your client base, we have digital marketing strategies that produce results. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation or to learn more about our legal marketing services.

Why Every Law Firm Needs a Website

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Let’s face it: Not much happens today without some online involvement. If your law firm doesn’t have its own website at this point, you are dangerously behind the curve.

Imagine, for example, a person needs to find out about a law firm in Annapolis, MD that handles personal injury cases. They probably won’t just trust a friend’s recommendation and give the business a call. And they certainly won’t visit the local library to “research” the firm. More likely, they’ll pick up their smartphone and search for the firm on Google.

Similar to any other industry, law firms need new clients to survive and grow. And digital marketing strategies drive a large part of modern service businesses.

If you’ve been on the fence or just plain opposed to the idea until now, here are seven reasons why your law firm needs a well-functioning and attractive website.

  1. You Need to Own the Narrative

Of course, the internet can provide tons of benefits to people who need products and services. It helps us find the best deals on holiday gifts and restaurants with last-minute reservations. But, the internet can have harmful elements as well, particularly for a business owner.

If you don’t control the narrative around your law firm’s name, someone else might do it for you. Another person could purchase the domain that correlates with your law firm, and post some derogatory stuff (until you sue them). Beyond buying up domains, others can post inaccurate reviews of your legal services on free platforms.

It’s not worth taking the chance that your online reputation reflects your positive character and case history. You should own your own website and invest in creating a narrative that will attract visitors and new clients to your law firm for years to come.

  1. Not Having One is a “Red Flag”

The truth is that a law firm without a website is viewed as highly suspicious by some potential clients. Frankly, just about every business and professional worth their salt today has an online presence. If your law firm doesn’t, what does that say to potential clients about it? To some, it might indicate that you have something to hide.

If a person can’t find your law firm online, they’re more than likely going to skip you and move on to your competitor. You may never know how many potential leads you lose each year to this scenario, but even one is too many.

  1. Makes It Easier to Connect With Potential Clients

When people do want to reach out to your law firm about help with a legal issue, how can they get in contact with you? Maybe someone handed them your phone number, but most awareness today happens through an online search.

Even someone who hears about a business through a referral is likely to Google the name first before making contact. It’s natural to want to learn something about a business first and confirm that what you’ve been told is valid.

A law firm website makes it easier to connect with potential clients. Your phone number and address are front and center, as well as on your contact page. You can also provide a form that allows a person to send you a message through email, making it easier to qualify leads and schedule appointments.

  1. Helps Your Firm Build Credibility and Trust

When someone needs to hire a lawyer, one of their criteria will be making sure the attorney is qualified to resolve their issue. You can use your law firm’s website to establish credibility and trust with potential clients in a variety of ways.

First, you can tell people that you are qualified and give them the reasons why. List your qualifications, including any credentials, awards, and accolades. Outline your experience in different legal practice areas and give examples of successful case outcomes.

You can also establish credibility and trust by having some testimonials on your website. Have past clients speak about their experiences with your law firm so that a visitor can put themselves in another’s shoes.

  1. Gives You 24/7 Availability for Prospects

Unless you plan on never sleeping or having some kind of shift work policy, you can’t be available every time your law firm’s phone rings. But, a website does give you 24/7 availability – to a point.

Potential clients can visit your site to read about your services, watch video content, and become sold on your qualifications. You can even use a chatbot plugin to answer simple questions and schedule consultation appointments.

  1. Useful Platform to Establish a Strong Brand

Websites are powerful marketing tools. Various studies show that roughly 70% of people find law firms online when they need some type of legal assistance. So having a strong online presence is the best way to reach your target audience.

In this industry, people are eager for information and guidance. You can reach potential clients who are accident victims, dealing with family law issues, or have some other legal challenges by being a source of online information. Your content can answer frequently asked questions that people have. And, even if they don’t call you immediately, they will remember your law firm’s name when they are ready to take action.

  1. Convenient Place to Showcase Your Resources

Finally, your law firm’s website provides a centralized place to look up anything related to your firm. That might include your areas of practice, your office location, your attorney’s bios and backgrounds, your most notable cases, and any FAQs. This can avoid the issue of having to address or answer these questions on a daily basis.

Ready to Create a Stunning and Effective Law Firm Website?

It’s obvious that having a physical office and lawyers at the ready simply isn’t a viable strategy for law firm success. You also need a functional and intuitive law firm website that creates brand awareness and converts visitors into legal clients.

At Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing, our website professionals understand that your law firm’s website is one of its greatest assets. We help law firms create a memorable and effective online presence through attractive, functional, and accessible design. Contact us today to learn more.

Does Your Law Firm Website Need a Redesign?

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Your website is one of your law firm’s most powerful marketing tools. A great law firm website can quickly gain trust, establish credibility, and dramatically increase your website’s conversions. According to research from Google, potential clients are forming first impressions about your law firm in as little as 50 milliseconds. Whether your website is hitting on all cylinders or missing the mark, it certainly deserves your attention as a vital part of your legal marketing strategy.

When your website isn’t performing as it should, it’s time to start thinking about a redesign. This can be a tough decision for many law firms. Maybe you dedicated hours of thought and development to your current website and found the process exhausting. But having a site that misses the mark with current visitors can truly hamper your marketing efforts. So, before taking on the important task of a redesign for your law firm’s website, here are a few things you need to know.

What is a Website Redesign?

A website redesign is a high-level overhaul that substantially changes elements like the code, structure, visuals, and content of your current website to improve the visitor experience. A great website redesign tends to lower bounce rates, improve search engine rankings, and boost revenue.

A website redesign isn’t quite the same thing as a refresh, which generally leaves the core functionality and structure of the website untouched as other minor elements are changed. For example, small changes such as the typography or color palette might be adjusted with a website refresh. While a good interim solution for some, a refresh may only delay the need for an eventual redesign.

8 Signs Your Law Firm Needs a Website Redesign

When potential clients knock on your digital front door, you want them to be impressed by what they see. That vital first impression will influence whether they pick up the phone, send you a message, and ultimately choose your firm to represent them.

More than ever, today’s consumers will spend more time doing online research about businesses before making that first contact. If your law firm’s website doesn’t reflect its brand or seems outdated, those prospects will likely move on to someone else.

So, how do you know if your law firm needs a website redesign? Here are several common signs:

  1. You Have Outdated Information

Most law firms change over time. They bring on new associates, move to new location, open a new office or add/remove key areas of practice. When these events happen, your website should instantly reflect them. If it doesn’t, and your website is years out of date, it’s a good idea to consider some changes before you confuse and alienate potential clients.

  1. It’s Not Attention-Grabbing

Remember, Google indicates that consumers are making decisions about websites faster than they can even think about what they’re reading on your page. First impressions are everything when it comes to website design.

Ask some friends or colleagues to go to your firm’s website and provide an honest opinion about their first impressions. If it isn’t unique and compelling, you probably need to reevaluate with an expert who can show you how to color, text, video, and images to capture your visitor’s attention.

  1. You Aren’t Optimized for Mobile

Putting mobile-first is no longer something you do just to accommodate visitors. It’s a requirement for success on Google. Mobile devices are now considered primary search tools, so optimizing your site for mobile shouldn’t be an afterthought.

 

Google now crawls websites for mobile-first, so your website rankings will be impacted if you don’t have the right functionality that fits images into the frame, eliminates large walls of texts, and provides clear navigation.

  1. Your Last Blog Post Was Years Ago

One of the vital parts of your digital marketing strategy should be a continuous commitment to content marketing. Blogging allows your firm to showcase its knowledge and establish your attorneys as authorities in their fields. When you don’t post on your blog, it gives the impression that you have nothing to say, that your website is dated, or you may no longer be in business.

  1. It’s Slow to Load

Today’s consumers have short attention spans. Research shows that 50% of web searchers will abandon a site if it takes more than three seconds to load. If your law firm’s website is too slow to load, visitors are probably going to hit the “back” button and choose one of your competitors.

Just as important, Google now uses page load speed as a website ranking factor. So, a slow-loading website will also perform poorly in terms of SEO. If your site is slow, it’s time to work with a qualified website developer to create something new that is also fast.

  1. It Doesn’t Maximize Conversions

At the most basic level, your website is a tool to drive conversions. If you built your website a decade ago when people just used the internet to look up phone numbers and addresses, it probably served its role as a digital brochure well.

But today’s website visitors want to learn about what your law firm does, get some questions answered through your blog posts, read testimonials from prior clients and get to know the attorney that may represent them. And all of this should be in an easy-to-navigate and visually-appealing package.

  1. Your Web Metrics are Trending Down

If you’re still unsure about whether your law firm’s website needs a redesign, dig into your key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics will be able to give you vital data about things like traffic, bounce rates, conversions rates, time on site, etc. If those metrics are trending down, this is probably a sign that it’s time to take some action.

  1. You’re Not Proud of Your Website

As a law firm, you should take pride in your website and the impression that you make to online visitors. If you’re embarrassed to give out your website address to colleagues or potential clients, this is a clear sign that it’s time for a redesign. When you partner with the right digital marketing team, you’ll get a modern, visually-appealing website that you’ll be excited to showcase.

Call Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing to Explore Redesigning Your Law Firm’s Website

Too Darn Loud Legal Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency that offers results-based solutions to law firms throughout the United States. If your law firm wants to add more or better clients and unlock more revenue, we can help you explore the strategies that will achieve the best possible results, including a law firm website redesign. We customize our solutions for each client, so we encourage you to contact us today for a free consultation. Our number is (800) 649-1764.