We live in a much different world than we did just a few short years ago, and technological changes have impacted virtually every type of business. If you are trying to encourage more traffic to your law firm’s website, it can be discouraging.
Once an appealing website is designed and published online, many feel as though the hard work is behind them. However, it takes regular maintenance to receive the traffic you deserve, and there are 7 ways to make a website visitor call your law firm.
1. Cater to the Growing Mobile User Market
Whether or not you are excited about the regular changes in computer technology, the truth remains that the majority of our population is jumping on board.
In fact, some websites have reported that more than half of their traffic comes from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. If you have failed to update your website with a responsive web design, you could risk losing a large percentage of your potential customer base.
Web pages that haven’t been modified for the mobile user can appear very small and difficult to read. It’s estimated that the average web surfer will decide within eight seconds whether or not to continue use of a website if it fails to capture their attention, so poor mobile adaptability can prove to significantly reduce the return on investment of your online marketing budget.
By incorporating responsive web design your site will scale to every size screen automatically.
2. Highlight you areas of practice
While it’s likely a percentage of people searching for your keywords are just looking for information, most of them are looking for qualified experienced lawyer, and this is good for your law firm.
However, they will often specify their search for someone dealing in a specialized area of law. Therefore, you should make your site friendly for those seeking quick information in regards to how you can help.
In order to achieve the maximum number of visitors who turn into customers, it’s recommended that you include your geographic location and practice area in your keywords. This helps the search engines accurately connect you with people looking for exactly what you have to offer.
If you run a larger firm with more than 20 attorneys or lots of areas of practice, consider implementing easy-to-use tools that can help them find the most qualified candidate for their specific needs.
3. Multiple Methods of Contact
Not all that long ago, attorneys typically listed their phone number in the yellow pages and relied on their potential clients to call and schedule an appointment.
However, today few people ever open a phone book, and they now have more ways than ever in which to get into contact with their service providers. This makes it imperative that you allow them multiple methods of contact.
There are various creative ways in which you can help clients get in touch with you, especially for law firms dealing with issues such as personal injury when quick contact is especially important.
Just a few you could consider including on your website to encourage more business include:
- Contact Form
- Click to Chat
- Click to Call
- Skype and video calls
4. Build Your Credibility with a Blog
When it comes to hiring an attorney, clients are making a significant investment, and they want to ensure the professional they choose to handle the job is proficient in their abilities.
A great way to easily display this while also increasing your website traffic is to incorporate a blog highlighting relevant information about your legal expertise.
As you prepare blog articles, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you make the most impact with search engines.
Just a few include:
- Implementation of keywords significant to your area of law
- Regular updates a blog a week or more
- Ability for other attorneys in the firm to contribute
- Add some personality and local news comments
Legal web designers understands how important your blog can be to the success of your website, and we can offer valuable tips to increase your readership.
5. Link Your Content
While a blog can be a great way to build trust and inform your intended audience, it can be frustrating when a beneficial article is pushed to the second page as you post more updated material.
One proven way to ensure this material is easy to find is to tag content based on the practice area. This allows you to show the public that you’re knowledgeable and up-to-date on recent changes in legislation.
It’s also beneficial to publicize blog articles on the various social media outlets available such as Facebook and Twitter. This provides a higher level of exposure and can also prove beneficial as other people begin to share this information with their network of friends.
6. The Power of Social Media
Let’s face it. Social media has taken the world by storm, and it’s now estimated that nearly 60 percent of Americans have an active Facebook account, and 70 percent of users report they visit the site at least once per day. If you’re not included in this statistic, you could be missing out on valuable business opportunities.
Each attorney featured on your website should have a professional Facebook profile as well as others including LinkedIn and Twitter. This allows customers to engage more easily and have a convenient way to view information about each professional representing your firm.
It helps them feel more connected as they can better understand your values as well as become familiar with the faces of your firm. It can take time to initially create links between your website and these social media pages, but it’s an investment of time that can certainly pay off at little to no financial investment.
7. Don’t Forget Picture and Videos
The average attention span is decreasing, and this is largely due to the fact that today’s consumer seeks instant gratification. If they are unable to quickly access the information they seek from your website, they’ll seek elsewhere. That’s what makes the inclusion of videos and pictures so important.
One rule of thumb is to avoid common stock photos. These can be found online, and many of them are free of charge. The trouble is, however, that they are easy to spot, and they take away from the legitimacy of your website.
Instead, take the time to have pictures taken of your firm, the staff, and situations where attorneys are on-the-job. You can even consider the implementation of a YouTube channel that’s regularly updated and offers potential clients valuable information.
You can even tie this in with your regular social media and blog updates to fully take advantage of the potential traffic these tools are known to generate.
Bonus -24/7 Business Opportunities
Legal issues can and do arise at the most inconvenient times, and those seeking your legal expertise need a way to see just how you can benefit them even if it’s outside of regular business hours.
By following these seven helpful tips, you can be on your way to developing the type of website that will not only receive traffic but also result in business that can help you keep up with the growing competition.
Get some Help
If you have question about legal web design or any aspect of legal marketing please feel free to give us a call at (866) 546-5668. The Real Legal Marketing team is always happy to answer questions and help in any way we can.
