Why your website may be more important than your business card. At one point in time, a fax machine, pager, printed pamphlet or rotary phone would have been considered the ‘latest in technology’ for communicating between you and your clients. However, times have changed — today your website can be the all-in-one source for information a client needs.
From Yellow Pages to Yelp
There is a good chance the first point of contact between you and potential clients will be your company website. Online searches are generally the first thing people do when they require a service, often even before picking up the phone. Your website may be your first and only chance to reach your audience and get your message across, so make sure your message is clear.
Making sure your message is clear
Always design your website with your user in mind. Ask yourself: what are the things they are looking for? What menu items in the navigation make the most sense for them? Is it easy for them to find contact information on the site? Putting yourself in the perspective of a website visitor and designing accordingly can lay a solid foundation for a site that works for your clientele.
Add a blog and input regularly to your site
Having a blog on your website (and regularly contributing to it) is a great way to not only bring people to the site, but keep them coming back. If you provide useful information to visitors, they will not only revisit, but also place trust in your site. As well, this can lead to inbound linking to your site from reputable law organizations and this is great for increasing your online search rankings.
Use testimonials and showcase past experience on your website
Customer testimonials, portfolio/client samples and other past experience examples are a useful means to display your expertise in the field. Potential clients may feel more comfortable receiving your services if they can see concrete real-life examples of your experience put to practice.
Your website can be your online resume
When starting out in the field or beginning your own practice, your website can be a great supplementary addition to your resume. A number of attorneys also link from their websites to accreditation sites such as AVVO and Super Lawyer. Having an online presence can be great exposure for your firm and help build your clientele.
