The majority of lawyers are not web design specialists. So, if you manage your website independently, there’s a strong chance it might need some work. Even if you have a paralegal in your office handling the site for you, they are unlikely to have much more experience in web design than you have.
In today’s digital age, the design of your law website can make or break your practice’s success. For example, 75% of consumers rate a company’s credibility solely on the appearance of its website. Therefore, if your law firm website design has faults, it will alter how people perceive your firm. Here are some website design mistakes made by lawyers.
Clutter
It’s a bad idea to try to cram as much information as possible onto your home page and landing pages.
Cluttered websites not only appear untrustworthy, but they also mislead your website visitors. An excessive number of pictures, CTAs, text, and other visual elements might be overpowering. People won’t know where to go first, which usually leads to them leaving your website or skipping over the most vital content. Visitors should understand what you’re giving within seconds of landing on your website.
Inadequate Call To Action Placement
When people come to your website, what action do you want them to take? In most cases, lawyers use legal websites to attract new customers. Depending on your preferences, you may want potential clients to phone your office, send an email, make a reservation online, or fill out a form online. Whatever the response is, it must be clearly shown with a call-to-action button.
The call to action should be visible at all times and should be prominently displayed. For example, some companies utilise a sticky navigation bar, which keeps the CTA at the top of the page while users scroll.
Perplexing Navigation
This connects to the overarching concept of simplicity. Anyone visiting your website should be able to locate what they’re searching for in a matter of seconds. Use your law website’s internal landing pages to give further information about your practice. You can highlight particular lawyers in your firm as well as discuss your speciality areas of competence.
Assume you own a giant law firm with dozens of practice areas. Your navigation menu should not include every area of expertise. People will have a tough time finding what they need as a result of this. So instead, divide your service offers into categories.
Confusing Branding
Your legal company is a brand, whether you know it or not. Consider how you portray yourself in person. From your attire to the type of vehicle you drive, you project a degree of expertise based on how you desire to be regarded.
Consider this scenario: Three separate lawyers arrive at the courthouse in their respective vehicles: one in a Toyota Camry, another in a Mercedes Benz, and the third in a Rolls-Royce. Each of these attorneys has its branding approach. This comparison may also be extended to your website and the style you select. It all depends on the audience that you’re addressing.
Slow Loading Times
You’ve undoubtedly had your own experience with slow-loading sites. You come across a website that seems intriguing, clicks on the link and then wait for it to load. You probably leave the website since it is infuriating to wait for ages. According to research by a marketing agency, pages that load one second slower might see a 56% rise in their bounce rate. This is bad news for website user engagement.
Perform a page speed test to determine if your site loads in less than two seconds. If not, make efforts to enhance page load speed by deleting unneeded components. For example, photos may be entertaining, but keep the number of images each post to a minimum so that the page load time is reduced.
If you want help getting your law firm to convert better online, contact Windy City Law Designs today. With over 10 years experience in website design and development and Internet marketing solutions, we will increase your online visibility.