Part One: What’s Happening On The Surface?

Just for a few minutes, let’s imagine that your website is a car. Is it performing the way you expected it to? Is your initial investment paying off in greater visibility, better page rank, or more contacts with prospective clients? Did you buy a limo or a lemon?

Like any good mechanic, we’ve got a series of checkpoints that we put websites through to make sure they’re at peak performance levels. So let’s scan the surface of your website and find out what’s going on.

Is the content clear and compelling?

Your site is far more than just a way for people to find you. It’s there to give people a reason to choose you. And that’s all about what you’re saying on every page. If your site is missing any of these components, it needs little maintenance.

• High-quality information and accessible language

  Readers who visit your website have legal questions they want answered, or they’re trying to find out more about you. You’ve got to supply the information , or you’ll lose the reader. Equally important, your site should be regularly updated with fresh content. Otherwise, it’s just stale.

  Speaking of losing readers, we can’t emphasize this enough: stop writing like a lawyer. Or, better yet, hire a professional writer to do the job! Your prospective clients want to feel a personal connection with you. If they feel confused or patronized, then they’re gone.

• Attorney bio

  One important way prospective clients learn about you is via your online bio. A strong attorney bio showcases your trustworthiness as well as your skills. The more you can project genuine personality along with professionalism, the better your bio will be.

• Blog

  A good blog serves a number of purposes. It builds name recognition; it establishes you as an expert in your field; it connects you with prospects researching their legal situation, when done properly; and it keeps potential clients returning to your site for new information. The one caveat — to reap these benefits, you’ve got to choose the right blog topics so prospects will find you.

• Testimonials

  The sincere recommendations of former clients are vital to your reputation and carry a ton of weight with visitors to your site. Even if you have a dedicated testimonials page, feature a few strong testimonials on every webpage.

Does your site have targeted landing pages?

Landing pages make it easy for searchers to find just the information they’re looking for, instead of wading through an entire website. (Which, by the way, most people simply won’t do.) The best landing pages are simple, clear, and powerfully designed to generate leads and build your law practice.

Look at it this way: most people who are looking online for attorney services are trying to solve one specific legal problem. By creating a separate, concise landing page for each area of law you practice, you’re making it easier for them to find their solution — you.

Be sure to provide the most important data at the top of the page — location, contact information, and answers to the vital questions. Highlight key points briefly; you don’t want to create information overload. Instead, make sure you’ve got a link to your home page for readers who want to know more. Include the ways you can help a potential client; the reasons why you’re the best choice; and a strong call to action (“contact us for your free consultation”).

Is it easy for visitors to contact you?

Before we give your website the thumbs up, there’s one more vital element to consider: the presence of simple and conspicuous contact methods on each and every page.

Your readers probably aren’t too worried about where you got your law degree. What they really want to know is how to reach you. This includes your office telephone number and physical address — but don’t stop there! Each page should feature a simple contact form or button so visitors can request more information or set up a consultation without a fuss.

When you’ve got all these elements firmly in place, your website should be up and running without a hitch. So let’s close that hood for today, and come back next time with an in-depth look at some adjustments you can make for higher performance.

FREE: 5 Website Blunders 99% of Attorneys Make that Cost Them Clients

…and how to get your phone ringing by avoid these mistakes.

Download Now