Make no mistake, nearly anyone who wants a website can construct one these days. The real question is what is the purpose of the site and how will you design the site to achieve your goals? If you want maximum visibility, you must design the site with the utmost care. Well-designed sites are appealing and drive traffic. If the driving business for your law firm is your objective, a vibrant website will bring in many potential clients. On the other hand, a poorly designed website turns off potential clients ad can actually result in a decrease in business for your firm.
Lawyers Need Specialized Solutions for Website Design
Part of the design of an effective website includes a significant component of search engine optimization (SEO). Web design for lawyers needs SEO just as much or more than any other business type.
One of the main reasons that this is true is because of the specialized language that lawyers and legal professionals use. Potential clients will be searching for legal help because of specific occurrences that come up in their life. These occurrences are generally described by specific parlance in the legal arena.
The best lawyers’ websites will utilize effective keyword planning in their design. In many cases, specific long-tail keywords will be important to incorporate. For example, if your firm caters to people who have a motorcycle accident, then the keyword “motorcycle accidents” will need to be woven into the site.
Best Practices in Web Design
Modern successful websites share some common characteristics. The following is a distillation of current best practices in website design.
- Minimize Text. Remember to keep your text strings short and on point. You are not writing a novel. Adapt to the new media.
- Judiciously Use Images. It’s really all about the old adage: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
- Keep Sentences Short. Cyber attention spans are short. Keep your sentences trim and sweet.
- Cut Down on Paragraph Length. Online readers do not want to wade through excessive verbiage.
- Clearly Transmit a Call To Action (CTA). Make sure you tell the visitor exactly what you’d like them to do. “Call our office today” is an example of a good CTA.
- Design for Mobile Devices. Younger folks are using mobile devices more and more to conduct business online. Make sure that your website is function on phones and other hand-held devices.
- Make Site Navigation a Breeze. Slow, sticky, or clumsy site navigation will lose visitors in a matter of seconds. Make sure your website is speedy, not clunky.
By adhering to these main points, your website will enjoy a friendly co-existence with the search engines, where over 90% of online experiences begin.
Summary
By adhering to these best practices, your site will stand out above its peers in cyberspace. You will rank better on the search engine ranking pages (SERPs). Your site objectives are more likely to be fulfilled. If you do not have the skill-set to accomplish these recommendations, it may be a good idea to seek professional help for your website design needs.
