We live in a web-centric world so it should come as no surprise that the search for an attorney involves the web in some way, shape or form.  Whether conducting general research on a specific practice area or qualifying attorneys recommended by an associate, potential (profitable) clients are on your site every day. 

The question is--are you giving them the information they need to distinguish you from other options?  Does your website put you in the decision set and generate in-bound calls? 

Here are 5 best practices in developing web content to convert site visitors to potential clients. 

Best Practice #1

Write with empathy

It’s a common mistake to write about your firm, rather than to write about your client’s needs.  This requires that you have insight into your client’s decision making process.  Write from their perspective (you, yours) rather than from the firm’s (we/ours).  On each topic and each page, provide information to generate sufficient confidence in your ability to handle an important legal matter on their behalf.

Best Practice #2

Provide current, up-to-date information

The web has trained us to expect up-to-the-minute information.  Firms that provide timely articles, recent successes and current experiences will be in the decision set for critical legal matters over firms that present dated information.

Best Practice #3

Make it easy for your visitor to find what they need

Visitors should be able to ‘mouse over’ primary navigation (Services) on your home page to reveal second (Business Litigation) and third level (ERISA) navigation—and jump directly to the information they need.  From there, related content should be available such as articles, attorney biographies, advisories, case summaries, seminars, etc.  

Best Practice #4

Tear down that ‘Wall of Copy”

Use benefit-rich sub-heads and bullets to help visitors locate relevant information.  Where appropriate, break apart long scrolling pages to better organize content to assist your visitor.  There are no additional costs to add web pages.

Best Practice #5

Create Interaction Points with Visitors

Present an overview of seminars, presentations and other resources that your firm has created.  Visitors can register to receive more in-depth information by providing only their name and email address—valuable insight that can form the foundation from which your firm can build a relationship.