It wasn’t that long ago that lawyers wondered if their law firm needed a website at all. At the time this dilemma stirred up quite the controversy. Today, it is taken as a given. And the controversy has shifted to how to get better results. Below are some of the specific questions raised by our clients.
Questions about law firm websites:
- “Our site is about five years old now. Should we update key pages or would we be better off with a new site?”
- “Although the website isn’t where it needs to be, it does still generate business. What’s the risk involved in replacing it with something completely new?”
- “We’re concerned that if we refresh our site, it won’t be long before it looks stale again. What can we do to keep it fresh on an ongoing basis?”
- “Our site generates traffic but it doesn’t bring in the type of files we’d like to be working on. How can we attract a different audience and filter inquiries better?”
- “We’ve started blogging and using social media more frequently but all our efforts seem to be a bit disconnected. How could the website benefit more from this activity?”
- “It seems like every other day there’s a new digital development. How important is it that our site keep up-to-date?”
- “How can we ramp up our Search Engine Optimization efforts without alienating our readers?”
- “For our new site, how custom should we go?”
Law firm websites that deliver results:
Improving a website and improving results are not the same thing.
The answers to these questions and more depend on the business case for your site – your goals, your target market, how your website fits into your overall legal marketing plan – so that changes are driven by business requirements, rather than being rudderless improvements.
Consider what you’d like your site to accomplish. Do you want to create awareness? Generate inquiries? Improve close rate on new leads? Save time on initial consultations? Build profile? Generate media interest? Encourage loyalty? Recruit talented candidates? Shape the firm’s culture?
If you don’t know what type of results you’re looking for from your website, how will you know if it’s successful?
While each of these objectives can certainly be supported by a law firm website, each would entail a change in scope, creative direction and approach.
So, the first step towards a solution to the controversy about how to get better results is deciding which results you want.
Don’t hold back.
While there’s no one size fits all solution for law firm websites, one thing is for sure – generic content won’t deliver on the potential you were hoping for. Regardless of the specific objectives you set out, you will still need to broadcast your vision in a manner that communicates what you’re doing right and why it matters.
Whether you’re considering an entirely new site or a refresh there may be a number of considerations to address before getting started. From establishing the business case through to implementation, our approach was designed to help you sort through your questions, develop a strategy focused on the needs of your practice and build a website expected to deliver on your goals.
Law firm marketing and management:
To discuss how we can develop a coaching program to build and enhance your law firm, contact us for an initial consultation, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or via web conference anywhere in Canada.
