Consider the big picture: what’s the purpose of your law firm website and internet presence? Firms have different reasons for being on the web. Some want direct leads, most (should) want to demonstrate thought leadership, while more than a few just want a digital identity. Whatever the reason, there is one purpose they all share: defining who your firm is and what differentiates it from the competition.
More than ever, prospective clients visit your website to learn about your firm. Without the right information online, that prospect may never call your office. Your firm’s website is more about strategy than it is technology. It is about messaging – about quickly conveying what you do, how you do it, and what makes you better than other firms. In other words, at its core your website is a digital version of your 30-second elevator pitch.
To put its function in perspective, compare the website to first impressions at your company. Who at the firm is responsible for meeting with a new prospect the first time he or she comes to the office? Usually it is a partner, maybe a senior associate, but never your IT person. He or she may be a whiz at keeping your network, computers, iPad, and iPhone in solid working order, but marketing to your clients isn’t what that employee is trained to do.
When choosing a designer for your website, you should be concerned with marketing, strategy, storytelling, sales, design, search engine optimization and content marketing. Putting any website up is not necessarily difficult; crafting one that attracts your target market and educates, persuades, and sells your visitors on your firm’s ability to do the job better and more cost-effectively than your competitors requires an entirely different type of expertise.
