It is a new year and unfortunately, we are still dealing with the 2020 pandemic. Because of this, our blog article today will be all about how legal firms keep their websites competitive in 2021. An outdated legal website will always bring about a negative response. Modern sites feature the latest bells and whistles (today’s smart technology). They are always pleasing to the eye and are considered more trustworthy. Let’s face it, we all want to deal with a firm we can trust.
Caution: an outdated website could cause your firm to lose business in 2021. Here are a few questions to answer as you consider a redesign.
- Is the website quick to load?
- Is the site mobile friendly and responsive?
- Are all pages of the site optimized for search engines?
- Is the navigation system easy to use?
- Is the site domain name user friendly?
- Is there a search block for questions?
- Is there a contact block on all pages?
- Are attorney bios updated?
- Are all photos done professionally?
- Are all areas you serve listed (geographically)?
- Are the judgment results on a few cases listed?
- Have you included top client reviews on the site?
- Is there a blog page on the site?
How visitors feel about your current site:
If you expect to be listed high in the SERPs (search engine results pages) then the items above must be considered. Otherwise, potential consumers will simply move on and find a more user-friendly updated website. Although it doesn’t seem fair, the more modern sites get the most traffic. Even if your firm has a great history of providing the best legal coverage within your area, another more modern site will prevail.
Click through rate definition and how is this important?
Google judges your site based on many criteria. One criterion is “click-through rate.” This tells the search engines how folks feel about your website. Click-through rate refers to the number of users who click on a specific link within the website, the total number of those who view pages. The higher your click-through rate, the better your online visibility will be. If the click-through rate is poor it will affect your overall page rank and the site will not be competitive in 2021. Poor click-through rate means once the visitor clicks into the website, they leave very quickly. This indicates they could not find what they were looking for or just got a bad impression from your website for reasons listed within this post article.
The importance of a quick loading legal site:
Your website could load slowly for several reasons. You may have too many images within the site that do not load quickly. This could be because the image file sizes are too large or not optimized for the web. Reduce the file size of the images. When this is done correctly it will not reduce the quality of the image. This will help your site to load faster. If you are using WordPress, there are plugins available to help with this process.
Keep plug-ins updated:
Keep in mind that older sites that have not been updated in quite a while may load slower than newer sites based upon having older plug-ins. Remove or update all plug-ins as needed. Remove older plug-ins that cannot be updated. Another culprit might be because you have had several people working on the site and the site code may be compromised. WordPress suggests that you use “Better WordPress Minify” to minimize your website code.
What about the competition in your area?
We all know that in most service areas, there are a plethora of legal firms available. To stay competitive in 2021, we urge our legal firms to take the information within this post seriously and make arrangements ASAP to update and modernize their current sites. Those looking for legal services must be able to find you within one click today. Your phone number should be in the header of the website and all contact info must be visible on all pages of the site. All practice areas must also be clearly marked for the viewer.
How keywords play a role in search:
Be sure to use searchable phrases throughout the site such as “immigration attorney available in Orlando.” By doing this you have identified what you specialize in and where you are. geographically. We refer to these phrases as “longtail keywords.” They are efficient in helping the viewer find you quickly and ask for more information.
Last but not least blog regularly:
If your site has no blog page, add one right away. If your budget allows, hire a professional content writer who is familiar with blog criteria and how the search engines use blogging to build your brand to one of authority. An authority website is one that provides the latest legal information in real-time as it trends online.
Blogging content choices:
The blogger will sign up with legal magazines and keep current with all laws as they are enacted by the state and federal governments. The search engines want to scan the latest legal news as it relates to your specific genre. This is why a blogger is so important. Contact us for a list of bloggers available.
Keeping the legal website competitive:
To keep the legal website competitive in 2021, it is smart to redesign your website about every three to five years for the best results. We have great new design packages that are cost-effective for all budgets. Contact our team ASAP!
Visit a completed legal website developed by our designers:
Visit Clark & Albaugh here in Central Florida.
Conclusion:
The legal website should always reflect the current year as it relates to site bios, honors, and other attorney achievements. Keep a client list of those happy with their legal outcomes. Settlements and judgments should be current and all client reviews must be listed as soon as they are received. Website content should be refreshed at least once a year and new blog articles should be added consistently. Mention throughout the year, all of the firm’s accomplishments and accolades.
We hope you have enjoyed our blog post today on how legal firms keep their websites competitive.
Come back for more next time.
Jean Holland-Rose
Chief Creative Officer & SEO Professional
Inside Design Orlando
