Your website needs to be updated, probably now. In fact, it might need a complete overhaul. If it’s been two or three years (or more) since you’ve updated the site, it probably even looks old. It takes a lot of energy, time, and thought, and it’s something that easily gets set aside to do “later.” The only consolation is that you’re not alone.
If you’re an attorney (and this holds true for other professions as well), you probably already know that the internet is by far the top place consumers go when they seek legal help. In the 21st century, your website is analogous to your law office’s front door and lobby. It must be attractive, up-to-date, and meet the expectations of 21st-century consumers. Here are several strong indications that it’s time to have the website brought up to speed:
1. Does your website look like a museum piece from the 1990s? A page counter or a blinking .gif is a sure giveaway. But even if you’re clearly in your own century, if it’s been more than a year, update. Your clients will be appreciative.
2. Did you start a blog and never pursue it? Scores of legal websites have a page that says something like “Welcome to our new blog” with a 2009 or 2011 date and no actual blog entries (or several outdated ones). Get that blog working for you; a freelance writer or a social media marketing firm can help you create regularly updated blog content and eliminate that embarrassment on your website.
3. Website navigation should be user-friendly, and information on the site should be thorough and accurate. Organize the site logically, and make sure it appears properly on mobile devices.
4. Do your website’s attorney bios sound like they were written by a criminal defense attorney? If you’re an attorney, you already know that potential clients are more interested in your last ten years than in what you did in 1973 or which state Supreme Court justice you worked with in the 1980s. Will you return calls? What kind of cases are you really good at winning? What do your former clients say about you? And watch it with the adjectives and adverbs; after three or four paragraphs about being “exceptionally skilled” and “extremely knowledgeable,” you sound like you’re trying too hard.
5. Consumers expect social media integration. Make it easy for visitors to find you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other sites. A social media marketing firm can help you create and coordinate your marketing across the web.
