Web Design for Lawyers

Custom Law Firm Web Design Increases Potential Clients

FORWARD Lawyer Marketing is a law firm marketing agency — our sole aim is to help attorneys succeed online. Our law firm web design team offers:

• Years Of Experience Working With Small & Mid-Sized Law Firms Nationwide
• First-Rate Communication And Client Service
• Cutting-edge, Professional, Individualized, And Responsive Designs Built With WordPress CMS
• Mobile-First And Optimized For Speed To Comply With Google Core Web Vitals update
• High-Tech Tools To Convert Website Traffic Into Increased Leads And Caseload
• Why Having An “About Our Law Firm” Page Is Important

Web Design For Lawyers That Stands Out From The Competition And Performs Effectively

If you are going to build a new website you need a law firm web design agency that has years of experience specifically in custom web design for lawyers. We have created new WordPress-based websites for attorneys all over the country and have decades of experience doing it. We can also take your old outdated website and convert it to a new responsive mobile-first WordPress website design for lawyers without losing any of your existing search rankings.

A law firm website should drive relevant traffic. More importantly, it should convert that website traffic into inbound opportunities. For example, mobile searches are on the rise, increasing the need for a fast, responsive, mobile-friendly website. As a matter of fact, Google has now taken a mobile-first stance when they are ranking websites and speed is a crucial factor. A site that is clean, professional, and easy to navigate with all mobile devices will increase your exposure and encourage client conversion.

We will also take your partner and associate biographies along with stories about your firm locally to create an effective “About Us” page that will make you stand out from your competitors when a prospective is doing a search for a “lawyer near me” so that they will choose you over your competition. We will help you to do community outreach that will also help to make you stand out locally so that your law firm is at the top of everyone’s mind when they have a need for legal services.

Professional Website Design for Lawyers

At FORWARD Lawyer Marketing, we create an advanced online presence — one that makes a striking first impression on your potential clients. We use professional and responsive design, engaging visuals, and relevant, useful content written by experienced legal scholars to convey the image you want for your firm.

We operate as web consultants and designers for legal organizations of all sizes, from single-lawyer practices to multi-location regional firms. Our areas of expertise in law firm web design and architecture include, but are not limited to:

• Website Design For Personal Injury Attorneys
• Family Law & Divorce Lawyer Web Design
• Criminal Defense Attorney Web Design
• Bankruptcy Lawyer Web Design
• Estate Planning Lawyer Web Design
• Real Estate Lawyers Web Design
• Business Law Attorneys Web Design

Our Law Firm Web Design Process

Our team of technicians, designers, and strategists emphasize three main factors: visualization, functionality, and usability. All three of these are important for achieving your online marketing goals. From that principle, we follow a custom law firm web design process:

• Understanding Your Requirements: Legal businesses are all different. The best law firm website design always serves the requirements of the attorneys in question. Our first step is to identify your preferences and goals. For example, some of our clients want a nice storefront to improve their credibility. Others intend to invest more, aggressively marketing their new website with targeted, sustained online campaigns.
• Estimation of Project Scope: After completely understanding your requirements, we get to work. Our law firm web design team comes up with two separate static designs — the web design version of a sketch. We then share the ideas, refining until you are completely confident and totally happy in the design for your law firm we intend to build.
• The Buildout Phase: The next step is creating a completely functional, private version of your law firm website. You get the login information — this allows you to keep track of our progress at your convenience, in real-time. The buildout phase of your law firm website can take anywhere from two weeks to two months depending on the size and design, but there will be no surprises. Before we start, we will set the proper expectations given your unique project’s scope.
• Website Launch & Project Completion: After everything has been tested by us and approved by you, we launch your new law firm website. We take everything we built in the private version and migrate it to your law firm’s public web address.
• Post Development Services: We don’t just part ways after completing the project; we offer post-development services. These include hosting, maintenance, and more including the option to have us continue to provide you with ongoing content written by our experienced legal experts.

Web Design For Lawyers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Important Is Website Speed For Search Rankings?

Website speed, a crucial factor that directly influences both search engine optimization (SEO) and client conversion rates for law firms, can have a detrimental effect on user experience. A slow-loading website leads to a frustrating user experience, resulting in higher bounce rates as potential clients abandon the site before it fully loads. This not only leads to lost leads but also sends negative signals to search engines like Google, which prioritize user experience in their ranking algorithms.

Search engines use site speed as a ranking factor, meaning that a slow-loading website can hurt your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Lower visibility reduces the chances of attracting organic traffic, which is vital for generating new leads. Moreover, even if a user does find your site and it loads slowly, their perception of your law firm’s professionalism may be diminished, further decreasing the likelihood of them reaching out for legal services.

To optimize your website for speed, it’s essential to focus on several technical aspects, including minimizing HTTP requests, optimizing images and other media, leveraging browser caching, and utilizing content delivery networks (CDNs) to reduce latency. For law firms, a fast and responsive website not only enhances SEO performance but also ensures that potential clients have a seamless experience, increasing the likelihood of conversions. FORWARD Lawyer Marketing emphasizes the importance of speed optimization in creating high-performing websites that drive business growth for legal professionals.

How Can Mobile Optimization Improve Client Acquisition For Law Firms?

Mobile optimization is a necessity for law firms aiming to improve client acquisition. With a majority of web traffic coming from mobile devices, a site that needs to be properly optimized for mobile can lead to a poor user experience, with issues such as difficult navigation, slow loading times, and unreadable text. These factors contribute to higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates, ultimately leading to fewer client inquiries.

Google’s mobile-first indexing means that the mobile version of your law firm site is considered the primary version for ranking purposes. If your site performs poorly on mobile, it will likely rank lower in search results, reducing visibility to potential clients searching for legal services on their phones. Mobile optimization involves several technical elements, including responsive design, which ensures that your website automatically adjusts to different screen sizes, and mobile-friendly navigation, which simplifies user interaction.

Additionally, mobile optimization should focus on touch-friendly interfaces, fast load times, and easy access to contact information, which are critical for potential clients who may be seeking urgent legal assistance. By prioritizing mobile optimization, FORWARD Lawyer Marketing ensures that law firms can effectively capture and convert mobile traffic, leading to increased client acquisition and retention.

What Role Does Website Architecture Play In Enhancing SEO For Law Firms?

Website architecture is a fundamental component that significantly impacts the SEO performance of a law firm’s website. A well-structured lawyer website makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages, which is crucial for improving visibility in search results. Good website architecture involves creating a logical hierarchy of pages with a clear and intuitive navigation structure that allows both search engine robots and users to find and access content easily.

A law firm’s website should be organized with the user’s intent in mind, grouping related services together and ensuring that essential pages, such as practice area pages and contact information, are easily accessible. Proper use of internal linking can also enhance SEO by passing link equity from one webpage to another. Link equity, also known as “link juice,” is the value and authority that is passed from one page to another when they are linked together. This helps to distribute authority across the site and improve the ranking potential of individual pages.

Technical aspects, such as the implementation of a sitemap and the use of canonical tags, are also important in guiding search engines through your website’s structure. FORWARD Lawyer Marketing ensures that the architecture of a law firm’s website is optimized for both user experience and search engine accessibility, helping to improve rankings, increase organic traffic, and drive more leads to the firm.

How Does Content Strategy Influence Lead Generation Through A Law Firm’s Website?

Content strategy, a powerful tool in lead generation for a law firm’s website, provides valuable, relevant, and informative content that addresses the needs and concerns of potential clients. High-quality content not only improves SEO by targeting relevant keywords and search queries but also engages users, keeping them on your firm’s website longer and encouraging them to take action, such as scheduling a consultation or filling out a contact form.

A successful content strategy for a law firm should include practice area pages, blog posts, FAQs, case studies, and client testimonials. These elements help establish the firm’s authority and build trust with visitors. Practice area pages should be comprehensive and optimized with relevant keywords to attract traffic from potential clients searching for specific legal services. Blog posts can be used to address common legal questions and provide insights into relevant legal topics, further demonstrating the firm’s knowledge and expertise.

Content should be updated regularly to reflect changes in the law or the firm’s services, which helps maintain relevance and improves rankings. FORWARD Lawyer Marketing emphasizes the importance of a well-executed content strategy, ensuring that every piece of content on a law firm’s website is strategically crafted to drive organic traffic, engage visitors, and convert them into leads.

How Do On-Page SEO Techniques Impact The Visibility Of A Law Firm’s Website?

On-page SEO techniques are necessary for improving the visibility of a law firm’s website in search engine results. These techniques involve optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic from search engines. Key on-page SEO elements include optimizing meta tags, using appropriate header tags, ensuring keyword density and placement, and creating high-quality, relevant content.

Meta tags, including the SEO title tag and meta description, are critical as they are the first elements a potential client sees in search results. They should be concise, include primary keywords, and provide a clear indication of what the page is about. Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) should be used to structure content hierarchically, making it easier for both search engines and users to understand the main topics of the page.

Keyword optimization is crucial but must be done thoughtfully to avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm SEO. Instead, focus on using keyword phrases naturally within the content and making sure that the keywords are relevant to the user’s search intent. Additionally, the content itself should be informative, engaging, and regularly updated to reflect the latest developments in the legal field. For instance, a law firm could provide in-depth articles on recent court cases, legal advice for common issues, or updates on changes in legislation.

FORWARD Lawyer Marketing employs advanced on-page SEO techniques to ensure that law firms’ websites are highly visible in search engine results, leading to increased organic traffic and higher lead conversion rates.

How Can Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Enhance The Effectiveness Of A Law Firm’s Website?

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a critical aspect of enhancing the effectiveness of a law firm’s website. CRO involves making strategic changes to the website’s design and content to increase the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as filling out a web contact form, calling the firm, or scheduling a consultation.

Effective CRO for law firms focuses on improving the user experience by making certain that the website is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and that the content clearly communicates the value of the firm’s services. This includes optimizing call-to-action (CTA) buttons to make them more visible and compelling, ensuring that forms are simple and easy to fill out, and placing contact information prominently on every page.

A/B testing different versions of your website’s landing pages, headlines, and CTAs can provide valuable insights into what resonates best with your target audience. Analyzing user behavior through heatmaps and session recordings can also help identify areas of the website that may be causing friction or confusion, allowing for targeted improvements.

FORWARD Lawyer Marketing integrates CRO strategies into the web design process to ensure that law firms’ websites are not only attracting traffic but also converting that traffic into qualified leads, ultimately driving business growth.

Why Is ADA Web Accessibility Compliance Critical For Law Firms?

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) web accessibility compliance is critical for law firms because it ensures that their websites are accessible to all potential clients, including those with disabilities. Compliance with ADA guidelines not only helps avoid potential legal issues but also broadens the reach of your services by making the website usable for a wider audience. A law firm that fails to comply with ADA standards risks lawsuits, as non-compliance can be seen as discriminatory against individuals with disabilities.

From a technical perspective, ADA compliance involves several key elements. These include ensuring that all images have appropriate alt text for screen readers, providing captions or transcripts for video content, and making sure that the website can be navigated using a keyboard alone, without relying on a mouse. Additionally, the site’s color contrast should be sufficient to be easily readable by users with visual impairments, and forms should be clearly labeled and accessible.

Ensuring ADA compliance also has SEO benefits. Many accessibility features, such as alt text and properly structured HTML, overlap with SEO best practices, potentially improving your site’s search engine rankings. FORWARD Lawyer Marketing incorporates ADA compliance into the design and development of law firm websites, ensuring that the sites are accessible to all users while minimizing the risk of legal challenges and enhancing the overall user experience.

How Can A Law Firm Ensure Its Website Is ADA Compliant?

To ensure that a law firm’s website is ADA-compliant, it is essential to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, which provide a framework for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. The process begins with an accessibility audit, which identifies areas of the website that may not meet ADA standards. This audit typically involves both automated tools and manual testing by individuals with disabilities to provide a comprehensive assessment.

Once potential issues are identified, remediation involves implementing specific changes to the website. These changes might include adding alt text to images, ensuring that all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard navigation, and using ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks to improve screen reader navigation. Additionally, ensuring that all text is resizable without loss of content or functionality and providing consistent navigation across the site are crucial steps.

Beyond technical fixes, ongoing monitoring is necessary to maintain compliance as new content is added or site updates are made. Regularly training content creators and developers on accessibility best practices helps ensure that new content remains accessible. FORWARD Lawyer Marketing offers ADA compliance solutions as part of its web design services, ensuring that law firms not only meet legal requirements but also provide an inclusive and accessible experience for all potential clients. This proactive approach not only mitigates legal risks but also demonstrates the firm’s commitment to serving a diverse clientele.

Web Design For Attorneys

FORWARD Lawyer Marketing creates functional websites for attorneys with compelling content written by experts in law and custom, responsive, mobile-first designs. Our goal is your goal, whether that entails becoming an authority in your specialization or establishing a lead generation engine to expand your law firm’s caseload.

Besides top-rated website design for lawyers, our law firm marketing consultants can also help you strategize on how to increase visitors and drive new inbound leads to your firm. Examples include PPC campaigns like Google Ads for highly targeted audiences, search engine optimization (SEO) for organic search traffic, and Google My Business integration and optimization for local SEO and service area optimization.

There are benefits to specialization — to having your law firm’s website designed by a professional website design agency for lawyers. For more context on what we do, check out what our clients are saying. To set up a time to discuss your needs, please contact us online today or call us at (888) 590-9687.

(Updated 8/14/2024)