SOLO/SMALL FIRM
Building a Better Website
Seven tips to make your site more effective.
Written by Zack McKamie
Whether you're creating a new website from scratch or simply updating your existing site, these seven essential tips can make your website more prominent, interesting, and effective.
Make It Easy to Find
For many, the science of online search can seem like hieroglyphics.
The truth is that when it comes to online search, your goal should be
simple: Have a website that’s easy for your potential and existing
clients to find and read. It’s not about having a site solely focused
around SEO, or search engine optimization; it’s about building a
search-friendly architecture and providing targeted and relevant
content. Search engines reward webpages that are clearly focused on
specific topics and allow them to easily “crawl” the page.
Bottom line: Online search has changed the way people seek out information. It’s important to make it easy for clients, potential clients, colleagues, and other important audiences to find your website.
Make It Easy to Use
There’s a lot to be said about a website that invites you in and
allows you to quickly get the information you’re looking for. How many
times have you abandoned a site because you were frustrated with the
functionality or because you couldn’t find what you needed? Developing
an intuitive and well-thought-out site map from the beginning allows you
to direct how users travel your site and ensures they are able to
quickly get where they want to be. Features such as a prominent
navigation menu, breadcrumb functionality, and an intuitive link
strategy to help visitors navigate pages on the site can make all the
difference.
Bottom line: Don’t make users work to access information they want. Give them access in an intuitive and logical manner.
Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself
On many law firm websites, the copy is often about honors received,
achievements, and other resume stuffers. What you don’t often see is
information directed more to the website reader. Put yourself in the
shoes of someone who needs to hire a lawyer. What information is going
to be most important to them? They’ll likely want to know about your
relevant experience, your fees, and perhaps most important: What
separates you from the many other lawyers and law firms who practice in
the same area of law?
Bottom line: Talk to your audience in ways that are meaningful to them.
Update Your Content—Regularly
It’s simply not enough to put up a website and then call it a day.
Nobody specifically, content that is unique and useful to your audience.
Blogs by nature are considered more conversational and therefore are an
excellent vehicle for expressing opinions or providing commentary on
topics your audience finds interesting. One of the greatest advantages
of a blog is that it ensures you are continually creating new content
for your site, making it more “findable.” Blogs also allow you to target
very specific keywords from an SEO perspective, which can go a long way
in driving qualified traffic to your site.
Bottom line: A blog can be an extremely effective communication tool, but you have to be dedicated to make it successful.
Share and Be Shared
With hundreds of millions of people using social media daily, ignoring
this platform is not an option. You can no longer wait for people to
come to you. You must reach out in places where they access and share
information. Creating social media accounts and republishing your blog
posts, news stories, and other quality content can incite a social
discussion that allows you to reach far beyond your website. Another
effective technique is adding a “social media bookmarking” widget to
your site that allows readers to share information they find valuable
directly with their social media accounts through the click of a
button.
Bottom line: Share great content and share it often.
Go Mobile or Go Home
We are all witnesses to the smartphone and tablet revolution. How many
times have you checked email or viewed a webpage from your phone in the
past month alone? The web is accessible at all times and having a
parallel version of your site optimized for mobile viewing through
responsive design isn’t a maybe—it’s a must. Whether users are reading
attorney profiles, getting directions to your office, or simply trying
to call you, they want it in their hands and on the go.
Bottom line: Make sure your website is developed with responsive design—no excuses. TBJ
This article, which was originally published on Androvett’s Insights blog, has been edited and reprinted with permission.
ZACK
MCKAMIE is the vice president of marketing at Androvett, where
he leads integrated marketing strategies for legal industry clients,
professional services firms, and related businesses. Since joining the
agency in 2010, he has helped a wide range of businesses develop
comprehensive and impactful marketing strategies to help them stand out,
reach the right audiences, and positively impact the bottom line.