Tuesday, May 10, 2011

3 Common Errors In Websites For Lawyers

Websites for lawyers can be a very powerful marketing tool if used correctly. The most common errors are:

Trying to use a single website to market multiple, different practice areas.
Thinking that a digital business card will ever bring in new clients.
Trying to save a few dollars on a do-it-yourself website.

One Website, One Practice Area

If you accept cases in multiple practice areas, don't try to use a single website to market each practice area. Effective websites for lawyers are focused. Think about it, just the headache of trying to select graphic images that make sense will waste a lot of your time. Plus you'll just confuse visitors to your site.

When a potential client visits a lawyer's website, he or she is looking for a lawyer who is an expert in his or her type of case. If he needs a personal injury attorney and sees a lot of information about criminal defense law or immigration law, that potential client is not going to feel confident. The attorney website that focuses on personal injury cases only is going to have a leg up.



Digital Business Cards Do Not Bring In Cases

What is a digital business card? You've seen websites for lawyers that are "just the facts, ma'am." You know, biographical information about the lawyers, the goose bump-inducing rags to riches story of the firm's current incredible success from humble beginnings. Oh yeah, and a phone number and address. Good luck!

Prospective clients are looking for a lawyer, but they are also looking for information. Sometimes they want to gain a little knowledge before they schedule an appointment. Does your website provide helpful information? What are you worried about? It's not like they can handle their entire legal matter on their own.

Give. Share. Show them you know what you're talking about. Let them see your expertise. Websites for lawyers can be a go-to place for information. How about providing a downloadable checklist or brochure relevant to their case? Once the prospective client starts interacting with your website, your odds of getting a call just went up.

Cheap (or free) Websites Are No Bargain

What do they say about a lawyer who represents himself? The idea is, let objective professionals handle it because they'll do a better job. Remember the other axiom, "you get what you pay for?" You know it's true, so why do you do this to yourself? Are you really going to spend 2,000 hours becoming a web design expert or HTML programmer or SEO expert?

Of course not. You're going to learn just enough to be dangerous. You probably hired someone to install your sprinkler system. I can tell you the sprinkler system is like making toast compared to designing and optimizing websites for lawyers. If template sites really worked, you wouldn't be reading this. The fact is, today websites for lawyers are very affordable.

In conclusion, to maximize the power of your law firm's online marketing, let a professional design a focused and optimized website that reaches out to clients. It's less expensive than you think.

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