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Three Questions To Consider Before Designing A Legal Website

The internet is one of if not the most effective ways to inform a mass amount of potential customers about your firm without the cost and time constraints of a television ad. A good site can certainly do most of the talking and you just have to bring the expertise to the table to reel in the clientele. Below you will find three tips designed to help you maximize the potential of your website.

1. Select Your tagline

Every great brand not only has a great product, but it also has an all-to-memorable tagline. Having a tagline or slogan to set you apart from the competition will make your company memorable in the same way that “gimmie a break” makes you think of Kit-Kat. Your tagline should  market and build your brand, encompass your firm’s mission and hold true to your promise to the people.

  • Say what you mean– “Helping Good People Do Good Things” or “We’re In This Together. Your Team and Ours.” Taglines like these define what your practice is all about in a few words. “Helping good people do good things” is probably not the best tag line for a criminal defense lawyer, but it would be great for an environmental attorney or a firm that specializes in non-profit organizations.

  • What are you guaranteeing—“IP Smart. Business Savvy. Client Connected” or “The confidence to proceed,” both of the above taglines indicate something about the firms knowledge or strategy. If you are a business seeking legal aid, you would expect the first company to be familiar with your jargon, and knowledgeable about your field. If you are a client that is looking to go to trial then the latter tagline is probably going to appeal to you because their firm sounds bold and ready for court.

  • Define your unique brand—“Our Dress Code Does Not Include Stuffed Shirts” or “The Law Out West.” If what sets you apart is the fact that all your firm’s attorneys were born and raised on a farm and wear Stetsons and cowboy boots to court then why not characterize your company with “law out west.” Customers will remember the name and since birds of a feather flock together potential clients who can relate to your gimmick would be intrigued.

2. How to display your testimonials

A company with no testimonials looks like a company with no happy customers. You can do all the talking you want to hype up your firm, but it won’t have the same effect as one customer’s very happy review. Find a way to make your testimonials stand out on your page without taking it over. One really good way to do that is by using speech bubbles. They are animated and do a good job of breaking up the text and eliminating white space which is essential when writing for the web. Including a photo along with the text bubble is even better because it authenticates the testimony proving to customers that you didn’t falsify good reviews. Common sense would tell you that if photos are good then videos are even better. Using short recorded testimonials when appropriate gives your site an extra element of depth and it makes the testimonial seem even more legitimate and personable.

3. Your “Hero” Image

legal website and designBecause it is so easy to hit the back button and find another website, it is important for your page to look as good as the service you’re selling—perhaps even better—so make that home page attention grabbing. A great way to accomplish this is to feature an image as a backdrop or as your attention grabber. According to Kai Heuser, an expert in web design, “using a hero image can be a very emotional, activating or even story-telling way to welcome people onto your site….humans are much more image than text orientated.” If you have ever visited Apple’s homepage, you know this to be true. They always highlight their new product in a high resolution beautiful photo that take up 75-80% of the page. You are instantly attracted to what they are selling and willing to listen to what they have to say. In your case you want an image that speaks to your brand. If your promise is to get clients out of jail then browse istockphoto.com for a stoic image of an open jail cell. If you’re an environmental lawyer then a large close up of something fresh and green could be suitable for you. Any image you select should tell your story in much the same way that you tagline does.

Jason McMinn is an Austin attorney at McMinn Law Firm who specializes in criminal law and personal injury. The attorneys of McMinn Law Firm advise on a broad range of personal injury cases ranging from dog bites to premises liability, and offer a free legal consultation to review your case.