According to the National Law Review, 96% of people searching for legal assistance begin with a search engine. What do your prospects see and feel when they visit your website? How does your law firm website compare to the competition’s? WebFX found the following statistics about the importance of having a high-quality website:

• 73% of companies invest in web design
• 74% of customers will return to a responsive website
• 89% of customers won’t choose brands after a bad user experience

We’ll show you how to craft a client-converting site by talking strategy and analyzing the 11 best law firm websites of 2021. You’ll learn:

• 6 Reasons Why Having a Law Firm Website is Crucial
• 8 Must-Use Tips for a great quality website
• Top 11 Best Law Firm Websites

6 Reasons Why Having a Law Firm Website Is Crucial

How do you tap into the massive online market for legal services? You create a website that converts visitors into clients. Here’s why websites work:

1. High-Quality Websites Improve Your SEO Efforts 

Search engine optimization (SEO) makes your website easier for search engines to find. Your potential clients are looking for legal services online, so you need to get in front of them. The best way to do so is by ranking on the first page of Google for relevant search queries. Excellent SEO gets you to that money-making, top-ranked position. Prospects see your site, click it, and come back for more if your content is helpful. As we learned earlier, 74 percent of users return to sites that gave them an excellent first impression. Users returning to your website sends Google a signal that you’re credible and people enjoy the content you create. SEO strategies to incorporate include:

• Internally linking to pages across your site
• Naturally incorporating keywords on each page
• Using menus to keep your website easy to navigate

Poorly structured websites make it harder for Google to crawl and index a page. That hurts your SEO quality and site discoverability. By the way, we have a post about about a faster but paid way to get traffic – PPC ad campaigns.

2. Lead Generation Depends on Website Quality 

According to a Behavior & Information Technology study, potential clients take roughly 50 milliseconds to form an opinion about your business. Influence your client’s perception of your site by increasing the quality of what they see. Your current customers and prospects won’t refer you to their friends and relatives if you have a poorly designed website. The numbers don’t lie. According to Sweor, 57% of internet users say they wouldn’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website. This data shows us that ranking high on Google isn’t enough. Your potential clients only need 2.66 seconds to focus on a section of your website before deciding what to do next. The traffic you receive is useless unless it leads to new clients, which is why the quality of your website matters so much. Design your website in a way that makes it easy for them to stay on your site instead of running to a website that makes them feel better.

3. Your Law Firm Website Shows Your Industry Authority 

The legal industry is crowded. If you want to grow your firm, you need to show your prospects that you have more (or something unique) to offer. You don’t need years of experience to make that impression. Use the content you place on your website to position yourself as an industry expert who knows the ins and outs of the cases your clients are facing. Consider clearly-displayed expertise & a high-quality website the secret recipe for online lead generation. With a high-quality website, you can easily demonstrate your branding, which people easily remember. Whether it’s your logo or the overall design of your website, top-notch web design helps you build brand awareness. According to Small Biz Genius, consistent brand messaging can increase your law firm revenue by up to 23%. But quality exceeds the homepage of your website. Bad grammar and low-quality images will quickly turn off potential clients. After all, who would want to work with a law firm that can’t communicate clearly? Offer your site visitors top-notch content, free from grammatical errors, enhanced by quality images, and full of real value to your readers. If you don’t have the time, look for freelance legal writers to help out. Displaying social proof through testimonials from satisfied clients and features in reputable publications is another way to enhance your credibility. Including testimonials on your key website pages can help generate up to 62% more revenue (Big Commerce). A whopping 92% of customers say they read testimonials before purchasing a service or product (Vendasta). If your site lacks this kind of social proof, you’re starting at a disadvantage.

4. Clear Website Navigation Creates a Strong First Impression 

Site navigation influences how your website visitors will react. If your menus are easy to navigate, users will stay on your website longer and navigate to other pages. Confusing navigation, on the other hand, leads to a confusing and disappointing experience. Your users don’t need to stay on your page. Give them a reason to leave, and they will. Many website owners — including some law firms — don’t know how vital site navigation is. Research from Tank Design shows that 50% of site visitors don’t know where to find products and services based on the typically used website menu labels. You can use that chaos to your advantage. When designing your website, make sure your menu is easily visible, and your labels are the right combination of concise, specific, and clickable. Be specific, but don’t create too many pages on your site. The more pages you have, the more cluttered your menu will appear. Keep your website menu concise and user-friendly so visitors can navigate with ease. One way to do this is to organize your content into categories and sub-categories. For example, if you deal with personal injury law, subdivide that label into car accidents, medical malpractices, slip and fall incidences, etc. Simple navigation gives your prospects their first look into how customer-oriented your law firm will be if they choose to work with you.

5. Quality Sets You Apart from the Competition

Most of your competitors already have a website. According to Law Technology Today, 77% of law firms have websites. However, only 55% of independent lawyers have one. These statistics give you 2 reasons to get or enhance your website

1. Your larger competition already has one (so not having one means you don’t stand much of a chance)
2. Law firms your size may not have a good site (so you can outperform them)

Having a website is now more critical than ever, especially in the legal industry. Potential clients are searching for your legal services online, and you could be missing a lot if you don’t have an online presence. Almost 100% of people start looking for legal services online, and 96% of people searching for them use a search engine. Best of all, at least 87% of potential clients end up contacting a law firm or a lawyer after browsing their site. To outperform your competitors, build a website that outlines the legal services you offer. Ensure that it is responsive and that potential clients can easily navigate through your website. Include clear call-to-actions (CTAs) that motivate potential clients to connect with you. A high-quality website including these features will generate loads of leads and boost your law firm’s credibility.

What Makes a Good Quality Law Firm Website? 8 Must-use Tips

Clients will choose other firms over yours if you don’t have an attractive online presence. And let’s face it: Poorly designed websites with lousy content are instant turn-offs to prospects. But luckily, there’s an easy fix to that. Avoid missing out on leads by following these 8 must-use tips for building a quality law firm website:

1. Have a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Ultimately, you want potential clients to buy your services. But how do you convert them? The answer is simple: by crafting a powerful CTA. Over 90% of people who read your headline will also read your CTA. If you attract traffic to your site, there’s a strong likelihood that your visitors will see your CTA. CTAs act as transitions in a buyer’s journey. They direct users to instant action. Whether you want your audience to tour your blog, leave their contact information, or signup to an email list, your CTA will trigger that action. Skipping out on a CTA on each page of your site means your audience doesn’t know what to do next. If you don’t prompt your visitors to consider your services, they won’t. Make your CTA as enticing as possible. Tell your audience why they should take the desired action — let them know what’s in it for them. Again, a unique selling point is a must-have if you want to stand out from other legal firms. Convince your target audience that you’re not like the other firms out there. Promote a sense of urgency in your CTA by tapping into your client’s fear of missing out (FOMO). FOMO motivates your audience to take immediate action. An excellent example of CTA using FOMO could be “signup for our weekly newsletter today and get a 50% discount on legal services.”

2. Immediately State Who You Are and What You Do

When prospects first visit your law firm website, they’re looking for two pieces of information — who you are and what you do. They should be able to find that information within the first 3 seconds of loading your site. Although your homepage will display both your name (or your law firm’s name) and your primary service, the “services” and “about us” pages will go into more detail An excellent example is the Loevy and Loevy firm. Their site makes it abundantly clear that they specialize in civil rights and whistleblower cases. They showcase that information on their homepage and other pages. Plus, there’s a summary of their services in the main header for even more consistent messaging. The key here is to stuff your site with relevant information that users find helpful. If it doesn’t add value, then it’s fluff and ineffective website copy. Use testimonials to showcase the value you bring to real people. Create a dedicated testimonial page, and scatter testimonials throughout your site to give clients consistent evidence of your value.

3. Use Engaging Visuals

Did you know that 90% of the information the brain receives is visual? You can keep prospects on your page by leveraging the brain’s intrinsic desire to process images and video. Roughly 70% of marketers report a boost in sales because of their use of video, and content with images gets up to 40% more shares than text-only content. Craft informative content such as an overview of your expertise and individual services to save your clients the hassle of skimming through your entire website to figure that out. But don’t stop with descriptions. Include quality visuals, such as the following

• Professional pictures of you and your legal team (consider making this the homepage header)
• Behind-the-scenes photos of your office and employees
• Color-themed graphics that display important information
• Your logo
• Map of your location

4. Include Multiple Webpages 

The homepage creates the first impression and should communicate the services you provide and your firm’s personality. Users should be able to tell who you are and what you do within the first 3 seconds. Your homepage also needs to load exceptionally fast. According to CXL, websites with 0.05 load speeds tend to motivate users to stick around. To keep your audience even longer, include a brief description of who you are and what you offer, an overview of your services, and maybe a few bulleted points of how you can help solve their problems. But your homepage doesn’t need to contain all the information you have to offer. Instead, create specific web pages that go into depth on various aspects of your business. Create an “About” page to give your audience insight into your team, your firm’s origin story, and what differentiates you from your competitors. Include biographies, pictures of you and your team, and notable accomplishments. Outline all your services on a “Services” page in a compressed form. Publish individual pages to provide in-depth explanations for each service and list them as subsections in your menu. Use a “Contact” page to help your potential clients reach you for more information. Provide your phone number, email address, social media accounts, business hours, physical mailing address, and a contact form. Your contact page is one of the most powerful tools you can use to reach your goal of converting site visitors into leads.

5. Incorporate Professional Pictures

Professional individual and team photographs give your website a human touch attractive to visitors. A BrightLocal survey found that 60% of consumers were more likely to choose local brands that used images on their websites. Here are a few reasons why including professional (and engaging) photos can benefit your law firm website:

• Make Your Company Relatable. Adding photos of your staff extends a human connection to your audience. Users can comfortably reach out to you with your reassuring face in mind.
• Strengthen and Build Relationships. Photos can create a perfect bridge to establishing relationships before your first phone call or video conference.

• Help with Recognition. The more your name gets out there, the more attention your firm will get. Attaching your face to your name helps people retain lasting impressions.

6. Show Your Expertise

Your clients want you to win their cases. So win their confidence by showing your record. Every year, FindLaw’s annual U.S. Consumer Legal Needs Survey interviews legal consumers based on their influence to hire an attorney. And as usual, a lawyer’s expertise is the determining factor. How do you demonstrate your prowess in the world of law? Create content on your website that answers your clients’ questions and demonstrates your extensive knowledge. The best way to do this is to release a consistent, free blog. According to DemandMetric, businesses with blogs generate 67% more leads than those without them. When your site visitors check your website and see the breadth of material you’ve covered on your blog, they’ll have proof that you know what you’re talking about. If your blog is beneficial, users might even share your posts. That free marketing allows you to connect with audiences outside of your typical reach. Another way to show your expertise is to create a page on Ask Super Lawyers, an attorney Q&A service that allows a broad audience to connect with you. They get advice, and you get a new lead. It’s a win-win.

7. Develop a Brand Color Theme and Stick to It

According to Business Advisor, color evokes  87% of purchasing decisions. Color has the power to elicit emotions, attract conversions, and even build a firm’s reputation, so it’s essential to consider your website’s color scheme carefully. Your website’s color palette establishes a psychological connection with your viewers. For example:

• Red is an intense color often preferred for branding purposes. It’s an attention-grabbing color and has the potential to stimulate tension. It’s often associated with passion, love, anger, excitement, danger, strength, and war.
• Orange might not be as intense as red, but it still draws attention. It blends well with red and yellow features and is mainly associated with fun, creativity, enthusiasm, affordability, and youthfulness.

• Yellow is often used to elicit happiness, positivity, innocence, playfulness, and warmth (think sunflowers and sunshine). It can also be used as a warning, such as with traffic lights and traffic signs.

8. Use Consistent Messaging

Customers need to see a marketing message at least 7 times before making an impression. That level of redundancy doesn’t mean you have to be boring, though. You can change how you present information on your law firm’s website to keep things interesting while still offering the same message. For example, you can change how you present your blog posts or showcase social proof. However, there are some things you cannot change, and changing them might affect how customers perceive your business. Advocate for the same mission and vision statement. Communicate a value proposition unique to your law firm. Refrain from frequently changing your law firm logo. Updates are inevitable, but logos help prospects and clients identify you across the internet. Consistency is an essential part of brand awareness. Repeated messaging helps your target clients understand your business better. You can gain trust from prospects if you don’t contradict yourself.

Top 11 Best Law Firm Websites

Need inspiration to get started on your law practice’s website? The following firms put the principles we’ve outlined into practice. They’ve created visually stunning websites that generate traffic, retain visitors, and convert leads into clients.

1. Oykhman Criminal Defence

When you arrive on the Oykhman Criminal Defence landing page, you can instantly identify who they are and what they do. A high-quality image greets visitors and immediately conveys a sense of professionalism and trustworthiness. What’s more, Oykhman Criminal Defense provides a clear CTA for every action they want you to take. For example, if you want to book a free consultation, just tap the “book a free consultation” button in the hero section. There’s also a “view our successful cases” button for potential clients who want to check out some testimonials.

2. Vogel Verjee

Vogel Verjee is the coming together of two law firms — Vogel LLP and Verjee and Associates. Vogel Verjee sets their firm apart by taking part in charitable activities, letting their local clientele know that they value the community. Clients appreciate a brand or business that can give their profits back to the community because it helps them feel like they’re supporting a company with strong social values. If you take part in any charitable or distinguishing activities, showcase that on your law firm website because it helps build trust.

3. Gomez Trial Attorneys

Gomez Trial Attorneys has one of the best law firm websites in the legal industry. Visitors landing on their site for the first time know what to expect from the law firm and what action they need to take immediately: get a free case evaluation. Gomez Trial Attorneys’ optimized site organization makes navigation painless. They also showcase prominent industry authorities that recommend them, like the BBC and CNN. Including endorsements from reputable industry leaders and businesses on your website can give you a massive boost in credibility.

4. Galbally & O’Bryan

Galbally & O’Bryan helps their clients with injury compensations, business and property law, criminal and corporate law, wills and estates, family law, commercial law, and other investigations. This law firm lists all their legal services, helping potential clients decide if they’re a good fit. Along with consistent messaging and visible CTAs on each page, the Galbally & O’Bryan website design balances engaging images with a simple, minimalist theme. Visitors will leave this site impressed by the professionalism and usefulness it offers.

5. Knutson & Casey

Knutson and Casey take on personal injury, criminal defense, estate planning, business and real estate, family law, vaccine claims, and defective product cases. Their website provides a visually engaging CTA button along with social proof validating their industry authority. A user-friendly “scroll down” navigation menu shows you where you can find out more about them. Like this website, try to include a CTA at a strategic point on your website so that your visitors can quickly know what action to take.

6. O’Meara Law

Unlike the law firm websites we’ve looked at so far, O’Meara Law is a solo firm. Micheal states what he does, then quickly tells you how best you can reach out to him — through his business phone number. You can easily navigate through the website and find everything you need. Websites don’t have to be complicated. Keep your law firm clean and straightforward, and give users a way to contact you immediately.

7. Trey Porter Law

Trey Porter Law firm helps clients with driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges. The website features two clear CTAs right away— “Beat your DWI” and “Request a Free Consultation.” A series of certificate awards quickly establishes the firm’s credibility, and a CTA at the bottom of the page reminds clients of their next steps. Take notes from Trey Porter Law Firm. Make your CTAs clear and visible and display any certifications or professional acclaim for your services to build trust with users.

8. YLaw Group

Voted as one of the best law firms in Vancouver, YLaw Group specializes in family law. You can quickly identify the legal services they provide from the slides in the hero section. They also include a clear CTA — “call us” — making it easier for any potential client who’d want to reach out directly to them. They also have social proof of being the 4th best family law firm in their province. Like YLaw group, consider using a carousel or slides to display social proof or your offerings.

9. Bighorn Law

Bighorn Law is a personal injury law firm serving the Las Vegas area. One thing unique about this law firm website is that they quickly make their geographic specialization clear. Even more, they have a free consultation button in the header that acts as a perfect CTA for any potential client who wants to get in touch with them directly. The website’s design is simplistic yet visually pleasing, critical characteristics for creating an enjoyable user experience.

10. Shumway Van

Shumway Van is a full-service law firm that operates in Utah, Nevada, and Texas. This website makes it easy for their visitors to find every piece of information they might be looking for on the homepage. They include separate, specialized pages, so users can get as much (or as little) information as they want at a time. Shumway Van’s team section is an example of how you can help potential clients relate to the people who’ll be serving them. Including the team behind your law firm’s success somewhere on your website is an excellent way to do this.

11. Hodgson Russ LLP

Hodgson Russ LLP is one of the oldest and most reputable law firms in the United States. Their website has a navigation menu on the left side, making it easy to click on any page and find everything you need. While they don’t have any buttons on the website, you can go directly to their contact page and reach out to them. This law firm’s history is what makes them stand out, and they use their website to make that clear. Include your law firm’s history if it’s a long one or a captivating origin story if your firm is relatively new.  This type of brand storytelling can make it easy for potential clients to remember your business and connect with it if they’re from the local area.

A High-Quality Law Firm Website Is Essential in 2021

Having a high-quality website for your law firm is a must if you want to establish an online presence and continue to grow. Your website positions your firm as a credible and reliable source and helps prospects connect with you. Remember, building a high-quality website doesn’t have to be complicated. The following simple features are a great place to start:

• Useful service descriptions
• Visible and motivating CTAs
• Easy-to-find contact methods
• Clean and user-friendly navigation

Use the 11 best law firm websites of 2021 for inspiration. Each site is unique, but they’re all high-quality and client-converting material. Now the ball’s in your court. It’s time to take action and outperform your competition. Connect with us to talk about how we can rank your law firm’s website above the rest. Leave your questions in the comments. We’re here to help   About the author: Chris Dreyer is the CEO of Rankings.io, an SEO agency exclusively for lawyers. At Rankings.io, they only do SEO. They are fiercely focused on a single objective: to grow law firms without sacrificing transparency or integrity. He and his company have been featured in Forbes, Inc 5000 and many other major publications. I interviewed him last week, and I learned a lot from him.