With tens of thousands of law firms in the United States, how can you make your firm stand out enough to successfully sell your services and gain new clients? Referrals, word of mouth, and print or television ads are all great, but they can only go so far.

Digital Lawyer by Tony Harkusha

Most people who find themselves in need of a lawyer, especially for the first time, will turn to the internet. Here are some tips on how creative website design for law firms can take your firm’s website to the next level and turn clicks into clients.

Professional Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring

Professionalism is key in the legal field. Your potential clients are looking for an attorney who has the experience and expertise to guide them through what is most likely a very difficult time in their lives. Having a professionally designed website sends a message to prospective clients that the lawyers at your firm are leaders in their field who care about what they do – and do it well. Some important aspects to consider when working with a website designer include the following:

• Consistent and cohesive use of your firm’s logo, colors, and branding
• Pages that are clean, visually appealing, and easy to navigate using any device (desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone)
• Inclusion of client testimonials
• Keywords and page titles that optimize your website for appearance in search engines

A professionally designed legal website that includes all of the above elements does not have to be dry and dull. Your firm can (and should) still find ways to stand out while delivering all the necessary information to potential clients in an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-digest way.

For instance, including micro animations and 3D graphics can make your site more visually interesting and guide visitors to different pages of the site, which is more likely to convert them into actual clients. Just make sure to only use these design touches sparingly, so as not to overwhelm potential clients.

Use Images to Your Advantage

When it comes to using photographs to break up the text of a website, many law firms rely on stock images rather than original photography. These overused pictures of gavels, scales, courthouse steps, and people in suits shaking hands are devoid of personality, and fail to make your firm stand out among a sea of competitors.

Landing Page for a Lawyer by Daria Izmailova

Using original photography - even images as simple as your firm’s lawyers interacting with real clients, an appealing photo of your office, or a group photo of the whole firm at a local landmark to appeal to community members - will help establish your firm’s unique identity and promote that identity to potential clients.

Encourage Contact and Connection

People want to work with attorneys who they can trust and communicate with, and who will treat them like human beings rather than cases to be won. In addition to using authentic photos rather than stock images, you should also consider including profiles of your firm’s attorneys that give some insight into who they are as people instead of only listing their professional qualifications.

Establishing a social media presence or even a blog or newsletter that goes out to clients is another way to lend a personal touch that will help your firm stand out. Website visitors are more likely to actually pick up the phone and call your firm if they feel that there is a real person on the other end whom they can connect with.

In the same vein, there should be several calls to action throughout your website that encourage potential clients to contact your firm. If your website succeeds in getting visitors to contact your firm, a lot of the hard work is already behind you; your legal expertise will handle the rest.