It’s 2015…so why are we still talking about law firm websites?

Most of the attorneys I know understand the need for a website for their law firm and they have one. The more progressive lawyers have more than one. By now we all know that a vast majority of consumers start their search for an attorney on the Internet. Research has borne this out time and again.

It is an undeniable fact that if you do not have a robust online presence, you are risking becoming irrelevant. Your firm is not even part of the discussion for people who are looking for an attorney that practices the kind of law they need. I don’t know of a single law firm that wants that.

And yet, there are still attorneys who look at their online strategy as a “have to have” instead of a marketing machine. There are attorneys I have worked with who have had massive success with their website, bringing a steady stream of new clients into their practice, and others whose website has not made them a nickel.

I have worked with over 10,000 law firms and have seen just about every kind of website there is. Some are great, many are good, and unfortunately, there are some that are really bad. As you can imagine, the attorneys who have the bad websites are the ones who think online marketing is a waste of time and money. And for them, they are right!

So what makes the difference between a great website and one that is ineffective? It begins with having a purpose. Let me clear this up right away:

The purpose of a law firm website is to grow revenue by attracting a steady stream of the right kind of clients to your practice.

Stephen Covey, author of the book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” says that one of the cardinal rules is to ‘begin with the end in mind’. The ‘end in mind’ you should be thinking about when creating a website is, how can I make my law firm visible to every single potential client possible? Are there other desirable outcomes from your website? Of course! Here are a few:

• Develop firm brand awareness

• Create service awareness

• Book appointments

• Provide client support

• Save time and money

But please understand the #1 most important reason for your website is for lead generation and conversion. So if you have a website that is not producing the results you want, it’s time to make some changes.