For years, law firms have focused on generating leads from their websites and given scant thought to conversion. To improve your website’s conversion rate — its ability to turn visitors into clients — you first need to know what your current conversion rate is and have a system in place for ongoing tracking. Your Google Analytics data will be able to tell you most of what you need to know.
To help convert visitors into clients, you need to have your primary call-to-action, whether it’s a free consultation, a newsletter sign-up or a free e-book, prominently displayed on every page of your site. You need to have your USP (unique selling proposition) well defined and displayed on your home page so people know what separates you from your competitors. You need to utilize Live Chat to capture people who need answers right away.
For about 99% of law firms, just making small adjustments to your website can have an impressively large impact on your conversion rate. Even simple changes to navigation or a banner can bring dramatically improved results.
So, if it seems like conversion rate optimization (CRO) can be overwhelming and technical, just focus on the fact that a few small changes can lead to big results:
Know your numbers: You must know what your conversion rate numbers are as well as have tracking systems in place. Once you figure out the numbers and processes, you will then have a definite understanding of how website changes influence the visitors that may become clients. Google Analytics is great for gathering data and other tools like Zarget include many optimization tools.
Improve your unique selling proposal (USP): To separate yourself from your competition, have an influential USP prominently displayed on your homepage. But don’t get caught up in being too gimmicky. You don’t have to have the wittiest USP because it’s more important to have the most accurate and believable USP. When your USP becomes a perfect connection between what your firm is all about and what your target audience is all about, you’ll get better, more quality leads that have a better chance to become clients.
Make key pages stand out in the navigation: Consider making your law firm’s primary focus and specialties more prominent on your site. If your best and favorite moneymaking specialty is stuck in between dozens of other practice areas, the chances of getting those cases is much smaller.
Choose your top three practice areas: If they’re listed under a general “Practice Areas” navigation tab, change them to their own separate navigation tabs.