10 Signs Your Law Firm’s Website Needs a Redesign

As technology and user trends evolve, it is crucial that your law firm’s website adapts to support changing best practices. Websites need to be engaging, well-designed, and easy to navigate in order to spark consumer interest and gain their trust. 

In my experience, a law firm’s website is often its most critical marketing tool. It’s not just about looking good—it’s about staying functional, engaging, and relevant. If your site isn’t pulling its weight, it could be time for a redesign. So, how does your law firm’s website stack up against the rest? In this blog, I’ll discuss 10 signs that might indicate your firm’s website needs a redesign. 

1. Your website is not optimized for mobile

At the end of 2021, 54.4% of all web traffic was originating from mobile devices. Simply put, prioritizing a mobile-friendly site isn’t just a nice feature anymore, it’s a must. The majority of users have immediate access to their mobile devices at all times, but not all users are near their desktops. The widespread use of mobile devices is excellent news for your firm. It means clients have easy access to your website, even if they are on-the-go.  A watered-down functioning mobile site will no longer suffice in today’s day and age. Your website needs a responsive design, one that adapts to screen size- whether that be a tablet, phone, or desktop. 

2. It doesn’t grab your visitor’s attention

Imagine you’re a potential client visiting your law firm’s website for the first time. What do you see? What’s your first impression? If you aren’t immediately struck by interesting colors, visuals, animations, or text, then you may have an issue.

When prospective clients do their due diligence on your firm, you may only have a few seconds to captivate them when they first visit your site. I recommend making sure your website is welcoming and immediately conveys the message you want visitors to receive about your law firm. A great team of designers can leverage colors and graphics to catch your visitor’s eye. Remember that your website should be user-centric. It’s essential to understand your target audience and tailor your design and content to their preferences and needs. I also recommend regularly assessing and updating your website to keep it fresh and engaging.

3. You haven’t uploaded a blog in years

Your law firm’s blogging efforts represent a chance to showcase the amount of expertise your law firm and its attorneys possess. I’ve seen firsthand how a neglected blog can make a site look stale. Not only does engaging in this type of thought leadership reassure clients that you are experts within your field, but blogging also serves as a crucial component of your law firm’s search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

If your last blog post has been dated back several years, it can create an impression that your law firm’s website is dated, and you may no longer be in business.

If this pertains to you, consider reevaluating your blog topics. Struggling on where to start? Learn how to write a law firm blog post. 

4. You have outdated information

Your law firm is always changing. Whether it’s small edits, like attorneys hired or leaving your firm, or bigger events, such as new locations opening, your website needs to be updated with accurate information as often as possible.

Leaving your website with outdated information can confuse potential clients, give the impression that your firm is rudimentary in nature, and ultimately drive off prospective leads. 

I suggest you review all the content on your website. Identify outdated information, such as old statistics, expired offers, or information that is no longer relevant. For outdated content, make the necessary updates to ensure accuracy. 

Once your site is current, create a content update schedule to ensure it’s regularly reviewed and updated, so outdated information doesn’t accumulate.

5. You can’t remember the last time your site was updated

It’s widely believed that the initial investment made to design your website should be your last. This is vastly incorrect. Making the conscious decision to avoid updating your website on a regular basis will create larger problems down the road. By the time you decide to finally update your law firm’s website, it will be quite the assignment for a web designer. 

Your website needs maintenance on a consistent basis. Staying on top of new design trends, functionality issues, and new features will keep your firm’s website ahead of the competition and avoid major redesigns in the future.

6. Your site has a slow load time

If a potential client decides to visit your website for the first time and discovers it’s slow to load, they may abandon the idea of even researching your law firm before they have a chance to see the value you can provide. In fact, the first 5 seconds of someone entering your site have the biggest impact on the conversion rate. If your website doesn’t load fast, your visitors will leave your website before reading your content.

To speed up load time, I suggest optimizing images and using a content management system. Large images can significantly slow down a website. Use image compression tools to reduce image file sizes without compromising quality. Many CMS platforms offer plugins and extensions to optimize website performance. These can help with caching, image optimization, and more.

7. Your site doesn’t maximize conversions

Your website’s most essential function is to ultimately attract prospects and convert leads into clients. If your finished website design does not revolve around this idea, then it is time for a redesign.

Conversions occur when a visitor either fills out a form or contacts your law firm. Effective law firm websites can do this with a great site design that offers visually appealing and timely contact forms.

In my experience, one of the many ways to successfully convert leads into clients is to ensure that there is a clear call-to-action (CTA). Your website should have clear, compelling, and strategically placed CTAs. Make it easy for visitors to understand what action you want them to take, whether it’s signing up, making a purchase, or contacting you.

Take advantage of certain pages on your site, such as landing pages. Create dedicated landing pages for specific marketing campaigns. Tailor the content and CTAs on these pages to match the campaign’s messaging, providing a consistent user experience.

Related: Converting Law Firm Leads: What Metrics You Should be Tracking

8. Your site metrics are trending down

If you still don’t know whether your law firm’s website needs a redesign, then your site visitors will let you know. Gather feedback from your website visitors and customers. Use surveys, on-site feedback tools, or direct outreach to understand their concerns and challenges. Ask why they are not finding what they are looking for, or why they might be leaving your site. 

You should be reviewing your website’s key performance indicators (KPIs) on a regular basis. KPIs such as site traffic, bounce rate, and time on site will help you identify any glaring issues your website may be facing.

Remember that reversing a downward trend in website metrics may take time. It’s important to be patient and persistent in your efforts. Regularly monitor your metrics to ensure that the changes you make are having a positive impact on your website’s performance.

9. Your site hurts your marketing efforts

Having a well-designed website is a great start to generating more leads, but it is not entirely the answer. Pairing your newly designed website with a successful marketing strategy will boost your lead-generation efforts.

If your marketing strategy is excellent at leading prospects to your website, but they’re not converting, there may be an issue with your website design. Make sure you are just as serious about your law firm’s website functionality and design as you are about your marketing efforts. To improve your website’s impact on marketing efforts, conduct a thorough website audit to identify specific areas that need improvement. Make strategic changes based on the issues you uncover to create a more effective marketing platform.

10. You’re embarrassed to share your URL

Your law firm’s website is a direct representation and extension of your business. It’s often the first impression a prospect will have of your law firm. If you notice you are reluctant to share your URL, then there is definitely a problem.

Your law firm’s website gives clients a small look into your practice and thus should be viewed as an investment for your business. A talented web designer can help spice things up by telling your firm’s story, message, mission, and history in a unique and visually engaging way. It is essential that you take pride in the way your website presents itself.

Takeaway

Your law firm’s website pulls a lot of weight when it comes to having a successful practice. It’s the core of your marketing efforts and representation in a hectic digital landscape. If your law firm’s current website is liable for even one of these mishaps, then it’s time to consider collaborating with an experienced web designer.

Having a trained eye who knows what to look for can save you time and costly mistakes in the long run. If you need help putting together a new website or refining one that already exists, contact us today.