“Everyone is the hero of his own life story.” - John Barth
In the field of online attorney marketing, it’s easy to fall victim to over-explaining your firm’s service offerings, history, and staff. In the increasingly competitive space of the legal field, attempting to differentiate yourself in these ways can often feel like a necessity:
You want your prospective clients to know you’re different.
But here’s the thing... when it comes to your prospective clients, it’s about them, not you.
Once you understand this, you can spring miles ahead of your competitors and ultimately attract and retain more casework.
“It’s Not Me, It’s You”
What compels you to buy a product or service? 9 times out of 10, it’s because at some point, you decided you needed it. Simple, right?
But let’s take that a step further. Put yourself in your client’s shoes. Assume you have a problem: you have a few glasses of wine at dinner, and on the way home you’re caught at a traffic checkpoint and formally charged with a DUI. You do a little research, decide on a course of action, and begin reviewing websites of local criminal defense attorneys.
When determining which is the best firm for your needs, more than likely, it’ll be the firm that has a website demonstrating:
A professional and clean web design
A desired degree of knowledge and experience
A simple and clear message describing what they do
A promise of how their service can make your life easier
That’s it.
In the case of needing legal help, a sense of urgency is inherent—the only concerns should be whether the firm in question is competent, can give you strong representation, and can ultimately restore your life and freedom.
Potential clients are looking to have a problem solved; one they can’t handle on their own. And in the face of such an issue, their goal is to address it, manage it, or relieve it so they can focus their attention back on their everyday lives.
People are naturally self-motivated. For example, in the search for a criminal defense attorney, a firm’s staff photos and history would be largely irrelevant. Instead, the first and most important question a visitor on your website would be trying to answer is determining if the firm was effective at handling DUI cases.
In this sense, your potential client needs to trust that your firm is the best choice for them based on how you position your services, value, and expertise. By giving them the information they’re looking for simply and quickly, you can capture a potential client’s attention within seconds, keep them on the page, and inspire them to pick up the phone and call.
Getting it Right: Making Your Web Design More Client-Centric
Let’s say an individual in your market has found themselves in need of an attorney like yourself. They’ve done a quick Google search to find one in their area, found a list of appropriate firms, and have chosen your website to visit for more information.
Great!
However, this is where first impressions really count because you’ve only got about 15 seconds to communicate the core duties of your firm in a simple and clear manner.
Here’s a 4-point checklist to ask yourself to determine if your clients are getting the information they need:
Can my visitors clearly understand who I am and what services I offer?
Am I using testimonials that speak to my firm’s experience and expertise?
Do they know how to contact me?
Can all of these questions be answered within a 5-second look?
Within a few scrolls down the page, a visitor should be able to leave your website and give an overview to someone else of who you are and what services you offer. Although your firm’s history and staff can be helpful to those returning for more information, when it comes to your web visitor’s first impression of your firm, the best practice is to keep things short and direct.
Scorpion is a digital marketing agency specializing in law firm marketing. Using time-tested practices, we help attorneys across the U.S. build their web presence, attract more high-value clients, and grow their firms.
Contact our team to find out how we can help you turn more leads into clients!
