Spotlight Branding has been in business for nearly a decade, so we’ve seen a lot of attorney websites. Of course there are a lot of great ones out there. However, there are A LOT of bad attorney websites out there; and if you are the owner of one, it is costing you not only thousands of dollars in lost business, but it’s doing damage to your reputation as an attorney.
Your website is like a digital version of your physical office. You likely spent a lot of time carefully thinking about the environment you wanted your office to have, so why wouldn’t you do the same for your website? After all, people will almost certainly visit your website before they step foot in your office. If your website looks awful, it tells people your firm is awful, too.
Here are four of the biggest disasters you could make with your website.
Disaster #1 – Having a Friend Design Your Site
At this point in our technologically advanced society, most of us have a friend or family member who dabbles in web design. It’s easy to be tempted to let them handle it, especially if they offer to do it at a discount (or better yet, for free).
But think about this: Would you advise your clients to let their friends or family handle their legal issues at a discount? Of course not! So why do it with your website?
Even if your friend comes up with a good design, there’s a good chance they aren’t good at coming up with good messaging. That’s why you work with a company that specializes in building websites for attorneys.
Disaster #2 – Cliche Website Designs
If your website contains any of the following images, please stop reading this article and call us now.
- The scales of justice
- A gavel
- Your local courthouse steps
People know you’re a lawyer. The images are just acting as a filler and aren’t contributing at all. You need powerful images that speak to the needs and emotions of your website’s visitors. A gavel doesn’t even come close to doing that.
Disaster #3 – Writing in Legalese
Most attorneys fancy themselves as great writers – and that may very well be true. But most attorneys are great legal writers, not website writers.
As a lawyer, you have a tendency to use big words and a lot of technical terms to explain a concept. The end result is website copy that forces readers to scroll and scroll down huge chunks of text that read drier than stale bread. Good web copy is short, sweet, and to the point. Visitors just want to know if you can help them. Your other content – blogs, videos, etc – can get more into the weeds on how something is done.
Disaster #4 – Focusing on Yourself
This might sting – but you are not the hero. You didn’t spend all those years in school to be a superhero saving the world from traffic tickets, a vengeful spouse, or the IRS.
Instead, you are the guide, helping your client – the real hero – overcome an obstacle. Unfortunately, most attorney websites don’t convey this message. You want to appeal to your visitors’ emotional needs, not your own ego.
If you’re concerned that elements of your website may fall on this list, call us at 800-406-7229 right now and let us help you make it right.
Spotlight Branding
Latest posts by Spotlight Branding (see all)
- Facebook Ads Aren’t Google Ads—Here’s Why That Matters - March 24, 2025
- Why People Ignore or Forget Your Law Firm – Marketing Insights - March 21, 2025
- Luck Doesn’t Factor Into Successful Marketing - March 20, 2025
