My First Impression of Your Law Firm

No matter who your clients are or how they heard about your law firm, make no mistake... they will go straight to a search engine to try and find you online. Is their first impression a positive one?

Whether your firm relies solely on referrals or generating business through marketing, your potential clients are desperately seeking validation that you are a good fit for their legal needs. Not just individuals, but commercial clients as well.

What do your clients see? Do this test:

Go to Google and type in: 'Your name' attorney 'your city'. For example, "Will Palmer attorney Kansas City". What does the first page of Google Search Results display? Hopefully your website, different ratings, possibly some associations you belong to and legal directories you are listed in.

A consumer's next move is clicking your website.

Your website should pass what I call a "5 second rule" which means this: in 5 seconds do I know who you are, what you do, and how to contact you? If not, it's time to consider a re-design. Your site also needs to prove several things to a client:

• Are you an expert?
• Are you a credible and trustworthy law firm and attorney?
• Does your firm look professional online?
• Can you help them solve their legal problems?
• Are you the best fit for them?

Conveying all of these points is critical in making the best first impression to convert prospects into long-term clients. The design of your site, images, ease of navigation, and updated content all play a role.

Interestingly, an in-depth study from Stanford University and Consumer Web Watch found that a website's design was more important than your awards, certifications, and sometimes content in proving professionalism and credibility.

Tips for a great first impression:

• Updated Content: It's extremely obvious when a website's content is even a year old. Clients notice, and begin to question credibility and professionalism. Update your content and have specific and niche Practice Area pages that highlight what you do.
• Design: In the design world it's about one simple thing: Quality. Clean and simple navigation with proper use of colors/pictures that are modern and draw attention to select elements are important. Avoid having too many gadgets and widgets on your site.
• Video: Most attorneys do not use this powerful tool, and they should. A short video introducing yourself is exactly what clients are after.
• Mobile Ready: Make sure clients can access your site properly no matter what device they are using. This over-looked detail can harm first impressions as many consumers use a mobile device now instead of a desktop computer to browse the internet.
• Messaging: Make sure there are clear calls to action to contact your firm and that prospects immediately understand why they should work with your firm and not someone else.

Will Palmer is a legal online marketing consultant with FindLaw in the Kansas City metro and helps law firms generate more and better clients and cases. Read more about Will's experience here.