You Are A Hero! (Include Great Hero Shots For Websites)

Humans are visually oriented, and we process images 60,000 times faster than what we absorb from text. Images prompt us to take action, connect emotionally, look longer and share what we have learned with other people. Knowing this, the photos and design of your law firm website should be a top priority. The meaningful and engaging images on your law firm website are key ways to make a powerful impression on potential clients. These include things like a dynamic website design and a dominant “hero shot.” Hero shots for law firms are the commanding images that a website visitor sees first, and it is one that reflects the spirit, branding and message that your law firm desires to convey. Read on to see how a hero shot and user-friendly website design can effectively introduce your law firm to a world of future clients.?

The Importance of Hero Shots For Law Firms

A hero shot is an image that helps visitors see what you offer, and projects your law firm as the hero, ready to save individuals from their difficult situations.?Most websites try to include hero shots of their products or services. As a lawyer,?you?are the product, and this is why?hero shots for law firms are so critical.?

When potential clients land at your website, you should be there to greet them, looking like the?professional, capable person that you are. ?Because visitors to your law firm website are looking for an easy and fruitful experience and are not initially seeking to be educated by chunks of text, your law firm website design and hero shot can be an effective initial message. Your hero shot reflects the value that customers will gain by contacting you, so let your professional photo do the work in helping to woo prospective clients.?

Prescription for Persuasive Hero Shots

Since visitors will form their quick impressions about your law firm first through the images shown on your website, it is in your best interest to make those images shine. When choosing a hero shot, beauty is not as crucial as good grooming, confidence and a professional presence. Beyond this, here are 7 things to remember about creating a compelling hero shot.?

Hire a Professional

It is a smart investment to hire a professional photographer to take your photos. Since the images on your website are the first connection that visitors have to your law firm, you want these images to be in the hands of a creative and experienced professional.?

Use an Optimal Background

Your hero shots for law firms?background should be a light, solid color that doesn’t interfere with or fade into the color of your hair or clothing.

Take a Full Body Shot

This is a hero shot, not a headshot. Shoot for as much of yourself in the photo as possible.

Strike the Right Pose

A hero shot is a good opportunity to strike a “power pose”, which communicates success and confidence. This can be accomplished by slightly turning your body with your face still looking at the camera. Experiment with a variety of poses, such as arms crossed, down at sides, and hands on your hips. Make sure not to simply cross your arms and look angry or super serious.

Consider Your Clothing

Your clothing for the photo session should be clean and ironed, and it might be wise to bring along a few spare outfits with accessories. Make sure your clothing matches your branding.?

Examine Your Attitude

You can say a lot with the attitude you project in a photo. Hero shots for law firms need to convey the right branding and tone.?Try a variety of shots with smiles, partial smiles and serious expressions. Consider what you want to communicate to any potential clients, and this may depend on your practice. What attitudes or characteristics do you want to express: Caring, firm and compassionate? Aggressive? Competent and serious??Keep these qualities in mind as you pose for the camera.?

Take More Photos?

Have the photographer take multiple poses with a variety of backgrounds. Take some shots at your desk, at a meeting, individual shots and group photos. Pictures of your office, lobby and building may be useful, too. You could even consider including?video!

Your Website Design

With an awesome hero shot, you are on your way to a finely tuned law firm website. However, there are other key factors in the creation of an engaging law firm website. A variety of elements contribute to constructing a website that will keep the focus of potential customers. Maximizing an easy and pleasant experience and minimizing distractions and annoyances will create a hospitable website that seamlessly connects your business to future clients.?

Quick Loading Speed

When people navigate online, they do not want to be held up by?slow-loading sites . This may be especially true for a law firm website, since help is often urgent for individuals seeking legal help. If help is delayed by lethargic page loading, a potential client will probably go elsewhere for advice. Find the technical help you need to ensure that your site is easy and quick to load on a variety of electronic devices. If you are unsure how fast your website loads, you can always use a?free resource to check your speed .?

Mobile Responsiveness

Following up on loading speed, your law firm website should be aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate for mobile device users.?Mobile responsiveness ?is a key way to make your website functional for the greatest possible number of potential clients.?

Enough Legal Information

Since individuals usually browse law firm websites because they need advice on a certain topic, your website should have a substantial amount of legal information. Your law firm website appears authoritative when it contains relevant, reliable content that is easily accessed.?

Updated Content

Do not let your content lapse into staleness. Update consistently, not just because it looks better, but also because?search engines favor sites with newer content .?Refresh your content , stay on the cutting edge of the legal landscape, and always be relevant.?

Smart Structure

Once you have crafted your helpful and updated information, make sure it is structured in a way that will be inviting and easily read. Organize copy into bite-sized chunks, with refreshing white space and bullets where appropriate. Do not overwhelm potential clients with thick walls of text, and try to organize your articles into distinct categories. Confirm that your website content is quickly loaded and easily accessed on any type of device.?

A Clear Call To Action?

A clear?“call to action” ?is the key element you need to turn website visitors into clients. Any website requires a concise and easy way for the user to take his or her casual interest to the next step. On a law firm website, this call to action may be in the form of a button or prompt showing the potential client how to contact your law firm. The call to action should be prominently featured once on every page of your website, however, do not overdo it by peppering your website with annoying pop up contact buttons and slides.?

You ARE a Hero!

Because your law firm website is the first space where potential customers will discover who you are and what you do, it is crucial to examine its design, imagery and content – specially your hero images for your law firm’s website. Compelling imagery will grab an individual’s attention before he or she even arrives at the text, so it is essential to use appealing, professional imagery to make a positive first impression. By adding a stunning hero shot, and employing user-friendly design, your website will be more attractive and welcoming to your visitors, and will hopefully transform them into your future clients. Remember, you can really be a hero to people who need you!?

How Law Quill Can Help You

Law Quill has created countless law firm websites, which help provide potential clients with the information they need to pick up the phone and make an appointment. If you are interested in a law firm website, or interested in updating your already existing website, we would welcome the opportunity to show you how we can help you. Consider reaching out to?schedule an appointment today , listen to the?Legal Marketing Lounge podcast , or check out the bestselling book?Click Magnet: The Ultimate Digital Marketing Guide For Law Firms from Amazon today!

Annette Choti, Esq. has over twenty years of combined legal and digital marketing experience. She founded Law Quill, a full-service digital marketing agency for law firms and businesses in the United States and Canada. Annette is a sought-after CLE and keynote speaker for Bar Associations and legal events throughout North America. She creates and hosts the?Legal Marketing Lounge?podcast, and is the author of the bestselling book, Click Magnet: The Ultimate Digital Marketing Guide For Law Firms. Annette used to do theatre and professional comedy, which is not so far from the law, if we are all being honest.??