Head of Design, Tracey Stock highlights 8 reasons why it might be time for a website refresh for your law firm.
I’m sure when you first launched your website, it was a moment to be proud of. You had arrived in the Digital Age - hurray!
Tick that one off your list and carry on with business.
If only it was that simple!
There may be some tell-tale signs that the once fabulous website that ‘did the job’, reflected your brand and looked on trend, might just have lost its sparkle…
Visually, your website looks busy and outdated
You may have noticed your competitors' sites look slick, modern and dynamic. It is important to make a good first impression and we all know you have seconds to do it.
If your website looks old fashioned, images are poor quality or simply out of date, content is old and fonts are from a time when you had a choice of only Arial or Times New Roman, then this reflects badly on you as a firm and how much you care about the service you offer to your clients.
How can clients trust that you will do a good job for them when you don’t seem to care about how you present yourselves? This is one of the easiest signs that you need a new website.
Poor user experience
There is nothing more frustrating than trying to find something on a website and failing time and time again. We’ve all done it - we end up leaving the page and looking elsewhere.
A good user experience is key to building a trusting relationship with your client. Don’t make them work hard to find what they are looking for. It should be simple and intuitive. Contact numbers and calls to action should be clear and easy to find. Show them that you are approachable and here to help with friendly staff photos and well-written content.
A good user experience can help engage your client, inform them and encourage them to make an enquiry. Have your clients been complaining? This is a sign it's time for a new website...
Brand
Is the brand on your website reflective of who you are today? If not…then you definitely need a new website! Brand is everything. It is so much more than your logo.
It is important because not only does it make a lasting impression on your clients, but it also lets them know who you are, what you do and what to expect from your firm. Get that messaging right and it can differentiate you from your competitors and be the reason why they choose you above anyone else. It helps to build client and staff loyalty too.
Mobile (not so) friendly
Does your website look good on a mobile device? It really should!
Did you know that over 50% of all web traffic is done on a mobile phone? On average, people are spending 5 hours on their smartphones a day.
Your clients choose to use mobiles to access your site because it is easy and convenient. It builds trust if they see you have a well-designed and easy to use mobile site. It is quicker to load and easy to navigate, find content and contact you with a simple click.
If your competitors’ sites are responsive, clients are more likely to be drawn to them so this is a sign your firm needs a new website.
It takes too long to load
I wish this didn’t matter as much as it does - but speed is key. We are all in a hurry to get things done and if you are waiting forever for a page to load, then you will give up and go elsewhere.
Older sites didn’t work to the same parameters set out today to achieve optimum performance. It’s simple…a fast site leads to better performance, leads to a user typically staying on the site longer (converting better and bouncing less), so more client satisfaction which ultimately influences your Google ranking and a happy client.
It’s difficult to edit
This could be one of the main reasons why your website has stayed in its original state. Having a website that is easy to edit gives you the control to update content, images and profiles as and when you want, without having to rely on a developer every time. It can help build that trust between you and your clients. They will look to you for information if they trust that it is informative, well written and relevant. Google holds this in high regard when trying to match search enquiries with useful and relevant information and updated information helps build your domain authority.
Don't make your team's job harder! Design a website that's easy to edit. Our team offer ongoing support and training so you can easily edit your new website.
Poor (or no) analytics
Have you been able to monitor how well your site is working for you? It is a key part to understanding how many people visit your site, when they access your content and where they access it from, including the device used and geographic location. Analysing how it performs and how your visitors are interacting with it can help you measure its success and help you make informed decisions on where best to invest in the improvement of its performance.
Your content is outdated
Do you regularly review your content? Besides tone of voice (which should reflect your brand), you may have heard of ‘on page search engine optimisation’. This refers to optimising web pages to improve a website’s search engine rankings and earn organic traffic. It gets technical…and you’ll need some expert advice when it comes to optimising HTML tags (title, meta and header), and images. But making sure your website has a high level of expertise, relevance and trustworthiness to help its visibility in search results, will be key to its performance and ultimately its success.
Are any of these signs you need a new website sounding familiar?
If any of the above sounds familiar, it could be time to make that call and discuss how to bring your website into 2022. It can be a big project to negotiate but we have a fantastic team who can help you every step of the way.
We can create a beautiful website that reflects the firm you are today, that performs well, engages your clients, encourages enquiries and is something you are proud of.
When it goes live, the work doesn’t stop there - we are here to make sure your website is working for you and keeping you ahead of the curve and your competition!
Contact 0117 325 0200 or sales@conscious.co.uk to start your website redesign journey today.