Brata Web Design Blog

I ran across an article discussing a podcast from 2006 that interviewed some lawyers and web designers about the importance of having the right approach to launching their law firm web sites.

Although it was pod-casted 4 years ago, I found that many of the themes are still applicable. Here is a quick recap of the main points of the podcast:
• In the past year, there has been a dramatic change in the importance of the Internet in finding local products and services (vs. the yellow pages);
(This is still very true. Over 74% of Americans are online, which means that the majority of them will turn to the web for doing their initial research)

• Having a website, even for solo’s, is a “necessity;”
(Again, we agree with this as most people will use the internet as their primary research tool. Having your website address on your business cards allows potential clients to read more about you and your services at their own leisure)

• Content is still king, but emphasis should be on helping visitors (checklists are very useful). People are searching for answers/solutions to problems, and may not even realize they need a lawyer;
(Using Articles, and News items can vastly improve your presence on the internet and let visitors identify that they need a lawyer. Since they may find the solution or suggestion on your law firm web site, they are more inclined to reach out to you.)

• Emphasis should be on content of interest to your audience, rather than on SEO (search engine optimization);
(We find this particularly interesting. SEO has become a buzzword and people want to be #1 on Google. What most people don’t realize is that you can’t achieve that by simply putting up a website and expecting some magic. The point below emphasizes what needs to be done to help with search engine rankings, but its going to take some time before you see the benefits. Over time, as you build content via News or Articles, search engines will take notice and people searching for information you’re writing about will find you. Further, if you focus on your local area, such as writing about local topics of interest, it will help you even more)

• Yet, search engine “ranking is very important” as it indicates the popularity of your site, and being ranked in the top ten in results can make or break your site. Improve your ranking with: Inbound links, Content, Title tags, Keywords, Longevity of your site, Domain name registration.

• A good Internet presence (especially with a blog) can be the “great equalizer” between large and small law firms.
(This is the point that all lawyers and law firms should have a web presence. No matter how small you are, if you have some information on the web about yourself or your law practice, it will help)

We’ve taken the key points of the podcast and inputted our take on the important items. Many of these themes are the reason we launched LegalWebbie for all your law firm web design and hosting needs. You take control of your site!