Why law firms should invest in how their website looks
How you look online matters. Think of your website as your digital store front. People will judge you and your offerings right when they walk into the figurative door.
Key takeaways
Investing in the design of your website inevitably has a positive impact on your firm’s business.
- Your site influences a potential client's decision to work with you
- It can create a first impression that sticks
- It establishes yourself as a market authority with Google
Websites influence purchasing decision
Websites influence 97% of clients’ purchasing decisions. This means that whether or not a user leaves or stays on your site determines if they decide to open a case with your firm. That’s a big deal.
Making this buying decision is based on something called the Aesthetic Usability Effect. It states that “users often perceive aesthetically pleasing design as design that’s more usable.”
If people find your website’s design pleasing, not only will they stay, but they will determine your site as usable. If your site is usable, prospects can associate usability with confidence in your firm and help guide buying decisions.
Your reputation is on the line
Your reputation matters. Put simply: your website is a branding touchpoint, and branding is all about building trust with your customers.The faster you build a sense of security in your brand, the more likely a user is to take action.
There is also a technical benefit to improving your site design. Google has mentioned that an unhelpful website will leave a negative impact on its ranking in Google search results. A loss in ranking is a loss in case sign-ups and drives potential clients to your competitors.
To determine where you will be ranked Google uses machine learning to “ask”:
- Is your site fast?
- Is it mobile friendly?
- Is it secure?
- Are users engaged with your content?
- Are users able to easily navigate to other pieces of content?
Your website is the first impression
Think about it. What is the first thing people do when they want to find or learn about you? They Google you. Whether it’s by referral or organic search, a potential client’s first interaction with your firm is your website.
You have about 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) to make an excellent first impression — determining whether a user will leave or stay. I expand on this in another article in the “Less is more” section.
In this tiny fraction of time a user decides the quality of your firm based on:
- Whether your site is visually appealing
- If the information they're looking for is easily found
- Taking action is quick and seamless
A bad first impression is a potential case lost.
