As we enter 2023, every law firm is expected to have an online presence that makes them look credible and offers clients a convenient experience. Many firms have switched entirely to digital processes, including eSignatures instead of finalizing contracts in person, and virtual consultations instead of in-office appointments.

As a professional in the legal industry, you need to bring more parts of your firm online ASAP. Great law web design and an online marketing strategy help you reach and engage with your target audience without the need to meet your clients face-to-face.

In the new era of business, your law firm's website is your virtual law office, allowing you to work from home most of the time. To compete with other law practices, you’ll need to ensure that you have a fully-functional website with sleek, targeted law firm web design.

This post will look at great law firm websites and what they all have in common. Learning what works for your competition allows you to model your own website, emulating the same user experience and success.

1. Unique value proposition in website content

All the best law firm website designs include a value offer to clients. When landing on the site, your clients need to see what you can do for them, and they want that information immediately.

Therefore, opening with a strong statement on your homepage can capture the attention of prospects. It causes them to take action and reach out through your contact form.

An example of a value proposition for a firm specializing in personal injury claims could be a banner on the home page reading, “Over $X-million paid out in personal injury claims since 20XX.” That banner gives your potential clients everything they need to know about your firm before even reading the about us page.

In one sentence, you sum up everything they need to know about how your firm can handle their problem. From there, it’s a matter of keeping them on the site. With a strong value proposition, you increase your prospective client’s buying temperature, forcing them to take action.

If you have a compelling value proposition, use a heat map to track how many prospects move directly to the CTA on your homepage without going any further. This insight gives you data on your value offer’s performance, and if you need to adjust it to increase performance.

2. Details on the type of law practice

When people land on your site, they need to know what kind of practice areas you cover. They don’t want to wade through your site map to figure out if you’re a family law practice, a criminal defense attorney, an employment law firm, or an environmental law firm.

The best legal website designs utilize design and content that gives you an instant impression of the site and the brand’s feel. For example, with an environmental law firm website, you could use green and white colors, with maybe an earth tone in slight touches around your template colors.

Use a minimalist design with a clean font and a simple color scheme, and a plant leaf logo. That visual gives the prospect the impression they are on a site that values ecology and the environment right away.

If they’re looking for a criminal attorney, landing on a site using a Masonry template with cold, grey tones and professional dark font sets the impression of authority.

After considering your site’s design components, you need to ensure you have tabs on the top of the page under the value proposition. Each tab requires a label of the specific area of law your firm specializes in practicing.

Make the tabs easy to see, with drop-down menus from specific attorneys dealing with each discipline and links to their bios. Your site needs clean navigation that doesn’t confuse the prospect. They should be able to move seamlessly from one section to another until they end up on your Call-to-Action (CTA).

3. A CRM system for client management

The best law firm websites have a CRM managing new client onboarding and marketing, driving traffic to the site. Your CRM system provides your firm with instant access to your complete customer database, allowing you to track and update client information.

There are plenty of CRM systems dedicated to use in legal forms. A CRM not only revolutionizes your client management, but also improves your digital marketing efforts.

Most platforms come with a host of marketing tools and sales funnels to help you generate more leads from your site. Leads are everything online, and your lead magnet can help you build a list of prospects. Use tracking tools to manage the efficacy of your campaigns, and get more clients on your books.

4. An informative blog

Even small law firms need a blog now — it's a big part of your firm's marketing strategy. The best law firm websites all include a blog module for educational and content marketing purposes. As a law firm, your prospects want to know that they are dealing with competent professionals. If they wander across your blog, they can see your legal expertise in written format.

Post informative, content-rich blogs and podcasts on your site to build your credibility. Eventually, your blog becomes an educational resource, making you an authority in your area of legal practice.

Blogs not only serve the task of building you into an authority, but they also help with marketing strategy and SEO activities. For instance, if you populate your blog with informative, useful content, you could leave a lead magnet asking the prospect to leave their email address to access the full article.

Blogs also help you add more keywords to your site, allowing the search bot to identify your site as a source of relevant information in search and SERP listings.

When your blog starts gaining an audience, reach out to other authority sites, and ask if you can swap links using your blog.

You write an informative blog post for their site and drop a link to your site in the content. This strategy creates a connection between your site and the authority, increasing your search ranking.

However, make sure you’re only posting high-quality content on your site, and create a posting schedule to remain consistent with your blogging efforts.

5. Attorney bios and headshots

When prospects land on your site looking for legal assistance, they need encouragement that they’re dealing with the right firm to resolve their legal issues.

By adding bios to your “About Us” page, you can introduce the prospect to your attorneys. If you’re running a larger firm practicing many different legal services, make sure you include the attorney bios in each relevant section.

Your attorney bio needs to include the area they practice in, their experience, education, and track record. We recommend you have a headshot of the attorney next to the profile. Take it a step further by adding a link to their LinkedIn profile under the bio.

The purpose of headshots and bios is to build confidence in the prospect, pushing them to hit the CTA on the contact page.

6. Contact forms and a lead magnet to build your list

Another feature of the best law firm websites is contact forms. The contact form is the next stage of the sales funnels after the prospect clicks on your CTA. They receive a contact form pop-up on their screen, asking them to enter contact information.

After entering their information, that goes through to your CRM system, automatically issuing a welcome email confirming the prospect’s registration. Follow up with another email telling them a qualified attorney or legal aid will follow up with messaging on their inquiry.

Using this functionality on your site helps you build a list of qualified prospects looking for your services. Even if they don’t require them, right away, you can keep in touch and send reminders through email campaigns designed to gently nurture the prospect until they are ready to take action.

If a prospect is browsing your site but not in immediate need of assistance, you have an opportunity to turn them into a qualified prospective client using a lead magnet.

For instance, leave a pop-up box on the screen when the prospect navigates away from the site.

The pop up should offer a value proposition to the client, enticing them to fill out a contact form. You could offer a free consultation as an incentive for your prospect to take action and leave you their contact details.

7. Law firm website calls to action

Successful law firm websites all use CTAs throughout their site. A call to action (CTA) is a button or link strategically positioned on your site's pages. By clicking the CTA button, website visitors enter the first stage of your sales funnel.

The CTA needs a compelling call to action that resonates with the prospect. Short, concise CTAs work best. We recommend adding a few of the following CTAs to your site.

• Talk to an attorney right now

• Click to get in touch with an attorney

• Get legal protection now

There are dozens of CTAs to use on your site. Take some time and research competitor sites to see what kind of CTAs they’re using, and add them to your landing pages. Download a heat map tool for your site, see which CTAs get the best response from prospects, and use them throughout your site.

8. Mobile compatibility

The best law firm websites all offer mobile compatibility and mobile-friendly web design. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly template for your web design, it means your prospects need to pinch and zoom around your pages. That’s frustrating and a guaranteed bounce away from your website.

More than 50% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, and mobile is the way the world is moving when it comes to telecommunications and internet access. Therefore, if your site doesn’t have mobile optimization – you’re leaving money on the table.

Google also rewards mobile-compatible sites in search. If your site doesn’t have mobile compatibility, you end up sliding down the search engines' results into oblivion. Ensure that your site is functional only mobile; many sites don’t add the same mobile features you get on the desktop experience. That’s a mistake and could cost your traffic and conversions.

9. Content that new clients can understand

You need to understand that you’re not dealing with lawyers visiting your website. All your prospects come from the real world where they probably never had to hire an attorney before in their life.

Therefore, loading your site with legal jargon and industry terminology will do nothing but confuse your prospects. As a result, they’re likely to return the search results and pick another option. Keep all the content on your site in plain English, with easy terms prospects can understand.

10. Client testimonials

Modern websites need social proof to prove that you deliver results. Social proof comes in a variety of forms, with the best option being a testimonial. And while each potential client is looking for social proof to prove your credibility, you also need it when trying to rank for search engine results.

Reviews are so valuable in SEO search ranking that it’s worth incentivizing happy clients to leave a review.

Offer your client a 5% discount coupon on their next consolation for leaving a Trustpilot review, and watch your credibility explode to new heights.

The best law firm websites are built by professional web designers

You need a professional, optimized web presence to reach leads and stand out from other law firms. Establishing and legitimizing your firm online can lead to increased revenue, an expanded client list, better rankings on search engines like Google, improved client retention, and much more. To achieve all this, you need the right design process and partner.

B12 is the best website development solution for law firms to launch a new website or revamp their current website. It's an all-in-one solution to manage and grow your practice, with tools like online scheduling, customized intake forms, online payments and invoicing, blog posts, and law firm SEO. We centralize your client interactions and law firm marketing efforts, helping you manage clients and meetings, and automate your workflows.

You’re busy running your law firm and serving existing clients — that’s why B12 uses designers and software to bring your business online in 30 days. We create a professional website that is secure, easy for you to edit, search engine- and mobile-friendly, and filled with actionable content that makes a good impression on prospective clients.

Whether you specialize in personal injury, family law, or another practice area, we’re well-versed in how to build an online presence that grows your client base. Try B12 today and see a free draft of your new attorney website in only 60 seconds! In only 30 days, professional web designers will customize your site to improve your law firm's visibility and efficiency.