Credibility, while somewhat subjective, can nonetheless make or break your legal website. Google took the issue of credibility very seriously with its Panda update which evaluated the quality and credibility for websites when deciding how to rank them. If you are concerned about the credibility of your website or you received a reprimand from Google over a perceived lapse in credibility consider the following ways to ensure your website remains high-quality and credible:
Minimize Ads
Although many attorney websites skip advertisements altogether, if you employ the use of ads on your website, keep them to a bare minimum. When you have tons of distracting ads on your site it can look as though you are desperate for clients or that you simply don’t care how annoying the ads are to your visitors. Even ads which point to your website can be overdone. While it’s okay to use banners which promote the services of your firm in moderation, keep them to a minimum.
Freshen Your Content on a Regular Basis
If you believe your job is done once your website is set up, content is in place and you’ve written a few blog postings, think again. When you allow your legal website to become stale, you are essentially saying that you really don’t care that much about your readers’ experience on your site, that their business is not all that important to you, or that you are simply too lazy to update your content. Things change quickly in our world and in the legal profession as well. Your website should always reflect the most up-to-date information on your firm. In fact, if you are truly interested in letting your visitors know you are an authority on your particular legal niche, start a legal blog and update it often. A legal blog can lend credibility to your firm as well as bring scores of traffic to your website via search engines and costs you nothing other than your time.
Ease of Navigation and Professional Design
You will always want the design of your legal website to appear professional and up-to-date with a pleasing appearance. You don’t want the first impression of your visitors to be that your firm is stuck back in the 90’s (based on your out-of-date web design) nor do you want them to be frustrated by the level of difficulty it entails to navigate your site. Simplicity in your layout is key to credibility. Keep your layout clean, concise and not overly trendy.
Put a Human Touch on Your Site
You never want your visitors to feel as though you are the Wizard of Oz, hiding behind the curtain. Your business location and other pertinent details need to be extremely easy to locate on your site. If you’ve ever visited a website and had to search long and hard to find the contact information, you know what I’m talking about. When I have difficulty locating contact information I immediately think “shady,” and many others have the same reaction. Visitors want to know they can trust your law firm and that there are real attorneys who can be held accountable for the end results.
In a nutshell, to increase credibility, have a great domain name, a reliable host, a website that is user-friendly, a simple, pleasing design which has a unique touch, compelling, informative and high-quality content and a unique brand. If this sounds fairly overwhelming, call (800) 877-2776 to speak with an expert in lawyer web development. We have highly experienced consultants who will discuss the best strategies for your particular law firm. Call today for your free consultation.
