As you’ve likely noticed, we live in a world that leans heavily on first impressions, and as far as your firm’s web pages are concerned, your header is that hugely important first impression. Your header essentially sets the tone for your entire site, so don’t take the creation of the header lightly. If you use illustrations or photos in your header, make sure they are of the highest quality—in other words, if your choice is between a relatively mediocre graphic and nothing, go with nothing. Since your website header is the first thing your potential clients see—not to mention the element they will see repeated on each subsequent page—it simply msut be top-notch.
This is not to say it has to be over the top by any means. After all, the legal profession is relatively serious so you wouldn’t want to discourage the potential clients who have come to your site looking for serious answers to serious problems by having dancing bears in your header. It might be cute and catchy, but would also likely lose any potential client who clicked onto your sight almost immediately. Strive for a professional header which reflects the look and feel of your site as well as one which instills confidence in new and returning visitors. Of course your header also has to make sense in the grand scheme of things as far as giving visitors a good idea of what your firm is all about.
The Importance of Design in Your Header
If your header is perfectly functional—but unattractive—it can be nothing more than a distraction from a really great website. First of all your header needs to tell your viewer who you are and what you do. Since reader’s eyes naturally drift to the left hand corner of a webpage, take advantage of this and ensure the most important thing on your web pages lives there—your header and logo. Should you choose to center your header then leave the upper left corner blank so as not to detract from the importance of the information contained in the header.
While you most often see the navigational links in the sidebar, you might consider placing the navigation in your header, or at least having the basic categories in the header then more specific categories located in the traditional left sidebar. The clear advantage to having a header/navigation is that not only does it offer a quick synopsis of your site, but also helps users navigate around your web pages. Remember that you have less than ten seconds to ensure your viewers figure out just what your site is all about or they will be gone in the time it takes to click the back button.
Don’t Forget the Logo
Your logo is an important piece of the overall web design puzzle which brands your firm and provides an image for people to remember. A company without a logo is akin to a company with a lost identity. Think about the greatest logos of all time—when we see the Apple logo or the Nike swoosh, we immediately associate them with the product. Your company logo should mesh nicely with your company name or at the very least be relevant to your business. You don’t want potential customers having to guess what your logo symbolizes and you do want it to be something they will remember. The color should be eye-catching while managing to separate your firm from the competition. Once you’ve settled on a log, register it to prevent future infringement then use your logo often and wisely to build your brand image. In short, don’t skimp on the time, money or thought you put into your website’s header or your company logo.
