Being in a service business today is different from what it used to be a few years ago. Technology, and specifically internet, have provided newer avenues for service businesses to interact with their clients and even deliver their services.
The same nuanced understanding has to be incorporated into your web design if you are a law firm and planning to have your own website, . From the surface, if all you want to do is create a digital version of your visiting card, you can hire any random WordPress designing service provider and get a basic site. But if you are an experienced or ambitious firm, you would know that having a basic site is not enough these days.
The premise is simple – what would you prefer between these two:
- A static website that just displays information to those who want it.
- An inviting platform that sets the right repute for your firm and might even result in greater business.
If your law firm’s aim is growth and better service to its clients, you would want a much better WordPress site. Here are 4 simple steps that will help you achieve this:
1. Hire an expert in your industry.
When people look at a lawyer, they call her a lawyer. But you would know as a firm, what is a litigator, a trial lawyer, an in-house counsel and a retained lawyer. You would also be aware of the types of specified services lawyers offer as per their domain expertise in criminal, civil, intellectual property and corporate disputes.
“The first step you should take in the direction of having a better WordPress site, is to hire a WordPress website development partner who understand what you do, why you are better, what makes you unique and what will help you deliver a better experience to the visitors of your website.”
The same degree of expertise flows over to hiring someone who is well aware of your industry’s norms and trends. The first step you should take in the direction of having a better WordPress site, is to hire a WordPress website development partner who understand what you do, why you are better, what makes you unique and what will help you deliver a better experience to the visitors of your website. Hence, instead of optimizing for just the cost, look for a partner who has an intuitive grip on what you are looking for and what is best suited for you.
2. Decide the functionalities you are looking for.
You might be tempted towards creating a basic website. But it will not show the ambition and expertise you carry. Start with thinking about how can you differentiate your website.
For instance, you can consult a Woocommerce expert and see if you can have ecommerce features on the website. That can include remote consultations or providing a set of counselling sessions or online advisory.
Even when it comes to disseminating information, having a design and development partner who has experience in designing website for WordPress for ecommerce businesses will get you access to better ideas. You will be able to create better methods of displaying testimonials, showing case-studies and even publish e-books for your target audience.
3. Have a site that works equally well on desktop, mobile and wearables.
You are in a business where you would frequently interact with HNIs. The one thing common about this demographic is that it is digitally active across platforms. Hence, you have to have a website that provides an equally fluid experience across all platforms.
One way to think about it is by prioritizing all the information you want to display on a page. A webpage and a mobile webpage operate fundamentally in different ways. Giving a list of the most critical information to your WordPress website development partner would help them design newer mechanisms to deliver information with a greater impact.
For instance, if you are a legal clinic, you may want to integrate a basic chatbot with the website that helps you give information in a more interactive format. If you are having a chatbot plugin or even a HubSpot API, you will have to ensure that it is uniformly integrated for all platforms. Give preference to HubSpot API experts and developers who are good at such integrations for all devices.
4. Consider your WordPress site a central part of your digital strategy.
Most law firm partners do not have a COO. Hence, for them, the marketing begins and ends at the website. That said, in reality, the WordPress site is only a part of your digital strategy.
Once you have a WordPress site in place, you would want more people to visit it. This will authorize your website an opinion leader among millions of websites indexed by Google. Once you start thinking about this, you will see your website in a totally different light.
5. Hire someone who can help you with design, optimization and scaling.
There are lawyers and there are litigators. Similarly, there are web designers and UI designers. Just because a vendor is a UI designer, does not mean she will be able to provide the necessary optimization and scaling capacities.
“Visit Baker McKenzie’s website. You will see how a website can be used to deliver opinion leadership with the right WordPress site in place.”
It can be difficult to differentiate between a web designer and a UI designing vendor. Unlike the bar council, there is no central authority governing these. But this goes in line with the idea that your website is one part of your digital strategy. The ideal web designing and developing partner will be able to help you design, optimize and scale your website into a digital platform.
For instance – visit Baker McKenzie’s website. It is an opinion leader with high Google ranking, micro-conversions and a heavy focus on user intent. It looks like a platform for definitions of legal terms and news aggregation much more than it looks like a law firm’s website.
In Conclusion
Hire experienced partners who provide a comprehensive solution, understand your business and can provide a digital strategy.
