I wrote a blog a few weeks ago where I asked the question- how often a firm should change its brand? https://lawstrategycorp.com/often-law-firm-rebrand/

I believe firms are rebranding too frequently. That is because branding should be a top to bottom endeavor. A firm brand takes time for a new identity to take hold. Your brand should be reflected everything you do. That includes your advertising, how you interact with clients and even the decor of your office. But, having your firm match the brand on all levels takes time and discipline. If a company changes their brand all the time, there can be a disconnect between the image the firm wants to display and the reality of the firm’s actual brand.

One of the places I often see a practice not living the brand is on law firm websites. It is easy to forget that many times your website is the first point of contact with a new client. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. So, if your website is filled with stock photos, contains tiny font and color choices that don’t reflect your firm’s personality or culture, then you have a problem.

The good news is that this is a problem that can be fixed! Look at your website and honestly ask yourself these next three questions:

1. Does it Reflect Who You are As a Firm?

I was working with a new practice a few years ago. The lawyers at the firm were young, energetic, and had lots of personality. While still highly professional, the culture of the office was laid back, down to earth, a place where the client would feel taken care of and at ease. Yet, when I visited their website, I was shocked! This young and hip firm had an old fashion, out of date, stock photo-filled website. Lady Justice was prominently displayed even though the firm did very little trial work.

Make sure the design of your website matches who you are as a firm. That way you won’t have prospective clients believing your firm is an old school, traditional litigation orientated firm, when in fact your lawyers practice business casual every day and serve primarily corporate clients in transactional work.

2. Does Your Website Work?

You would be shocked at how many law firms would have to answer no to this question. We are approaching the year 2018, there is no excuse for your firm not to have a website that works smoothly, across all platforms. The last bit of information is the key. Sure, your website might run perfectly on a laptop, but what about that potential client you met at the charity event last night? You know, the one who looked you up on their phone as soon as you walked away? No matter what the brand of your firm is, I doubt it is going to be served by a website that doesn’t run well on multiple platforms.

3. What Does Your Bio Say About You?

The bio page of a website is one that garners lots of traffic. People want to know about the lawyers they may or may not hire. Yet, often attorneys slap together a bio with no spark or personality. Take some time with this section. Talk to the visitor and have your bio reflect your brand. If your firm brand is formal and traditional, then your bio should be written with more formality and in the third person. On the other hand, if your firm has a more casual and innovative feel, use the first person and let your individuality show. Your bio photo should also match your firm brand. A picture paints a thousand words, and a photo that does not reflect your personality your firm’s brand should be retaken.

If you feel confident that your website matches the brand of your firm, then keep up the good work! But if you aren’t sure how to answer the above three questions, then reexamine and fix what is broken.

Have any comments or thoughts on websites? I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment down below.

Until next time!

Tea