By now, most have figured out that a good website is important. It is how we make first impressions these days. Regardless of how beautiful your office may be, how well you dress, or how charming your personality is, people often get their first impression from our websites. And we don’t even know when they do. So, a dynamic, engaging, informative, helpful, and easy-to-use website is a must. But do we ask too much of our websites?
Websites have two primary target audiences: those looking for you and those looking for someone like you.
You want someone seeking your website to find it easily. If they “Google” you and your website isn’t returned at the top of their search results, they will either click on some other website over which you have no control (like one of those websites that serve as directories or lists), or they will have to scroll to try to determine which site is yours. Not a great first impression. Those looking for someone like you may never find you either because they wind up on one of those directories or lists that feature other lawyers, or they never get a link to your website. So, SEO is important. It helps people find you.
But for many, doing a web search is secondary to other means of finding a lawyer.
Most people seeking a lawyer first ask friends, family, and coworkers. It is only after asking that they search the names of those shared with them. The people they ask don’t run an internet search before answering. So, what are you doing to market to those they ask?
Others see advertisements for lawyers and then follow up with an internet search for that lawyer, or if it is a digital ad (display ad or social media ad), click to go to their website.
You never have a chance at them. But how likely are they to find yours if they venture onto the internet beyond that site? How does yours compare to the one that they just saw?
Hopefully, your marketing efforts aren’t limited to your website; it is an important place to start.
After all, your other marketing efforts should point to your website, or your website should be easily found and sell you as the solution to their legal needs. If you rely on word of mouth as your principal marketing, your website should complement and support what you and others are saying (because people will go to it). And frankly, you ought to be thinking about this word-of-mouth marketing. Are you maintaining regular contact with current and former clients (such as with newsletters or regular email campaigns)? Are you engaging on social media as a reminder to those who may have some connection to you of who you are and what you do? Are you running digital ads so that you can drive people straight to your website?