From the staff you’ve hired to the office environment you’ve created, you’ve done your best to make your clients feel at ease from the moment they walk through the door of your law firm. But do you offer them the same carefully considered experience online?
First impressions matter, and for many clients, they happen on the web. To convey the message that your firm is capable, professional, and trustworthy, you need a website that’s as informative and engaging as your legal arguments.
According to an American Bar Association survey, it’s estimated that 94% of law firms have a website. So while many legal professionals are attempting to meet this expectation, some law firms fall short, and there’s no doubt as to why.
Carving out the time and funds it takes to create a site that’s compliant, secure, and up-to-date can be difficult when you have a lot on your plate. And alternatives like outsourcing can be costly, time-consuming, and unreliable.
As a result, many managing partners decide that having an underwhelming website is better than not having one at all.
The problem is that a poorly designed or inconvenient website damages your credibility in the eyes of potential clients. In other words, a bare-bones site that lacks the features, security, and polished aesthetic your clients seek doesn’t just lead to a bad experience. It’s bad for your bottom line.
If your law firm’s website is lackluster, a reputable, client-oriented website that’s affordable and easy to manage is now within reach with Tabs3 Websites.
7 things your firm—and your clients—will love about Tabs3 Websites
1. Compliant and confidential
Attorneys often collect sensitive data from their clients, such as credit card numbers and birth dates. Depending on the practice areas served, they may even collect medical records, employment history, or proprietary business information. This makes your website a prime target for hackers who constantly seek ways to steal this information.
Many well-meaning attorneys enter contracts with industry-agnostic web developers who boast strong security standards, yet don’t understand the specific risks and regulations law firms face. This can lead to data breaches and compliance violations that put your clients—and license to practice law—at risk.
When you choose Tabs3 Websites, you can rest assured that your site is hosted on a reliable platform with industry-leading, bank-grade SSL security (a measure only 43% of firms currently implement). Your clients also benefit from a malware-resistant firewall and multiple layers of spam protection. SSAe, SOC2, and ADA compliance keep your site in good legal and ethical standing.
2. Simple to search
If potential clients can’t find you, they can’t contact you.
A website that doesn’t appear on a Google search can be a major turnoff for prospects who have heard great things about your firm from referral sources and are considering working with you. It may even lead to them choosing a different attorney altogether.
People who are just beginning their search for an attorney in their area often start with the number one search result and work their way down the list. This isn’t ideal if your site doesn’t rank on the first page of Google.
Figuring out how to improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) ranking on your own is a never-ending experiment and often yields poor results if you don’t have experienced professional support. Plus, repeatedly changing your site in an effort to please the algorithm is confusing and off-putting for your current legal clients.
Tabs3 Websites uses data-driven best practices to optimize your website for search engines so that finding your site is convenient for potential clients, with no guesswork necessary.
3. Easy to use and eye catching
Successful websites are both easy to use and visually appealing. Still, all too often, designers encourage law firms to include features that look nice but slow down load times and glitch out on mobile devices.
When potential clients are pressed for time and seeking urgent legal help, they don’t have time to waste waiting for pictures or video to load, nor spend precious minutes (or even seconds) figuring out how to navigate your site for contact information.
Law firm websites with an intuitive navigation system and clear, skimmable content stand out because they reduce stress for clients at an otherwise overwhelming time.
That said, you don’t have to resort to dull imagery or forgo your branding. Vivid visuals do a lot to create a positive impression. Tabs3 Websites strikes the right balance between form and function with high-quality photos, vibrant customization options, and a user-friendly interface that’s easy to use on any device.
4. Made to meet your clients’ needs
From scheduling a consultation to paying their final bill, every interaction your clients make with your website shapes their opinion of your firm. When it comes to showing your clients that you care about their convenience, a one-size-fits-all “solution” that only includes static information won’t cut it. Your website should offer access to the resources and services your clients want most.
We work with you to determine which features suit your workflow and ideal clients best, including client intake forms, payment processing, and client portal access. From there, we work behind the scenes to make sure they flow together seamlessly.
While many web designers consider these options to be “extras,” we consider them integral to the function of any legal practice’s website.
5. Content worth reading
Most clients will only skim your site for the information most relevant to them. Still, every word you publish is an opportunity to highlight your firm’s value and expertise. Keep your service pages, blog, and attorney bios engaging and informative.
Who has time to create and execute a content strategy that stands out in a sea of sites, though? Not busy attorneys.
Tabs3 Websites relieves your internal legal staff (and marketing budget) from the burden of content creation by including 15 pre-written blog posts for up to three practice areas with your website. We’ll make sure your posts are published and updated at the right cadence to keep your blog fresh, relevant, and favorable to search engines.
6. Ready in weeks, not months
You don’t have the time (or patience) to go back and forth between your firm and a design team over your website’s structure or minor details. And you shouldn’t have to.
You need a team that understands how critical your website is to your clients and your workflow. Our team prioritizies efficiency to get the job done quickly. Instead of waiting months, you can receive a complete website draft within three weeks.
7. Competitive pricing
Your legal clients want a high-quality client experience, not higher prices.
With traditional web design options, unexpected speed bumps can arise. Plus, upcharges for features that should be basic for law firms can easily cause you to exceed your budget. You may even need to recoup the cost by raising your rates.
With Tabs3 Websites, you get the service Tabs3 clients come to expect without paying extra for the features your firm requires to function at its best.
Want to learn more about Tabs3 Websites?
If you want to ensure you’re doing all you can to maximize your web presence while maintaining compliance and security, you want a legal-specific website solution.
That’s where Tabs3 Websites comes in. This exciting addition to the Tabs3 product line can help impress your clients, convert leads, and improve your firm’s profitability.
Schedule your free demo of Tabs3 Websites today.
