We thought this might be of interest as 90% of lawyer / law firm websites we’ve come across are appallingly managed and are consequently a recipe for disaster.
The ABA write
Law firm websites are important. After all, they’re your digital front door and the first thing a potential client sees when searching for a lawyer. These days, most legal consumers who need representation start with a Google search, and if you’re lucky, they land on your law firm’s website. That’s why a client-friendly, informative and professional website is so important.
However, launching a new website or revamping an outdated one can often seem like a daunting endeavor. For that reason, many lawyers put off the project. Oftentimes, they’re not sure where to start or who to hire.
I decided to write this column to help lawyers find a website design option that’s a good fit for their firm. In this article, I’ll cover a few options, including one way to do it yourself, a few website design companies founded by lawyers and the option to use the website design services of companies that your firm may already have a working relationship with.
Note that because so many companies provide website design services for lawyers and businesses, I’ll only be mentioning a handful of them. To limit the playing field a bit, I’ll be focusing on companies that provide other legal software products for lawyers or that were founded by lawyers, since those companies are sure to have a good understanding of lawyers’ specific online marketing needs. Note that unless otherwise mentioned, none of the companies discussed below provide fee information on their websites.
DO IT YOURSELF
Those of you who are fairly tech-savvy may be comfortable with the idea of designing your own law firm website. If that’s the case, then I highly recommend Wix. I use Wix for my website and found it to be an easy-to-use and affordable option and am really happy with the results.
Wix provides a large number of website templates from which you can choose, along with a vast array of free stock images and the interface is very user-friendly. It’s also very inexpensive, all things considered. Websites start at $13 per month. You can view all of their pricing plans here.
WEBSITE DESIGN COMPANIES FOUNDED BY LAWYERS
If you’re like most lawyers, you likely would prefer to hire someone to design and maintain your law firm’s website rather than do it yourself. If that’s the case, you’re in luck. There are lots of options available. Below are just a few of the law firm website design companies that were founded by lawyers. Because the companies were founded by lawyers, you can rest assured knowing that they understand the unique marketing needs of law firms.
First, there’s Justia, which was founded by two lawyers, Tim Stanley (Legal Rebel, 2009) and Stacy Stern (Legal Rebels Trailblazer, 2017). The company has been around since 2003, and in addition to providing website design services, it focuses a lot of its efforts on increasing access to justice. So when you choose Justia to design your law firm’s website, you can rest easy knowing that you’re supporting a company that’s fighting the good fight.
AttorneySync is another company to consider. One of the co-founders, Gyi Tsakalakis, is an attorney and a well-known legal marketing expert. AttorneySync was launched more than a decade ago and offers a hype-free, practical approach to website design and online marketing. For a taste of the company’s approach to websites, SEO and digital marketing, the blog is a great place to start.
You might also want to consider Uptime JurisPage, a website design company that was co-founded by an attorney, Andrew Cabasso. It was founded in 2012, and one of the standout features is that its websites are able to integrate with a number of different legal software products, including Clio, Rocket Matter and LawPay
Another option to consider is PaperStreet. This website design company was founded in 2001 by attorney Pete Boyd. The content director, Sally Kane, is also a lawyer.
WEBSITE DESIGN BY LEGAL SOFTWARE COMPANIES
Last, but not least, don’t overlook companies that your firm may already have a relationship with. Specifically, some legal software companies also provide website design services.
For example, Zola Suite provides legal practice management software for law firms. It also offers website design services for law firms through ZolaCreative. They offer website design services to all law firms, regardless of whether the firms use their software.
In comparison, MyCase, a company that provides legal practice management software (note that I am the legal technology evangelist with MyCase), also provides website design services, but only for law firms that use their software. One benefit is that the websites designed by MyCase include a link that provides law firm clients with access to the secure client communication portal that is built into the MyCase practice management software.
Now that you have some ideas as to where to start, it’s time to stop procrastinating! An updated, modern website is a must in 2019 and is integral to a successful marketing plan for your firm. Stop dragging your heels and take the first step toward launching a new or revamped website today. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York, attorney, author, journalist and the legal technology evangelist at MyCase, legal practice management software for small firms. She is the nationally recognized author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers and is co-author of Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier, both published by the American Bar Association. She also is co-author of Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for ABAJournal.com, Above the Law and the Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. Follow her on Twitter @nikiblack, or she can be reached at [email protected].
