Is It Time for a Website Audit? Do It In 3 Easy Steps

As lawyers, you have a lot to worry about over the course of your day.  There are so many pressures on your time. You tend to get into a groove where you are constantly putting out fires, getting over those short-term hurdles, and just happy that everything else does not need tending to because you only have enough time to finish the project at hand.

When you are in that zone, you typically fall into the “I don’t need to fix what’s not broken” kind of mindset.  In other words, you do not tend to anything that appears to be working just fine.  However, when it comes to a website, it can be dangerous to fall into the “set it and forget it,” way of thinking.  Things change, your firm’s focus changes, you have new accomplishments to discuss.  So, it is a good idea to take stock every once in a while and do a website audit.

If you have not thought about updating your law firm’s website in a while, maybe it is time to do a little tune up.  As you look through your firm’s site, ask yourself:

1. Does the website still serve the needs of your firm?
2. Does the site load quickly?
3. Is it easy and friendly to use?
4. Will the site convert viewers into clients?
5. Does the site have dated, or out-of-date, material that needs updating?

You take the time to network for your firm, you hand out business cards, you have a social media presence, and you may have some paid search and digital advertising.  It would be a real shame if all of those marketing efforts bring potential clients to your website, only to have the website not function properly, or somehow turn away those potential clients at the end of the day.

Accordingly, this blog will take a close look at what you need to do to conduct a law firm website audit.  This is to make sure that your website is humming along in a way that your firm can put its best online foot forward.

If, after reading this blog or even doing a good website audit, you realize that you need more help and do not quite have the time to fix what needs to be fixed, call us at Oamii .  We are a premier website marketing company in West Palm Beach.  We are laser-focused on bringing our marketing expertise to bear on your law firm’s digital marketing needs.

Oamii can provide your firm everything from consulting assistance to a full “soup to nuts” digital marketing program with constantly updated legal content to your website.  Call us for more information on how we can bring your website to a place that will regularly convert leads into clients, and add to your book of business. Fill out our online contact form , or call us at 561-228-4111 today. 

3 Steps to Conducting Your Firm’s Website Audit

If you do take the time to turn your attention to your website, after a long time, then you may be inclined to jump into adding lots of new features, or trying to take advantage of all the new bells and whistles that your web hosting service provides.  Discretion is the better part of valor here.  Before trying all new things, go through these three steps, which start with the fundamentals.

Getting lost in all of the glitz and fancy images, we sometimes forget that the website needs to convey to the user what the firm offers, and which clients are appropriate for the work your firm does.  That is why, when you do your website audit, you should see if your website answers these fundamental questions:

1. Who is the appropriate client for the firm?
2. What services does your firm provide?
3. How does the firm solve client problems?

So, does your website clearly and quickly demonstrate what types of problems your law firm is working to solve?  If not, then you need to do a little re-tooling.

Re-tooling can mean that you edit or change the headlines and images on your page to serve the kind of work you do.  You may have some compelling images on your site, but if they do not serve the purpose of conveying what your firm is all about, then it is time to scrap the city skylines for images that tell the user about the work you do.

It is often true that you cannot be objective about your website, in the same way that it is hard to be objective about the legal work you do.  So, the best way to solve that issue is by getting someone else to “test drive” your website in front of you.

In that vein, ask a trusted colleague or friend to go through your website and give feedback.  Make sure that your friend feels free to be candid with feedback so it is a worthwhile effort.  In this process, an objective pair of eyes can better tell you:

1. Whether your site loads quickly enough
2. If your site conveys the message about your firm you want conveyed
3. Whether your site is easy to navigate
4. If there are pop-ups, sliders, or other items that surprise, distract, or otherwise detract from the quality of the website-viewing experience.

Given the issue with hackers these days, it is important to keep security in mind.  Every website needs an SSL certificate, which is what places an “https” at the beginning of your URL.  Even though you do not accept client payments on your website, you still need to make sure that your site is secure.  It shows users that you care about confidentiality and security.  SSL is also important for SEO , because website security is a factor that is considered in Google searches.

If you are concerned that you do not have the time or tech-savviness to tackle a website audit for your law firm, have no fear.  Call Oamii today.  We are the website marketing company in West Palm Beach for your firm.  We at Oamii specialize in helping law firms create successful websites design .  For more information please fill out our online contact form , or call us at 561-228-4111 today.