We get it. Once upon a time, that budget website made perfect sense. You know the one we’re referring to: Papyrus font for days, the unpopulated blog page, that one typo you always planned to fix but never got around to. In a legal firm’s evolution, there’s a time and place for the starter website that gets the job done (if just).
But that’s not your firm anymore. Whether you’re redesigning your site for the first or the tenth time, you know how important an attractive, user-friendly website is for the success and growth of your practice. It enhances your online presence, improves user experiences, and attracts potential clients. And let’s be honest, those potential clients generate their first impression of your firm based upon the quality of your website, which means choosing the right agency to handle your redesign project is a must.
Mad Genius is here to help with that. In this blog, we will explore five key factors to consider when selecting an agency for your legal website redesign.
1. Cost-Benefit Analysis: What Goes Into the Cost of a Website Redesign?
Bad news: it’s not 2009 anymore. Comic Sans isn’t going to cut it, nor will farming out your website design to your niece. No, not that one. Becky’s daughter. The one with questionable hair and three-quarters of a bachelor’s degree in art history. Yeah, her. If you want to increase lead generation, improve conversion rates, and enhance your brand reputation (and you should want that), you’ll need to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of what you want, what you can afford, and set some realistic expectations.
A modern, thoughtfully designed website helps your firm appear more professional. Even if your firm has won 100 percent of its cases, a website with long loading times that looks like it was designed in Microsoft paint will turn potential clients away before they even read your credentials. Discussing the following elements with potential agencies will help your firm workout the kind of cost-benefits analysis that gets you the most web mojo for your money:
- Complexity of design and functionality
- Number of pages
- Integration of content management systems
- Search engine optimization (SEO) requirements
- Ongoing maintenance and support
2. Evaluating Expertise: Skills Your Agency Should Have (That Becky’s Daughter Does Not)
Becky’s daughter might have the lowest fees in the game, and she might really want the job so she can afford her next tattoo. But, if you want your website to pop off the page, flow intuitively, and make a convincing case for potential clients to use your services, you’ll need a skilled agency that understands the many moving parts that create a successful site. Be on the lookout for agencies with a strong portfolio that highlights their expertise in:
- Web design
- User experience (UX)
- User interface (UI)
- The legal sector
- SEO strategies
- Responsive design
- Mobile optimization
- Accessibility compliance
3. Research: Examples of Successful Legal Website Redesigns and What Makes Them Work
Websites are like cats. There’s more than one way to design them. (Have you seen the cat tattooed on Becky’s daughter’s arm? Let’s just say nature has never seen its likeness. Just as her tattoo artist should have done some research into cats and their proportions…) You should research existing legal websites. What do you see? What do you like? What don’t you like?
Reviewing examples of successful website designs can provide insights into the different approaches that work and which ones you prefer. When designing your website, you want to make a good impression on potential clients, so which law firm websites make a good impression on you? Especially look for websites that demonstrate:
- A clear brand identity
- Intuitive navigation
- Compelling content
- Strong calls-to-action (CTAs)
- Effective lead generation techniques
4. Navigating the Process: What to Expect When You’re Redesigning
Redesigning a website takes time. There’s a process, and maybe you don’t mind that part of Becky’s daughter’s process is a trip out to California for Coachella right in the middle of your redesign. Either way, we encourage clear and frequent communication with your agency about their workflow, project timelines, and milestones, ensuring clear expectations from both parties. Typically, the redesign process will include:
- Discovery and research
- Planning and strategy
- Design and development
- Content creation
- Testing and optimization
- Launch and ongoing maintenance
5. Typical Steps in the Website Redesign Journey With an Agency
Ready to take the plunge and commit to a website redesign? What can you expect when partnering with an agency? (We’re assuming we’ve dissuaded you from choosing Becky’s daughter, so we’ll lay off her for now. For the record: we love cat tattoos. And questionable hair.) There are several common steps throughout the journey, and understanding these steps will help you actively participate in the process and provide valuable input. These include:
- An initial consultation to discuss goals and objectives
- A discovery phase to gather information about your brand, target audience, and competition
- Wire-framing and design iterations
- Development
- Content creation and migration
- Quality assurance testing
- The website launch and post-launch support
Redesigning your legal firm website can significantly impact your online presence and business success. It’s a big deal, too big a deal for Papyrus (and no, we don’t care that James Cameron used it) and Becky’s daughter. By considering the factors discussed in this blog, such as the cost-benefit analysis, elements affecting costs, expertise evaluation, successful redesign examples, and the website redesign process with an agency, you can make an informed decision and select the right partner for your website redesign project.