Less is more when it comes to your law firm’s online presence. Now, that doesn’t mean your website must be devoid of color or incredibly dull. It just means that you want to avoid over-complicating the visual element. Mainly, you want to make your site as efficient and easy to navigate as possible.
A simple website allows visitors to process information quickly and efficiently. If your site is overly complicated, visitors may feel overwhelmed and confused about how to proceed. When this happens, the vast majority of users will navigate away from your page, costing you potential leads and new clients. It’s important to understand how web design plays a fundamental role in legal marketing.
How does simplicity keep visitors on your page? Here are four ways simplicity gives your website a competitive edge.
Simple Sites Load Faster
We’re used to instant gratification, and loading times are no exception. Visitors appreciate fast load times, and if your pages load slowly, they’re likely to navigate away. Extra elements such as embedded videos, large images, social sharing buttons and background images all increase load times. Keeping your homepage simple allows it to load as quickly as possible, thereby increasing the chance that visitors will remain on your page. Just be sure to read through these tips so you don’t miss key information on your home page.
Simple Sites Highlight Content
If you’re using content as part of your marketing strategy, you’ll want to place a focus on the information you’re trying to communicate. Your site visitors are likely searching for information related to their current legal issue, so you don’t want to distract them with overly complicated or flashy images. Employ plenty of white space to allow visitors to focus on your site’s information rather than pulling their attention away with something that may not be relevant. If you’re wondering how long your content should be, we’ve covered that here.
Simplicity Encourages Comfort and Navigation
You want your visitors to feel comfortable enough to click through your website. If your homepage communicates chaos, chances are, they’ll never click anything but the back button. Including white space evokes a sense of calm and focus, allowing the user to navigate your site with ease and confidence. Try to avoid including redundant links or drop-down menus, and make sure your navigation design is consistent throughout the entire website. This way, users won’t feel stuck searching for information amid a sea of clutter, so they’re more likely to stick around and learn what your firm is all about.
Simplicity Promotes Conversions
Most website users expect to perform a particular action when they browse a website. In the case of law firm websites, users hope to find information regarding their case and may also anticipate contacting an appropriate attorney. Your goal should be to make this process as simple as possible. To do this, you need only include necessary and informative material on your homepage. A call-to-action, a brief description of your services, a contact form and your logo and navigation links are all that are necessary to make your website complete. When you keep your design simple, visitors can easily find the information they need and take appropriate action to accomplish their goals.
Attract new visitors, keep past visitors interested and generate more legal clients through effective legal digital marketing strategies. At Market My Market, our legal SEO experts can help your law firm blow the competition away! Contact us to see how we can help you build a simple yet effective website.