Your law firm’s website shouldn’t be considered a one time expense; it should be a long-term investment.

Like any great relationship, in order to reap the benefits, one needs to invest time, expense and hard work. Historically, law firms have deemed the budget for their website to be a onetime expense, shelling out to build a website with all the latest bells and whistles, only to ignore it when it’s finished.

The results of that methodology?

Your firm is left with an expensive, depreciating asset. Without proper maintenance, this ideology of paying out a single, substantial chunk of money to build a website predictably will be repeated due to the fact that today’s marketing technology and your law firm’s business is constantly evolving. This unfortunate cost cycle quickly results in a decayed digital existence that has little to no impact.

As with any other asset that remains on a firm’s financial report, this revolution of paying without maintenance, just to pay out again and repeat the process, is not a clever way to develop long-term worth in any investment.

A logical maintenance plan provides your legal practice with the ability to grow as today’s marketing and business technology advances. Investing in a quality website will only benefit your legal practice if you are committed to the relationship.

Here are 5 suggestions to help you get started:

• Create and update detailed client personas. To stimulate engagement on your law firm’s website, you need to ensure that the users experience is optimized. Section out your clients in order to cater to their specific content needs. Make sure to periodically review and update client personas as your website’s target audience changes.
• Build a relationship with your development firm. Your law firm’s website success and ability to increase profit rely on your development firm. The majority of law firms maintain a relationship with their development firm for at least 5 years, so it’s necessary to work well together and that they have a comprehensive understanding of your law firm’s objectives. Choose an experienced, knowledgeable and creative development firm with an established track record of success and outstanding client support.
• Set a practical timeline and budget. For law firms that are determined to be successful about digital marketing, the initial investment in a cutting-edge, unique website starts at $100,000 for design and development. A firm should budget 30 to 40 percent of that amount yearly for routine maintenance and improvements.

If you don’t have that kind of budget right now, be truthful with your prospective development firm so they can realistically assess what you can accomplish. It is also important to be sensible about your timeline. The design and development progression for a standard law firm website takes roughly 6 to 12 months from inception to launch.

• Utilize an iteractive development strategy. Building a website in a customizable and flexible way allows you to continuously improve your site’s attributes over time. You will want to work with a development firm that identifies with this strategy and is constantly advancing its technology and service offerings. Plan on working diligently with your development firm to establish which functions and features you absolutely need and a timeframe of when you need them by.

• Get a responsive website from the get go. Mobile and cross-platform optimization is no longer an option, it is a must. Law firms that have progressively advanced their websites by either redesign or adding a second, mobile-friendly version of their site are already miles ahead of the competition.

On the other hand, firms that have disregarded the shift to mobile responsiveness have been profoundly disadvantaged by technological advances like Google’s “Mobilegeddon,” which gives preference to mobile-friendly websites in search results. Additionally, mobile responsive websites can easily be located and viewed by those with smartphones and various other electronic devices.

Law firms can make client interaction with their websites a memorable experience or a forgettable experience. After all, potential clients that have a good experience when visiting your website choose the legal practice they feel understands their needs, which in turn pays for your investment many times over.

Invest in a website that attracts new clients and more business from existing clients.

Firm Evolution is a premier legal marketing firm, and we know how to create effective, mobile-friendly websites specifically for law firms.  If you’d like to dramatically improve your online presence, contact us to schedule a free consultation. Call 206.321.3220 or contact us online.