People want to know that their attorney is professional, experienced and trustworthy, and believe it or not, you can convey those attributes with the design of your website.

A clunky, cluttered design will drag your website down and make you appear unprofessional. But, a clean, simple design, like in the example above, paints the opposite picture.

Focus on one element of your website at a time, and use plenty of white space to pad the important elements of the page. Focus especially on making the design clean and simple above the fold (the part of the page you can see without scrolling).

If someone is looking for a divorce lawyer, and you specialize in personal injury law, they’re not going to be a good fit for your law firm.

It’s important to be upfront and clear about exactly what you have to offer right away. This will eliminate prospective clients who wouldn’t benefit from working with you, and ensures that visitors find the exact information they’re looking for right away.

Display your practice areas in a clear, attractive way, like in the example above.

Hiring an attorney isn’t like hiring a plumber or a painter. Who you hire can play a big role in the outcome of your case, which is why it’s important to introduce your lawyers to prospective clients on your website.

Include a professional photo of your lawyers, as well as a short bio detailing their experience, education and background. This will help prospective clients feel more comfortable with you and be more willing to work with you.

Most law firms claim to be the best at what they do — the most aggressive, the most experienced, etc. But not all of them can be the best, and consumers know this.

What you say about your law firm will never hold as much power as what your past clients have to say about working with you. If you’ve got good client testimonials, your website is a great place to showcase them.

Highlighting positive client experiences, like in the example above, helps to take the guesswork out of hiring your law firm and gives potential clients more peace of mind.

When someone visits a lawyer’s website, it’s not usually just to browse. They are there for a specific reason.

Maybe they want to know about your practice areas or to get to know your lawyers. Maybe they want to learn about your rates and fees, or simply to find your contact information.

Whatever the reason, make it easy for visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for by laying out your site in a simple, user-friendly way. This starts with having the right navigation.

A good, old-fashioned menu-style navigation, like in the example above, is often the best choice for law firm websites because they are familiar and easy to use.

Chances are, you’re not the only attorney in your area, nor are you the only one who offers your particular practice area. And, often, if someone is doing research about which attorney to hire, they’re going to visit more than one law firm website.

If you want your website visitors to become leads — and eventually clients — then you need to find a way to make it stand out against the crowd.

When it comes to web design, it doesn’t pay to beat around the bush. Be straightforward and make it obvious why you’re the best choice and why someone should trust you with their legal representation.

Once someone has landed on your law firm website, read your content and decided you’re a good fit for their needs, the next step is for them to schedule a consultation or appointment. It’s up to you to make it as easy as possible for them.

Not everyone will want to call you or submit a contact form on your website, which is why it’s important to give your leads lots of ways to get a hold of you.

Make sure that you have your contact information on a Contact page, but also list your phone number in the top right corner, as well as in the footer, on every page. And, be sure to include alternative forms of contact, like your email address.

Having a contact form where visitors can request for you to reach out to them is another powerful way to get leads. Just make sure that you keep your form short and sweet, like in the example above.