Content of any kind — printed, digital, broadcast, televised, etc. — relies on clear strategy and proven consumer research to be successful. Easy, right? Not so much. If you’ve ever hemmed and hawed over your law firm’s website content, you are far from alone. In this post, we’ll outline some basic insights into how you might organize and produce your content, specifically focusing on tone and subject matter.
1. Don’t Overwhelm Your Visitors
You and most other attorneys possess a vast wealth of knowledge pertaining to your legal experience and practice areas. You are likely able to recite or paraphrase laws and statutes, as well as reference historic cases and the precedents which they set. This makes you a fantastic lawyer, but it could cloud your judgment when it comes to content.
It is true that sharing all of this relevant (and impressive) information on your website may help you establish credibility. That being said, it will likely overwhelm and even alienate the typical web visitor. They already expect that you and your competitors have a firm grasp on pertinent laws. However, when they browse attorney websites, they want to see why else they should choose you over someone else, and complicated legalese is unlikely to accomplish this. This brings us to our next point.
2. Show Them Who You Are, Not What You Do
What makes you different from the other personal injury lawyer in the area? What will they get from working with you that they can’t get from another family law attorney? The answers to these questions should drive your content. Here are some examples of differentiators we’ve featured on some of our client sites:
- Experience in different industries that adds depth & offers a unique perspective
- Community involvement
- Publications
- 24/7 answering service
- Keen relationship building skills resulting in lifelong clients
- A commitment to providing a warm & judgment-free office environment
3. Tap Into Their Emotions, Fears, Hopes & States of Mind
Perhaps the best and most important way to convert website visitors into new clients is to challenge yourself to truly get into the mindset of your clients. What are they afraid of? What are they hoping to accomplish? What is standing in the way of their happiness? In what emotional state do they usually come to you? Recognize the humanity in your clients and build your content to reflect that.
For example, if you are a family law attorney, your content should seek to ease the pain and stress a client likely feels as they contemplate divorce and child custody. Conversely, if you are a criminal defense lawyer, you may want to highlight the high stakes of a conviction and inspire confidence in the visitor that you won’t back down from any case, no matter how serious it might be.
4. Always Remember the Purpose of Your Site
Simply put, your content will be most successful if you get on the same level as your clients. You must remember that your website isn’t for you, it’s for them. Though featuring highly-technical practice area information or an extensive list of past cases may make you happy, that won’t matter much if your phone is silent and your potential clients feel like you just don’t “get” them. Every piece of content you publish should be in absolute service to your clients, period.
