Posted by Law firm websites often have a lot of text rich content, but little in the way of multimedia or graphics. Visitors to a website need something that grabs their attention, tells a story, and delivers it in short, digestible bits. Consider updating and enhancing your site content with some video, infographics and live feeds.
1. Lights, Camera, Action: Video
More and more law firm websites are incorporating video. In addition to using multi-media to add interest and engage your visitors, you can fit a lot of content into a short amount of time that does not require someone to read a long article. It can also highlight the real lawyers in your firm and help introduce them to potential clients. This November 2012 article from the American Bar Association on How Lawyers are Using Video has great information on the basic who/where/how/why of law firm videos. If that doesn’t convince you let’s look at some YouTube statistics:
- Over 800 million unique users per month
- More than 20% of global YouTube views come from mobile devices
- 500 years of YouTube videos are watched every day on Facebook, and over 700 YouTube videos are shared on Twitter each minute
A YouTube channel is free. Creating good looking videos will likely require getting help from a videographer. Or, if you want to create educational videos that are a little more “fun’ you can use sites like goanimate.com or www.xtranormal.com to create an animated video using your own script.
2. Learning Is Fun: Infographics
Infographics are the new way to communicate complex information in a visually appealing way. It takes charts and graphs and punches them up for today’s graphics oriented and attention deficient audience. Companies like Visual.ly let you subscribe to the service and request a custom infographic through their marketplace. For attorneys looking to add some visual punch to their websites or blogs, the over 25,650 infographics in 27 categories can also be embedded in your website. Simply find one that speaks to your target audience and grab the code. For instance, if you represent green companies you could add a “going green at the office” infographic or if you want to let your clients know to keep their social media presence curbed you could add the “Privacy Fail: Concerns that Face Facebook Users” infographic.
3. Keep It Fresh: Social Media Feeds
Clients not into Twitter? No problem! If you tweet, and wish more of your clients and potential clients were on Twitter, you might want to take a look at Twylah. Twylah, currently in invitation only beta, is a free (for now) service that turns your tweets into a beautiful, customizable web page with subject groupings, graphics and more. What might have looked like gibberish, or too much information to non-tweeting clients and colleagues is now beautifully arranged and shows your tweets to their best advantage. The easiest way to explain Twylah is to look at an example: http://www.twylah.com/catherinereach .
Additionally, whether your firm is active on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook, it is possible to show the updates to those profiles directly on your website. Your website may not get updated as often as you would like, so this is a way to add some fresh content and interest PLUS provide your website visitors a glimpse at your social media presence.
A law firm’s website is a vital first impression for potential clients. How well does your website reflect your firm? Get a Law Firm Website Review from the Chicago Bar Association’s Law Practice Management & Technology Director. This service will not only report on a site’s content and appearance, but also look at management and organizational issues to help the firm keep the site fresh and current. Take advantage of this objective review for your firm’s website to help provide the best possible reflection of your firm to website visitors.
This article first appeared in CBA Record February/March 2013