Best PracticesLaw Firm Websites in 2013

by PaperStreet

All Lawyers Need a Great Web Presence Tips for 2013 Marketing

1. Mobile2. Design 3. Content4. Development5. Search Optimization

Mobile

• Mobile is over 10% of all traffic.• Mobile specific design vs. Responsive design.• Mobile Design: One column, Logo, Menu, Text

and Contact Info. All Static. • Responsive changes from multi-columns to

single on the fly. Similar design.

ArcherLaw.com is Responsive

Design & Branding

• Message: Clear sentence of what your firm does.• Imagery: Reinforce your message. Cityscapes,

Gavels and tired imagery is a fall back only. • Consistency: All your pages have the same style. • Calls to Action: Guide users to contact you! • Headlines & Subheads: Headlines that are vital for

information hierarchy. Use H1 – H3 at least.• Typography: Your headlines and paragraphs need

to be readable. No more tiny fonts.

DKLaw.net has a clear brand and message

Design & Layout

• Mobile: Must consider tablets and mobile. • Modern: Layout should be clean and easy to use. • Content: Organized and in a pyramid structure. • Home Page: Most important content goes here.• Sub Pages: Consistent layouts and easy to find.• Footer: Repeat contact info, CTAs and menus. • Navigation: Get to all pages quickly and easily.

Staas & Halsey – Very Organized

Design & Interaction

• Menus: Create obvious rollover effects.• Features: Show/hide or expanding menus.• Buttons: People like buttons. • Calls to Action: Guide the user!• Clickable: Make sure all items are clickable.• Social Icons: Utilize social media icons.

SearcyMassTorts.com Everything is clickable, easy to digest.

Content: Simple Ways to Improve

• Taglines, headlines, subheads and photos.• Break up long run-on sentences.• Include SEO Phrases!• Edit to fit audience.• Cut any outdated/factually incorrect info.• Case Examples!!!• Add a FAQ section.• Assign each attorney one page (or two).

Farr Law firm Breaks Up its Copy (and ranks high in search)

Content: When Writing, Keep in Mind

• Readers skim; they don’t read• Your Content is too wordy already – cut down.• Make your content client-centric.• Don’t just write about your business. • Use FAQs, Q&A, How To, Case Studies, Top 10s.• Use tables, charts, maps, lists, images, and diagrams.• Make headlines, sub headlines, and sub-sub headlines.• Use bullet points and short paragraphs for skimming.• Don’t Duplicate. Don’t steal and don’t regurgitate.

Bodoff Shows His Client Focus with a Case Study

Content: Show, Don’t Tell

• One basic tenet of good writing is to “show, don’t tell.” • Who isn’t committed to success? Overused phrases like

“highly experienced,” “knowledgeable” and “committed to success,” apply to nearly all firms.

• Quantify: Back up such statements in concrete, quantifiable terms to create stronger, persuasive copy.

• Demonstrate: Board-certification, Decades of practice, Representative transactions, High-profile clients, Publications and Speaking Engagements

Bodoff Backs Up His Experience Claim

Development & Usability

• Menus - Consistent, Logical, Clearly Labeled.• Prominence – Put what is important up high

on the page and don’t require scroll.• Links - Link colors should be readily apparent. • Justification - Do not justify paragraphs of text

StockBrokerLitigation.com Has Everything Above the Fold

Development & Perfect Pages

• Who, what, where, when, why and how.• Have a desired action on each page (click,

educate, download, contact).• Don’t emphasize everything, as everything

then loses importance.

InCourt.com has Clear Calls to Action

Development & Technology

• Create a Responsive Design• W3C Validate your Code• Use Google Analytics & Google Webmaster Tools• Check for Broken Links, Check your Contact

Forms• Create Title Tags, Meta Description Tags, Alt Tags• Create Rich Snippets

Use Google Analytics

SEO Research

• Brainstorm all possible keyword phrases for your practice and geographic areas.

• Use Google Keyword Suggestion Tool to vet your brainstorming sessions and improve ideas.

• Finalize an active keyword phrase list and a passive keyword phrase list (long tail).

• Active: Use in your copy, title tags, meta description, headlines and off-site link building.

• Passive: Prepare copy to target specific phrases.

Use Google Keyword Suggestion Tool

SEO Content

• Avoid Keyword Stuffing, Cloaking, Hiding Text and Spammy Tactics.

• Create a pyramid structure of your content.• Make sure each keyword phrase you are

targeting has its own page of content.• SEO your Headlines or Subheads.• Make Headlines Easy to Understand.

City Spam – Don’t Do This• Call today for a confidential consultation if you or a loved one

are in need of a Fort Lauderdale criminal lawyer or a criminal defense attorney in Aventura, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Biscayne Park, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, Doral, El Portal, Florida City, Golden Isles, Goulds, Hialeah, Hieleah Gardens, Homestead, Indian Village, Islandia, Kendall, Key Biscayne, Leisure City, Medley, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Miami Shores Village, Miami Springs, North Bay Village, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-Locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Pinewood, Princeton, Richmond Heights, South Miami, Sunny Isles Beach, Surfside, Sweetwater, Virginia Gardens, West Miami, Westchester, Westwood Lake.

SEO Architecture

• Short Page Names with Phrases in URL• Title Tags less than 70 Characters• Meta Description Tags for Branding• Alt Tags for photos• Creation of Robots.txt• Creation of Sitemap.xml• Google Webmaster Tools & Google Analytics

Good Meta and Title

SEO Easy Links

• Become an Expert in your Area• Social Media.• Free Directories & Local Citations• Paid Directories• Press Release. Guest Blogging. • Research Competitors. • Link bait.

SEO Analysis

• On a monthly basis check out your Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools, and Site Rankings.

• Test & Improve using online toolsets from http://www.seomoz.org, http://www.silktide.com/sitebeam, http://www.alexa.com/siteaudit, and http://websitegrader.com/

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