How to Choose the Perfect Web Designer for Your Law Firm

Wondering how to choose a web designer for your law firm?

A legal practice is not like a general business. Law firm web design calls for skills that go beyond an average designer. It requires an understanding of the legal industry, including the strict regulatory requirements that law firm websites must follow.

Most importantly, a specialized web designer for law firms knows what it takes for prospective clients to book consultations, which is the primary goal of the website. 

When push comes to shove, it’s about presenting information in a way the average person can understand. 

Your legal services impact people’s lives in a significant way. First impressions matter, and that first impression oftentimes happens on your website. 

The question is, how do you know if a professional web design company understands this and is a good fit for your law firm? 

To evaluate their skills, here are seven tips to keep in mind during the selection process.

1. Look at the Web Designer’s Portfolio

First and foremost, you need to get a feel for the web designer’s style – and if it meshes with your vision for the website. 

When selecting a web designer for your law firm, don’t just evaluate their general portfolio – look into their past work for other legal firms.  

Ask the designer for examples of law firm websites they have built to get an idea of their approach to custom web design. Try to look at their samples from a client’s perspective. 

• Does the UX design give off an instant sense of professionalism?
• Is the information structured in a way that guides people to book a consultation? 
• Does the overall aesthetic make the firm seem trustworthy? 

This will help you determine what you do (and do not) want from your own legal website’s design. You may consider working with a designer who ONLY designs websites for law firms – or specializes in them.

2. Get a Feel for How They Work with Clients 

Next, you’ll want to find a professional website designer that has an excellent discovery process (specifically for legal clients). The discovery process allows the designer to get to know you and your business model, understand your vision, and create a website that accurately represents your firm’s mission. 

Different law firm web design teams have different client onboarding processes and interviews. Some are better than others. 

Make sure that your designer has a discovery process that includes pertinent questions about: 

• Your law firm’s story 
• Your values in providing service to people
• What makes you different than every other firm out there 

You should always feel confident that the designer truly understands your needs specifically, not just anyone. 

Note: a rudimentary discovery process is a red flag. 

If a web designer rushes the onboarding process and isn’t willing to put in the time for discovery, they may not be sufficiently invested in creating a website that serves your law firm’s needs.

3. Ask About Timelines 

Web design projects can be time-consuming, typically taking between 10 to 12 weeks to complete, depending on the scope of the project. 

When commissioning a website for your legal firm, you need to find a professional web design team that is available to take on your project and that will complete it in a timely manner. 

You’ll also want to work with a web design agency that prioritizes your project. 

• Do they seem responsive? 
• Do they have a set timeframe for you to review and confirm?
• Have they explained the turnaround times for edits?

Now, it’s important to note that talented web design teams are busy. The issues come in when they are making false promises, giving you excuses, and not delivering on their word. 

A good web design team is upfront about everything. If they are busy with other projects, they should tell you about it in the beginning – and what to expect in terms of timelines. Moreover, they should communicate throughout the entire design process to keep everything on track. You don’t ever want to feel in the dark or like your project doesn’t matter. 

4. Request a Walkthrough Demonstration of Website Design for Law Firms 

High-end website designers don’t take shots in the dark. 

They have a battle-tested, reliable process for getting information from clients and designing websites from start to finish, along with managing day-to-day progress and adjustments. 

Request a demonstration of their process, any professional web design company will be happy to show you. This will give you a better understanding of how the designer approaches law firm websites and how they will handle your project.

It makes a huge difference to have a clear picture of this before the project kicks off, rather than waiting until work is underway. This will help ensure that you and the designer are on the same page from the beginning and that the final product will meet your expectations.

5. Secure Pricing Information Upfront

What’s the most important step in determining how to choose a web designer for your law firm? 

Pricing. Everything comes down to pricing. 

To put it bluntly, a good law firm website is not cheap. But keep in mind, this is the digital face of your firm, and you get what you pay for. 

The most important thing to look for in a web designer’s pricing model is transparency.  

No one likes hidden fees or sneaky upcharges. A good website designer makes no mysteries in their pricing, and will explain everything in detail long before the project begins. 

They may request a deposit once the design process kicks off or they may even require 100% upfront. Just talk with them and figure out an option that works for everyone. The most important thing is they don’t hit you with any shady upsells or other BS. 

6.  Ask if Their Design Services Include Copywriting

When creating a new website or redesigning an existing one, the copy (text) plays a key role. Without it, your law firm website is little more than a jumble of images and colors. Whether you’re starting from scratch or are redesigning your website, you’ll most likely need a fresh copy.

Now, there are very, very few web designers that can also write appealing website copy. But when you hire an agency, they will likely have a copywriter to work directly with the web designer. 

The team you choose must understand how to write client-centric copy specifically for a law firm website. The Bar lays out many different things attorneys can and cannot say on their site, and the copywriter should be familiar with this. 

Law firm copywriting requires a specialized approach that takes into consideration the design process, search engine optimization, and appropriate legal phrasing. Don’t settle for amateur, generic copywriting. If a web team doesn’t have experience writing for law firms, find a copywriter that does.

7.  Ask if They Do SEO Work

People don’t go to the yellow pages to find lawyers anymore, instead they turn to Google. 

SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of getting a website placed on relevant Google searches. 

Say you’re a personal injury attorney in Salt Lake City. You need your website to show up on Google when people search for “personal injury firm in Salt Lake City” or “personal injury attorney near me”. 

This is why SEO is non-negotiable for law firm websites. 

SEO goes hand in hand with website copywriting and web design, making it an important consideration when choosing a web designer for your law firm. Some examples of SEO work that go into law firm web design include:  

• keyword research
• optimizing website structure and navigation
• creating optimized content
• ensuring fast website speed 
• mobile-friendly design

By incorporating these tactics into your website’s design, you will increase your site’s visibility and attract more potential clients. Don’t underestimate the value of a professional web design agency that has experience in law firm SEO.

Hiring a Law Firm Web Designer

Deciding how to choose a web designer for your law firm is a multi-faceted process. 

With stringent ethical and professional rules regulating the content law firms can display, you need someone who truly understands your industry-specific needs. 

This is why specialized website design for law firms matters.

At Law Edge Solution, we understand the needs of legal practices – in terms of design, content, and SEO. If you’re interested in learning more about our web designs for law firms, please don’t hesitate to reach out to book a free strategy call.