Guest post by Lawyerist.com

There’s no question that a law firm needs a full-featured website so that potential clients can quickly locate you and learn about your services.

However, there are several best practices you need to keep in mind to ensure that your website is an effective marketing tool. The best law firm websites have several things in common. First, they clearly communicate their value proposition. For example, if you are a family lawyer and you wish to convey that you are a good listener, your website should reflect that in its design with things like calming colors and pictures of lawyers listening to clients. Related, your website should immediately make clear what types of services your firm offers. Prospective clients don’t want to surf through multiple pages just to figure out if your firm is a good fit. Next, a law firm website definitely needs to incorporate responsive design. Your website should alter itself to be viewable on mobile phones, tablets, and regular browsers. (You can test the responsiveness of any website by using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.) Successful websites of all stripes also use bold colors, have visually arresting imagery, and good typography. It is also particularly important that law firm websites use professional photography for bio pages. Your bio page will be one of the most frequently visited pages on your website, so you need to look your best. Make sure to update your photo at least every five years. You also need to make sure some basic pieces of information are easily located. Is your phone number easy to find? Can people click directly on the phone number to call you if they’re viewing the site on a mobile device? Your home page should also include a contact form—not just your phone number, as sometimes prospective clients prefer to reach out via email instead. When your website clearly communicates your values and services, projects a visually attractive presence, and makes it easy for prospective clients to contact you, it will serve as a great marketing tool for your firm.