Did you know that 42 percent of users will leave a website because of poor functionality?
It’s easy to think that law firm websites just need to look pretty in order to gain the right following, but you’d be sorely mistaken. When users visit your website, they want something intuitive to interact with, and they want easy access to all of your business’s relevant information.
Designing a great website doesn’t have to be hard, though, especially if you follow the right trends. Luckily, we can help. Read on to learn five of the best tips for designing a website in 2022.
1. Prioritize Mobile
Most of today’s internet traffic comes from mobile users rather than desktops or laptops. That’s why it’s essential for your website to be both optimized and efficient for mobile use.
One of the best ways you can do this is by shortening your load time and scroll lengths. When prospective clients search for a lawyer, they don’t want to waste their time searching through pages to find answers. That’s why catering your user’s experience to mobile devices like Samsung or Apple is the best possible thing you can do to increase your traffic.
2. User Experience Is Essential
Speaking of user experience, this is another trend you’d do well to cater to with your website layout. Whether it’s for mobile or desktop users, simple navigation is something that everyone benefits from.
A lot of websites use common navigation elements that most users have come to expect. That means making use of simple navigational tools like menus and dropdowns, and ensuring your calls to action (CTAs) are prominent. This makes it so you don’t have to teach anyone how to use your website or access your law firm.
If this is the case with your current website, you’ll likely find that you’ve lost more business than you ever realized.
Internet users have a lot of options at their fingertips these days, and if your law firm’s site is difficult to use, then they’re going to move on to better options.
3. Focus on Design
Aesthetics matter more for your website design than you might actually think. Your website is what gives visitors their first impression of your firm, and it’s important to catch their eye and draw them in from the beginning.
Minimal
For this design, you’ll see fewer images and more use of white space. This makes it simpler for users to navigate seamlessly, as there aren’t any confusing elements to distract them from where they’re going.
It also makes your law firm feel more approachable. People seeking out your services are often in a vulnerable place, and they want something that’s easy to use. It might be a subconscious choice, but if there are other things on their mind they’re not going to have the energy to dig around for your contact information.
A few other things that can help you achieve this are less bold colors and graphics and more clean lines with messages that are easy to understand.
Modular
Modular layouts are another popular web design option that enables straightforward navigation.
Instead of paragraph blocks, your website would make use of boxes containing certain text. Those boxes are differentiated with shading to help important information flow logically, rather than having a jumble of information in a wall of text.
This makes your website a lot easier to skim and explore for specific things rather than having to dig around for them.
If you choose this design, make sure the elements you include are essential to your law firm and its brand. If not, you’re going to confuse people further.
4. Accessibility Matters
Accessibility is simply another facet of UX. Inclusivity is becoming the norm, and your website should cater to those with disabilities. Remember, if your website caters to a lot of different audiences, you’re going to be a lot better off.
Color blindness, for example, fares well with highly contrasting colors and visual indicators that don’t only rely on color. Labels for each field in a form are good for people who use screen readers to navigate the web, and so does decent use of alt text.
For those with impaired mobility, keyboard navigation is useful. Whether it’s interactive elements in a logical order to make navigation with the tab button simple, or visual indicators to help highlight interactive elements on your website, taking small steps could make a huge difference.
5. Invest in Security
Security is one of the most important parts of web design trends. As threats become more and more intelligent, your website needs to keep up. A lot of browsers are cracking down on website security, so if you don’t advance you’re going to be left in the dust.
Google Chrome is an excellent example of this. If a site doesn’t have a security certificate, it’s going to be labeled as “not secure,” and visitors might even be barred from visiting your website altogether.
At a minimum, you’ll need to have an up-to-date security certificate to keep your website up and running.
Design the Best Law Firm Websites With These Tips
When it comes to designing the best law firm websites, keeping the best trends in mind is essential. Whether you’re just giving your website an update or a complete overhaul, it’s important to ensure you’re hitting all the necessary marks. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone.
We’re here to help you out every step of the way. Contact us today to get started.
