What Is the Process For Building a New Website for Your Law Firm?

Are you considering an updated website for your law firm? Some firms redesign their sites every few years while others wait a lot longer. Either way, it’s not something you do regularly, but it is something we work on every day at LaGrande Marketing.

As a company focused on improving the online performance of law firms, website redesign is a major part of our business. So we’re going to share three core components in creating a new or updated website for a law firm.

Deciding on a Look and Feel for the New Site

In most cases, about 40% of the project involves finding the right look and feel for the law firm’s site. We start with a blank piece of paper—or more accurately, a blank computer screen—and start developing a look for the website. We consider the client’s preferences for colors and whether they want a traditional concept or something more modern. We consider the components they want to include such as videos and blogs.

Then we create a series of design mockups and get feedback on what the clients liked and did not like. We try to get them to view the new site from the eyes of a potential client to see whether it reflects the image they want to convey. The revision process goes on as long as it takes to get a look and feel that satisfies decision makers at the firm.

Content Creation

The second big component of a website redesign involves development of content. This also makes up about 40% of the project.

We start by looking at what’s on the current site. Do we need to make adjustments to the home page text or add some new videos? Do we have quality content covering all of the firm’s practice areas? Do we need to expand, update or rewrite any current pages?

The content creation process is crucial to a successful website design. Because it generally takes one to two months to produce the right content tailored for a particular firm, we start developing content while we are also working on the layout of the site. We try to coordinate the project so that by the time the law firm has approved the look, we have approved content ready to format and add in.

Building and Testing

The last part of a website redesign is the easiest part for clients, because all the work falls on our team. We take the approved designs and build in the content to create a fully functioning website. It takes a couple of weeks to implement every component, check the look and performance, and test absolutely everything. We want the whole thing to look and work just as it should, but we also know a website is always growing and changing, so we build sites that are prepared to withstand frequent adjustments.

Don’t Be Intimidated by the Process

The prospect of a website redesign can feel overwhelming for many attorneys, which is one reason they put it off longer than they should. But when you trust the project to experienced professionals, there is no need to worry. As we say at LaGrande Marketing, “You’re in good hands.” (Okay, we have to admit Allstate started using that motto before we did.)

If you have questions about the website design process or other aspects of your law firm’s online presence, we’d be happy to talk to you. Just reach out at lagrandemarketing.com.

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