Website Trends for 2017 Like everyone in the digital marketing space, legal marketers need to stay up to date with where the industry is headed. It’s impossible to ignore the changes that are occurring across the internet; today’s customer dislikes feeling sold to, and the amount of time a business has to catch their interest continues to get shorter and shorter. Content marketing has moved to the forefront for many marketers, and current website trends reflect that focus. Has your firm’s website stayed up to date with these trends? Content is king From blog posts to infographics, content is taking center stage on law firm websites . One of the best ways to gain the attention and the trust of a busy, easily distracted potential customer is to provide content and resources that are useful and interesting to them. Because of the breadth and depth of content on a site, there is no longer the guarantee that a visitor will be “entering” the site through the homepage. In fact, research shows that fewer than 40% of visitors arrive on a law firm website via the homepage. Look at every page of your site through the eyes of a first-time visitor: does it have everything you’d need? Rich media like podcasts and video, recommendations for related articles, lead-generating forms and more are elements that help keep a visitor on each page longer, and to then funnel them deeper into the site. Site personalization Custom content and personalization is a major trend in the digital marketing field, particularly in consumer product websites. These systems allow your website to automatically deliver the appropriate content to the appropriate visitor - for example, someone who had recently been searching for information about traffic violations might see a blog post about what charges result in a license suspension, or a user who has visited the same page several times might be served a more aggressive call to contact an attorney than a first-time visitor sees. Depending on the system in place, this data may be based just on IP address and site cookies, or it may include access to a much larger database of consumer information. Expect to see this technology continuing to spread across the web. Magazine-inspired design With all that content, it’s no surprise that law firm websites are taking cues from online publications when it comes to design. New wider screen resolutions mean websites with dramatic edge-to-edge images and more real estate for laying out articles, videos, images and more. Many sites have started to adopt a “magazine-style” page layout, featuring a number of different content pieces on a single page to allow a visitor to browse a variety of content at once before selecting one to investigate further. Firms have also taken inspiration from publications by including links to related content following blogs and articles. These links help present the most relevant content to your visitors, keeping them on the site longer. Not only is this useful in building your brand with individual users, but search engines consider the amount of time a user spends on-site when determining page rank. Simplified navigation Web sites of all kinds are pruning their site navigation, whittling down the top level options to just a few major buckets. One major reason for this change is the rise of the mobile device; brands that want to get ahead can no longer ignore the importance of a responsive website , and trying to navigate an over-stuffed navigation menu on a phone is an exercise in frustration. These simplified navigations are also part of the current web design trend toward clean simplicity. Ideally, these broader tiers of navigation will make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for on your site, but a robust site search is a natural partner. Take advantage of the custom search tools available today like predictive search, smart matches and more to make it easier than ever to direct your site visitors to the content they are looking for. Web Designer in Roswell The digital world is constantly changing and evolving, and it is important to keep up to date with emerging website trends. Not every trend will be the right match for every website, but staying aware of trends will help you make sure that your site is on pace with those of your competitors. Visitors expect a site will be easy to search and navigate, designed to be accessed on any device, and filled with useful, engaging content. Without these elements, you risk your site seeming outdated and irrelevant.

FindLaw Alternatives People most likely to read this post are law firms searching for a website provider. Most law firms use Lawyers.com or FindLaw . The purpose of this post to explain why a Senior Consultant for FindLaw, like me, would choose to establish a marketing firm of my own, located in Roswell, GA. 1. Almost any small business owner can benefit from showing up in searches, and marketing for attorneys online is no different. It is a competitive market. While we could have limited our business to one type of law practice, we choose to work with multiple industries . This decision allows us to learn different techniques and marketing tactics that can be leveraged across industries. 2. Most FindLaw clients have two attorneys and are considered smaller law practices . It is my observation that small companies prefer to work with other small companies who understand the pressures of owning and operating a small business. Thompson Reuters is a Canadian company present in over 100 countries with about 55,000 people working with them. Three Vistas is a smaller web marketing agency that has much more in common with our clients. 3. FindLaw provides services for over 250 law firms in just Atlanta metro alone. How can they make everyone appear when same searches are made? Three Vistas is in the business of collaborating with competing law firms but is highly conscious of making sure their clients still trust them by being open and honest to them. We are very aware of the issues facing small law firms, and we try to eliminate the stress that comes with working with a large marketing company that is working for hundreds of competing companies simultaneously. FindLaw SEO is not the limit. 4. SEO is not the limit to online success. I learned the value of a search engine ranking during my time as a FindLaw consultant. In marketing, We use a more comprehensive approach at Three Vistas. At the beginning of any project with Three Vistas, we review four important pieces of information: where do clients currently show up in search engine rankings, who are their competitors, what are their competitors doing, and most importantly, which combination of services can increase the success rate of the online marketing program of the law firm. At Three Vistas, we focus on development, design, content, visibility, search, and social interaction of law firms. T he expense required and the amount of effort for each element necessary for the client solution is determined by the client. Focusing on SEO as a cornerstone of law firm marketing efforts is not always a great fit for every client. Three Vistas is aware of this, and our goal is to find a client solution that meets each law firm’s specific needs and goals. That is why our services are custom services and no two clients have the same solution. 5. Upgrades are not necessary for online success. FindLaw regularly supplies the marketplace with new solutions for clients. FindLaw clients have varieties of products to purchase from ranging from videos to blogs, social media solutions, and directory submission packages. The availability of new service guarantees the relevance of FindLaw clients in the online market. The approach I use for my clients is different from FindLaw’s “upgrade” method. Every year an assessment and review is done by our team on the online market to check the successes and failures incurred on the previous year in order to get a template for the development of a fresh new custom solution our individual clients. I have faith in the services provided by Three Vistas ; still, I’m also aware of the changes that occur in the online market. Google goes through roughly 400 algorithm changes each year , and the same holds true for Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter . The best way to meet up with a changing market is to change your marketing solution. 6. Three Vistas is aware that there are other companies that can offer our clients services that can benefit them. We are focused on ensuring client success and we are not afraid to leverage any service providers that we believe could benefit our clients. On multiple occasions, Three Vistas has suggested FindLaw services to our clients, and there are also solutions when we have not needed to leverage outside services. Legal Marketing Services If you do decide to use FindLaw or Lawers.com, you can rest assured that they are both excellent companies. But, if you would rather work with a localized marketing firm with custom services, then a firm that provides design and SEO services for lawyers with demonstrated measured success could be your best bet. We would hope that after surveying such firms, you would return to Three Vistas because of the strength and integrity we bring to the table. If you are looking for a web marketing partner to serve your law firm, look no further than Three Vistas.

Attorney Website Design Archives | Three Vistas Roswell | Atlanta

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Does Your Law Firm Need A Tagline?

By 3vhelp|2018-02-23T19:01:08+00:00July 5th, 2017|Attorney Website Design, Content Creation, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Website Design|

Law Firm Marketing and Tag Lines Does your firm have a tagline? More importantly, are you proud of it? Does it resonate with you? Many law firms feel stuck with a generic tagline that does not feel unique or true [...]

Website Design for Attorneys in 2017

By 3vhelp|2018-02-23T19:01:09+00:00June 14th, 2017|Attorney Website Design, Content Creation, Marketing, Website Design|

Do You Really Need An Attorney Website? Though it is often tempting to stay in the box of your own industry when it comes to website design, attorneys could benefit significantly from looking outside the traditional law firm website design. [...]

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Web Design Mistakes To Avoid

By 3vhelp|2018-02-23T19:01:09+00:00May 25th, 2017|Attorney Website Design, Website Design|

Web Design Mistakes To Avoid What does your website say about your firm? It’s important to build up your website with useful content like attorney profiles and blog posts, but in today’s fast-paced digital world first impression matter more than [...]

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2017 Website Trends

By 3vhelp|2018-02-23T19:01:09+00:00May 16th, 2017|Attorney Website Design, Website Design|

Website Trends for 2017 Like everyone in the digital marketing space, legal marketers need to stay up to date with where the industry is headed. It’s impossible to ignore the changes that are occurring across the internet; today’s customer dislikes [...]

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Do you have a boring resume bio?

By 3vhelp|2018-02-23T19:01:09+00:00May 10th, 2017|Attorney Website Design, Content Creation, Marketing, Website Design|

Attorney Bio Resumes Can Be Interesting A resume bio on a website does not have to be a great piece of literature, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t have a major impact on those who read it. In its [...]

How To Know If Your Website Is Outdated

By natosha|2018-02-23T19:01:09+00:00April 4th, 2017|Attorney Website Design, Design, Website Design|

Is Your Website Outdated? In the digital world, your website serves as your first impression to potential customers. You wouldn’t want to meet a new client in outdated clothes or looking disheveled, but that is effectively what you are doing [...]

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How to find new law clients online

By natosha|2018-02-23T19:01:10+00:00February 1st, 2017|Attorney Website Design, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimization|

How to find new law clients online From banking to groceries, today people can and do find anything they need on the internet. The search for a lawyer is no exception. The length of time the average person spends on [...]

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Marketing to New Law Clients in 2017

By natosha|2018-02-23T19:01:10+00:00December 21st, 2016|Attorney Videography, Attorney Website Design, Marketing Strategy, Website Design|

Marketing to new law clients in 2017 This the year you want to implement a powerful marketing strategy to get new legal clients. The online market for law firms is getting more saturated as small and mid-size marketing firms are [...]

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FindLaw Alternatives

By natosha|2018-02-23T19:01:10+00:00December 21st, 2016|Attorney Website Design, Market Implementation, Marketing Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Website Design|

FindLaw Alternatives People most likely to read this post are law firms searching for a website provider. Most law firms use Lawyers.com or FindLaw. The purpose of this post to explain why a Senior Consultant for FindLaw, like me, would [...]