How to Give Your Website Personality

How to Give Your Website Personality

Law firm websites can fall into a bit of a rut, remaining devoid of any meaningful personality to reflect the identity of the firm. While law firms are looking to portray a professional demeanor, that doesn’t mean their website designs have to be plain. Injecting your website with some personality is a great way to impress and engage visitors. Below are some easy tips for adding a little pizzazz to your most important digital asset.

Imagery

Having high resolution, professional photographs of your firm’s attorneys is a fundamental necessity for a successful law firm website. Traditional headshots are okay for individual biography pages and give your website a corporate feel. But keep in mind that visual imagery, including photographs, is one design aspect where you can inject personality and really convey the corporate culture of the firm.

First and foremost, environmental lawyer photography humanizes lawyers in ways words simply can’t. Additionally, images help people connect; in fact, studies show people remember only 20% of what they read but nearly 80% of what they see. Photographs are a great way to showcase your law firm’s persona, immediately signaling to website visitors who you are. Using these photographs as part of the homepage design can give your website a distinct personality right off the bat.

Before investing in professional photos, think about what you want them to convey. Do you want to appear approachable – the type of lawyer who clients can relate to and have that ubiquitous beer with? Or do you want to seem like a strong and formidable courtroom litigator ready to win? Location can also help you add personality to your photos: a warm and inviting background versus a downtown skyline or city street. No matter what feeling you want to portray, just ensure all imagery stays in line with your brand identity.

Color and Pattern

While your website design should conform to your law firm’s brand identity – which is reflected most commonly in its logo – don’t be afraid to play around with additional complimentary color options to create a more visually interesting website. Gradations of your primary colors can be used as accent backgrounds and heading text to give depth and emphasis. By repeating the same color in either lighter or darker variations, you maintain a cohesive look and feel while giving your website an individualized complexion. As well, using a contrasting or brighter color is a great way to bring attention to your calls to action, especially for buttons you want users to click.

Patterns are another great way to add texture to your website. Patterns make excellent backgrounds for blocks of important text and add dimension to your website in a way static solid colors cannot. Using subtle patterns (or even bold ones, if you law firm is feeling bold) provides yet another point of visual interest for visitors.

Differentiating Factors

There are over one million licensed attorneys in the United States, which begs the question: what makes you unique? Setting yourself apart from your competitors is paramount, especially in the digital realm. When visitors arrive at your website, they must instantly be able to gauge who you are, what you do, and why you are different – all without ever speaking to you directly. Essentially, you have to “sell” yourself with this single digital snapshot. Make sure your website accurately reflects all of the elements of your brand and provides users with the information you want them to know.

Differentiating yourself can come in many forms. If you operate in a smaller market and grew up in that geographic area, talk about the fact that you are a native resident and have long-time ties to the community. If you are dedicated to philanthropic work, create a page showcasing your community involvement with different non-profits and charities. Maybe you are very involved with your alma mater and its related alumni associations. Or perhaps you have a hobby that is widely relatable, e.g. animal rescue, hunting/fishing, or running marathons. All of these elements contribute to a unique persona and provide points of connection with potential clients, professional connections, and referral sources.

Looking to Make Your Website Stand Out?

Law firms of all sizes and practice areas can choose to create visually dynamic and engaging websites. Your online headquarters should be a place where the firm can truly express its brand identity in a way that invites visitors to explore what makes them unique. Make sure your law firm is capitalizing on its chance to connect with users by showing the personality of both the firm itself and its individual attorneys. Find out how we can help your law firm showcase its personality on a website today.

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