How well does your law firm’s website convert prospects into leads?
This is an answer you should know, especially if you pay in any way to generate website traffic.
You see, whether you use SEO, pay-per-click or some other digital marketing strategy, you’re just burning through your marketing budget unless you know a consistent percentage of that traffic will turn into leads.
Here are a few conversion stats to help you compare how your website stacks up against your competitors (Source: Search Engine Land):
- Across all industries, the average landing page conversion rate is 2.35%.
- The top 25% of online businesses achieve an average 5.3% conversion rate.
- The top 10% of landing pages in the legal industry have an average 6.46% conversion rate.
The bottom line is, with 80% of all traffic going to the top 10% of websites, increasing your conversion rate isn’t just an option these days — it’s a critical key to staying relevant online.
Here are 7 ways to improve your conversion rates, while turning more website visitors into leads:
1. Embrace A/B testing
Also known as split testing, A/B testing involves alternating two or more variables on a website or landing page and presenting them to different users. You then monitor the results to determine which version performs best for a selected conversion goal.
You can test for clicks, subscription sign-ups or leads. Just change the messaging, layout or offer until you find the best option. This allows you to narrow down your strategies and even combine them for greater conversion.
2. Avoid page pollution
Provide clear direction on where you want visitors to go and what you want them to do. Since web users have notoriously low attention spans, keep your layout simple to avoid distractions. You especially want to go easy on the options for campaign-specific pages.
For websites rich with legal resources, include a search field so visitors can get quicker access to the content they need.
3. Create a killer value proposition
Your value proposition is a simple statement that explains what you do and how you’re different in a way that appeals to your target audience. It should provide a clear meaning for your prospects the moment they read it. It should also avoid mentioning anything related to your price, services or years of experience.
Here’s a strong value proposition from Henry Carus + Associates, a personal injury law firm in Melbourne, Australia:
Double or Even Triple Your Compensation Without Going to Court.
Remember, your prospects aren’t looking for an attorney; they’re searching for solutions to their problems.
4. Clarify your call-to-action
Display a prominent, well-defined call-to-action on every page of your website. Make it easy to find and painstakingly clear why your prospect should take the next step in your “buying” cycle.
Also, keep in mind, a shared trait among well-converting websites is a unique offer. Free consultations, discounts and trials are far too common. Get creative with your offers and test different ones to find what converts best.
5. Encourage interaction
Effective content creates communication. So encourage comments, provide fields to fill in and let your visitors know you’re listening. Remember, too, if you answer questions while prospects are still on your website, you can often convert them quicker (or at least get them coming back for more). A live chat function gives you this ability.
The added benefit of live chat is it allows you to learn prospects’ most pressing questions and concerns. You can then adjust your website or landing pages to address the issues that come up most.
6. Embrace video
You knew we’d include this one. The facts, though, are tough to argue against. You see, including a high-quality brand video on your website can increase conversion rates by up to 300%. Video also keeps people on your site longer (88% longer, to be exact).
Just understand that your video quality is a direct reflection on the quality of your law firm and legal services. Research from Brightcove shows 62% of consumers are more likely to have a negative perception of a brand that published a poor quality video.
7. Keep in contact
In a perfect world, all your visitors take your desired action the first time they come to your website. Of course, you know this just doesn’t happen. The “buying” journey is often much more complicated, with visits to other law firm websites and online resources.
Retargeting is one way to stay in front of people who don’t convert right away. With this form of online advertising, you can maintain contact with anyone who leaves your website — and bring in leads you would have otherwise missed. According to ReTargeter, website visitors who are retargeted with display ads are 70% more likely to convert on your website.
