From the big movies screen to the mobile phone, movies and television shows must work on screens that are dramatically different in size, shape and resolution. The same screen-to-screen consistency is also necessary for law firm websites, which have to look and feel the same on every screen, from a mobile phone to a tablet to a desktop. And with more people using smart TVs, the sites have to work on the big HD screens also.
Take a test drive. Open your site on your phone, tablet and desktop. Check to see the uniformity in performance and appearance. Navigate around the site.
Speed matters. If your site has not been optimized for mobile with responsive design, or if it is a traditional (read dated) website that was just tweaked to squeak through as a mobile site, it may be slow by comparison to your competition’s sites. Ask prospects to wait for a site to load, and they’re already gone to another firm.
Look at competing law firms Do the same test drive with your direct competitor’s websites, again on three platforms: mobile, tablet and desktop. Look for speed and performance.
Design elements need to work across platforms. Firm logo, color palette, use of negative space, typefaces, proportion, contrast and organization are just a few of the elements that IMS designers use when building a responsive design website that looks as good as it performs.
Speak with one voice. If a law firm website’s home page is emotionally engaging but the interior pages feel cold and technical, the user is left wondering if they somehow ended up on another law firm’s website. Choose a singular “voice” and be consistent in content on the website, blog and social media.
Website design has changed. Screen resolution is a key factor in web designs. Today IMS designs websites based on resolution and not the actual physical shape or size of the screen. There are simply too many variants. If the resolution is correct, the site will work everywhere.
Device use is changing fast. Are your prospects finding you on desktops when they are at work or on their tablets when they are relaxing at home? Every market is different, but it is safe to say that the majority of people searching for estate planning law firms are transitioning to mobile. If you aren’t changing with the times, you may be losing market share.