Other Lawyers Are Not Your Competition. The Internet is Your Competition.

Lawyers compete with more than other law firms online; they compete with user experience on the Internet as a whole.

Lawyers dipping their feet into the world of online marketing may initially be driven by a sense of competition with other legal professionals in their geographic area or field of practice. This is perfectly understandable; lawyers tend to have type-A personalities and are driven to succeed and be the best at everything they do — which is part of what makes them successful lawyers. However, law firms seeking to develop websites should keep in mind that other lawyers are not their only, or perhaps even their most important, competitors. You have to develop your website with the entire Internet in mind.

Improve and better your site for your own sake

Rather than competing with the Pittsburgh attorney across the way, consider the entire Internet as your competition. It matters less how much better you are than other lawyers and more how good your website is compared to other websites. You should be driven to improve your website not just because you want to stand out from the legal crowd but because you want your site to be up-to-date on current trends and best practices. An out-of-date website design can immediately cause someone to abandon their search for information about your firm.

How to become Internet-worthy

When users search your website, they are not just comparing you to other lawyers. They are comparing you to the user experience they have had on websites across the Internet. If you don’t provide an experience that pops, stands out or draws viewers in, they will suffer from indifference and quickly close the window or move on to the next website.

The best sites on the Internet follow a set of key technical and creative practices. SEO, design, copy and more are all aspects of creating a quality website. You want to create crisp, clean experiences that stand out from the clutter of videos, sites and images that make up the average Internet user’s experience.

Be sure to study up on how to build a better online experience for your potential client base. Don’t worry about what the lawyer down the street is doing. If you can follow best practices to create a great website compared with the best sites on the Internet, your business will improve no matter what the other lawyers do.