In this digital age, having a website for your firm is no longer an optional extra. You need a comprehensive website that showcases your services, demonstrates your expertise, and offers your potential clients social proof. If you’ve got plans to build a website in 2023, here are some of the best website builders for lawyers.
WordPress bills itself as “the world’s most popular website builder” and it’s easy to see why. With ready-designed themes and drag-and-drop editing, it’s simple to use and stylish. WordPress gives you lots of DIY options, but if you decide to upgrade to something professionally designed and maintained, you’ll find plenty of developers who can create what you need using WordPress. There are also plenty of add-ons and plugins that are compatible if you need additional functionality. You won’t need to know how to code to get started, you can just start building your site.
Wix is a high-performance, easy to customise platform, with options for inbuilt scheduling, calendar management and secure payment functionality that are all designed for professional services. Their templates are easy to use, with drag and drop editing and even Artificial Design Intelligence to create a customised site to suit your needs. Advanced bookings analytics support you to grow your firm, and you can access your site and client bookings through their app. Wix is designed for businesses, and their functionality fills a broad scope of business needs.
If you’re a design connoisseur, Squarespace is for you. With award-winning design templates that you can then customise to suit your firm, Squarespace is aimed at the creative in you. It also has inbuilt scheduling and billing functionalities, and integrated marketing tools. Custom intake forms support streamlined onboarding, and automatic confirmation and follow ups make keeping on top of your client engagement simple.
Site123’s big selling point is their free entry-level plan. It’s easy to use with a no-code editor, and your website will be mobile-friendly. If you’re after an affordable and quick option, Site123 will suit your needs. You can use it to schedule bookings, create custom forms, and collect email subscribers. Site123 is the way to go if you want a simple, easy-to-use tool.
Zyro sets itself apart from the other website builders on this list with its inbuilt AI tools, including a logo-maker, blog title generator, and heatmap. It’s simple to build your site, and mobile-friendly, with a no-code drag and drop editor. They have 24/7 customer support and no hidden fees.
Weebly offers more dynamic design functions, like advanced animation and video backgrounds. Like the others on this list, it uses a no-code drag and drop editor, so you don’t need to be tech savvy to make the most of these features, but you can also fully customise your site with HTML/CSS and JAVASCRIPT. Email and SEO tools are inbuilt, and there are plenty of third-party integrations available to add functionality.
If you grew up learning html to add sparkly backgrounds to your myspace or LiveJournal page, you might think it’s a no-brainer to create and manage your own website given all the DIY website builders on the market.
It’s a sensible idea to choose a website builder that you can use yourself for small changes, updating content and information, or in a pinch if something goes wrong, but make sure you consider the time that it will take you to maintain and update your site over time. Your website is often your first impression on a client, so it’s important that it’s kept to a high standard.
Your main concern when deciding whether to outsource or DIY is likely to be cost—and you can certainly save some money up front by going the DIY route. But making a simple update that would take a developer a few minutes might take an hour of your time—so consider carefully whether it will really save you money to choose the DIY option. Lawyers aren’t known for their abundance of free time, and you should consider whether you’ll be able to consistently allocate time to maintaining your website, even in your busiest weeks. If it comes down to completing a deliverable for a client or updating your website, it’s likely your website can’t be your top priority. At the same time, your website is how many of your clients will find and contact you, so it needs to be up to date and functional. In the long run, outsourcing your website is probably the more practical choice for many lawyers.
These days, most website builders are simple and easy to use, with drag and drop functionality that gives you lots of options.
When you’re choosing which website builder to use, consider your budget, your functionality needs, and your own technology capabilities. Your law firm’s website doesn’t need to be overly complicated but should showcase your services and share your expertise. Gone are the days when your website could be a simple digital business card. Choose your website builder based on the future needs of your firm.
So what’s our pick for the best website builder for lawyers? WordPress and Wix give you a great mix of functionality and flexibility, but don’t hold you back from creating something more sophisticated in the future.
When you’re deciding which one to use, make sure you keep your clients’ experience front-and-centre. A great law firm website is a great way to attract new clients, but it’s still critical to create an efficient legal practice. mattero can help you simplify your matters and improve your clients’ experience, with everything you need to build your practice in one smart management tool.