Without a doubt, yes, your law firm needs a mobile friendly website. Just as the PC replaced the typewriter, tablets and smartphones are gradually replacing the PC. As this progression continues, more and more businesses are discovering just how important it is to have a solid web presence that is tablet and smartphone friendly. In fact, if your legal practice or law firm doesn't have a mobile friendly website and a social media presence, then your clients could easily pass you by for a law firm that does.
While the PC will continue to reign supreme for the time being, it is gradually being eclipsed by mobile technologies.
Here are some recent numbers that illustrate the point pretty clearly:
These are taken from total web traffic in the US throughout 2012:
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79.8% of web traffic came from desktops
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5.6% came from tablets
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14.6% came from smartphones
While these numbers show desktops still dominate, what they don't show is that web traffic from mobile devices increased 40% from 2011, and payments being made on mobile devices increased by over 190%. It's a trend that is clearly on the rise and will continue as smartphones become more commonplace in the pockets of American consumers.
Here are some more numbers to chew on:
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61% percent of smartphone users called a local business after conducting a mobile search
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59% of smartphone users visited a local business after conducting a mobile search.
Those percentages represent potential clients, clients that may need a personal injury attorney after a car accident or a criminal lawyer after an encounter with the law or a client in need of representation for an immigration case. Do the math.
Fortunately, it doesn't take much to make your website mobile friendly. Here are some basic steps you should take to make that happen:
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The first step is to determine how much of your traffic is coming to your site via mobile devices. This will give you an idea of how critical it is for your business.
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Once you have determined your traffic via mobile devices, it is then time to develop a layout that will easily fit on mobile devices. There are several CMS (content management systems) out there with a variety of customization options that you can use to make your website stand out among the crowd. They each also have features that tailor your website instantly depending on the type of mobile device users are operating.
As with any website, there are some key points you need to consider when developing a mobile friendly website:
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Prioritize your content and the structure of your information so your clients can find what they need quickly and without much difficulty.
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Be prepared to adjust your site as needed. It's always a good idea to beta test it via existing clients and incorporate their feedback into your plans.
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Remember to optimize your content using standard SEO principles.
As a law firm or attorney, you want to be easily accessible to a variety of clients. More than half of all mobile subscribers in the U.S. have smartphones and more than 50% of adult Americans own smartphones.
According to the Pew Research Center, there are 95 million people in the U.S. who are still holding on to regular cell phones. However, if the upward spiral continues, between 20-25 million of those individuals will convert to smartphones this year.
Are you still not convinced your law firm or attorney’s office needs a mobile friendly website? Download our free internet marketing for law firms eBook!
