A website as the first evidence of credibility

A recommendation from a friend opens the door, but your website has to get the visitor through it. In a questionnaire, we asked members of the public how they perceive law firms’ websites and how much a missing or poorly made website affects which firm they choose.

The short answer: a company with a poor website, or none at all, loses twice.

• It loses prestige against its competitors – and, for law firms, against the opposing party, who will be checking up on it.

• It loses customers, because it fails to build trust before the first meeting.

How people look for a law firm

The first part of the survey looked at how people search for a law firm. 79% of respondents would use the internet to find one.

A personal recommendation is no guarantee either. As the second part of the survey showed, the vast majority of people want to look at even a recommended firm in advance and build their trust before getting in touch.

How a website shapes the choice

The public sees having a website as standard. Simply having one is not enough, though: according to the second part of the survey, the quality of the website significantly influences which firm people choose.

Almost 90% of respondents will look the firm up online. That is why even a personal recommendation is no sure win.

Firms still have to fight for their clients’ trust – and a poor website loses it before they have even met.

What next

We show how to uncover your own website’s weaknesses in the follow-up article, How to assess website quality. It includes a simple six-category test you can do yourself.

About the survey

The questionnaire was completed by 362 respondents aged 18 to 80, of differing genders, orientations, beliefs, occupations and fields of study. The survey ran from December 2022 to January 2023.