What Consumers Want from a Local Business Website

BrightLocal, a leading local search company based in the UK, recently asked consumers 4 Questions about local business website design. What can your law firm learn from how consumers answered these questions? Here are the questions, answers and brief analysis.

1. When considering which local business to use, which of these statements about ‘local business websites’ applies most to you?

68% of respondents said having a well-developed website was a key factor in the opinion they hold about a business and directly influences their decision to use a local business. Older consumers are looking for just a decent website while younger consumers are looking for high level of design and no surprise are more likely to contact you if you do have an impressive web presence. If your firm’s practice area focus trends towards younger consumers your need to update your site design on a regular basis adding interactive features such as live chat and video content.

2. What information is most important on a local business website? (Select up to 3)

Law firms must clearly list their phone number, address, office hours and practice area focus on all site pages so prospective clients can quickly evaluate if your firm meets their requirements to be in the game so to speak for selection. Blog content, mobile web presence, photos and videos become tiebreakers upon which a consumer makes a decision when comparing several firms.

3. Which factors make you want to use a local business the most?

How close you are to your firm’s prospective client base plays a big part in the decision of whether they will contact you. This becomes even more important to prospective clients in older age brackets. Clear contact details and overall information about your firm are again very important. Testimonials, images and awards and recognition are not as important which is surprising. Many firms we work with are securing satellite offices in the closest highly populated areas to drive more traffic to their sites and convert more clients. The key from a local optimization perspective is to make sure your satellite office address is unique to your firm so a Google® + Local page can be built and your firm as a chance of then being displayed in the map or local results which now dominate the search results pages.

4. Which factors are most likely to stop you from using a local business?

If your firm does not clearly list your contact options, phone number and contact form prominently displayed on every page of the site, you are very likely to lose prospective local clients. Also, sloppy or misspelled content will not be looked upon favorably. Not being able to immediately see how to contact your firm or finding error on the site or even a copyright date that is not updated could lead to losing a prospective client.