Is Your Firm Website Costing You Consults? 25 Checks You Can Run This Afternoon

The client-friendly website audit

Open your website on a laptop and your phone. Work through each check below and tick the ones your site already passes. Your progress saves automatically in this browser.

• A. First impression: Can they get it in 5 seconds?

• 01 Homepage headline states what you do in plain English Your headline says what you do in words a stranger would understand, e.g. "Family law for Twin Cities families," not just "Smith & Jones, P.A."
• 02 Your city or region is visible near the top A potential client can tell where you practice without hunting through the footer or an About page.
• 03 It is obvious who you primarily serve Families, small businesses, individuals, or another clear audience is named early, not implied.
• 04 One clear primary call to action appears above the fold Call, schedule a consult, or contact form, one obvious next step before they scroll.

• B. Clarity and structure: Is your content easy to skim?

• 05 No huge walls of text on the homepage Short paragraphs and scannable sections, not dense blocks that feel like a brief.
• 06 Key practice areas are listed with short descriptions Each main area of law is named plainly with a sentence or two about who it helps.
• 07 Plain language beats legal jargon wherever possible A non-lawyer can follow the homepage without a dictionary.
• 08 Font size is comfortable on desktop and mobile Body text does not require zooming or squinting on either device.
• 09 Important information is not buried What you do and how to contact you are easy to find without clicking through three pages.

• C. Navigation: Can they find what they need?

• 10 Main navigation is simple The menu is short enough that a first-time visitor is not overwhelmed.
• 11 Individual pages exist for your main practice areas Each major area of law has its own page or clear section, not one catch-all page.
• 12 Attorney bios are easy to reach A visitor can find who works at the firm without guessing where bios live.
• 13 Contact information is easy to reach Phone, email, or form is one or two clicks from anywhere on the site.
• 14 Office location or directions are easy to find Address, map, or directions are obvious for someone planning a visit.
• 15 Contact info appears on every page in some form Header, footer, or sticky bar, phone or contact link is always available.

• D. Mobile experience: Does it work on a phone?

• 16 Text is readable without zooming Open your site on your own phone and confirm you can read it comfortably.
• 17 Buttons and links are easy to tap Tap targets are large enough that you are not fighting mis-clicks.
• 18 Phone number is click-to-call Tapping the number on mobile starts a call, not a dead link.
• 19 Images and layouts do not break or overlap Nothing overlaps, crops badly, or pushes content off screen on a phone.
• 20 No key information is hidden or cut off Headline, practice areas, and contact path are all visible on mobile, not desktop-only.

• E. Trust signals: Do you look real and credible?

• 21 Attorney headshots are current and consistent Photos match who is actually at the firm and share a similar style.
• 22 Bios explain what each attorney actually does in plain language A visitor can tell who handles their type of matter, not just where someone went to law school.
• 23 The site shows signs of recent activity Updated copyright year, recent blog or news, or current events, not a site that looks frozen in time.
• 24 Testimonials or case-style stories are ethical and compliant If you use them, they follow bar rules and focus on client experience, not promised outcomes.
• 25 You avoid generic stock imagery as the primary visuals Gavels, scales, and handshakes are not doing the heavy lifting instead of real people and your firm.