What is a badge, and do I need one for my law firm website?
We are often asked whether our attorney-members should put a badge on their law firm website’s web pages. Typically, the badge signifies a type of honor or membership in a group. Some of the badges are available for purchase (even though they are awards), and others are available for free.
Read on for more information about badges, how you can quickly and easily display your firm’s badges on your LawLytics website, and how to focus on what matters when it comes to displaying your expertise on your website.
What’s the Big Deal About Badges?
The main motivation attorneys tend to have when displaying badges on their website is singular: Their competition does it. It’s assumed that if you don’t display your honors, awards, and badges like your competitors do, your potential clients may assume your competitor is a better choice for their case. However, the use of badges on your law firm website has the potential to be counterproductive.
One of the primary purposes of your firm’s website is to keep clients and potential clients engaged and inspire them to get in touch. If your badges mainly operate to send visitors away from your website, they could be working against you.
For example, if you were to display an Avvo badge on your Attorney Bio page that links to your attorney profile on Avvo, you could be inviting potential clients to browse your competition on that site. Think of it like this: Your website didn’t have any competition for your potential client to browse, but your Avvo badge takes a web visitor directly to more options for legal representation.
If you’re interested in incorporating badges on your website, it’s best to leave off the hyperlink. That way, your potential clients can browse through your accolades without being sent to an external website that may advertise your competition.
Where to Display Badges on Your Law Firm Website
If you’re interested in displaying your firm’s badges on your website, the two best places are:
- Near a contact form or another CTA. Badges can help draw visual attention to your contact forms and other calls-to-action on your website.
- On your Attorney Bio page. Badges can help remind a potential client who you are, what you do, and why they should hire you.
How to Add Badges to Your LawLytics Website
Badges can be a helpful addition to your law firm website to highlight professional accreditations, awards, or membership in a group.
To add your firm’s badges to your website, follow these steps:
#1 Log into your LawLytics account.
#2 Hover over the “Publish” menu and select “Sites”.
#3 Click on the box with your site’s URL.
#4 Locate the appropriate page in the left-hand column or create a new page.
#5 Place your cursor within the content editor where you’d like to insert a badge.
#6 Click the “Widget” icon in the formatting toolbar.
#7 Select “Insert Image” if you only have a graphic of the badge to display.
- Click the image icon to select it from the media library and click “Insert”.
- As an option, select the link icon in the upper left-hand to “Link to” another page. Note: We do not recommend including links to directories that feature your competition.
#8 Or, Select “Insert Code” if the vendor supplied a snippet of embeddable code.
- Click the code icon to insert the embeddable code and click “Insert”.
#9 Click the green “+Add” button to add additional badges up to 12 per page.
#10 Click “Insert”.
#11 Click “Publish Changes”. Note: To save your changes without publishing, first unpublish the page.
Have questions about adding badges? Give us a call at 800-713-0161, option 2, and a Support rep will be happy to help.
Focus on What Matters and Leave Out the Fluff
While badges can help provide visual cues to potential clients on what types of accolades or awards you have received throughout your legal career, they aren’t going to function as your firm’s unique selling proposition. Instead, your website should focus on the social proof that comes from serving your clients well.
The following are excellent ways to display your firm’s expertise on your website:
- Client testimonials. Testimonials are a primary source of social proof for your potential clients. Your law firm website should have a dedicated testimonials page that potential clients can easily access and review.
- Case summaries. Similar to client testimonials, case summaries are a great tool to display positive client experiences with your firm. Your law firm website should have a dedicated case summaries page that potential clients can easily access and review. To craft compelling narratives that detail the client’s journey, start with the challenge they faced, highlight the solutions you provided, and conclude with the positive outcomes they enjoyed.
- A strong attorney bio. Including your legal achievements in your attorney bio can be very impactful to a potential client. Things like awards, publications, speaking engagements, and certifications can help you display your expertise and set you apart from your competition.
- Blogs. Blogging can be a great opportunity to pursue thought leadership in your area of practice. By consistently producing informative articles, blog posts, and resources related to your legal specialization, you position your law firm as an authority in your area of practice.
Get A Modern, Attractive, and Optimized Law Firm Website with LawLytics
As a LawLytics member, you can be confident that you have access to the latest tools and technologies that help you run a successful law practice. We follow proven, best practices for digital marketing and are consistently releasing new enhancements and resources that put your website on the cutting edge.
If you’re currently a member and would like help displaying badges and awards on your LawLytics website, please reach out to support. If you’re not yet a LawLytics member and would like to learn more about how we can help you reach more potential clients online, schedule a 20-minute interactive demo.
