Guides / Getting started
25 Sept 2025, 13:40
/ 3 minutes
Starting a new law firm is exciting — but also risky. Today, you build trust online before a client ever calls you. A poor law firm set up online means fewer leads, less trust, and lost business.
This guide is part of our Law Firm Online Fundamentals series. Here, we cover the must-have digital foundations every modern firm needs.
A solid online foundation is more than “just a website.” Let’s break down the essentials:
Your website is the digital front door of your firm. It should be fast, clear, mobile designed, and easy for clients to use. Research shows 94% of first impressions relate to website design (1).
Legal websites must include pages like:
privacy Policy,
terms of Use,
and Regulatory Information.
These aren’t optional. Missing them can cause fines and loss of client trust.
Using Gmail or Hotmail looks unprofessional. A professional email adds credibility. It is also one of the easiest things to set up through Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
Google Business Profile
This free listing is crucial for local search. With 93% of online experiences starting with a search engine (2). Your firm must show up where clients are looking.
SEO Basics
SEO (search engine optimisation) helps your firm rank in Google. Even small tweaks can bring steady leads:
adding local keywords,
improving service pages,
and blogging.
Brand Identity
Your logo, colours, and tone must be consistent. Studies show consistent branding can increase revenue by up to 33% (3).
What happens if you skip these essentials?
Clients judge credibility fast. 75% admit to judging a company’s trustworthiness based on its website design (4). If your site looks outdated, they leave.
Without SEO or a Google Business Profile, your firm is invisible. You miss clients who are searching “solicitor near me” today.
Failing to include the right legal pages can cause regulatory trouble. It also makes clients feel unsafe sharing data.
Revenue Impact
Traffic without trust = wasted money. A Clio Legal Trends Report found 57% of clients looked online first before choosing a lawyer (5). If they don’t find you, they find your competitor.
Here’s a practical, step-by-step law firm set up checklist:
Pick a clear domain name (e.g. smithfamilylaw.co.uk). Keep it short and easy to type.
Use your domain with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Create emails for all staff.
Hire a specialist in law firm website design. Ensure it:
works on mobile,
loads fast,
and includes service pages, contact forms, and compliance policies.
Step 4: Create Your Google Business Profile
Add your firm, address, phone number, and opening hours. Upload professional photos. Ask clients to leave reviews.
Step 5: Start SEO Basics
Optimise your pages for keywords like “family solicitor in Kent.” Write one blog per month answering client questions.
Step 6: Define Your Brand Identity
Choose colours, fonts, and a logo. Keep consistency on your website, email signatures, and social profiles.
Firms with active SEO and content see 55% more website traffic (6) than those without.
Skipping online setup is risky. It costs you trust, leads, and clients. A strong law firm set up is the foundation for growth. Get it right from day one and your digital presence will work for you, not against you.
Ready to set up your firm online the right way?
Click here to see our law firm website services
TLDR: Market your virtual firm
An effective digital marketing strategy creates an easy law firm set up and is critical for attracting clients online.
Create a professional website. Your website is your virtual storefront. It should be SEO-optimised, mobile-friendly, and include lawyer profiles, credentials, and service descriptions.
Develop a content marketing plan. Regular, high-quality blog posts, articles, and videos on legal topics relevant to your target audience can establish your firm as an authority and attract organic traffic.
Embrace social media. Use platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to build your brand, share content, and engage with potential clients.
Cultivate online reviews. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile to build trust and credibility.
References
Secondary sources:
94% of first impressions relate to website design - AMC Digital Library, ‘First Impressions and Website Design’ (2004) Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/985692.985776 accessed 25 September 2025.
With 93% of online experiences starting with a search engine - imFORZA, ‘8 SEO Stats That Are Hard to Ignore’ (imFORZA Blog, 2020) https://www.imforza.com/blog/8-seo-stats-that-are-hard-to-ignore/ accessed 25 September 2025.
consistent branding can increase revenue by up to 33% - Marq, ‘Brand Consistency Can Increase Revenue by up to 33%’ (Marq Blog, 2019) https://www.marq.com/blog/brand-consistency#:~:text=A%20business%20with%20consistent%20branding,reducing%20turnover%20in%20the%20process. accessed 25 September 2025.
75% admit to judging a company’s trustworthiness based on its website design - Clique Studios, ‘Web Design Statistics’ (Clique Studios Blog, 2021) https://cliquestudios.com/web-design-statistics/#:~:text=1%29%2075,reason%20they%20mistrust%20a%20website accessed 25 September 2025.
57% of clients looked online first before choosing a lawyer - Clio, ‘Website Packages for Lawyers’ (Clio Blog, 2022) https://www.clio.com/blog/website-packages-for-lawyers/ accessed 25 September 2025.
55% more website traffic - HubSpot, ‘Marketing Statistics 2023’ (HubSpot, 2023) https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics accessed 25 September 2025.
