At OneFirst Legal, we can have a website up in two weeks which is no small feat—but that kind of efficiency can only be achieved when attorneys are prepared for the project. We work fast, but we can only move at the speed at which you’re prepared to collaborate.
From writing copy ahead of time to involving the right decision-makers from Day One, here are five ways that lawyers can help us launch their site faster.
Come prepared to your first meeting.
Come prepared to your kickoff call having done your homework.
Before meeting with your design team, take some time to complete a basic design brief. Design briefs don’t need to be overly complex when working with a turnkey solution like OneFirst, but they should include things like:
- Your color and image preferences
- Your logo
- Your slogan
- Your areas of practice to be spotlighted
When you have a clear idea of these elements, you help accelerate the design process.
So, consider the visual identity you want to convey. Gather any existing marketing materials that can guide the website design. The more specific you can be about your preferences and goals, the easier it will be for our designers to create something that aligns with your vision from the start.
Have your copy ready to go.
You don’t need all your copy prepared for day one of the engagement, but you should have a good handle on the core pages you plan to include. This includes your homepage, about page, service descriptions and any other essential content.
A strong foundation allows us to execute quickly, instead of getting bogged down waiting for assets like written content. Seriously, the more organized and complete your copy is, the smoother the integration into the design will be.
Need help with content creation? Speak to your website consultant; we have a team of legal content specialists (who are also licensed attorneys) who can help.
Carve out time and commit to the process.
Website design does require some back-and-forth between the lawyer and the design team.
To keep the project on track, set aside dedicated time in your schedule to review the site and provide feedback. Your commitment should start before the engagement begins and continue throughout the design process.
If you need your site up quickly but aren’t fully ready, consider launching in stages.
Start by planning out which pages and features are absolutely baseline critical for your site’s initial launch. Then, outline a 30-, 60-, 90-day plan to roll out additional content and functionality. This approach allows you to have a functional site live sooner while still working towards a comprehensive final product.
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good.
Look, we’re perfectionists too! There’s nothing wrong with aiming for perfection (and we certainly do).
However, striving for perfection can lead to unnecessary delays in the design process when not mitigated by realistic expectations and flexibility. You’ll know that you are chasing perfection to your detriment when you are missing deadlines and prolonging the launch timeline.
We’ll reiterate: You can and should have a high-quality website.
Try to focus on creating a solid, professional site that meets your needs and can be improved over time. Remember, websites are dynamic and can evolve. It’s better to launch a good site on time than to delay indefinitely in pursuit of perfection.
Determine who needs final sign-off beforehand.
Approval is a bottleneck we observe frequently with lawyers who come to OneFirst.
To avoid last-minute surprises and delays, determine now who will have the final sign-off on the design.
Don’t try to hide the site from your partners, protect your personal design opinions or hold off on including key decision-makers in the name of efficiency. It will only lead to a bumpy, frustrating ride for everyone.
Ensure that people who must give approval are involved throughout the process and not just at the final review stage. Regularly scheduled check-ins keep everyone aligned and prevent any major issues from arising at the last minute. Clearly defined roles are a step in the right direction. Who has veto power?
Review and next steps
When you’re feeling ready to go, it’s important to catch that wave all the way to launch day.
You can significantly speed up the website design process by preparing and committing properly. Not only does this approach shorten the build time but it also results in a website that better represents your practice and meets your clients’ needs.
Book a consultation with one of our attorney website consultants and start the conversation today. The OneFirst team is committed to ensuring that your firm’s online presence is established quickly, efficiently and stylishly (if we do say so ourselves).
