Imagine walking into a grocery store that looks perfectly fine at first, but then small things start negatively impacting your experience: the cereal box you grab from a shelf feels empty, signage is confusing, the queue lines aren’t clearly marked, and the card payment terminal doesn’t work. A law firm’s website works similarly and minor oversights can make it feel less polished, even if the overall design looks professional.
Polished websites don’t just happen because of great design. They shine because someone has paid attention to the finer details. Yes, the big elements matter: clear navigation, strong visuals, and well-structured content. But those shouldn’t overshadow the small things, which can quietly diminish the overall experience. The upside? A little extra care goes a long way.
Here are ten common oversights that are easy to address:
1. The copyright year in the footer: A simple update that shows your site is current and cared for.
2. Expandable sections with no content: Some sites use expandable or tabbed layouts for practice areas, where clicking a heading opens up a drawer with more detail. But when the content in one of these drawers is empty, it feels unfinished, like a placeholder left behind. If you’re not ready to fill it, it’s better to leave the feature out.
3. Social media icons that don’t link anywhere: Better to leave them out until they’re ready – dead or missing links look careless.
4. Opening every link in a new window: Keep browsing smooth and uncluttered for your visitors.
5. Neglected footers: This is prime real estate for contacts, offices, and regulatory details. Design it thoughtfully.
6. Anonymous testimonials: Credibility grows when praise is linked to a name, company, or at least some context.
7. Broken Google Maps widgets: A quick fix that ensures clients can find you with ease.
8. Hamburger menus on desktop: On larger screens, clear navigation is better than hiding options.
9. Pages showing “Published by Admin on [date]”: Pages like “About,” “Our Team,” or “Practice Areas” are not supposed to display an author or publication date. When they do, it looks like a blog post template that hasn’t been customized to the needs of pages.
10. Hover-over effects being an afterthought: Buttons and links should become clearer, not disappear, when interacted with.
None of these are major problems, but if a site has a few of them, they add up to an impression that the firm isn’t paying close attention to detail – precisely the quality clients expect from their law firms.
By Saida Ayupova, Founder, Five-o-eight
