Building a Brand Identity for Your Law Firm

Lawyers know the importance of a first impression. The feel of your office is what initially inspires confidence. You want to radiate success, comfort, and financial security. When your client steps into your office for the first time, you want them dazzled by your achievements and diplomas, impressed by the polished desks and comfortable furniture, and pleased by the confident, knowledgeable attitude you exude. A great brand identity can do the same thing. 

Unlike 20 years ago, a client’s first impression is no longer formed in the controlled environment of your office. Now your first interaction with a client will be through your law firm website. Do you know what kind of impression you are making?

Every company, no matter the size should strive to create a brand that represents to the public what they value and what they are. Here are some easy tips we follow when designing brands and websites.

What Goes Into a Brand?

One of the most important things about creating a brand identity is making sure everything is cohesive. It’s also important to create a law firm branding style guide or corporate identity guide to outline how to use the following elements.

Logo

Your logo should be simple, easy to read, and memorable. The logo should be specific to your industry and appeal to your clients.

Your law firm logo colors should match the rest of your brand, and it should be able to easily translate to a black and white design.

Fonts

Selecting one or two complementary fonts can subtly but substantially impact your brand. Serif fonts are classic and sophisticated. Sans serif fonts are modern and clean. A professional designer can select legal fonts that showcase the type of firm yours is (and can even do a mix of both). 

Colors

Colors are very important to brand identity, as the psychological impact can really make an impression on clients. Be careful and selective when choosing law firm color palettes. 

Graphics

Graphics can include things such as logotypes (a logo centered around your company name or initials) and/or logo marks (logos that are centered around a symbolic image). 

Many companies will use multiple versions of fonts, as using a logotype may be appropriate for a business card, while a logo mark may be appropriate for app icons and social media profile photos. 

Mockups

When you receive a branding package, you’ll be able to see how your brand looks in real life: on things such as business cards and letterheads. 

Bad Law Firm Branding Design–Do You Need an Update?

Unsure of whether or not your brand is working for you? Often, you’ll want to ask an outside friend, as you might be personally attached to your current brand identity. Here are some things to look for when determining if you need a new brand design.

Outdated

When you go to your lawyer website, does it look like it was made in the ‘90s? Having a long history is good when it comes to internet marketing, but having a website that hasn’t been updated in 20 years will not inspire client confidence.

Unprofessional 

Having a website is better than nothing, but if your site was put together by your nephew with his high school-level web development skills, it will definitely show. You put a lot of effort and expense into having a professional office. Your website is your online office, and it deserves the same level of attention to detail.

Garish

Even worse than outdated lawyer websites are ones that try too hard to be flashy. Avoid flashy banners, garish color schemes, and gimmicks. Consider the tone and color scheme of your office, and design your website to match. You want your clients to be able to understand the tone of your practice by looking at your website.

Unhelpful

While you won’t be able to convey the entirety of your legal knowledge onto your brand and website, you should certainly strive to give your clients a thorough understanding of who you are, your areas of practice, and your qualifications. Your potential clients are using your website to decide whether you are worth a phone call. Make sure it’s an easy decision for them.

Principles of Branding for Lawyers

Law firms create brands to get their name out there and to make their name a statue for recognition, thereby attracting potential clients. Here are some principles to use while creating a brand and brand identity.

Simplicity

Humans find simplicity aesthetically beautiful. 

Simplicity is easy to read, easy to recognize, and easy to recreate. You want your logo and brand to be easily recognized by potential clients and pleasing to the eye in order to draw them in and make an impact. 

Customer-Focused

It is always a good idea to let your customers know whom they are working with, but there is no need to write blog after blog about the company retreat and the employee of the week. 

Instead, focus on writing content that interests and builds your customer base. Use your website for law firm marketing branding, not personal branding.

Make an Impression

The biggest purpose of having a professional brand identity is to make a sophisticated and lasting impression. 

Trust is built on first impressions, so create a brand that is simple and honest—captures what your company stands for.

After the brand hooks your customers, keep them coming back by developing thoughtful, relevant, and interesting content.

Contact Law Firm Sites

Need to help with your law firm website branding? Let us help! We offer attorney marketing branding packages so that your firm can leave a lasting and positive impression on your potential customers. Contact us today!