Even if your law firm’s practice is 100% referral-based, the first thing most people are going to do when they get your name from a trusted source is to plug it into a search engine. What they find when they do so could inspire them to contact you immediately, or keep searching. 

If they find nothing at all, it’s a red flag; about 94% percent of law firms have a website. But just having a website isn’t enough anymore. It’s not that you have to have a ton of costly bells and whistles. But your website needs to achieve the essential goal of making prospective clients want to contact you. A website that can do that will pay for itself. But before it does, you’re going to have to pay for it. So, how much does a law firm website design cost? You will not be shocked to learn that the answer depends on many factors. 

What Goes Into Law Firm Website Design Cost?

We get it: it’s a little self-serving for a website company to tell you that a good law firm website design is worth paying for. But it really is true, and if you don’t believe it, listen to the people in the best position to know: our clients. Go ahead; we’ll wait.  

*soothing hold music plays*

Okay. Hopefully, you’re more convinced than ever that a good law firm website is worth the cost. Now let’s talk about some of the factors that go into that cost.

Complexity

No surprise: a website with lots of pages, interactive features like chatbots and client portals, integration with practice management software, and other advanced functionalities is going to be more expensive than a more limited website (not a “simple” website, because there really is no such thing.)

Customization

Likewise, the level of your website’s customization is going to have an impact on the price of website design. A fully custom website sounds great, but the costs add up quickly. A website from a template is much more cost-effective, but by definition doesn’t stand out from the crowd. The best course is often a hybrid between a custom website and a template-based website.

Design Quality

It’s the first thing your visitors see, and it makes an impression within seconds. The skill of your designer, and the amount of time that goes into your project, shows in the aesthetics and the user experience (UX) of your website. If your design is outdated or hard to use, website visitors may not hang around long enough to hear anything else.

Content

The design of your website draws users in; high-quality content, including attorney profiles and practice area pages, keeps them there. The words on your website show visitors what you know, what you do, and what makes you different from your competitors. The Modern Firm works exclusively with  attorney writers who know how to write about the law in a way that is meaningful to your readers.

Search Engine Optimization

Your website may look sharp, function well, and contain lots of substantive content—but it still won’t get you any leads if nobody finds it. If your business relies in whole or in part on people finding you through online searches, your website needs search engine optimization (SEO), including keyword research, on-page SEO, technical SEO, and continuing optimization.

Hosting and Maintenance

Website hosting is, in a nutshell, the service that allows your website to be accessed on the internet. Website maintenance ensures that your site is secure and functions properly. If your website designer doesn’t also host and support your website, you’ll need to contract and pay for separate hosting, and you’ll have to make arrangements for ongoing maintenance, including security monitoring and software updates. 

These are some of the major factors that can affect the cost of a law firm website, but there are other things as well, like whether you have an existing website, need a logo design, or want additional marketing services. 

Scroll to This Section If You Need to See Numbers

The information above helps you understand what goes into the cost of a law firm website, but chances are when you started reading this blog post, you were looking for specifics of how much you can expect to pay.

We can’t tell you in a blog post exactly what your particular law firm website design will cost, but we can give you a ballpark figure. At The Modern Firm, website designs often range between about seven or eight thousand dollars and fifteen thousand dollars. Because cost is, understandably, an important concern for most of our clients, we offer flexible payment plans and accept all major forms of payment. 

The factors described above can move your particular project up and down within that range, and occasionally outside of it. For instance, notes Kristin Lay, VP of Client Relations at The Modern Firm, if you have an existing website with hundreds of pages of copy that need to be manually moved over from another content management system (CMS), that’s going to take a lot of time and effort and increase your law firm website cost.

Because the cost of a law firm website is influenced by your choices, that means that you have some control over the cost. How do you exercise that control? In other words, what’s the best use of your budget? We can help you figure that out.

Arriving at a Price for Your Law Firm Website

Few attorneys and small law firms have unlimited resources to invest in their websites. That means choices need to be made—and most lawyers don’t have enough experience with this process to confidently make those choices. The temptation is often to save money wherever possible, and that can backfire.

It helps to remember that creating or updating a website is an investment in building your law firm’s business—usually to get more clients, but also to retain more of your preferred clients. You should be asking if each choice will bring you closer to your goal, but how do you know? Weighing your options with someone who has done this hundreds of times can help. 

At The Modern Firm, Kristin Lay is usually that person for our clients. Her role includes getting a solid understanding of what you need for your website, and tailoring a website design package that makes sense for your unique needs and goals. Usually, by the end of a conversation, Kristin can deliver a specific price quote that can help you decide how to move forward. 

It’s a big decision. If you’re ready to commit, terrific; if you need to look around first, that’s fine, too. But while comparison shopping, remember to compare apples to apples; otherwise, a lower price quote could conceal things you’ll have to pay extra for later.

Some things to ask an agency when you’re trying to understand their quote for law firm website design cost:

• Is the website design custom or template-based? How many design revisions are included in the price quoted?
• How will you identify and express my firm’s brand? Is there a branding process involved in the website design?
• What is the website design process like? Is there a specific timeline I should expect? Who is my point of contact if I have questions?
• What features and functionalities will be included in the website design? Will it be mobile-responsive so it can be viewed on all devices?
• Does the website cost include written content? If not, is it available at an additional cost? What background and training do your writers have? Is content optimized for SEO?
• Who owns the website and its content after launch?
• Do you offer website hosting and maintenance? What support is included in my website design package, if any—security monitoring, updates, backups?
• What platform will the website be built on? Will I be able to make updates myself, or will I have to go through your agency? If I must go through your agency, what cost is associated with that?
• Will the website be ADA-compliant as designed?

Kristin notes, “We try to help our clients use their resources wisely and apply them where they’ll get the greatest benefit. After launching their websites, most of our clients spend between $1500 and $5000 on ongoing monthly marketing efforts, and they typically see at least a tenfold return on that investment—sometimes much more. But the foundation for effective marketing is a website that represents the law firm’s brand.” 

The bottom line is that your law firm website design cost should be tailored to your goals and your resources. To get an idea what a new or updated website will cost your firm, and the benefits you can expect from it, contact The Modern Firm to schedule a call.