Maybe your site feels like it’s stuck in a time warp, with a design that screams “2018 called and wants its hero image back.” Or perhaps you’ve noticed potential clients bouncing faster than you can say “hello?” Either way, before you dive headfirst into a redesign project that could cost more than a first-year associate’s salary, let’s talk strategy. Here are the questions you really need to ask yourself before embarking on a website redesign this year.
“Is my website prepared for the future?”
Remember when virtual court appearances seemed far-fetched? Real life changes faster than case law. Your website must be built for tomorrow’s practice, not just today’s. This isn’t just about having a modern design — it’s about building a foundation that can evolve with emerging technologies and changing user expectations.
Consider how quickly client expectations have shifted. Not too many years ago, a responsive website was cutting-edge. Today, it’s table stakes. Your clients expect seamless experiences across devices, instant access to information, and sophisticated self-service options. Tomorrow? They might expect AI-powered document review, augmented reality consultations, or integration with platforms we haven’t even imagined yet.
This is where law firms stumble. They invest in a website that hopefully meets today’s needs but becomes a constraint when new opportunities emerge. A truly future-ready website requires thoughtful architecture decisions from the ground up:
- Your content management system should be flexible enough to accommodate new types of content and functionality
- Your technical infrastructure should support rapid integration of new tools and services
- Your user interface should be modular, allowing for easy updates without complete overhauls
- Your data architecture should facilitate personalization and advanced analytics
But future-proofing isn’t just about technology — it’s about creating scalable processes and frameworks that support your growth. How will you manage an expanding content library? How will you maintain performance as your traffic grows? How will you integrate new service offerings or expand into new markets?
“What am I really trying to accomplish?”
Before choosing color palettes or debating the merits of parallax scrolling, let’s talk about what success actually looks like. Too often, organizations jump into redesigns with vague goals like “modernize our look” or “improve user experience.” While these aren’t wrong, they miss the bigger picture of what your website should be achieving for your firm.
A thoughtful website redesign can transform your digital presence from a fancy business card into a revenue-generating powerhouse. We recently worked with a firm that came to us wanting a “fresh new look.” After digging deeper, we discovered their real opportunities: their thought leadership content was buried, and they were losing market share to competitors with more sophisticated digital experiences.
The result? Their redesign didn’t just look better — they aligned their website strategy with concrete business outcomes: validating and nurturing leads more efficiently, establishing market authority, and streamlining prospective client interactions.
“How do I stack up against the competition?”
Here’s a hard truth: your clients and prospects are comparing you to your competitors right now, probably in multiple browser tabs. However, effective competitive analysis goes far beyond checking out their color schemes or font selection.
Think like your potential clients. What questions are your competitors answering that you aren’t? Where are they providing value that you could deliver better?
The goal isn’t to win a website feature war — it’s to understand the competitive landscape so you can carve out your unique position. This means looking beyond surface-level comparisons to understand:
- Where your competitors are truly providing value (and where they’re just making noise)
- What questions they’re leaving unanswered
- How you can solve problems in ways they haven’t considered
“How is my website performing?”
Before diving into design mockups or debating color palettes, smart organizations invest time in understanding their current digital position. This means going beyond basic analytics to uncover the real story your data is telling.
Start with a data-driven analysis of your existing site. Rather than making assumptions, gather concrete metrics:
- What do your analytics reveal about user behavior patterns?
- Which pages have the highest exit rates, and why?
- Where are your conversion funnels breaking down?
- What feedback have you received from actual users?
This kind of insight only comes from a thorough analysis of user behavior patterns, conversion funnels, and actual user feedback. It’s about understanding not just where visitors drop off, but why they make those decisions. By establishing this baseline, you create a clear roadmap for improvement rather than relying on subjective preferences.
Check out: “5 Signs Your Website is Hurting Your Firm’s Growth”
“What metrics actually matter?”
While overall traffic might make for impressive reports, vanity metrics won’t tell you if your website is actually moving the needle for your business. In 2025, sophisticated digital measurement means focusing on metrics that directly impact your bottom line.
Think beyond basic pageviews.
Are visitors engaging with your key service pages? How many are downloading your thought leadership content? What percentage are taking meaningful actions that indicate real interest? These are the metrics that illuminate the path to improvement. Modern analytics should tell you:
- How visitors navigate through your site’s key pathways
- Where they encounter friction in their journey
- Which content resonates with different audience segments
- What patterns predict successful conversions
The real power lies in connecting these dots. Understanding that a visitor who reads three blog posts is twice as likely to contact you is actionable intelligence. Knowing that users who engage with your case studies convert at a higher rate shapes both your content strategy and user experience design.
“What’s my content strategy?”
Your content needs to demonstrate thought leadership while answering the questions that keep your potential clients up at night. Think less “full-service law firm” and more “here’s how we helped a tech startup navigate complex IP issues during their Series B funding.”
Today’s audiences expect — and deserve — content that provides genuine value at every stage of their journey.
Consider this: When a potential client lands on your site at 2 AM, what are they hoping to find? They’re not looking for a generic list of your services. They’re searching for answers to specific challenges, validation that you understand their industry, and evidence that you can deliver results. Effective content strategy in 2025 means positioning yourself as a trusted advisor before the first conversation ever happens.
This means developing content that:
- Addresses specific pain points in your target industries
- Showcases real outcomes through detailed case studies or experience descriptions
- Demonstrates deep understanding of emerging trends and challenges
But here’s what many firms really miss: Content strategy isn’t just about creation — it’s about orchestration. How does your thought leadership content connect to your service pages? Where do your case studies fit into the user journey? What next steps are you offering readers who are clearly demonstrating interest? Think of your content strategy as a conversation with your ideal client. What questions would they ask if you had their undivided attention? What insights would make them feel confident in choosing your firm?
“What’s my budget?”
It’s a question that makes managing partners squirm, but it’s a question you need to ask yourself before you even start looking. A website redesign is an investment in your firm’s future, not an expense to minimize. The real question isn’t “How much does it cost?” but “What’s the cost of not doing it right?”
