As a solo attorney, your website is a key part of generating interest, visibility, and demand in your legal practice. While 74% of lawyers use their website to attract clients, only one-third of lawyers actually retain their clients through their websites. According to our Legal Trend Report, this can be attributed to some crucial shortcomings in user experience: only 30% of potential clients are able to find the information they need to retain legal services and only 10% are able to find cost information.
What’s causing this gap? When a website design is not optimized, users tend to leave quickly, resulting in a greater loss of potential clients. The right design gives your website the full runway to generate demand, attract leads, and nurture prospects into clients, maximizing your billable hours.
Want to build a better website? Let’s cover the best practices and design elements you need to drive demand and supercharge your solo practice.
Web design can be simple. Take the guesswork out of building a solo law firm website that effectively converts visitors and automates intake with Clio’s website builder.
Why website design for solo attorneys matters
Clunky web design contributes to a common phenomenon we’ve identified as lockup (read more about this in our 2024 Legal Trends for Solo and Small Law Firms report). Lockup is the revenue that’s held up between your work-in-progress revenue (work that hasn’t been billed yet) and your uncollected revenue (delayed or unpaid invoices).
An effective solo attorney website design solves for this by creating an engaging user experience that features information that’s clear and impactful. This builds credibility and trust, which drives new clients and builds a healthy pipeline for your legal practice.
Seems daunting? Fear not—you don’t have to manage this alone. Later, I’ll cover the key website builders to help you design one of the best solo law firm websites out there.
Wish your workday was less about paperwork and more about your clients? Get your time back and grow your legal practice with Clio’s solo lawyer software.
Essential solo attorney website design features (+ examples)
A well-designed website builds a strong foundation for your legal practice. It boosts your solo firm’s online visibility, improves your marketing, and acts as a 24/7 representative for your firm (just to name a few benefits). Not sure where to begin? I’ve rounded up the key design features to prioritize that will create an effective website.
1. Intuitive navigation
Navigation is the top menu of your website and should be simple and concise. As a best practice, don’t include more than seven items, and place your most important pages first and last.
- Use the top right corner for your most important call-to-action (or CTA), to signal the next step for your visitors.
- Keep your page labels short and sweet (e.g. “About” rather than “About Our Firm”), use high-contrast text and colours to boost accessibility, and above all, favour simplicity.
The most effective websites only have a few pages in their menu. That way, your navigation is never overloading your visitors.
The Law Office of Stephen B. Waller is a great example of a well-designed, sleek navigation that features clear CTAs in the top-right-hand corner.
2. Responsive and mobile-first layouts
Over 90% of the world use their phones to browse the internet, yet only 68% of solo attorneys say their website is mobile-friendly. This presents a vital opportunity to generate demand and secure new clients; when your website understands typical user behaviour and meets their expectations, you’re able to build a better practice and client experience.
Check if your website is compatible with mobile devices using tools like BrowserStack, so they can fill in forms and schedule meetings on the go.
Quiles Law, P.C. is an example of a solo attorney website design with a clean mobile layout and a clear CTA in the first page load.
3. Accessibility basics & WCAG guidelines
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are considerations for improving your website’s accessibility and user experience, which widens your reach and boosts your brand visibility. These considerations are created according to four main principles:
- Perceivable. A user can still access information on the website only using one sense, such as hearing.
- Operable. Visitors have the same experience interacting with your website regardless of their abilities. For example, someone who is hearing impaired can engage with elements in the same capacity as someone who can’t use a keyboard.
- Understandable. Content is clear and your website functionality is easy-to-use.
- Robust. Your website should be compatible with different assistive technologies and be clear to all users of varying abilities.
Examples of elements covered in the WCAG guidelines include: descriptive text (or alt text) for images, strong contrast between text and background, and closed captions for video
Visit the WCAG Designing for Web Accessibility for more information.
4. Strong branding
Your law firm’s branding conveys the identity of your firm when you’re not physically in the room, and encompasses elements such as your:
While these elements may seem superficial, together they represent who you are to any potential clients and help put your best foot forward, so your first interactions are memorable and impactful.
The Law Office of Alice Sakakini-Ashkar, Esq has a clear visual brand identity, including a distinct logo and color scheme.
5. Clear, client-focused messaging
As a solo lawyer, you offer a more personalized service than larger firms, which means your messaging should be empathetic and reflect a strong understanding of your clients’ needs and obstacles. Communicating without judgment shows you’re willing to get to the root of the problem and build cases that truly serve your clients, which is key in engaging potential clients.
Here are a few ways to reflect client-focused messaging:
- Use empathetic language that validates the client’s experience and concerns.
- Highlight your accessibility and responsiveness to show you’re available when clients need support.
- Speak directly to client pain points and explain how your services solve their problems.
- Avoid legal jargon and focus on clear, reassuring explanations.
- Share testimonials or stories that demonstrate your understanding and commitment.
6. Client testimonials section
These endorsements are a form of social proof that builds trust and credibility and can be quotes, reviews, or case studies. They let potential clients see themselves in your existing clients’ experiences while also boosting your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and increasing conversions.
For example, Acumen Law’s testimonial for Clio satisfies top-of-mind questions and needs for potential users by spotlighting key results quantified with data accompanied by direct quotes of Clio’s impact on their profitability, efficiency, and organization.
According to our 2025 Legal Trends for Solo and Small Firms report, though many solos may lack the resources necessary to promote their services across a variety of channels, they aren’t necessarily missing out on opportunities to grow their businesses: firms of all sizes agree that referrals are their top source of leads—so don’t skip out on grabbing those postivie referrals and highlighting them on your website, social media, and other channels.
7. Online payment options
One of the most impactful methods of addressing lockup is by including electronic payment options on your website to enable clients to pay online. Electronic payments improve your client experience and decrease your volume of delayed or unpaid invoices, which improves your cash flow.
With Clio Payments, you’re able to add a payment link for your clients to pay their bills directly on your website. Your clients then enjoy flexibility by selecting their preferred payment method such as credit, debit, eCheck (US), or enabling automatic payments. Plus, your practice can enjoy:
- Faster payments with same-day or next-day processing
- Flexible billing options including payment plans and automated reminders
- Seamless trust and retainer handling in compliance with legal regulations
- Fewer administrative tasks thanks to built-in payment tracking and reconciliation
- Improved client convenience, reducing friction during the billing process
- Full integration with Clio Manage for streamlined collections and financial reporting
8. Contact and intake forms optimized for conversions
According to our 2025 Legal Trends for Solo and Small Law Firms report, one of the top priorities for solo firms is automating client intake with online features. Simplifying the client intake process naturally leads to a faster onboarding process for prospective clients.
To stay competitive, include customized online intake forms on your site that capture information directly in your Client Relationship Management (CRM) system so you can eliminate double entry, boost productivity, and client satisfaction. Then once you’re hired, use customizable client questionnaires to securely gather all your clients personal and case information, on their time—improving convinience, accuracy, and overall client satisfaction by eliminating back and forth calls and emails.
Our 2024 Legal Trends Report found that lawyers using client-facing technology see 51% more client leads and 52% more revenue.
Set yourself up for success with our free Guide to Starting a Law Firm.
What pages does a solo law firm website need?
While it may be tempting to include as much information as possible in your website, remember that less is more. While your website represents your solo firm, it doesn’t need to be your replacement. To help guide you in building your own website, here are the key pages to include:
Homepage
Your homepage sets the standard for your visitor’s experience. It should be scannable and feature images to break up copy, since walls of text can be a deterrent for visitors. Use ample white space and include:
- A hero message. A short statement in large type that engages visitors and lays over the top banner image.
- A value proposition. A 2-5 sentence statement describing your law firm’s benefits and what differentiates you from your competitors. Appears before the first page load.
- Trust signals. Evidence that substantiates your credibility, such as awards, certifications or client testimonials.
About page
This page tells your visitor about you, and your law firm. It humanizes your practice and highlights your unique perspective and experience, your story, and what attracts clients to you. Be sure to include a headshot of yourself.
Services (practice areas) page
Your services page should clearly outline the legal areas you practice and emphasize the personalized, hands-on support you offer as a solo attorney. Use benefit-focused language that highlights how your experience and approach directly address client needs, setting you apart from larger, less personal firms.
This is the ideal place to:
- Break down the specific practice areas you serve
- Explain how you help clients in each area
- Include transparent pricing or fee structures (if applicable)
- Add an FAQ section to address common client questions and build trust
Well-structured and client-focused, this page can help potential clients quickly understand your value and feel confident in reaching out.
Blog or client resources
Forty-five percent of solo law firms report retaining clients via their blog. Create content and resources that are SEO-optimized, show off your expertise, and answer top-of-mind client questions. By publishing SEO-optimized content that answers common legal questions and showcases your expertise, you position yourself as a trusted authority while increasing your visibility on search engines.
Consider offering gated resources like legal guides, checklists, or ebooks in exchange for contact information. These assets help build credibility, nurture leads, and keep your firm top of mind when potential clients are ready to hire a lawyer.
Loading …
Subscribe to the blog
Contact page
Your law firms contact page is one of the most important pages on your website, providing the necessary contact information potential clients need in order to hire you for their case.
According to our 2024 Legal Trends Report, one of the biggest pain points for legal clients is simply getting in touch with a law firm. In our secret shopper study, only 52% of firms answered their phones—highlighting a major gap in client communication. This underscores the importance of automating client intake. For solo lawyers, automation not only reduces manual administrative work but also ensures potential clients have a seamless and professional experience from the very first interaction.
Your contact page should include your email, phone number, and address, also include an online intake form. You might also want to explore all of the available client intake integrations available that make lead management easy.
Not sure how effective your solo attorney website design is? Check what’s missing with our 15 minute law firm website scorecard.
DIY law firm websites vs. customized
Here’s a breakdown of when you may want to use a website builder or hire a professional, so you can decide what route is best for you and your desired solo law firm website outcome:
When to use a template or website builder
As a solo attorney, building a website from scratch may not be the most efficient use of your time or budget. Website builders and pre-made templates can offer a cost-effective and professional-looking solution—especially if you’re just starting out or don’t have the resources to hire a designer.
Consider using a website template or builder if:
- You need to launch your website quickly without extensive development.
- You’re working with a limited budget.
- You want a simple, professional design that requires minimal upkeep.
- You have basic content ready (like practice areas, bio, and contact info).
- You want built-in tools for SEO, mobile responsiveness, and client intake forms.
Recommended template and website builder options for solo attorneys:
- Clio Grow Website Builder. Made for lawyers like you and comes with built-in SEO best practices and automations like client intake forms. Integrates smoothly with tools like LawLytics that enhance your website and support your practice management.
- WordPress. A simple, low-cost content management system for building your solo lawyer website. This builder is intuitive to use, but isn’t a pure drag and drop builder, so it’s more difficult to configure and will likely need web developer support.
- Squarespace. This user-friendly web builder is an affordable option for creating and hosting your website and focuses on simplicity with a relatively quick startup.
Using the right template or builder can help you present a professional image, attract potential clients, and make it easier for them to contact and hire you—all without needing to know how to code.
When to invest in a custom built law firm website
If you have specific design considerations and want a custom law firm website that’s made to your preferences, you may lean towards a law firm web design company.
Pros: These sites are often built with performance in mind—offering faster load times, better mobile responsiveness, and a user experience tailored specifically to your clients’ needs. Custom sites also provide greater flexibility for branding, integrations, and future scalability as your firm grows.
Cons: Custom-built law firm websites typically come with higher upfront and ongoing maintenance costs. They often require more technical knowledge to manage, which means you may need to hire a developer or rely on continuous support from the design agency that built the site.
For more information, check out the top 5 attorney website templates for creating your professional website.
Why choose Clio for your solo law firm website design
If you’re like 60% of solo law firms, you’re the only one responsible for your website management. Taking this on alongside building client relationships, casework, and administrative tasks can impact your efficiency, billable hours, and contribute to lockup, all of which reduces your cash flow.
Clio’s Website Builder maximizes your time with strategic web design templates that add ease to your legal practice management. With built-in SEO best-practices like mobile responsive layouts, a structured backend, and tools like Clio’s Google Local Services Ads, you can enjoy the confidence of a solo attorney website design that engages your users, attracts leads, and generates demand for your services so you’re always growing your revenue.
Clio’s Website Builder includes features like:
- Custom website templates for attorneys
- Automated appointment booking
- Streamlined lead generation
- Enhanced online payment systems (allow clients to pay directly on your website)
- Secure client portal
- Integrations with Clio Grow (client intake and CRM software)
How can a website help grow a solo legal practice?
A well-designed website featuring strategic content with SEO best practices can help you grow your revenue and practice by improving your brand recognition and visibility on Google. Paired with small law firm software that improves your efficiency, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success.
Content strategy & SEO best practices for solo attorneys
SEO is the strategic process of improving the volume and quality of web traffic that comes to your website from search engines by making it easier to understand and boosting its ranking in search. It heightens your visibility on Google and connects you with your ideal client profile. Here’s a rundown of the SEO best practices you should incorporate in your content strategy.
Keyword targeting
Keywords are search terms that pull up specific, related content in search engines and are an important tool for your site to be properly indexed and visible online. They’re necessary to boost your ranking in search results and drive organic traffic to your website.
Incorporate relevant search terms, phrases, and topics your ideal clients are actively looking for to help your solo firms website rank higher in search results. Focus on creating valuable, informative content that demonstrates your expertise—without overloading it with keywords. Avoid keyword stuffing and aim to provide a unique perspective that builds trust and sets you apart from competitors.
On-page optimization
When we talk about on-page optimization, we’re referring to elements within your content that improve user experience, readability, and boost your ranking. It includes:
- Headers. Headings and sub-headings that break up text and add organization and structure.
- Meta tags. Found in your page’s HTML code and provide information that search engines crawl to determine if your page should be indexed. They include:
- Title tags: Your page’s name.
- Language meta tags: Specify what language your page is in.
- Description tags: Summarize and describe your page.
- Image alt text. Brief text that describes images on your website to increase its accessibility.
Technical SEO
Optimizes page structure and backend elements to streamline performance and overall user experience.
- Site speed. Slow loading speed means potential clients are more likely to leave, which affects your SEO. Optimize your site speed by reducing image size and caching pages.
- Schema markup. Coding that adds structure and creates a map for metadata. It enhances the information displayed in search results for your law firm, such listing your solo legal services.
- Mobile usability. Google favours websites that are mobile-friendly across all devices in search results and, as mentioned, it’s what your clients expect too. Prioritizing this will impact your online visibility, your traffic, and your client experience.
- SSL certificate. A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate signals extra security and encryption, which boosts trust for visitors and improves your SEO.
Internal linking
Nurtures prospective clients by guiding them to related content via hyperlinks. It increases your website’s authority and improves user experience by offering engaging content that builds trust and credibility, so visitors want to retain your legal services.
Local SEO
As a solo lawyer, your local community is a huge opportunity for generating new leads and creating a healthy pipeline of clients. Local SEO is a cost-effective strategy that increases your visibility in location-specific search results. It Includes:
- Location-based keywords. Include geo/location based keywords in your content such as “personal injury lawyer in dallas” or “personal injury lawyer near me”.
- Google Local Service Ads. Promotes your legal services to potential clients in your area. Get the most return on your investment with Clio’s Google Local Service Ads.
- Google Business Profile. Previously known as Google My Business, this free service creates a listing in Google Maps and local search results. Include your contact information, address, updates and photos, client reviews.
Looking for more information on SEO? Learn more in our SEO for Lawyers article.
Final thoughts on solo attorney website design
When your solo attorney website is designed with the right content, SEO best practices, automations, and integrations, it frees up your time, streamlines your practice, and generates more demand for your legal services. A strategic website adds flexibility to your solo practice, so more of your hours are spent showcasing your expertise and building strong cases for your clients. Ready to create a website design makes your day-to-day easier? It’s well worth the investment.
We published this blog post in May 2025. Last updated: .
Posted in:
Marketing