How to Build your Online Brand the Basics

Outside of quality lead generation, many legal professionals tell us they sign up to The Law Superstore for two reasons: to build their brand and increase their online presence, letting them compete with rival firms at a national level.

Jeff Bezos once said, ‘Branding is what people say about you when you're not in the room.’ So, where do you start when building or improving your brand?

Compare Solicitors and Legal Experts in Seconds

What is a brand?

When most people are asked to consider what a brand actually is, they think about company colour schemes, a catchy strapline, and instantly recognisable logos like McDonald’s golden arches or Lloyds’ black horse.

However important these elements are, a brand is just as much about substance as it is about memorable stylistic choices. It defines not only your company’s who and what, but also your why.

Take one of the most recognisable brands in the world: Apple. What does the business stand for? What does it value? What is it trying to achieve?

The answer is to ‘strive to bring the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals, and consumers around the world.’ Its products, services, website, and events are designed with that single mission in mind.

That’s the Apple brand.

It acts as a differentiator from other tech companies like Microsoft (‘empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more’) and Amazon (‘we aim to be Earth’s most customer centric company’). So where Microsoft’s brand champions the consumer, for Apple, the product is the brand.

It might be easier to see these examples with big companies that provide products, but legal firms offering services can still develop a clear brand value. Why did you start your company? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes your day worthwhile? Chances are, those questions hold the key to your brand values.

Watch Simon Sinek’s TED Talk explore How great leaders inspire action

Review your existing ‘brand’

Before creating a brand from scratch, start by looking at what you already have. Consider what works and what doesn’t. As a legal professional, there’s a good chance you’re focused on creating a sense of trust, credibility, and authority.

But are you doing it in a way that connects with clients?

When we spoke to users of The Law Superstore, many said they chose their lawyer because they felt a human connection. That, essentially, is the brand substance you should aim to build on.

Determine:

Who you are
Who you want to reach
What you want to achieve
Which needs you want to meet
How you want to be perceived

A great way to assess how you’re doing so far is by looking at reviews. What types of clients and cases do you excel with? Which ones are more challenging?

You may start to see a pattern. This could encourage you to double down on your strengths, or take a step back and reconsider how you want to reach different types of clients.

Defining your ‘voice’

If your company could speak, what would it sound like? A strong brand should have a recognisable voice. For instance, Coca-Cola might talk like your summer-loving best friend, while Pepsi could sound like your cool teenage sibling.

This is why understanding how your target audience communicates is a major element of brand-building.

When you understand how your audience speaks, you can develop a clear tone of voice for your firm. This tone will shape the way you communicate across your website, social media channels, and other marketing materials.

As an added benefit, it also helps you optimise your website for the words and phrases your target market actually uses, helping boost your visibility in search results.

Creating an authentic tone of voice should focus on the impression you want to leave. Because branding is largely emotion-based, think carefully about how you want your clients to feel when they interact with your business.

All legal firms want to be seen as trustworthy, capable, and successful. However, there are different ways to express those qualities and stand out from competitors.

Do you want to appear traditional or innovative? A supportive, family-friendly firm or a sleek, modern business? Perhaps you want to be seen as the reassuring guide helping someone through their first home purchase. Or maybe you want to be the determined firm fighting relentlessly for your client’s rights.

Your approach to clients will often mirror your legal style. How you approach cases can shape how your business is perceived by customers. There’s no single correct approach, as long as the perception is authentic and aligns with the values of your ideal clients.

If you visit other firms’ websites, you’ll notice very different approaches. Some law firms appear supportive and empathetic, while others project authority. Some inspire calm confidence, while others focus on injustice and determination.

Few ‘serious’ companies can adopt a playful tone successfully, especially in the legal sector. However, if you’re targeting a younger audience, it may work. Life insurance provider deadhappy.com offers a good example.

If that company has done its audience research properly, it can be confident that it’s communicating with clients in a tone they expect.

Ask:

Who does your brand sound like?
How is that different from your rivals?
What words would it use (and avoid)?
What emotions are you trying to provoke in your audience?

Understanding your audience

It’s impossible to build a brand without understanding your audience. If you’re serious about brand development, take time to research your market. There are many online tools and platforms that can provide useful insights.

In some cases, this could involve shifting focus from your current audience to attracting a new one. For example, your firm might be expanding into a new legal service area.

Once you know who your audience is, you can meet them across the digital landscape. If they’re searching Google for comparisons of legal services, for example, your quotes on The Law Superstore will help you reach them. If you provide business legal services, well-targeted LinkedIn ads could also increase conversions.

Ask:

Who is your audience (or who would you like it to be)?
Where are they based?
What do they want?
What do they need?
What do they care about?
How do they talk?

Creating a great online impression

For many potential clients, interacting with your brand online will be their first experience with a legal professional.

It can feel a bit like buying a first car. They arrive knowing they need help, but they’re unsure what to check, what to look for, or what half the terminology means.

A strong brand addresses those uncertainties before you even speak to them.

Most new leads will first ‘meet’ you through your website. This acts as the face of your brand. It’s where you can showcase the visual elements of your business and ensure they align with your company’s mission and values.

Not only should your website look professional – as modern customers expect high standards – it should also be easy to navigate.

Today’s customers have more choice than ever. Platforms like The Law Superstore make it even easier for them to find the legal help they need. If a potential client lands on your website and finds broken links or confusing navigation, it may damage their perception of your brand.

More importantly, it could determine whether they return to you for future legal services.

Research suggests that acquiring a new customer costs around five times more than retaining an existing one. Meanwhile, improving customer retention rates can increase profits between 25% and 95%.

The Law Superstore does not charge for previous leads who return outside the website. Once you’ve nurtured that relationship, you benefit from their continued custom.

Your social media presence also plays a role. While daily posts aren’t essential, leaving your accounts inactive for long periods can create the impression that your firm is inattentive or inactive.

Posting at least once a week can strengthen your brand and demonstrate authority. For example, you could share reliable news or insights relevant to your clients.

If you’ve already joined The Law Superstore, remember to include a brief bio and links to your website and review platforms. This allows potential leads to learn more about you before making contact.

For more tips on building a stronger brand with The Law Superstore, speak to one of our legal sales managers or visit your partner dashboard.