101: Is Your Website Saying What Clients Really Need to Hear?

In this episode, Jules White takes a closer look at a website from a customer point of view, uncovering common mistakes that lead to missed opportunities and lost clients.

After searching for a specialist solicitor, Jules shares her experience comparing recommendations from her local network with results from Google Gemini. The contrast highlights how trust signals, clear messaging, and customer-focused language can make or break a website’s impact - both in AI-driven search results and when potential clients are checking you out after a word-of-mouth referral.

Key Takeaways:

• Why Trust Signals Matter: Strong reviews, specialist mentions, and external validation are often more powerful than endless blocks of text.
• The Problem with “About Us” Pages: Many firms focus on themselves instead of the problems they solve and the stress they remove for clients.
• Simple Fixes with Big Impact: From clear navigation to updated homepage messaging, even small tweaks can drastically improve conversions.
• AI Search Insights: How tools like Google Gemini evaluate websites and why your content needs to speak directly to client concerns.

If you’re wondering what your own website might be missing - or you’d like fresh eyes to help identify quick wins - you can book a Website Clarity Power Hour or request a Website / SEO Audit with Jules. Both options give you clear, actionable steps to improve your site and make it more likely to be recommended by Google, AI, and real people alike.

Chapters

• 0:21 Introduction and Context
• 0:41 Website Analysis of Solicitor Firms
• 1:47 AI Research and Trust Signals
• 2:45 Missing Elements in Legal Websites
• 3:44 Importance of Highlighting Specialist Expertise
• 4:49 Value of Word-of-Mouth Recommendations
• 5:43 Effective Website Communication
• 7:15 SEO and Search Visibility
• 8:44 Website Improvement Tips
• 9:22 Call to Action and Services Offered

Transcript

AI-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT - MAY CONTAIN ERRORS

Jules White: Hello. Hi.

Introduction and Context

Jules White: Just got the urge to drop on and do a live. This morning I needed, I would like, we need a specialist basically.

We need a specialist solicitor. And, um, so I asked in my local networking group, so I asked for some recommendations and when the recommendations came in, I then had a little look at the website.

Website Analysis of Solicitor Firms

Jules White: The firm and looked at some of the other websites and realised that there's a real, as there is in a lot of industries, really, there's a lot of missed opportunities in solicitors' websites. Certainly these ones that I've looked at.

And it was interesting 'cause I asked the question in the group about what I needed, and then I thought, oh, maybe this, because I knew that we'd sort of heard that we need a specialist solicitor, so.

I thought, oh, well, I'll ask Google Gemini to go and do some research for me. So I did that and it is interesting the things that Gemini came up with and the firms that have come up, and the one that is the main recommendation from Google Gemini is one that has not a great website.

Realistically, it's not got a great website. It's got a massive amount of text on it.

It's not got a lot of information on it, but one thing it does have on there is really strong trust signals. So when I'm looking at how Gemini has done this research, I've asked it, we need this particular type of solicitor, wanting to ideally be in this area.

AI Research and Trust Signals

Jules White: Please go off and do some deep research. So it's gone off and done all the things and then explained why it's made these particular decisions and why it's, um, why it's just sort of decided the way it's gone.

But a lot of it is about trust and about having those sort of trust signals that this firm is a specialist. That's the other thing I think is the fact that they have mentioned that they are a specialist and then they are also linking to other places that also suggests that they are a specialist as well, and they've obviously got some reviews.

I was looking at their, like Google reviews. They've got a few reviews online and they've got a couple of reviews on like a solicitor's review website as well.

So really interesting. But it just made me think of a few thoughts with this website.

And so I thought I would just pop on and tell you about it. I'm not gonna share my screen 'cause I don't want to draw attention to a particular website, especially with sort of local people.

Missing Elements in Legal Websites

Jules White: But when I was looking at the one that was recommended to me looking at their website, and there's just, it is just, they're just not really talking about how they help people that much really. It's very much about, this is us and this is what we do.

Rather than it being about the problems that they solve for their audience and how they can help. And with this kind of thing, when you're looking for solicitors, when you're looking for, you know, legal help, this is the kind of thing that is big decisions for people, right?

If you get this wrong, it could cost you a lot of money. It certainly is a lot of stress.

Anything where you are involving solicitors tends to be a lot of stress. And actually just getting that across on this particular website could be really helpful, could just help to make sure that people understand why they should use you versus using other people.

And just even simple things like talking about why your team members are experts in what they do.

Importance of Highlighting Specialist Expertise

Jules White: So this practice that I was looking at, they don't seem to be specialists, you know, they're more of a generalist solicitors' firm, but they have a team and they have people within their team that do seem to specialise. So even doing that, so on their different pages, they've got for the different types of solicitor work—not, I don't, soliciting is something different, isn't it?

Anyway, on their pages, they have just a little bit about the particular service that they offer, and there the team member underneath that of who that team member is. But then they haven't got anything explaining why that team member is a specialist and why they know what they're doing, why they should be trusted, even like reviews or things that their customers have said about that particular specialist.

Those kind of things can make a massive difference in terms of this actually showing up. And even in terms of this particular firm being recommended in AI results.

'cause this wasn't mentioned anywhere. This firm that's been recommended by people personally knowing them, which I think is great.

Value of Word-of-Mouth Recommendations

Jules White: I think that's the best way to start. You know, that's the thing to focus on first.

If you are getting word-of-mouth recommendations from people, then that's amazing. You know, no algorithm or anything can take that away.

Your competitors can't take that away from you if you've built up that trust with people recommending you. But then what normally happens if somebody does recommend you is they will go and check out your stuff.

They'll check out your website. I haven't looked at these businesses' social media profiles, so I don't know, maybe if that's where they're putting their energy, but they will go and check that out.

And actually, if you have something immediately, if you have a really good homepage, that immediately explains why you're gonna help them, what the problems that you solve for them, obviously. And there are a lot of problems that a solicitor would solve for you.

You know, a big thing with this is taking the stress out of it for people. I'm guessing, you know, that's one of the big things I would want to see on this kind of page.

Effective Website Communication

Jules White: This is what we do. This is how we make your life better and easier and less stressful.

And this is what you need to do to get it. This is our process of actually engaging us as a solicitor so we can help you really.

And they had, they had almost had two homepages on their website as well. So they had one, which is a homepage.

It's got, I don't know, maybe 250 words at the most. And then they had another version of the homepage, which was their news page.

Which has got a little bit more information. Well, it is literally like a newsfeed really.

And that's all about them and what's going on in their business and comings and goings and those kind of things. And actually that if that's where people are landing, if that's your, almost like your homepage, if they don't type in slash home, then this is the page they land on.

That's a real opportunity for this page to be a lot, lot better. So, anyway, that's why I just had the urge to come on and talk to you about this in terms of where there's, you know, where there's so much missed opportunity.

And as I say, this often is the case that we are just missing these basic things that talk about what we do. We are using the words on our website that talk about why we are the expert, why we are the specialist, and what that then does for our customers and our clients.

So it's not about just portraying us as the expert for the sake of it. It's not just all about, and it shouldn't really be about us.

Everything we do when we're talking about this sort of language on our website is about connecting with what people are searching for, so that's part of it.

SEO and Search Visibility

Jules White: Working out what people are actually searching for, working out what you should be showing up for in Google, in AI searches, in all the different places, working out which page of your website is the most relevant for that. And then using that language across that page so that people then understand this is how you're gonna help them, and all about what you do, and why you are the specialist and why that then helps them basically.

So yeah, really interesting. Definitely.

I have met these people in networking events, so I definitely need to have a chat with them next time I'm networking with them about their website and some of the things that they could do. And these are really, so a lot of these are simple fixes as well.

And even with the other solicitor, the one that Google Gemini recommended, there are some really simple fixes that they could do on their website that can make a massive difference, even just sorting out their navigation menu so that it actually, people can immediately see what their services are. There's not anywhere that says on their navigation menu that says services even.

So one of their navigation links says, costs. And that's where you go in to find out about the specific things that they do and the way, you know, the branches of legal stuff that they do.

Um, and it is just not user friendly. They also have some messages on their homepage about COVID-19 and their offices now being reopened after COVID-19.

And yeah, that if that's not a sign of a neglected website, then I don't know what is, really.

Website Improvement Tips

Jules White: But yeah, it's interesting. So all that to say, what are you not talking about on your website?

What are you not mentioning that you really should? How can you look at it with fresh eyes and make sure that you are actually mentioning the important things that help people to understand why they should be coming to you, why you are the solution to their problem.

And if you're not sure and you need some fresh eyes on this and you want someone to help you, then book an audit with me or book a power hour with me and we can actually go through this together. If you book an audit, I can do a report on your website of the things to focus on first, the things that are gonna make the biggest difference right away.

Call to Action and Services Offered

Jules White: To just make your website clearer, make it more likely to be the one that Google and AI recommends, and make it more likely that people will actually take the action that you want them to. So if you would like some more help with that, then either send me a message or book a power hour or book an audit.

Hope that's helpful and just a little interesting little drop-in for me then to come in and say hi. I'll see you soon. Bye.