A straight-talking due diligence guide so you don’t buy another “pretty brochure” that brings in zero enquiries.
Have you ever paid for a slick new website, only to discover it looks good but generates almost no enquiries?
Why do so many law firms end up with design-first websites that fail to produce measurable client growth?
This guide gives you 21 questions to ask before you hire a web designer for your law firm — so you avoid the common traps and ensure you get a website built as a client-generation system, not just a digital brochure.
By the end, you’ll know:
- What strong answers vs. red flags look like when speaking to agencies
- How to protect SEO, compliance, and data ownership from day one
- The ROI difference between “design-only” and “system-first” builds
- A mini checklist you can copy/paste into your next vendor meeting
The 21 Questions That Protect Your Firm
Grouped into Strategy, SEO & Migration, Compliance, Measurement, Performance, Process, and Pricing, here are the questions law firm partners should ask every web designer.
For each: Strong Answer = hire with confidence. Red Flag = walk away.
Strategy (Positioning, Architecture, Conversion)
- Who are our ICPs, and what must they believe before enquiring?
- What site architecture do you propose — and why?
- What conversion targets will you design for?
- Who writes the copy?
- What proof assets will appear on key pages?
- How will you handle multi-office or location pages?
SEO & Launch Migration (Protecting Rankings)
- How will you protect existing Google rankings at launch?
- What SEO foundations are included?
- What’s your analytics plan from day one?
Compliance & Accessibility (Trust + Risk)
- How will you ensure SRA/GDPR compliance and cookie governance?
- What accessibility standard will the site meet?
- How will enquiry data be stored and protected?
Measurement, Ownership & Attribution
- Who owns the domain, hosting, website, analytics, and CRM?
- Will we have full admin access from day one — and on exit?
- How will you attribute enquiries to pages and channels?
Performance & Security
- What performance targets will you hit (Core Web Vitals)?
- What’s your security posture?
Process & Communication
- Who is my accountable lead, and what are the SLAs?
- What is your launch checklist?
Pricing, Terms & Post-Launch
- What exactly is included in the price, and how do you handle changes?
- What happens after launch?
ROI: Design-Only vs System-First Agency
| Website Type | What You Get | ROI Impact |
| Design-First Agency | Pretty design, light SEO, you write the copy | Low — polished site, but enquiries rarely grow |
| System-First Partner | Strategy, copywriting, SEO migration, compliance, CRO, tracking | High — consistent enquiries, measurable ROI, pays for itself quickly |
Hiring on “design” alone often looks cheaper, but it costs far more in lost enquiries over time.
Proof in Practice
Fountain Solicitors — Moved from a brochure site to a system-first website, now generating 60+ enquiries/month and scaling from 1 to 5 offices.
Onyx Solicitors — Massive organic growth (keywords 112 → 630), page-1 visibility across services, and ultra-efficient ads: 54 clicks → 50 conversions at ~£10.77 per conversion on a £600 budget. Performance was strong enough that campaigns were paused to handle demand.
Copy/Paste Mini-Checklist
Bring this to your vendor meeting:
- Do we own domain/hosting/site/analytics/CRM?
- Show the redirect plan and Core Web Vitals targets.
- Add WCAG 2.2 + GDPR/SRA compliance to scope.
- Confirm GA4 + call tracking + CRM attribution.
- Share the 50-step launch checklist.
- Name the delivery team + SLAs.
- Define conversion KPIs + 90-day roadmap.
- Include exit terms (handover assets in 5 days).
- Provide case studies with numbers.
- What’s your results guarantee?
Final Thought
Don’t gamble on “creative” pitches. Hire for system + proof. If a web designer can’t answer these 21 questions with clarity, you’ve just saved your firm from a costly mistake.
Want a diagnostic, not a sales pitch? Explore our Pricing Page for transparent packages, or book a More Clients From Your Website Call to see how your site stacks up against these 21 checks.
Final Word: A great law firm website isn’t designed — it’s engineered. These 21 questions make sure you choose the right partner.
