The Hero's Journey

Over 90% of people will leave a website in the first 15 seconds if the hero section sucks.

And having a good looking website doesn’t matter if it's not not getting you new clients.

The #1 reason most attorney websites have problems getting clients is because they're designed to be all about the attorney. 

The attorney believes he or she is the hero of the story!

However the website visitor doesn’t care about the attorney, their ratings, past clients, or education because in their head they are the hero of the story. 

And how can you be different and stand out from the crowd if you're all shouting the same stuff?

Forget about your fancy law school pedigree and your seven-figure settlements and verdicts and think about the questions the clients are asking. 

Because if you can make the website visitor the hero of the story you can go from obnoxious lawyer speak to a website that's getting clients. 

The goal of the page should be that the end user never has to scroll, much less reaches the bottom.

To do this you need a powerful hero image that the visitor can't get past. A hero section that convinces the visitor that their life would be better, happier, and more productive if they just hired you as their attorney.

And it's got to be done in an area the size of a business card.

Which means your hero image should focus on the main keyword of the page, clarify the offer, enhance the flow, nod at your Call To Action (CTA), show your benefits, answers some questions, and paint a picture that puts your customer in the center of it, playing the part of the hero.

And giving too much information in the header can cause information overload.

It’s the reason that study after study shows sliders and videos kill conversions.

You’ve got less than a second to convince someone they’re in the right place. To do this you have to be extremely clear about what you're promising.

Once you’ve communicated the promise, it’s your call to action job to deliver on that promise. 

It’s the website's job to keep and Direct the Flow of the user's Attention!

And to prevent scrolling your website needs to be designed to show the visitor as the hero of the story. Because people will always see themselves as the main character in the story of their lives. 

This means the lawyer has to position themselves not as the hero but as the guide to the hero and the problem as the villain.

To convert the hero into a potential client your website needs to convey Empathy and Authority. Which means connecting with your potential client emotionally while showing authority.

Step 1

  1. Decide who should care and why?
  2. What do you want people to do?
  3. What are the goals of the website?

Then all that information has to be broken down into a sentence with a call to action that represents the goal of the page, along with an image that is powerful and creates an emotional reaction with the visitor.

Some ideas…

To create a hero image that evokes an emotional response and makes the visitor feel like the hero of the story, consider the following ideas for a criminal attorney website:

  1. "Breaking Free" Image: Depict a person emerging from darkness or confinement, symbolizing the freedom and justice that your attorney can provide. This image can be used to convey the idea of liberation from the legal system's constraints.

  2. "Light in the Dark" Image: Use a metaphorical image of light breaking through darkness, representing the hope and guidance that your attorney can offer during difficult legal times.

  3. "Unshackling the Chains" Image: Depict a person breaking free from chains or restraints, symbolizing the attorney's ability to help clients overcome the legal burdens and restrictions that weigh them down.

  4. "The Power of Knowledge" Image: Illustrate a person holding a book or a scroll, symbolizing the attorney's extensive knowledge and expertise in the legal system, which can empower clients to make informed decisions.

  5. "The Hero's Journey" Image: Use an image that represents the hero's journey, such as a person fighting a dragon, symbolizing the system.

  6. "The Shield of Experience" Image: Depict a person holding a shield with a map or a blueprint, representing the attorney's extensive experience and knowledge of the legal system, which can help clients navigate complex legal issues.

  7. "The Beacon of Hope" Image: Show a lighthouse or a beacon of light, symbolizing the attorney's role as a guiding force, offering hope and direction to clients during difficult legal times.

  8. Family Reunited:

    • A heartwarming scene of the client being reunited with their family after a legal victory.

    • This can evoke strong emotions of joy, relief, and the importance of family, reinforcing the idea that the attorney helps restore lives.

By using these types of images, you can create a hero image that resonates with your website's visitors and makes them feel like the hero of the story, ultimately increasing engagement and conversions.

And then comes the title, the entire idea summed up in a sentence and a call to action.