Web Site Design

 

ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD LAW FIRM WEB SITE

By Peggie Brown (originally written in 2000, but many of the principles still apply)

Renditions of this article were printed on the Net-Lawyers and TechnoLawyer list regarding law firm sites and marketing.

My opinion on marketing law firm Web sites (and most other Web sites) echoes what many designers (but not all) preach: content is KING.

What I mean by this statement is that very few people visit a law firm web site more than once, just to see their lawyer's picture, get his e-mail address, learn about the firm and see the great Web site design, unless something draws them back.  The purpose of revisiting a site over and over is because there is dynamic information there that helps people in their day to day lives. In this case, dynamic means constantly updated and current, always growing and expanding, addressing the issues of today and the anticipated concerns of the future.

The primary purpose of a law firm site should be to educate one's clients in order to answer their questions, probably frequently asked by most clients.  For instance, every site who anticipates clients coming to their office should have a map and directions, easy to locate fax and telephone numbers, mailing address, physical location address, billing rates, not only the names but the pronunciation of difficult names, an explanation of each practice group and the attorneys and other professions who work in that group, and other information clients frequently need to know. But this is no place to stop!

Let's say your practice is in family law.  You clients need to know what interrogatories and depositions are along with a whole slew of other terminology that is common to you and me, but totally foreign to the average lay person.  They need child support calculators, links to the law of your state or better yet, details in plain language that tell them the state's requirement for residency, factors to be considered for adoption, the "normal" flow and wait periods (file a petition, wait 20 days for an answer, reply time, extensions, admissions, request for discovery, etc.) what's an interlocutory appeal, how to get a restraining order, normal factors considered in determining custody, who pays what, temporary maintenance and child support, the types of custody and a general statement as to what each mean, perhaps articles or books they can read about the effects of divorce on children and how to help children deal with the divorce, how to dress for court hearings, the procedures and processes they can expect, your billing practices (you bill for calls and letters, invoices are due 10 days after receipt, etc.).

By building these items on your Web site, you save your client a lot of embarrassment in having to ask (some just won't ask and blindly go through the process totally frustrated and clueless). You ensure your client is well educated in the process they are embarking upon, helping them to be less emotional and frustrated and allowing them to take some of the responsibility for their case.  Furthermore, you ensure that your office personnel and yourself will save time in having to answer these questions time and time again.  In my opinion, this in one very good function of marketing - providing information that tells current and prospective clients you find their needs important.

At your first meeting with a new client, or when the appointment is made, you or your secretary can explain how to reach the Web site and the type of content they will find there.  Of course you will have those clients that are not available to the Internet, but this will reduce a lot of redundancy for those clients who are cyber connected.  For those not available to the Internet, hand them a printed copy of the Web site at their first meeting.

Next, build your site with links to articles you've written. Many lawyers receive new clients because the client is web savvy and is impressed with the attorney's ability to communicate.  While not all articles can be written for the layperson, such as the very technical articles on legal issues meant for scholarly publications, make sure at least some of the articles you use reflect a friendly, down to earth communication style without talking down to the reader.

Most of all, make the law friendly to your visitors and less of a mysterious process they have to go through.  Refer them to places where they can find additional information such as Prairie Law, Katsuey's Legal Gateway  and primers in the area of law you practice.  Provide a listing of places where clients can find psychological assistance for themselves and their children, if some may be indigent - tell them sources for financial assistance, empower them with both the knowledge you provide and groups that may give them moral support.

We know your wish for your Web site is to market your firm.  I believe educational marketing is the most effective form of marketing because it gives before it takes, a very important, but often overlooked, concept in marketing.  Educational information instills confidence in the prospective client and shows the firm cares about them and is interested in being of service. Sometimes law firms forget they are indeed a service business. Also, don't forget that other legal professionals may visit your site.  They may come for information, but they may also remember you when they have a client that needs assistance in the area of law you practice.  Keep them coming back so you are firmly planted in their mind. 

Note that there are many law firm sites that don't do marketing well at all.  They seem to feel if they put up any Web site the clients will flock in.  This type of firm concentrates on themselves, not on whom they want to serve.  Also note that while some firms have a great design, they have no content that will keep the name of the firm before the clients and prospective clients, others have content but do not have professional site design.  Your Web site represents your firm and therefore it should reek (subtly) of your firm's image.  Of course, different firms have different images they want to project.  Make sure your site represents your image.  If you want a professional image, get a professional Web site designer who not only knows design but understand law firms and the needs of your clients.

Now for some examples of firms with good content that does marketing for their firm: 

Arent Fox  great content, professional design.

The Consumer Law Page by the Alexander, Hawes & Audet.  Nice content, could use better design colors and better navigation, but layout of site is good.

The Trinidad Law Firm - Very nice content concentrating on providing information to current and prospective clients.  Good layout, easy to move about site.

Construction Web Links by Thelen Reid & Priest LLP.  Good clean design, great content. 

Now another example to show a firm that at least in my opinion is not fully using its site's potential and therefore failing to market the firm in the most effective ways.

Lathrop & Gage LLC.  This site has gorgeous Web design and some nice content, but in my opinion lacks in comprehensive content based the big bucks spent for the site and the size of the firm.  Note also there are occasional typographical errors -- a big "no, no" for such a gorgeous site.

Editor's Note: Not only have design standards and capabilities changed immensely since we wrote this article, but all the sites mentioned, except Lathrop & Gage LLC, have changed their design - most to their detriment in our opinion.

In summation, one of the best ways to market your law firm is to provide killer content that keeps visitors coming back for more, thereby keeping your name before your current and potential clients another legal professionals seeking information and expertise.  Substantive content elicits additional marketing benefits such as:

1. Better ranking with search engines, indices and crawlers as other sites link to you since many search engines base rankings at least somewhat on the number of site which link to you.

2. As other sites link to you, it's like having a small yellow page ad on each of those sites for free; and 

3. Legal professionals may begin to recognize your firm as experts due to the depth and breathe of your content.

This article is the copyrighted property of KatsueyDesignWorks. No reprints are allowed without expressed permission.

If you need a great business web site, KatsueyDesignWorks is the place to start - and end - your search for a web site designer.

We provide:

• Custom Designs
• Custom Graphics
• CSS
• Search Ready
• Great Service
• Economical Prices
• Modern Browser Compliant