Law Firm Web Sites Under Indictment
as published in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

By Bert Jackson
Koa Interactive Media, LLC

It is almost unheard of today for a law firm – of any size – to be without a web site. In fact, many firms are now developing second- or third- generation web sites that enhance, improve and expand upon earlier versions. But are these new web sites any more effective at marketing the law firms they represent?

Look at your firm’s web site. Do you see a home page filled with paragraph after paragraph of text? Is the primary feature of the web site a page filled with photographs and biographies of your firm’s partners? Do you simply list practice areas and hope that prospective clients will understand what it is that you do?

Unfortunately, this is a description of a typical law firm web site, one that is focused on showing off the firm without taking into consideration why a client might be visiting the site in the first place. For your firm’s web site to be more effective in educating visitors, elevating the image of the firm and generating direct inquiries, certain elements should be put in place.

Here are eight key characteristics of a successful law firm web site.

1. Educate First.
   In marketing professional services it is important to “show what you know.” Using a web site to educate about the law and how it works will go a long way toward convincing visitors that your firm is competent and capable. Include a section of “frequently asked questions,” links to articles you have written on appropriate topics, and a glossary of relevant legal terms. Visitors will spend more time on your web site and come away impressed with your firm.
   
   
2. Lower Hurdles.
   Have you ever been frustrated when browsing through a web site and you were unable to find an easy way to contact the firm represented? Don’t make that mistake with your web site. Include a telephone number, mailing address and e-mail link on every page. Create an easy-to-use contact form that captures essential information from the visitor. Don’t hide behind the web faˆßade.
   
   
3. Tell Them What You Do.
   Too many firms concentrate on using a web site to promote their partners without ever full explaining the type of law they practice. Be very clear up front, starting with the home page, what visitors can expect from your firm. If you are a corporate litigation specialist, don’t waste the time of somebody looking for a personal injury lawyer. Explain your area of specialization, and include profiles of successful cases you have handled to give visitors an even more distinct view of what kind of work you do.
   
   
4. Don’t Be Boring.
   While you want to project an image that is professional and dignified, that does not mean your web site must be dull and uninteresting. Make the graphics and page layout of your web site appropriate to the clients you are seeking. If you practice family law, your site should be warm, welcoming and reassuring. For a corporate law firm, the colors should be more muted and subdued, but graphics should exude an aura of authority and competence. Above all, stay away from page after page of text. Your web site is NOT your firm brochure, and writing for the web is inherently different from writing for print. Keep it short, simple and to the point.
   
   
5. Feature Your Lawyers – Sparingly.
   Since personal interaction are such an integral part of the client/lawyer relationship, it is helpful to include photos and profiles of your firm’s attorneys, at least at the partner level. But be careful with those biographical sketches. Keep them brief and reader-friendly. You are trying to impress clients, not other lawyers. Are potential clients really going to be impressed that a partner was an assistant editor of the student law journal in 1956?
   
   
6. Include a Call to Action.
   Amazingly, many firms spend thousands of dollars on their web sites and then never ask visitors to do anything at all. Don’t assume that the visitor knows what his or her next step should be. Instruct them to e-mail, call or write, and give them reasons to do so. The clearer the directions, the more likely that your web site will generate leads for your firm.
   
   
7. Keep It Fresh.
   You should not simply get a new web site up and running on the web and leave it there. Information, news, events, case studies – all should be reviewed, renewed or replaced on a regular schedule. There are several content management options available to make this happen, ranging from full control from your desktop, to editing of specific sections yourself, to full support from a web developer to make changes and edits.
   
   
8. Market Your Site.
   Getting a new web site up and running is only half the battle. Unless you tell people about it and direct them to it, the web site will see little traffic. Include your web site address on all firm correspondence, letterhead, business cards and printed materials. Make sure you take steps to “optimize” the site for search engines. Invest in sponsored links on the major search engines, a relatively inexpensive way to drive additional traffic to your web site.

Keep these eight characteristics in sight and you’ll have a much better chance of creating a web site that is appealing, active and effective.