V.DEVELOPING A WEBSITE DESIGN STRATEGY
Hundreds of law firms have decided that they need a website on the Internet. For many firms, the principal reasons for having a website are that "other firms have a website" or "our clients have websites and they expect us to have a website". Even assuming that these are valid reasons to devote significant amounts of firm time and money toward creating a website, the question still remains: "What should our firm put on our website?" Putting up a firm brochure is valuable for the same reason that a firm has a print brochure or a Martindale-Hubbell listing, however putting up "brochureware" means forgoing 90% of what the Internet can do for a firm.
A. DESIGNING A WEBSITE BY PRESS RELEASE
The problem with a "brochureware" website is that clients are likely to visit the site only as often they would look at a firm brochure, i.e. no one is likely to look at it more than once. If the website only has Martindale-Hubbell type information and generic marketing statements about how the firm is client driven, why would someone want to see this message twice? A design exercise that can be very helpful in creating an effective website is to draft the press releases that will be issued upon completion of the website.
B. WHY WOULD AN EDITOR WANT TO RUN THIS STORY?
The press release exercise makes you answer two questions: Who is the audience for the story? and What is compelling about the site/firm?
1. The Audience
In the short-run the large majority of firm revenue comes from the firm's present clients. Therefore, you should provide your present clients information that will make them want to use the firm more often. Many firms put their newsletters on their websites hoping that their clients will appreciate the convenience of having this ready reference. Maybe one of the articles will serve as a reminder that they have a similar problem/issue and they will ask the firm for help. This approach wastes much of the power of a website, because a website is an interactive medium unlike paper.
A website can take readers to information sources anywhere in the world via hyper-text links. All law firm websites should have a set of links that address the clients' information needs. This set of links (a jumpsite) that organizes the Internet information resources of interest to the client gives the client a reason to come back to the site. (A jumpsite is also a valuable firm asset, since the firm's attorneys need not waste many billable hours creating their own set of firm specific bookmarks.)
Another audience that a website should attract are prospective clients. Lawyers have an amazing ability to take issues that make the front pages of newspapers and make the same issues appear to be boring. The things that are emotionally important to clients such as their jobs, their families, starting a new business, and buying a house become dry and uninteresting when reduced to abstract legal principles. In order to create a good website, a firm needs to address these emotional needs. The more human the presentation, the more interesting the website will be.
Once again, this is much easier on a website than in a newsletter. Pictures can be added to a website, but unlike print, these pictures can be linked to other websites directly tied to the picture. In addition, a website can provide a variety of services to a client. If your clients are investors, you can add a link to a free service that provides stock quotes. If you handle divorces, create a FAQ (frequently asked questions) on your state's divorce procedure with links to the appropriate statutes. If you do mergers and acquisition work, arrange to give your clients passworded access to the proprietary electronic or print sources that always seems to get the rumor first. What you can do to make the site interesting is only limited by your imagination.
2. Making the site compelling
By creating something that didn't exist before you have a story to tell -- something that a jaded editor would want to tell his or her readers. Adding interactivity always creates interest; a quiz, a survey, an interactive non-linear slide show all are more compelling than just dry non-interactive text. None of these items need be unprofessional or silly, the content controls whether these items will be considered professional.
I. INTRODUCTION
II. OVERVIEW
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF TOP LEVEL DOMAIN NAMES FOR LAW FIRMS
IV. WHY CREATE A LAW FIRM WEBSITE
V. DEVELOPING A WEBSITE DESIGN STRATEGY
VIII. DISINTERMEDIATING AND RE-ENGINEERING THE LEGAL PROCESS
IX. A BRIEF REVIEW OF LEGAL ETHICS AND WEBSITES
For information on how Web Counsel can help you develop your own website see our Web Counsel Services page OR send e-mail to mark@webcounsel.com, phone us at (203)-637-4352, FAX us at (203) 698-1052 or mail us at our Greenwich office address - Web Counsel, LLC, 17 Wilmot Lane, Riverside, CT 06878.
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