RESPECTED LAW FIRMS WITH AMATEURISH WEB SITES

By Dale Tincher, published in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly 6-9-2003

Many law firms have made significant progress in improving the appearance of their Web sites. However, numerous highly-respected firms still maintain amateurish Web sites, often developing their sites in-house or having them designed by a friend. One wonders if these firms care about the negative impression their Web site creates or if they are simply not in tune with how consumers shop for services in 2003.

Learning Web site design is usually an evolution process. When one initially gets into Web design, many Web sites appear to be ultra-conservative. Inexperienced Web designers typically compare Web sites to their frame of reference, which is often colorful magazines and television.

Five years ago, I developed my first personal Web site. It was replete with flashing divider bars, animated cartoon characters and all the colors one would find in certain used car salesman's sports coats. I later learned that these features were novel only to me. My site had "newbie" written all over it. It loaded slowly and had little functionality.

This is the case with many firms. Attorneys and staff members are typically very bright. The technically oriented attorneys have met and conquered many technology dragons. The Web is another monster to tackle and tame. The same attorney, who would never design a brochure that will be distributed to a few, will tackle a Web site that will be seen by prospective clients and the world. It doesn't dawn on him/her, that he/she is flashing “newbie”, “amateur” and/or "budget-problem" to prospective and existing clients. A firm that promotes itself as technology-savvy, yet has a Web site that is designed in Crayola font is contradicting its positive "talk" with harmful "actions."

I must say that I have seen some very attractive Web sites that were designed in-house. However, they are few and far between. As I review legal Web sites, I note that there are typically no news updates on the sites. It is difficult to determine the firm's areas of practice. The home page features an image that does not tell prospective clients anything about how the firm could help them. The sites are designed in a fashion that precludes anyone other than the designer's proud mother from finding them. Search engine technology has not advanced to a level where search engines can find a site that has no content nor meta tags on the home page. Search engines cannot read, nor are they impressed with a large photo of the building or pictures of a group of attorneys. Neither are clients. The sites do not usually have easy-to-use directions maps, proper intake/feedback forms, downloadable forms, area of practice calculators (e.g., child support, mortgage, etc.), properly structured FAQ's, Too often, Web sites are a monument to the firm and its attorneys' credentials -- rather than being a resource for clients and prospective clients.

Designing a Web site can be challenging and a lot of fun. I heartily encourage an attorney who wants to learn Web design as a hobby. Much good can be done by a Web designer, e.g., assisting charitable organizations and community organizations. However, a Web-inexperienced attorney can never "financially" justify designing his/her own Web site.

In my opinion, the initial Web site should be built by an experienced professional who has legal Web experience. If the attorney prepares the content in advance (which they should do regardless), many professionals will design a tasteful, small Web site for $1,500 - $3,000. An inexperienced attorney designer cannot learn Web design and then design a professional Web site in 10-20 (billable) hours.

A comprehensive Web site can typically be developed for $3,000-$10,000. These dollar figures are not indiscriminate amounts that arrogant Web designers throw out. Designing a Web site consists of numerous steps including an analysis of why a firm should have a site; deciding what the firm wishes to accomplish; designing for the audience; a review of other legal sites; content discussions; a discussion of design technologies and the pros, cons and costs of each; the design and review of numerous drafts; the actual design; client review and input and search engine optimization. Each phase takes time and expertise. The search engine optimization and marketing planning phase, for example, requires a few hours of work and expertise. A designer who has legal Web experience will assume and implement components that will not occur to inexperienced non-legal designers.

If a professional builds a Web site properly, an attorney or staff member can quickly learn to "maintain" a Web site. I have provided telephone Web maintenance instruction (typically using Microsoft FrontPage) to several attorneys and staff members. Most attorneys and staff are performing basic edits, formatting, adding new pages, hyperlinking, etc., within 20 minutes.

Dale Tincher is president of Consultwebs.com, a Raleigh, Web Consulting and Design firm that develops supports law firm Web sites through the United States. Consultwebs.com’s Web site is http://www.consultwebs.com. Dale may be reached at 919-272-8052 or dtincher@consultwebs.com .
 

Top of Page

Back to Web Articles

Web-Instructors.com