INTERNET INTERFACE: Your firm's Web site is a good advertising tool
if it's kept current and easy to navigate

published in the Daily Journal

Dear Concerned:
Too many firms develop their Web sites by focusing on what they want to tell about themselves. Try looking at your site from a potential client's perspective to see if it includes the information clients are seeking. Asking clients which law firm Web sites they visit and why will give you some ideas about what your end users are looking for.

Consider organizing your site differently than the conventional listings of practice groups. Focus on the key industries you serve. For instance, your health care clients will want to visit your health care page with out having to wade through other practice group pages looking for references to health care. So include direct links to profitable or growing practice groups right from your home page or make the page accessible from a word search option.

Visiting competitor's sites both in your own city and in other locations can show you possibilities for Web site design. Also, peruse Web sites in other industries – law firms do not tend to create the most innovative sites. Consider what you like and dislike about the Web site content and designs you see. Because surfers like to participate, build an interactive area on your Web site. Allow visitors to sign up to receive newsletters, white papers and other information your firm produces for its clients. Be sure the Web site includes an e-mail link for people to communicate with individuals at the firm.

Be prepared to invest some money in the site. If you want a low budget Web site, you will get what you pay for. This is not to say that a well designed Web site must be expensive. However, Web site development is a design project that requires significant management. One way to contain costs is to finalize the text for the various pages before your Web designer starts laying out your site. Careful initial planning and agreement on the blueprint for your site can avoid major changes mid-stream that can add to overall cost.

Firms get into trouble when they approach the development of their Web site as an open-ended project, which makes bringing a Web site to completion very difficult. Take a building block approach to developing your site and avoid overanalyzing every detail to be included. Setting and reaching a goal of going live is fairly easy with a smaller site, say 12 pages, than a larger, more comprehensive site. Remember, you can always add to a site once it is online. In fact, some of the best ideas often materialize after the site has been used for a while. Unlike a printed brochure, your Web site is not a static collection of information. The most important thing to do is simply get started.

Because unspoken minimum expectations need to be met, invest in a graphic designer in addition to your site developer. Some Web site developers have advanced technology skills but only basic design skills, and graphic designers may be only marginally "tech-savvy." Hire one of each because most of your visitors are used to quality television and print graphics.

You must keep your firm's site current because Web sites get stale quickly. Many of the first generation Web sites developed in the mid-'90s already look outdated. Keeping your site up to date means assigning responsibility (either internally or to an outside service) to update your Web site regularly with information regarding new people, locations, practice groups and other firm developments and events. Including new information (perhaps in a "news" section) can help keep your site fresh.

Finally, once your site is up, look and see who visits. Most hosting services provide tracking systems of visitors. They can offer information regarding how many hits your Web site has received and the geographic location of the site visitor, in addition to which Web site they came from prior to visiting your site.

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