Building a Better Website

by Tom McNichol

Law schools don't offer courses on website development, but maybe they should. Done well, a legal website can improve your visibility and attract clients you wouldn't find any other way. A poorly designed website, on the other hand, can be like wearing a bad suit to a meeting. It signals to prospective clients that you're not quite ready for prime time. Here are some website best practices that will demonstrate to clients that your firm is worth retaining.

Hire a Pro Who Knows Your Business
Unless you already know how to build a website from scratch (or have an 18-year-old nephew who thinks he does), you're going to need to hire a professional web designer to handle the job. But there are tens of thousands of website designers out there, so you have to narrow your search. One good way to start is to look online for existing law firm websites that you like and think are particularly suited to your practice area, and then find out who designed them. Also, consult colleagues who have had good experiences with website developers.

Some providers, including TemplatesKing.com and TemplateNavigator.com, offer standardized website templates for a variety of businesses, including law firms. But a template, by nature, will make your site look like every other legal site on the Internet. Other firms design customized websites; several focus on the legal market, including LexisNexis, Website Design for Lawyers, and Law Promo. And some independent web designers have carved out a specialty serving lawyers.

Avoid Clichés Like the Plague
How many law firm websites have you seen with a home page featuring an image of a stately glass office tower? Or a gavel? How about the scales of justice? Or a group of well-scrubbed associates sitting around a conference table waiting for something to happen? The mind numbs.

The big glass tower where you work may look impressive, but it only tells prospective clients where you work - not what they really want to know: What can you do for me? Instead of relying on tired symbolism, try images that depict legal problems being solved-an injured party made whole, a new business opened, a completed will that protects loved ones. Legal web designer Dan Gilroy used this approach when he created a site for the Domine Adams law firm, which has locations in Calabasas and the San Fernando Valley. The home page highlights the firm's specialties - personal injury, entertainment litigation, construction defects, insurance bad faith claims - by flashing evocative photos on the screen.

"One of my pet peeves is coming to a law firm site and not immediately seeing what it is they do," says Gilroy. "You have to catch the users' attention immediately and let them know up front what it is the law firm does and how it can help."

Adopt the Client's Perspective
A legal website should not be about you - it should be about the client's needs and how you as a lawyer can fulfill them. On the Web, you're selling a service, not presenting your résumé. Web users are skimmers, not readers. If they land on your site they may give you less than ten seconds to provide a compelling reason for them to stay. Clearly, you can't begin to detail all of your legal credentials in that brief time, so don't try.

The simple fact is that a new visitor to any law firm's website probably needs immediate answers to a pressing legal problem. So all of the text on your home page should in some way speak to the problem-solving aspects of your practice. Keep the copy simple, professional, and conversational without being chummy.

Educate Your Audience
Once you've persuaded users to spend time with your site, you can use its interior pages to teach them about your particular practice areas and how you've used your expertise to solve real-life cases that may be similar to their own. A separate "news" section might detail rele- vant cases affecting your practice area, or highlight achievements within the firm. Larger firms with more resources may expand this information with blogs or newsletters. But don't start anything you don't intend to stick with: It's better to have no blog at all than one that hasn't been updated for six months.

In your bio section, don't limit the information to your credentials. Make sure you also include personal details about why you were drawn to your particular practice of law in the first place, and what it is that brings you satisfaction in helping a client through a difficult time.

FAQs and Figures
Surprisingly few law firm websites feature a section for frequently asked questions, even though the FAQ page is where millions of users go first when they visit any website. You don't need an exhaustive list of questions; stick with the basics. What specific kinds of cases do you handle? How can potential clients know if they have a case? Specialized practice areas can explore more specific questions. A DUI lawyer, for example, might address questions such as: How can I fight a DUI charge? How can I get my license back? How long will all of this take?

Always include questions about essential information: How can I contact you by confidential email? Can I fill in a response form online? Where is your office, and what are the hours? Where can I find a map to your location? And don't forget the one question every client wants answered: What are your fees? (You may not want to answer with precise figures, but clients will feel better that you at least acknowledged the issue.)

Contact Information Is Never Redundant
Ultimately, the most important action you want to elicit through your website is to have someone contact you. That's it. So it's curious that some legal websites seem to bury their contact information or restrict it to a single page. Especially for small firms or sole practitioners, you need to put your address, phone number, and email address on every page of your site so users won't have to stumble around looking for it. Remember, it only takes one click for a user to leave your website - forever.

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