Do you have a web site and wonder what, if anything, it's done for your marketing program lately? Or, maybe you're in one of the firms still pondering whether to create a web site. Wonder and ponder no more.

I interviewed three experts in the field of web site design and re-design, Mark Pruner of Web Counsel (webcounsel.com) and Rick Klau of Red Street Consulting (redstreet.com) as well as our own Laura Konrad at The Success Group (filipand-caminos.com). Together we covered some enlightening ground on the uses of sites as business-development tools and the evolution of the genre.

Just because everyone seems to have a web site these days is not reason enough to create one for your firm. Pruner describes creating a site by "press release," meaning defining your target audience and providing them news and information they can use.

The result of this type of design process is what he calls a "resource center," a place to be visited repeatedly because of its useful, fast-loading and easily navigable content. Some handy sites have on-line subscriptions allowing you to sign up for one or more news alerts that are e-mailed (pushed) to your computer automatically, usually free of charge (see mwbb.com).

Other examples include a speakers bureau for clients who may need attorney presenters, "conference" rooms that are password-protected and allow groups to interact, e-commerce enabling visitors to buy materials with a credit card from seminars the firm has given or to register for a seminar.

What is ahead for these resource centers? E-lawyering, such as cybersettle.com, a unique dispute resolution site that allows plaintiffs' attorneys and insurers to settle disputes -- when any one set of three bids proffered by each side falls within 30 percent or $ 5,000, the dispute is settled by averaging the two offers.

Impressions count

Klau and his partner, Erik Heels, run Red Street Consulting of Acton, Mass., a company that helps law firms upgrade and leverage their web sites. They also rate law firm web sites twice a year -- big firms in the fall and mid-sized firms in the spring for National Law Journal.

Klau points out that your web site and the sheer size of internet participation will be the most-lasting impression of your firm a prospective client will get. So, he suggests that sites be more than just an electronic brochure, but an integral part of the firm's internal and external communications focused on a defined target audience.

He suggests before creating a site, or when auditing it, a firm should: (1) define its goals so it will be able to evaluate the site's success to ensure there is an overlap between your target audience and actual site visitors; (2) define the next step a visitor should take -- visit the site and phone the firm to set an appointment -- and count how many times that occurs; and (3) put your web address on all marketing communications, such as business cards, letterhead, etc.

Klau points out that in the very crowded internet marketplace, a firm must achieve "top-of-mind" status by communicating a message that sets it apart and separates it from competitors. Since the press is an important part of many firms' target audience, you can differentiate your message by creating a specific section on your site for print and broadcast journalists to speak to highlighted attorneys.

Achieving top-of-mind status requires more than a unique message in web site design. It requires attention to aesthetic details. "We live in a visual society in which people make qualitative judgments based on the aesthetics of images and message combined," says Gould, design director at The Success Group. And, when aesthetically effective messages and images are coordinated throughout marketing materials, branding -- the noisiest of buzzwords -- is achieved.

Color is an important element of web site design, according to Gould. "Colors that vibrate, such as bright red and electric blue, make looking at a site difficult -- they bounce. Many sites also use white type on a dark background and when viewers print a page from a site, which many do, they get a blank page because the computer can't see the white print."

To create a more-distinctive feel, many sites employ photography, which, as Gould points out, is increasingly in color, creating a warmth that's missing from black and white photography. But, there are pitfalls.

"If your color photography has too many colors, or your black and white photos have too much gray, the computer tries to make up its palette deficits and you get splotchy, chrome-like patches when the photo is published to the site. A good designer will reduce the colors in a photo once it is scanned into a computer file to prevent these splotches."

Ever walked your dog, baked a cake and shepherdized three cases while waiting for a site to load? That's the specific problem of intricate graphics and large photos. "There are lots of tricks that designers use to decrease loading time -- splitting big graphics files into smaller ones, for instance. It is paramount that your site load within 30 seconds, especially since viewers' attention spans are getting increasingly shorter.

The same is true for audio; it must load quickly, but it should be a choice to listen to, not a forced background noise. One of the sites that combines audio and visual (radio-show audio clips, photos, graphics) effectively is the two-person Rene Larson law office in Thunder Bay, Ontario (renelarson.com).

In terms of overall design, Gould recommends paying close attention to navigation. "Today, site visitors want to find information quickly. The structure of your site should be outlined clearly on your home page. If you don't build in efficient navigation on Page 1, visitors won't come back, and revisits are the goal of site building," she said. She also notes expert designers use computer coding and specialized software, such as SitePromoter, to prioritize web sites on search engines (AOL Find, Lycos, Hot Bot, etc.) so that they show up high on the list of search results.

What's ahead in Gould's view? Interactivity, animation and scrolling text to use space efficiently and keep interest. But, underscored throughout all interviews was this message: A web site can be a powerful marketing engine, but only if you define your goal, execute your plan well, and continually upgrade substantive and graphical content.

© Copyright 2001, The Success Group

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