Clients are using law firm Web sites to select and hire attorneys with ever-increasing frequency, according to two prominent general counsel. To attract new business, law firms must make their Web site a more valuable marketing tool, especially because research shows that Web sites bring in new clients.
With that in mind, Larry Bodine, a marketing consultant and founder of www.LawMarketing.com, hosted an Internet seminar titled “How In-House Counsel Evaluate Law Firm Web sites” specifically to help law firms of all sizes maximize the effectiveness and usability of their Web sites. Joining Bodine were:
- Jeffrey Carr, the Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of FMC Technologies.
- Tom Aldrich, Chief Litigation Counsel at Baxter International, Inc.
Both Carr and Aldrich frequently visit law firm Web sites as part of their effort to find creative solutions to their companies’ legal questions, and they provided Bodine and the Internet audience with valuable input on the usefulness of specific Web site components such as testimonials, attorney profiles and representative client lists.
“A significant competitive advantage”
Bodine began the program by pointing out the growing importance to law firms of Web sites with high-quality content. He pointed out that a 2003 TouchPoint Metrics report ("Proof: Web-savvy Law Firms Get New Business from the Web") found that law firms that use their Web sites as serious marketing tools have a “significant competitive advantage” over those that don’t. In fact, he went on, over 73% of the firms surveyed said that the use of their Web sites had resulted in new clients. Bodine stressed that while Web sites certainly aren’t cheap (with start-up fees ranging from an average of $21,000 for firms of fewer than 75 lawyers to an average of $111,000 for very large firms) they should be considered a worthwhile investment rather than an expense, because of the potential return in the form of new clients.
Dos and don’ts of web marketing
Next, Bodine touched on several dos and don’ts for law firms seeking to generate new business with their Web sites. Common flaws that fail to catch the interest of site visitors include failure to identify the firm as a law firm, and the use of generic content or puffery (about the firm’s commitment to excellence and integrity, for example) that fails to communicate any actual information about the firm’s specific expertise and track record. On the other hand, including a link leading to a list of specific industries that the law firm practices in, or offering a unique and memorable tag line or brand, can be extremely effective at attracting new business.
Specifics, specifics, specifics
Both Carr and Aldrich work for large companies with established legal problem-solving strategies. Nonetheless, both said that they frequently use the Internet to evaluate law firms. For example, although Baxter generally uses a small list of providers for its litigation needs, it does sometimes hire other counsel. Both panelists said that they are far more likely to use Web sites to discover more information about a law firm with which they are already generally familiar than to hunt for new law firms. Thus, they are also more likely to use search engines to look up specific firm Web sites than to hunt for a list of firms in a given practice area.
Yes, please
Bodine asked both panelists for their opinion on the usefulness of a number of specific tools that law firms use on their Web sites. He began with the inclusion of a representative list of the firm’s clients. Both panelists find such lists extremely useful. Client lists “tell me what kind of clients and what particular clients [a firm] represents, which says…something about the nature of their practice as well as their expertise,” Aldrich pointed out, adding that client lists can also be used to determine whether the Web site visitor’s company has any potential conflicts of interest with a firm’s existing clientele. Finally, Carr added, such lists might point out a visitor’s acquaintances among a firm’s existing clients, whom the visitor can then call and personally ask for an evaluation of the firm.
Another tool that Aldrich and Carr find extremely important is a list of the industries in which a firm practices. Both agreed that such a list enables a reader to see immediately whether a firm has experience and expertise in a relevant field. A related and important tool is a representative list of the firm’s prior cases. This allows a reader to evaluate how effectively and creatively the firm has responded to its clients’ needs. According to Carr, “litigation is an aberration and an irritant. And what we’re looking for are creative approaches to solv[ing] the problems that we face. So case histories, especially if they relate to effective solution delivery and creative ways of delivering those solutions, are very important to us.” Responding to a question from the audience, the panelists said that they would not necessarily refuse to a hire a law firm just because they noticed that the firm also represented a competitor, but that such a decision would be made on a case-by-case basis.
An additional tool that helps prospective clients evaluate a law firm is the attorney profile. Carr said that in reading attorney profiles, he looks for information about the attorney’s experience, areas of expertise and use of creative problem solving. Bodine pointed out that it is also very useful to include easily accessible and thorough contact information for the attorney, whether he or she is a partner or an associate, and which specific clients he or she has worked for.
Finally, other tools that both panelists found important were extranets, or password protected sites where existing clients can view their own case documents and court schedules, and “links” pages, which direct a reader to other relevant sources of information on the Internet.
Maybe, maybe not
Carr and Aldrich agreed that certain other Web site tools are of more moderate effectiveness. Regarding email newsletters, Carr said, “I’m of two minds. On the one hand it’s just more email clutter. On the other, I can get rid of it if I don’t want it. And…I can print it out and read it on the airplane [when I travel].”Aldrich went further and said that when he does receive a newsletter, he prefers that it come in as simple a format as possible to allow for reading with minimal navigation. And the panel agreed that including a privacy statement to reassure readers that the law firm will not use its contact information in other contexts is essential when signing up to receive a newsletter. Regarding blogs, or online journals, which law firms are using with ever more frequency, Carr pointed out that, like newsletters, they can simply contribute to the deluge of information that many of us face when doing research on the Internet, adding that his attention might be captured by a blog on a topic he was particularly interested in.
Similarly, a welcome letter from a law firm’s senior partner could possibly be useful, but both panelists agreed that such letters are frequently just the source of more puffery and generic content. Both said that they would be drawn to a welcome letter or a firm mission statement only if it dealt directly with issues they find important, such as a commitment to diversity or pro bono work. As to printed press releases on a Web site, both Aldrich and Carr said they generally would not find them useful. Asked about links to articles and other publications by a firm’s lawyers, both said that they would typically find such material by doing an Internet search of a specific topic of interest, rather than discovering them through a firm’s Web site.
No, thank you
Interestingly, Aldrich and Carr were nearly unanimous on those tools which they find particularly unhelpful when evaluating law firm Web sites. They each said that posted testimonials by previous clients are uninformative, because no potentially negative information is revealed. Both said that lists of frequently asked questions are generally not useful to them because their informational needs are complex and change frequently, although Aldrich pointed out that such lists could possibly be helpful to an inexperienced individual or company seeking legal assistance. Finally, Aldrich and Carr agreed that in general, Web sites that use moving graphics and flash animation are likely to distract a reader from serious content and can be irritating.
Whether your law firm is new to the world of Internet-based marketing or merely searching for new web tools to bring in business, this informative panel demonstrated that a well-constructed Web site can be a treasure trove of valuable information about a firm’s strengths and can lead directly to new business.
RSS FEED
By Rosemary Frenza, an Illinois attorney and freelance writer. She can be reached at 