A Few Thoughts (Or Complaints) About Law Practice Sites

For some reason lawyers like to send me links and ask me what I think about their websites and blogs.  More often than not I have a few complaints.  Take them or leave them as you like, but there are just a few things that I think do not work for you the way you might hope.

1.   The Big Ass Business Card.  Do not do this.  The days are long gone where it serves your purpose to have a template website, with a picture of a building that you do not work in or a group of people that do not represent you or your staff.  Apart from possibly directions to your offices, what good is this?  It is not going to get you rankings particularly, and generally it is not helpful.  It portrays a wrong image and it offers potential clients nothing of substance.  Go with a blog.  But, whether a website or a blog your site needs to be loaded with content.  Your site needs to offer things of substance, and I mean things of that potential clients find important.

2.    If You Have A Blog Then Blog.  If you are going to spend the time and/or money developing a blog, then for goodness sake blog.  If you do not, you are not going to get noticed.  If you do get noticed, what are people to think?  It looks like you do not care or that you know nothing about your practice area or both.  I know it is time consuming and it requires some thought, but then so does any marketing.  Besides, the more information on your blog, the less time you have to spend face-to-face with your prospects as you are already transmitting vital information and you are already selling yourself and your legal services.

3.    Templates.  I mentioned this above in passing, but it is important.  Get rid of the templates.  Are you developing a law firm or are you molding your law practice around you template?  I just love to surf around the net and see the same page over and over and over again for different law firms and companies.  The blog or website does not have to be beautiful.  If fact, I would warn against it.  But, it does need to be a bit original.

4.   Legaleses.  Give me a break, please.  Can you not speak or write normally?  You write this way so you feel important or you think you are showing off.  Most people and potential clients think you are talking down to them.  It is certainly impersonal.  Who wants to hire a robot.  A blog or a website is not a legal brief.   I saw a blog site the other day that literally started out with an explanation of the law firm as (I have changed the name), "The Brand New Law Firm, LLC (hereinafter "Brand New") ..."  Try to present yourself, your law firm and your work in more of a conversational tone.  Act like you are speaking to people one to one.

5.    Family Pictures.  Unless you represent children or baby law of some kind, do not put pictures of you with your baby or children on your practice site.  The same is true for dogs and other pets.  Leave that stuff for your Facebook.  And, if you think people really want to know about your personal life, then link to your Facebook.  Look, so you are a casual person, but what does this tell anybody about your skills, your practice or how you can help them?  It does not.  It diverts from your message.  I know you are proud of your family.  So am I.  That is not why I am looking hiring you.  Besides, you and your family are just not as cute as you think you are.  The same is true for trip pictures.  I certainly do not care if you just got back from a ski vacation.

6.    Virtual Law Firm.  Running a virtual law firm is a wonderful thing -- FOR ME!  It might be a nice feature to place on your blog or website in some subtle way.  But, I do not know many people that are online looking for a virtual law firm.  They are looking for a will or a divorce or probate services or whatever.  If your overall campaign is that you are virtual, then you are not selling much to anybody.  And, the general public does not really know what that means.  They especially do not know what VLO or VLF means.  Your web or blog site needs to be devoted to your practice area, and your practice area is not based on the fact that you work at home or run a virtual law firm.  Sure it might be important that you can meet with the client over the phone or online or without a visit to your office but, as I said, that is really just a feature that supports your practice area.  It is not your practice area.

That is it for now.  I will come up with more complaints later.

Comments

[Victor Medina]

As usual, Chuck, I agree with much of what you say and then vehemently disagree with one small point. In many cases, clients decide to hire an attorney on the basis of emotion (not rationale thought). The impressions that they get in the first few moments of being introduced to the lawyer (through the website, in person, in a brochure, etc.) are the ones that stick. In the area of estate planning, many of my clients are coming to me with the notion that they "should" get something done, not in crisis mode (usually). I want to present them with a picture of a warm, welcoming office/practice/approach. I do this partly to differentiate myself from attorneys who take the "cold" approach and partly because it's just who I am. All of which is to say that I think that personal pictures can be appropriate in striking the right tone. If you purport to do planning for parents of young children, it might be helpful for potential clients to see that you are a parent of young children yourself. I think that it's also appropriate in any situation where your warmth and empathy might be appropriate to establishing a connection (like probate or estate administration).

Then again, I'd hate to see what you think of my site.... (hint, hint, hint).

[Peter Olson]

Not sure about the personal picture problem. I can think of safety reasons not to have that and a few nuts I've dealt with but on the pure marketing side I think clients like to have some connection that might come through a photo or a bio. that goes into some hobbies and things beyond just what courts you practice in.