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Some lawyers think they do not need a
website because most of their business
comes from referrals.
According
to Margot W. Teleki in the July 17,
2006, issue of the New Jersey Law
Journal, “the first thing your referral
will do is check out your firm’s website
before giving you a call to see who and
what you are and how well you’re suited
to meet his needs.”
Gerry
Morris, a white collar criminal lawyer
and Austin sole practitioner, says,
“Sometimes clients referred to me by
other lawyers come into my office with a
printout from my website in hand.”
If you so
not have a website, you could be losing
business without even knowing it. When a
prospective client cannot find you on
the web, that could send out a message
that tour firm is too small, too new,
too unsophisticated, too unsuccessful,
or too behind the times to handle the
good quality work you want to attract.
SMALL FIRMS LAG BEHIND
Legal marketing consultants Alyn-Weiss
concluded that “law firm websites are
the single most effective marketing
tools employed by corporate,
transactional, and defense firms.” In
their 2006 national survey of 119 firms,
82% had “received work directly or by
referral during the past 24 months” from
their websites. Yet the American Bar
Association’s Legal Technology Survey
for 2006 reported that only 40% of sole
practitioners and 65% of small firms
(2-9 attorneys) have a website. Almost
all firms with 50+ lawyers have a
website, and 90% of those with 10-50
lawyers do.
Some
small firms with stretched resources
think a website is too expensive because
they don’t have the budget to hire an
information technology consultant.
Others struggle to just keep up with the
needs of their clients and still have a
personal life. They believe they just
don’t have the time necessary to create
and/or update a website.
WEBSITE BENEFITS
Other than looking inadequate or behind
the times, there are several benefits of
having a website. Websites give clients
a chance to get to know you and your
qualifications at their convenience and
before they make the commitment of a
phone call. They can emphasize your
achievements and demonstrate your
expertise, which you probably would not
do in person. Informative articles and
other valuable content pertinent to your
clients’ needs build trust by providing
the service before meeting. Websites
save time and improve staff productivity
by answering those recurring questions
about office hours, location, and how
the legal process typically works. They
can include intake forms for clients to
complete before their first appointment
or lists of essential documents to bring
to the appointment. Most importantly, a
website with useful content and keywords
often found by search engines will reach
clients when they are interested, 24/7.
Morris says his website (www.egmlaw.com)
brought in enough business in the first
year to more than pay for itself. Soon,
it so outperformed his Yellow Pages ad
that he cancelled it.
HOW TO START
Begin by shopping the competition. Many
websites have the name and web link of
the designer in small print at the
bottom of the page. Contact designers
whose work you like for an estimate. Ask
friends and colleagues who they would
recommend. You can find plenty of
designers by entering terms like
“websites for lawyers” or “law firm web
designers” into a search engine.
Websites like www.elance.com and
www.guru.com provide a forum for
freelance web designers to bid on
projects and provide links to their
portfolios. The expense you should
expect depends on the number of pages
and complexity of your site. A firm of
5-10 lawyers may expect to pay from
$2,000 to $8,000 for a custom site.
However, according to Luke Gilman, a web
designer turned law student (www.GilmanCreative.com),
a firm on a budget could still get a
custom web design for under $1,000.
WEBSITES ON A TIGHT BUDGET
For greater cost savings, check out the
template websites that are available. To
illustrate how easy it is to create a
template website, view
www.houstoncoaches.com. It took about 8
hours of work initially, and costs about
$12.00 per month at www.spinsite.com.
For templates specially designed for law
firms, visit www.legalwebdesigner.com or
www.easylawsite.com. Their 5-6 page
websites cost from $400-$1,000 plus a
monthly fee of $25-$40. That usually
includes domain name registration,
hosting fees, and a limited number of
email accounts. For a real bargain,
check out www.easylawweb.com, where you
can get a 5 page site for about $6 per
month, or www.citymax.com for $20 per
month. Finally, for the ultimate
bargain, get a minimal site free at
www.justia.com.
LEGAL DIRECTORY WEBSITES
Attorneys can also get template websites
created for them at online legal
directories such as www.lawyers.com and
www.findlaw.com. A search for a lawyer
usually brings up listings in those two
directories on the first page of every
search engine. Due to directory listing
cost, even the simplest site runs about
$2,000 per year and more targeted
premium listings can cost much more.
Many attorneys find these listings worth
the price, although results may vary
depending on the region and area of
practice. Even some firms with custom
websites still pay the fee to be linked
to a directory listing. |
