Law websites found wanting

Law firm websites look too similar, use too many words and lose ‘75% of people’ before web users move beyond the home page, consultants have warned.

Nigel Salter, head of interactive at e-business consultancy Salterbaxter, told delegates at a seminar last week that most law firm websites were simply on-line ‘brochure sites’ following a predictable structure. Martin Carroll of customer experience consultancy Foviance said that was why ‘75% of people leave most law firm websites without going past the home page’.

Carroll said some law firms, notably Slaughter and May, had taken steps to make their websites work for them. These steps might include recognising that appearances do matter, knowing your customers and using technology to increase and track users.

Slaughter and May executive partner Graham White said: ‘We made the investment because our former site wasn’t giving the picture of ourselves we wanted. The new site has impressed clients from as far away as Hong Kong, as well as journalists and internet-knowledgeable younger people.’