Presentation good, content poor on the Net

LEGAL WEB SURVEY: results show that the best sites are not always the most expensive as Memery Crystal tops poll

Web sites run by mid-sized law firms are strong on design and useability, but weak on the most crucial element - content - a survey has found.

The survey of 48 sites run by mainly London firms with 20-50 partners, conducted by Web site designers Intendance, named Memery Crystal as having the best site, followed closely by Beale & Company, Middleton Potts and Hobson Audley, which were highly commended.

It found that some firms 'surprisingly' failed to put a legal disclaimer on their sites, while keeping up to date was a major weakness.

A quarter of firms had no significant Web presence, Intendance said.

All four top firms scored 97% over the three criteria, but Memery Crystal won for a site 'that effectively communicates to clients why they should use the firm - the quality and commitment of their people.

As well as getting the basics consistently right, they build their brand throughout the site'.

Beale & Company was praised for its content, while the Middleton Potts site had useful features such as a printer-friendly option.

Hobson Audley was marked up for giving users full and free access provided they register, although the survey suggested that some information should be free without registration.

The report said: 'The marketing benefits of providing valuable legal information are only realised if you know who's looking at your information, and have a way to contact them.'

The average total score was 73%, but for content alone was just 50%.

North-west personal injury and clinical negligence firm Alexander Harris was singled out for good content and having additional features like a virtual case library, which takes potential clients through real-life examples of how cases are conducted.

Firms scored a much-higher average of 88% on useability.

The survey picked out Edwin Coe for keeping to the industry best practice of having most content available at a maximum of two clicks away from the home page, and having a 'very user-friendly interface'.

The firms did equally well (86%) on design, although the survey did suggest that an outdated look was a failing.

At the other end of the scale, Lane & Partners came bottom with 44% overall, followed by Hamlins (50%) and Lee Bolton & Lee (55%).

James Tuke of Intendance said: 'The best solicitor Web sites are informative, easy to use and have innovative features that show the leading-edge use of technology - we found no correlation between the quality of a firm's Web site and the number of fee-earners.

The best Web sites are not the most expensive.'

l For a copy of the report or free introductory Web site audit, tel: 020 8788 5604 or e-mail: james.tuke@intendance.com

See Editorial

Neil Rose