Web of intrigue

It must be tempting for solicitors' firms to view Web sites in the same light as advertising and marketing generally.

You suspect that it is a waste of time and money, but then you are frightened to buck the trend and not have a presence.

It is a problem that must be felt even more acutely by medium-sized practices which cannot afford to throw large sums at IT marketing.

But as we report this week, a survey of the Web sites of 20 to 50-partner firms shows that it is possible to create an Internet presence while not being in the magic circle.

The message from the researchers appears to be plain: keep it meaningful and simple.

That is, do not skimp on content.

Ensure that there is something more than pure promotional puff on the site and aim at keeping that content within two clicks from the home page.

Then don't get swept away with a desire to incorporate expensive gimmicks which ultimately - without an in-house team of techies supporting the site - could cause functionality problems.

Glitzy graphics might make a good impression, but if there is insubstantial content behind them, users will go away disappointed.

If firms get those two elements right - as well as precisely determining the audience for the site - they stand a chance of making the Internet work.

But it is probably better to have no presence on the Web than to have a poorly targeted site.