Observed

Ovid got it. The young Narcissus and Echo, the mountain nymph, fell in love with, respectively, his own image and her own voice. As a consequence, both faded away, leaving only the aural effect and the flower we know. The same fate awaits the law firm with Web content that does not adequately create a sense of dialogue with the visitor and their needs.

Start with the simple stuff.  For example, begin Web site content with a phrase or a sentence or a something about the client. It might be as simple as writing “Clients seek our help navigating complex interstate commerce regulations.”

In other words, get the client out front.  Better yet, characterize them strategically.  For example, say “Leading regional manufacturers seek our help navigating complex interstate commerce regulations.”

The key is to make your content more about the client (“them”) and less about the firm (“us”).  Keep this in mind for whatever Web or other business development content you’re creating.

Plus, the more client-facing your Web content, the more readable.  It adds variety when you don’t over-rely on “our,” “the firm,” “we” and their repetitive variations.

In addition to the style of the content, make sure you document the firm’s record addressing the needs of the client…and do not merely enumerate the firm’s credentials.  That’s why it’s essential to incorporate client-facing summaries of representative matters into your bios, practice group descriptions and industry descriptions.

Such an approach is not only more responsive to the visitor’s needs, but it will also set you and your site apart from the vast majority of the law firms which appear to still be enamored with themselves.

I’ll be the main event Sept. 14, 2011, on a blogtalkradio program, Website Content for Law Firms.  The show is a production of MyLegal.com and Lisa DiMonte (who calls herself MyLegal’s Legal Vendor Aggregator).

Here’s a peek at some of what Lisa and I will be covering:

1. Law firms have always known that their sites were there to provide a sense of assurance to others.  The question has been, What’s the best way to do this?
2. People come to law firm Web sites for three reasons when they’re looking to hire or recommend a lawyer.  What do you think these are?
3. It’s essential to incorporate client-facing summaries of representative matters into bios, practice group descriptions and industry descriptions.  What’s the best way to do this?
4. I like to use the first person voice occasionally.  It not only adds a little more variety, but it also lets the reader know that they’re dealing with a real person.  Yes?

There’s more where these came from.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, let me know what you think, OK?

Toy first? Or, reach for the french fries instead? So, too, with the choices visitors make as they navigate Web sites. Paths tend to vary with the type of site and countless different objectives, whims and other variables. Acceptance of this understanding offers several valuable lessons for how we might write and deploy Web content.

Nutritional analogies aside, Web sites are like Happy Meals. Some people like to start with the french fries. Others go for the toy. And, so on.

Same with Web site user experience. While most of us land on the home page, after that, it varies. On law firm Web sites, studies show that visitors tend to head to the bios. If we’re on a merchant’s site to shop for pewter floor lamps, we’re liable to let the internal search function take us where it will do us the most good.

The lesson here is to realize that the average person is NOT linear when they visit a site. We graze.  Or, as some put it, (more…)

In order to relate better to the marketplace, a law firm Web site ought to do more than brag about the lawyers' credentials. So, instead of looking like a long resume, more and more new or re-written law firm sites now more accurately reflect the reason most people visit them in the first place. In short, they strive to be more relevant.

Law firms have always known that their Web sites were there to provide a sense of assurance to others.  The question has been, What’s the best way to do this?

Until recently, lawyers typically weren’t in the habit of asking clients or prospects what they think or want.  So, the default for content has been what worked for lawyers themselves.  Since they tend to be competitive and impressed with credentials, their sites – especially their bio pages – looked like scorecards.

People come to law firm Web sites for three reasons when they’re looking to hire a lawyer.  This list is based on growing evidence that pinpoints how firms and their lawyers can best instill a sense of confidence in others.

Visitors to law firm Web sites are asking themselves: (more…)

Imagine a Web site where you could have a seamless, live chat with a customer service rep, 24/7. LiveAdmins does this. Nifty, yes?

When I write content for a site, I’m trying to make the user feel as if they were in a conversation. The sound, look and feel of the copy are meant to engage and involve the visitor.

So, it was really cool to stumble on LiveAdmins.  It’s a Web tool that offers a visitor the option to be part of a real-time conversation that supports the user’s experience while it enhances the site owner’s prospecting.

Or, as they describe themselves on their Facebook page:

We provide online customer support services through Live Chat. Our company is also proactively involved in providing exposure to our clients products through efficient Internet Marketing strategies.

The French seem to know that there's often more to something than meets the eye. When considering why empires go to war, for example, they might suggest cherchez la femme...or, look for the woman.

It’s important for me to remember that things are not always as they seem.  That it might be healthy to give people (including clients and prospects) the benefit of the doubt.  And that, in some cases, better management — not just better writing — might be an option.

Example:  I had a small cow the other day.  I went off after reading a story in my hometown paper, the once-mighty, Pulitzer Prize-winning Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky.

I don’t need to go into the details.  Trust me.  It was really bad.  Over the 24 hours or so since it first ran, the editors have cleaned it up a lot.  Here’s the on-line version, for what it’s worth. (more…)

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Many of the nation's leading law firm marketing pros -- including Laura Meherg (not pictured!) -- gathered in Chicago in May 2011 for their annual RainDance conference, produced by the Legal Sales and Service Organization.

Laura Meherg has a pretty good handle on the relationships between lawyers and their clients. After all, she has conducted hundreds of top-level law firm client feedback interviews over the past few years.

This week, Laura and one of her associates at Wicker Park Group, Nat Slavin, offered their insights into what businesses want when they hire a lawyer or a law firm.  When she has asked them, according to Laura, most clients tell her they’re looking for three qualities in their lawyers above all others: (more…)

For the past day and a half, I've been in Boston meeting with the New England Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association.

Web bios that actually convey what attorneys are like as people.  This is one of the recurring messages I’ve heard from top marketing analysts, sales coaches, major CEOs  and general counsel for the past day and a half.

So, if you’ve been thinking “I’ll look cheesy or unprofessional if I include what I do in my spare time or talk about myself in the first-person,” think again. (more…)

Want more client-facing marketing materials, including your newsletters?

The Hollywood-based BIRD branding agency recently celebrated 20 years of terrific work in the entertainment and lifestyle sectors. They excel at theatrical promotions (including this 2005 poster), logo design and branding for some of the biggest names in the business. AND, they're fun to work with! The kind of client I love.

Looking for ways to make your biz dev more about the other person?

Then consider…

• Invite a client or referral source to contribute a guest column.
• Showcase a client, recent in-the-news mention or something.  Write about something they have accomplished, not about something you’ve done for them.
• Fix your ego-centric copy.

Remember:  250 to 300 words is plenty long and engage your reader with a picture…a mugshot, product, corporate logo, etc.

Plus, whatever I’ve suggested for newsletters also works for Web sites, presentations and probably anything else of which we can think.  In fact, leverage something client-centric you’ve created for one platform by recycling it somewhere else.

Selling intangibles is hard work. A lot of architects, lawyers and other professional service providers have Web sites that make it even harder.

This clip outlines seven common weaknesses of such sites and offers suggested remedies. It’s based on an article originally published by MarketingProfs.com.