Law Firm 4.0 Blog

Best Practices for Law Firm Websites - an Interview with Deborah McMurray by Aprio Advisors

I was recently interviewed for an article called, "Best Practices for Law Firm Websites." It was an honor to talk passionately about how law firms can build world-class websites with the Aprio Advisors interviewer. They have posted the article on a rich news portal called, "What's Next" - The insights today's business leaders need to tackle what's next.  I promise, it's worth reading.

Law firms that make a conscious effort to optimize their websites and improve their online presence can make themselves increasingly attractive to new clients. In a recent white paper, marketing strategy and technology firm Content Pilot laid out ten foundational best practices for law firm websites. Researchers studied AmLaw Global 50 top-ranking firms and identified trends, insights and global standards for how these organizations can enhance their web presence. Deborah McMurray, CEO and strategy architect at Content Pilot, spoke with Aprio about what firms should do to emulate these practices and set themselves apart from the crowd...

There is so much hype about what makes websites for professional services firms good.  Our advice is to focus on the basics first - we call them the Ten Foundational Best Practices. If you excel here, you are guaranteed that your visitors will enjoy their experience on your site - they'll come back and they will tell others. 

If you haven't registered to receive Content Pilot's comprehensive Report yet, you can do so at www.contentpilot.com/subscribe. 

Thanks so much to Aprio Advisors!

 

Website Best Practices - an Interview with 6 Web and Design Experts - by Nicholas Gaffney

This article first appeared in LAW PRACTICE TODAY on April 14, 2017. A moderated panel by Nicholas Gaffney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Websites have come a long way since the original online brochure. Today’s websites not only offer information about a firm’s people and practices, they’re designed to engage clients and potential clients with compelling content and offer opportunities to connect through blogs and links to the firm’s social media channels. Some firms do it better than others with sites that boldly define the firm’s brand, and inspire visitors to take that decisive call to action. How can you be sure your site is one of those high performers? This month, our panel of experts discusses best practices for law firm website design.

Our Moderator

Nicholas Gaffney (NG) is a veteran public relations practitioner with Zumado Public Relations in San Francisco and is a member of the Law Practice Today Editorial Board.
 
 Our Panel

Rahul Alim (RA) is the founder and CEO of Custom Creatives, a digital marketing agency in Los Angeles, CA that specializes in attorney marketing and website design.

Darren Kall (DK) is the managing director of Specific Clarity, a user experience (UX) company helping companies of all sizes create the best product experiences for their customers, employees and all types of users. Before co-founding Specific Clarity, Darren worked at Microsoft, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, LexisNexis and IBM. He was a US representative to the standards body of the UN’s agency for information and communication technologies.

Jeff Lantz (JL) is an attorney and the CEO of Esquire Interactive LLC, a leading provider of custom website development, branding, internet marketing, social media, and video services for attorneys and law firms. He is also the author of the ABA book Internet Branding for Lawyers: Creating The Client-Centered Website, and works with lawyers to develop and implement personalized branding and marketing strategies.

Deborah McMurray (DMM) is the founder and CEO of Content Pilot LLC, a strategy, design, content and technology company. A former law firm CMO, Deborah and her team help law firms from global powerhouses to local boutiques with the design and launch of websites and proposal centers, experience databases and other marketing technology tools. In 2008, she was among the first inductees into the Legal Marketing Association’s Hall of Fame, and in 2007, was elected as a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. In December 2013, she was on the inaugural list of National Law Journal’s “2013 Top 50 Legal Business Trailblazers & Pioneers.” Deborah's latest ABA book was just released: Lawyer's Guide to Marketing on the Internet, 4th Edition - available at https://shop.americanbar.org/eBus/Store/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=273628281&term=marketing+on+the+Internet 

Lynda Decker (LD) is president and creative director of Decker Design, a New York City-based design consultancy. Believing that there was a way to combine the wit of advertising and the discipline of design, she established Decker Design in 1996. The firm has grown steadily with clients such as Boise, Schiller Flexner; White & Case; Dechert; Citigroup, and International Paper.The firm has won recognition from Communication Arts, Webby, AIGA, Print Magazine, and numerous others. Last year she published the book Responsive Branding: Why Agility Beats Structure in a Multi-Channel World.

Ben M. Rose (BMR) is founder of The Law Offices of Ben M. Rose, PLLC, where he practices general litigation for small and medium sized businesses throughout the State of Tennessee. Prior to forming his own firm, Ben practiced for larger litigation firms in Nashville and Knoxville. He is also a former legislative staffer for the U.S. House of Representatives.

NG: Best practices in website design are constantly evolving. What new design practices do you suggest that law firms and their designers consider?

RA: Start with your target audience. Before you get started on a website project, you must define the purpose of your new website. Is it for credibility, gaining new customers online, educate your existing customers or potential new prospects, or build lots of leads. Knowing this upfront is very important to how you approach the flow of the design to attract the right type of person.

Create your plan. Next up is establishing your pages and navigation through the website. Keep it simple for users; remember they are not attorneys. Typically most attorneys will have pages such as home page, about us, our attorneys, results/testimonies, contact us, free case analysis, attorney blog, locations. As content becomes more important, internet-savvy attorneys are moving into podcasts and videos on a regular basis.

Communicate your message clearly and effectively. Keep language and information targeted towards your audience, which can vary by practice area and location. Use clear call to actions on your website, like free consultation. Add credibility with testimonies, awards, credentials, publications, etc. to impress your visitor. Your content is used to convert views to leads; tell your story well.

Evolve. Change with change. Just like the law changes, so does design and more importantly your audience. They are attracted to the best content, the best story, the fastest-loading website.

Growth. Market your website online. If you build they may come, but if you market it, you can get in front of your customer when they are searching for your service.

Often on the internet, you get just one chance to make an impression. Make it count and use your website as leverage to gain more clients.

DK: Many design practices would benefit any business website. Because of the nature of legal business, two design factors should get specific attention from law firms:

Responsive Web Design (RWD): While not new, RWD is table stakes for a law firm website. Your potential clients are checking out your site on a variety of devices with different screen sizes. If your site is not responding to their mobile device screen, it is putting speed bumps in the way of getting to your content. Users will move on to another practice’s site rather than deal with the friction of using yours.

Performance: The ability of a site to load quickly and respond to user actions, is gaining renewed focus in 2017. Since many legal sites have bloated image files, carousels, and other bandwidth gluttons the waiting time for sites to load exceeds user patience. People under normal circumstances make amazingly quick decisions about reputation, likeability, and their personal threshold for waiting. Under stress, these decisions are accelerated. They move on, never having seen your brand or your services.

JL: Large professional imagery of the firm and firm attorneys, especially on a website’s home page. Quality artistic images (not headshots), in my view, are immeasurable in enhancing the perceived quality of a law firm. Focused messages—again on the home page in particular—are also a must.

DMM: Content Pilot has conducted and sponsored six comprehensive studies of the websites of the largest law firms in the world based on an evolving set of 10 foundational best practices. The first five studies used the AmLaw 100 firms as the body of firms analyzed. The 2016 study focused on the AmLaw Global 50 firms. The websites were analyzed in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. Mobility is the greatest game-changer for design that we have seen since we started our research—and it is now a case of the mobile tail wagging the desktop dog.

Responsive design is an important design trend that rapidly became a best practice. With 25% or more of visitors viewing law firm websites on mobile devices, beautiful design on-the-go is essential. 20 of the Global 50 law firms in the 2016 study were not responsive, but 100% of all websites launched in 2016 and later are.

LD: Often when confronted with a redesign, law firms will make several common errors. These are:

• Technology is intimidating and often a law firm will choose a web (vendor) partner that leads with technology and subordinates the importance of communication or design principles. Communication becomes subjugated to the needs of the software. It’s one reason that so many law firm websites look alike. Fear of making a (expensive) mistake combined with the unfamiliarity of the latest technological protocols drives people to place a disproportionate focus on technology. Technology is important, but technology is a tool to serve the master, which is effective communication.
• A rush to the finish line. Often firms will put off addressing the website until they are desperate to get it done. And then they want to dismiss the work it takes and the time to uncover the firm’s unique value proposition. “Discovery” should be phase one of the proposal and it is by far the most critical. Most law firms are very similar but each one possess a difference that can be emphasized.
• Failure to really consider the benefits of design. It’s easy to understand and recognize good copy but design is another question. Many of us in the industry would say that the contribution of design to a web experience is often underestimated, if not marginalized. Design is not an exercise in superficial aesthetics or styling, but rather, a far more serious matter of problem-solving and experience-shaping, driven by a rigorous approach that includes observation and inquiry. It synthesizes human behavior and improves engagement, to say nothing of creating an opportunity to connect more meaningfully with an audience.

BMR: I think websites serve two purposes: to attract new client prospects and to qualify and funnel those client prospects into leads, which hopefully result in new clients. When designing a website, those purposes should come first. Beyond that, I think a website is a great opportunity to make yourself stand out among your peers. You should not be afraid to try something unique, or novel, to set you apart from the rest of the pack.

NG: Nobody wants to have a “leisure suit” website that looks hopelessly outdated. What design aspects used in the past for law firm websites should be avoided?

RA: Today you must have a mobile-friendly website. Don’t kid yourself that no one searches for your type of service on phones. They do, and go elsewhere if you are not mobile-friendly and easy to navigate.

Avoid old photos and stock photos. Realtors do this all the time, but avoid it. It diminishes your credibility.

Remove any flash objects that appear on your website. Flash no longer works on most browsers and mobile devices. It creates a blank space on the website that is unattractive, like an abandoned building.

Get other people’s opinions of your website, such as peers or design agencies.

JL: Trying to cram too much information “above the fold” (or even on a page).  Resist the urge to add more text even where there is space to do so—your audience will thank you.

DK: User perception of law firm websites isn’t just about noticing if the style is outdated. Users also notice when the style is “ill-fitted.” Users recognize the subtle clues when a site is simply content pushed into a template designed for another purpose. And the firm’s brand loses credibility. Good design adds instant credibility to a law firm website. Don’t just buy or use a website template and fill it out. Instead, have intention and design for your specific purpose, and your specific brand. Investing in design shows that the law firm cares, and that level of investment translates into clients believing that you will show the same level of attention to their problems and concerns. Good user experience design speaks loudly.

Law firms are at a deficit compared to other businesses because of the cultural impression of lawyers. Like it or not, these stereotypes are something law firms must invest in to overcome just to reach parity. Don’t let your website act like most people expect lawyers to act:

• Don’t launch an audio or video track when someone lands on a page. Let users choose to have you talk at them.
• Get rid of the banners, flashing objects, and other cluttered distractions. Show that you’re focused, calm, and listening instead.
• Dump your stock photos and clip-art legal graphics. Images of scales and photos of beautiful people having happy meetings are not going to help your brand because they’re not authentic, and not representative of your value. More than other professions, law firms need to control their impression management with better images. That goes for the stiff, “high-school yearbook” posed photos of partners and staff too. You should hire professional photographers to create the best images of your staff possible.

DMM: The biggest thing that says “leisure suit” is the width of the website. Websites at 1024×768 were the best practice in 2005 and 2006 (replacing 800×600), but we still see them for law firms large and small. Today, we must assume that visitors are viewing the website across multiple devices of all different sizes—a desktop monitor of 30+ inches to an Apple Watch. This is another argument for responsive design, which ensures that the design scales to fit the device on which it is viewed.

Dense content home pages and heavy interior pages have a “template” look that screams “yesterday”—as well as stock images of conference tables, people shaking hands, gavels, columns, and courthouses. A lot of unfortunate imagery is on law firm websites. Choose iconic and arresting images that help you tell your story.

(One more thing that makes your visitors shudder: Lawyer photos that are 10 or more years old. Own those 10 extra pounds and that receding hairline!)

LD: Law firm sites tend to be formulaic. Remember this is a profession where success based on precedent. It is very conservative. There are very few outliers.

First and foremost a website must be responsive. Mobile is critical and there are still firms who have sites that do not function well across all devices. Boies Schiller Flexner until recently had a website with a navigation that worked like pages in a book. It was an interesting approach when websites were in their nascent phase, but was unusable in today’s smartphone environment. Creating websites that would function like a piece of print represented a moment—a moment that should not be repeated. Digital communication should be harnessed for its full power providing links to related content, video and thought leadership.

I’ve been seeing a trend among smaller, boutique firms. They often tend to use photos of their offices—empty offices. What does that mean in terms of brand message? What does that say in terms of positioning? It’s too much of an emphasis on interior design and not on the impact a firm may have on their clients.

BMR: Excessive borders, background gradients, and beveled buttons are all examples of dated design trends. A really easy way to date a site is to over-design it. So, keeping things simple and clean is a great way to avoid that. When my website for the new firm was initially designed, it was the standard, cookie-cutter frames site that every other law firm uses. I wanted something different. I think we accomplished that goal, especially on a rather modest budget.

NG: A variety of content management system (CMS) are available that allow law firms to easily manage their website without knowing how to code. What CMS platform would you recommend, and why?

RA: WordPress hands down. It is the #1 website platform on the planet and has the most flexibility to customize designs, great for optimizing for search engines (like Google), and has a huge developer community. It is very easy to use for non-techy users for basic updates. It does not require special software to make edits, and it is easier to scale up when needed rather than starting over.

The only caution is that since it is so popular, and like anything in the world, there are good designs/developers and there are bad ones. Choosing the wrong person can hurt you.

JL: This one is easy for me: WordPress. It’s free, secure, easy to use by those with no coding knowledge, and has over 40,000 plugins (apps) which have been downloaded more than 1.5 billion times. WordPress now powers about 25% of all new websites in the world (about 10 times the number of the second-most popular CMS platform). Hundreds of thousands of developers are using WordPress, and almost all hosting companies host WordPress sites, so firms will never have to worry that they can’t find a developer or hosting company for their needs.

DMM: In my latest book, which is on ABA and other bookstore shelves, “Lawyer’s Guide to Marketing on the Internet, 4th Edition,” we identify several proprietary platforms that have been built and customized exclusively for law firms. Content Pilot (my company) has such a CMS platform. More and more, WordPress is a popular platform because it has literally thousands of people around the world developing plug-ins and widgets for it. Some security risk comes with this of which to be aware—there are nefarious people who are seeking access to your confidential data and systems. Another large and quite popular CMS is Sitecore.

LD: We like RubyLaw, a custom CMS created by Rubenstein Technology. For small firms, a simple CMS like WordPress is great. WordPress has to be maintained, however; if it is not updated on a regular basis it has security issues. And small firms often do not want to pay for maintenance.

BMR: WordPress and Drupal are the most used content management systems in the world right now, for good reasons. They are open source, extendable, and come with great tools for SEO. There is also a large community of developers that are familiar and can work with them. For a law firm like ours, this also means that we can avoid issues with proprietary code and have a lot of flexibility when selecting our marketing or web development partners.

NG: There has been a lot of hype recently about the new Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) Project and its standards for mobile websites, which allow mobile website pages to load hyper-fast, and which potentially may provide higher rankings in the mobile search results for websites using AMP. The downside is that some functionality, such as contact forms and slideshows, won’t work with AMP coding. What are your thoughts on Google AMP—should law firms embrace this technology and convert their mobile sites to AMP, or avoid AMP?

DK: Normally you’ll hear me saying that given a list of user experience improvements I would choose fast performance over most any other user experience improvement. Since AMP is stripped down, it stomps at performance. But functionality, adoption and support are still evolving, which means that using AMP means consciously trading out some functionality and user experiences. For clients with a clear matching need I would suggest experimenting with AMP and measuring the impact on your KPIs. Since it is not the ambition of most law firms to be iterating designs on the cutting edge, I recommend waiting until AMP matures, then decide.

JL: I’m not currently recommending AMP for law firms, as I think that the functionality that often must be given up is not worth the slight increase in speed for mobile websites. This is particularly the case for firms for which high search engine rankings are not critical.

BMR: AMP’s objective is to put the needs of the website visitor first, which is a good thing in my view. But, even if we look at AMP as a potential fad—something that might fade over time—we are still faced with the reality that Google favors websites that utilize the technology and will continue to do so, perhaps even more in the future. So, I think anyone who is invested in digital marketing should certainly consider investing in AMP.

NG: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical part of solid website development. In light of Google’s ever-changing rankings algorithms, what should developers and website owners be the most focused on today with respect to the development of their website?

RA: Focus on users first, Google and other search engines second. After all, you are targeting humans. I know you want to rank and be seen on search engines too, which is why your copy should be relevant to your business and practice area. Website design and SEO go hand in hand, they are also itemized tasks, sort of like different practice areas that overlap but are not conducted by the same person. If they are done by the same person something is wrong—rarely can you find a jack of all trades, typically that means a master of none.

Developers should follow the basics of SEO such as relevant meta tags, xml sitemap, setting robots.txt, schema mark up, setting Google analytics, Google tag manager, and Google search console. I would recommend leaving the heavy lifting of SEO to a digital marketing agency that has results to back it up.

For website owners, I recommend educating yourself on just the basics. Do research so you know a bit about what you want and how to hire someone. Understand your goals and review them with your agency; any good firm will tell it to you straight.

JL: High rankings in large part depend upon having quality content that is frequently updated and using SEO best practices to help Google understand how to best index the content. Attorneys should start blogging if they are not already doing so. Blogging will help convey expertise, improve website rankings, and create an opening for a conversation with potential clients.

DMM: Focus on designing a perfect experience for your human visitors and chances are, you will also be making the search engine robots “happy.” In addition, focus on the basics. “Site Optimization and Online Search” is the eighth foundational best practice in the research study we just completed. Here is a list of the “foundational” things every website should have. The score at the end of each attribute is how the Global 50 law firm websites scored on that attribute—on a scale of 1 to 100.

• High quality back-links and link relevancy are present throughout the site / 100
• Site features strong, properly structured HTML content on the home page and interior pages / 65
• HTML site-maps are present and include all pages organized in a clear hierarchy / 65
• Smart URLs with appropriate syntax are used in all sections / 76
• Page titles, meta-descriptions and natural keyword usage are used throughout the site / 68
• Images have alt tags that provide alternative text when images cannot be displayed / 56
• Tabbed bio and practice/industry pages all have the same page URL / 72
• Correct schema mark-up is present throughout the site / 12
• Site provides fast page load (less than 4 seconds) / 81

BMR: The best thing you can do to future proof your site is to ensure that you are providing the best content you possibly can. Google’s updates are focused on improving its ability to help the consumer find what they are looking for. This means faster websites and more relevant content. The better your content speaks to the questions and needs your prospects have, the better you will rank.

NG: Are there any SEO aspects that worked well in the past, but not today?

JL: A lot of the past link-building practices (link farms, paid links, etc.) will now harm rankings, and should be avoided. Spamming key words in pages doesn’t work either; no one would ever start a paragraph with, “the Chicago personal injury lawyers of XYZ practice personal injury law in Chicago and help personal injury victims recover compensation for personal injuries.”  

BMR: I have learned that there are a lot of SEO practices that have changed with time. One big change has been the use of meta keywords and “keyword stuffing,” which has been degraded to the point that it has no value anymore.

NG: What advice would you give a law firm in terms of how to best convey their brand on their website in a way that will resonate with potential clients?

DK: User experience professionals should not be representing themselves in legal matters or writing their own contracts. Lawyers should not be creating their brands or designing their own websites. It is not what they are good at.

Lawyers are experts at what they do and should express who they are to people who are experts at creating brand representations. Let user experience experts transform the law firm’s identity into a brand that will convey that expertise to the target audience of clients. Together they can optimize representation of the brand.

To succeed with a brand realization, know your business goals clearly, and know your audience deeply. No one-size-fits-all solution to convey brand, just like there is no one-size-fits-all brand for law firms. Law firms vary by practice area, in their desire to appeal to a precise audience with specific needs and means, e.g. “I’m the perfect legal partner.” “I’m the one to call when you’re in trouble.” “I can help you avoid predictable dangers.”

JL: Focus on your clients and their needs. Make a list of their key needs and objectives, and create messages targeted to those needs and objectives. Address the matters that your clients want to see.

LD: By now, everyone knows the most traffic on a law firm site is in the biography area. It’s critical to have great photography here, and a consistent format with clear, concise writing. The home page is the best place to differentiate the firm from the competition. Each firm is different and there is no formula other than a thorough Discovery process to unearth the key differentiators.

DMM: Be true to who you are. Be authentic. And don’t be afraid to make bold choices and be different. If you look the same as every firm in your city, state or region, you will never be hired as often as you could be. A firm down the street with a more compelling message will be chosen over you.

It starts with a unique and differentiating positioning strategy. That comes first. Your brand design should infuse your firm with personality—it should humanize you. Ultimately, the questions you should first ask are: Who are your clients? What keeps them awake at night? Why are they hiring you? Where are their industries going? What markets are they expanding to? What are their greatest fears and risks? What makes them happy?

Answer these questions and then be the exactly right fit and solution to what they need. Your brand and design will organically evolve from that.

BMR: Craft an experience and a message that matters to them. Make sure that your design and marketing team understand that audience very well. User personas of your target audience can help a lot.

NG: Is having more content on a website home page better, or is having less content better? How does a law firm determine what kind of information to put on their home page?

DK: The information architecture of a home page is goal-specific. It is not a question of more or less being better. The question is: “Does the amount of content match your user’s goals?” The content, its amount, the arrangement, and flow of content elements depend on the nature of your law firm’s business, market conditions, and the priority of your goals. The content decision must match the task of the target client’s purpose at the time they visit your home page. For example, when the potential client comes to your site, are they a first-time user or repeat client? Are they directed there because of a personal contact or did they land there through a search? Are they at the research or decision phase of their task flow? Is the user looking for a generalist or a specialist? Know your user, then design your home page content.

JL: Having a text-heavy home page is no longer a prerequisite for high rankings. Again, focusing on imagery and key messages are the most critical. Your home page should not be a dissertation on the 47 reasons that your firm is better than competitors.

DMM: There is a battle between beautiful design and a search engine optimized home page. Designers today are generally promoting “less-is-more”—at least above the fold—and SEO proponents want to ensure that 500 or so words are on the home page within view. Firms must decide what’s most important to them—a minimalist, clean design that is inviting to buyers of legal services, or a home page that is chock-full of content for the search engines to find.

Another trend today is to design a “magazine-style” website that features arresting “hero” images, and a headline and several content segments that come to light when a visitor scrolls down. It is a way of ensuring that important content is on the home page, even if it appears below the fold.

LD: It depends. Some firms use their home page as a portal—this seems to say that a firm just can’t be bothered with positioning.

The home page is an ideal place to position a law firm. Boise Schiller Flexner and Quinn Emmanuel both effectively use their home page to establish their brands. Neither use a lot of copy but you immediately get a sense of why they are different form other firms.

This question speaks to the communication objectives of the website. Is the firm known for thought leadership? Does it publish a great deal? What makes the firm different? Once the key differentiators are discovered, then positioning and a brand and marketing strategy can flow from that. A communication strategy would be created to support the brand and marketing strategy. It’s important to understand that there is no one answer, unless you want to commoditize your offering and blend in with your competition.

BMR: More content means more relevancy, but on the home page that can lead to confusion or over informing the prospect. The content on the home page should go back to the questions of what the prospect wants, needs, and is looking for when they visit the site. Typically, with a law firm, your goals are to quickly qualify your practice, demonstrate your unique value, and point the audience to internal pages containing expanded information on your specialties to further qualify you.

NG: Assuming that a website is well-optimized, what is the one critical thing that website owners should be doing to increase their organic rankings?

RA: Write good copy and distribute it online. Make it better than your competitors. Try different things like video and audio.

JL: Blog frequently on your firm’s website (not somewhere else). Postings that address frequently asked questions (FAQs) are a great way to start.

DMM: See the list above in question #5, then focus on creating relevant content that is current, focused and keyword-rich in the most important areas to your visitors and firm. Analytics that we track prove that 40-70% of visitors view lawyer bios. Yet, it is like pulling teeth to get lawyers to update their bios with their latest experience. It’s a best practice for lawyers to update bios quarterly—if the search engines see current and relevant content on the bio pages, overall the website will perform better.

BMR: Create a stream of content via a blog or news feed. Every new piece of content is a new web page and a new opportunity to be relevant for more search engine queries.

 

 

 

Expert Insights: Modernizing the Legal Pitch Process - an eBook by HighQ

HighQ recently published an eBook, "Expert Insights: Modernising the Legal Pitch Process," for which I wrote a segment. My excerpt is below.

Buyers of legal services purchase on two levels – when they are formulating their short list, they are making a technical and intellectual evaluation – jurisdiction, particular expertise, experience, fee arrangements – things they can check off a list. But, when they are making their BUYING decision – to hire the one firm or lawyer – they are making an emotional decision – do I trust you, do I like you? How would I feel if I got stuck on the tarmac with you for 5 hours? (Would it be a pain or a party?)

To get hired, lawyers have to first prove that they can address the issues that most concern the clients intellectually. Then lawyers have to demonstrate likeability. They have to sell twice. And too many firms are failing the short list test, which means they will never get hired. Not understanding how buyers buy ensures that law firms are wasting their prospects’ valuable time.

This is where enterprise experience management and the right technology comes in. Here is a typical scenario:

A plum prospect asks a lawyer if his firm has expertise and depth in ABC subject matter in Ireland. The lawyer doesn’t know, so sends a firmwide email asking, “Does anyone know who does ABC law in Ireland?” Lawyers respond with a few matters that may or may not be relevant to what the prospect really needs. A pitch is hastily prepared for the prospect and it includes all the matters of the various lawyers who responded to the email, with little vetting for relevancy and currency.

Chances are, this firm won’t get hired. Clients are sick-and-tired of law firms and lawyers that waste their time pretending that they are qualified. A fully searchable enterprise experience database that houses a law firm’s matters is the only way to ensure that you are putting your firm’s best foot forward. Lawyers can not only search by Ireland and ABC law, but read the nuances of the matter (timing, cost), know the industries, the responsible lawyers, opposing counsel, other parties, currencies, etc. – unearthing details that might be highly valuable to this prospect.
Quick access to relevant experience is where the future cash lives in your law firm. The pitch process must start here – then using robust proposal technology to swiftly create a beautiful and tailored proposal is next step in designing a winning strategy.

You can download the whole eBook here.

Lawyer’s Guide to Marketing on the Internet, 4th Edition – Ready to Order! By Greg Siskind and Deborah McMurray

Lawyers in firms of all sizes will benefit from the advice, trends and best practices that fill this new book just published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Section. Use this resource to transform your website, email, social media and overall online strategy. Get closer to target prospects in clients in ways that are proven and meaningful to buyers of legal services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose a mix of tools that will measurably move the needle using the advice in this terrific book:

• Internet marketing strategies and how to build your own plan
• Positioning strategy and how important it is to your success
• Content marketing that targets and speaks to your desired audiences
• Website design trends and examples of firms that are doing the right things
• Today’s websites – from “must do…” to “definitely don’t…”
• The Ten Foundational Best Practices for law firm websites
• Details about Content Pilot’s latest survey of the AmLaw Global 50 websites
• Today’s technologies and platforms
• Website timelines, budgets, hosting and contracts
• Announcing, growing and promoting your website
• Mobile sites and responsive design – so critical today!
• Social media ins and outs
• Email marketing
• Multimedia content, including videos, podcasts and webinars
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• How to select and hire the right website vendors and other consultants
• Analytics and measuring your ROI
• The ethics of client development using technology and the Internet

Pre-order your copy today at http://shop.americanbar.org/eBus/Store/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=270868111&term=the+lawyer%27s+guide+to+marketing+on+the+internet

 

Strategic Experience Databases in Law Firm Mergers - that's my 2017 prediction

I am always proud to be included in Dave Billinsky's legal industry predictions for the New Year.  His Thoughtful Law Blog is read by anyone who wants to improve the way they manage and run law firms and legal practices. Here is my submission as we look ahead to 2017 - with links to Dave's blog so you can read others' points of view in Parts 1, 2 and 3.

In 2017, I predict that experience databases will finally get the due they deserve as a vital cultural and integration tool in law firm mergers.

As mergers and combinations of all sizes continue to fuel law firm growth, effectively capturing what’s in the brains of your top lawyers becomes even more mission-critical. For these combinations to be successful and profitable as early as possible, what lawyers have done and for whom must easily be discovered and extracted – and then put to great use: building trust, demonstrating relevant expertise and selling new work. 

The most committed and aggressive firms have a mandate around experience collection and organization that starts with their firm chairs and executive committees. We have learned that top-down engagements have greater success than bottom-up.

100 percent of law firms want to manage this better. The firms that do it well give access to the lawyers – with a link to the experience database on their intranets, access to reporting features, even the ability to enter in details about a new matter. And lawyers who are serious about wanting to win more are accountable to keep their matter records current. Relevant, at-your-fingertips experience is critical to winning more practice-defining, or I should say, career-defining work.

In the very best systems (judged by the amount, quality, and relevance of data), lawyers are involved in the data-capture process in one way or another. To win more, this cannot be a marketing department “initiative” – it must have full support of and engagement by lawyers in the firm. And it must have active support from the firm’s C-suite or it won’t get done.

Trust doesn’t automatically transfer from one firm to another as soon as merger documents are inked. It gets a proven boost, however, when lawyers can instantly investigate the experience of their new colleagues, 24/7 and regardless of time zone.  This is a sure-fire way for key lawyers around the globe to trust the strength and qualifications of each new lateral, and for each one to feel embedded and valued in your firm.

http://thoughtfullaw.com/2016/12/07/2017-predictions-part-1/

http://thoughtfullaw.com/2016/12/12/2017-predictions-part-2/

http://thoughtfullaw.com/2016/12/27/2017-predictions-part-3/

Deborah McMurray is founder and CEO of Content Pilot LLC, a strategy, design, content and technology company. Clients include the largest law firms in the world, as well as national, regional and powerful local firms.  A former law firm CMO, Deborah and her team specialize in award-winning design of websites, proposal centers and experience databases, and important strategic initiatives, such as content strategy design and positioning/branding campaigns. In 2008, she was inducted into the Legal Marketing Association’s Hall of Fame and in 2007, was elected as a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. In December 2013, she was named as one of National Law Journal’s “2013 Top 50 Legal Business Trailblazers & Pioneers.”

The American Bar Association Law Practice Management section is publishing her 4^th book where she is co-author: Lawyer’s Guide to Marketing on the Internet, 4^th ed. – due out early 2017.  Read her Law Firm 4.0 Blog and follow her on Twitter at @ContentPilot.

Content Pilot Releases the Full Research Study and Report: "How do they Measure Up? 2016 Global 50 Law Firm Websites: Ten Foundational Best Practices"

DALLAS, TEXAS - Content Pilot LLC announced today that it is making public the results of its 6th comprehensive analysis of the websites of the largest law firms in the world, based on Ten Foundational Best Practices.  The 2016 AmLaw Global 50 law firms consist of 40 firms “headquartered” in the U.S., and ten firms in the United Kingdom. 

Content Pilot researchers reviewed 70 attributes for each of the 50 websites for a total of 3,500 total attributes. Websites that launched prior to July 1, 2016 were included in the Content Pilot study.  Prior Content Pilot research studies analyzed the AmLaw 100 firms – done in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2013. This is the first study and comprehensive White Paper that addresses the websites of these global powerhouse law firms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When asked about the results, Deborah McMurray, founder and CEO of Content Pilot, and Research Director for this project said, “There are a few great innovators – firms that have taken full advantage of their recent redesigns to step out of the pack in both design and content strategies. Yet, only one firm scored “Excellent” – Morgan Lewis (www.morganlewis.com), with a score of 85.4.” 

The websites of 23 firms ranked “Good” and the balance of the websites, 26, ranked “Poor.”  McMurray adds, “There is tremendous room for improvement.  Too many websites are broken from a visitor experience standpoint – in fact, most of them are.”

The White Paper, “How do they Measure up? 2016 Global 50 Websites: Ten Foundational Best Practices,” is a 120-page in-depth picture of Trends and Insights, Do’s and Don’ts, Stand-out Firms and Results for each of the 2016 Ten Foundational Best Practices. It also includes a two-page infographic, “How Well do the Global 50 Websites Communicate the Firms’ Global Growth Strategies and Messages?” – and a “Global Content Marketing Cheat Sheet” prepared by Leigh Dance, President of ELD International (who also served as Global Advisor to this project) and Deborah McMurray, CEO of Content Pilot.

Law firm leaders in firms of any size will have (1) access to data on how to create experiential pathways and journeys for the visitors they identify as “most important;” (2) a snapshot of how leading law firms are doing and an understanding of how their law firm can better compete in their chosen markets and sectors; and (3) a practical roadmap to view their websites more strategically and plan website investments with an eye toward getting a desired return.

Access the White Paper

Content Pilot is offering this White Paper at no cost. Clients of the company received an early preview of the White Paper and results, and it is now available to access  on the company website, http://www.contentpilot.net/Subscribe.

About Content Pilot

Content Pilot is a leading strategy, design, content and technology company headquartered in the U.S., and as such, it is constantly in search of innovations and best practices inside and outside the legal industry. Its clients are global, national, regional and local law firms and other professional services firms – specifically, people who sell their brains and experience for a living.  Content Pilot has three signature products: websites, proposal centers and experience databases.

What lawyers can learn from CBS Sportscasting legend, Verne Lundquist.

I’ve written a lot of posts that start with, “What lawyers (or law firms) can learn from …”  Search by that phrase on my blog and you’ll find posts about fabulous and lousy expensive restaurants, unexpectedly terrific hotel experiences, travel, dentistry, vacuum cleaners, brand launches and more.  It’s always grounded and practical advice – and the common theme is, to be a better lawyer, pay attention to the world around you. 

You can learn something about how to better serve clients (and ultimately how to better serve yourself) in the most unlikely places.  I have linked several of the most popular “What lawyers can learn…” posts at the bottom of this one.

But, today’s post is about CBS Sports legend, Verne Lundquist, and why lawyers of all ages should not just revere his storied and stellar 53-year career, but why you should understand who he is – a passionate, hard-working man who loves his job.  Nicknamed “the Golden Throat,” Verne is the envy of sports fanatics the world over, because he knows all the current and past luminaries in virtually every sport – and he knows them well.

Glen, my husband and I met Verne and Nancy Lundquist on a Baltic cruise in August.  Verne was on board as the “celebrity speaker,” a gig he has done more than a dozen times on luxury cruises – much to the joy of those on board these ships.  I have to be honest, I didn’t know who Verne was (I am really embarrassed to admit this) – in fact, Glen went to hear Verne, and I enrolled in a Black Jack tournament. 15 minutes in, Glen texts me and says, “Verne’s great – you must come.”  I wrote back, “I’m winning,” and stayed at Table 3 in the Casino. 

When I met Glen later over our customary afternoon champagne (I love vacation), he was giddy in his animated retelling – almost verbatim – of nearly an hour of Verne’s stories. Well, I didn’t win the Black Jack tournament and I felt completely cheated having not heard him.  I had to get to know this Verne guy.

The next day our ship was forced to skip docking in Skagen, Denmark because of huge swells, so we had another unexpected day at sea.  Verne was invited to do another program, and Glen and I sat in the front row.  He entertained the standing-room-only crowd with new stories, sharing tales about many of the 20 sports that he has broadcast over the last 50-plus years.

I was rapt – as was the mostly male crowd in the room. Verne approached even the most controversial topics (with professional sports figures, there is plenty of gossip and controversy to go around) with delicacy, humor, no vitriol or snark – he was ever the professional.  Whatever ego Verne has was checked at the door – actually, having shared several meals with him after this speech, he always has his ego checked. He is as interested in you as you are in him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone reading this who loves college football (especially Southeastern Conference football) knows and loves him, as Verne has been the play-by-play broadcaster for SEC football since 1999. (He has covered college football since 1974.)  Rabid SEC fans admit to being deeply emotional at the thought that this is Verne’s last season.  Every SEC team has honored Nancy and Verne with more his-and-her swag than they could possibly ever use or wear. But what a touching treat and an honor for him – for them both.

He and I have a lot in common:  born in Minnesota (check), lived in Dallas, Texas (check), loves to sing in the choir (check), is Lutheran (well, I am Methodist and Episcopalian, but I went to a Lutheran college in MN), he adores his spouse (check), he loves food and wine (check check).  Of course I am drawn to him.

So – what can lawyers of all ages learn from Verne?

1. Love what you do so much that you discover stories in your work that are universally appealing. I am not an avid sports fan, but Verne made me want to be one.  I want to belong to whatever club he is in.
2. Once you find your stories, tell them with such passion and enthusiasm that you set yourself apart. But don’t over-shadow others around you.  This isn’t about bragging – that’s the antithesis of Verne.  He is often self-effacing, and his stories combine both historical facts and his color commentary about the people and places he has encountered.  Too many people frame their stories with themselves at the center – don’t do that. Instead, be the observer, the play-by-play person who never forgets an interesting detail.  Humor. Grace. Class.  That’s how he’s always described.
3. Use fewer words and use the right words. Play-by-play commentary is riddled with high emotion moments – people win and lose. Over his entire career, Verne has famously said exactly the right thing – with just the right amount of words.  A favorite Dallas example is in Super Bowl XIII after Cowboys tight-end Jackie Smith dropped a touchdown pass in a painful 35-31 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers . . . Verne spontaneously blurted, "Bless his heart, he's got to be the sickest man in America!"  He has always been known for his genuine compassion and he showed it that day.
4. Learn something new every day that makes you a better lawyer. I said that Verne has covered 20 different sports – all in public arenas, on stage, on air and on television (i.e., there was no concealing what he didn’t know).  He modestly says that whether calling figure skating at the Olympics with Scott Hamilton, PGA golf at the Masters or NFL football with Terry Bradshaw, he was not the domain expert in the room. But, he cared enough to make sure he knew exactly enough to make CBS Sports look good – and to show respect to both the sports and athletes he was covering.
5. Don’t be a fake. Have the highest integrity, truest warmth and stay grounded in the values that you learned from your parents, favorite teachers and gifted mentors. He is always described as “What you see is what you get.” 
6. It’s never too early – or late – to start building your legacy. Verne has been inducted into several Halls of Fame and he won a Sports Emmy for Lifetime Achievement this past May. Treat yourself and take 30 minutes to watch this video of his introduction and remarks at the Emmy ceremony. You’ll learn a lot about how to build a memorable and successful career. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=verne+lundquist+emmy+youtube&view=detail&mid=61E3B4E44B9E5A869FC061E3B4E44B9E5A869FC0&FORM=VIRE
7. Surround yourself with people who can help you look and feel good – thank them often. And be a great spouse, friend, colleague and volunteer in return.
8. Finally, find joy in your work and exhibit it every day. Your clients and colleagues will notice and be drawn to you. Joy makes everyone more interesting and stimulating.  Have you ever heard Verne’s’ famous laugh?!  Let your laugh be infectious and legendary.

Our last evening with Verne and Nancy was at a terrific restaurant in Stockholm. I felt sad when we walked away from them after dinner. But I think of them often and know we will see each other again.  Certainly, I’ll see and hear him the next few weeks of college football – then we’ll just have to get their cruising schedule and make sure we’re on board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are the other “What lawyers and law firms can learn” posts.

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2013/05/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-my-experience-with-the-strangest-dessert-in-san-francisco-maybe-the-wo.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2013/08/what-lawyers-can-learn-about-messaging-from-an-unlikely-source-dentistry.html (which includes one of my favorite lines I’ve ever written here:  Everyone is one tooth away from ugly.)

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/01/a-toast-to-differentiation-what-law-firms-can-learn-from-blue-hill-at-stone-barns.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2015/03/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-opentables-new-brand.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2014/01/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-our-new-years-eve-dining-experience-at-betony-in-new-york.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/02/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-my-wonderful-experience-at-davios-in-philadelphia.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2013/04/what-lawyers-can-learn-from-passage-des-crapeaux.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/05/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-dysons-think-vacuum-cleaners-anti-branding-slur.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2014/09/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-perfect-food-and-wine-pairings-at-beausoleil-in-baton-rouge.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2014/02/alice-died-last-week-what-law-firms-can-learn-.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/06/one-of-the-most-important-lessons-that-connected-lawyers-must-learn.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/07/back-in-america.html

http://lawfirm4-0.typepad.com/law_firm_40_blog/2012/02/what-law-firms-can-learn-from-my-disappointing-experience-at-del-friscos-in-new-york.html

Results - 2016 Global 50 Websites: Ten Foundational Best Practices – Executive Summary

INTRODUCTION

We have finished the 6^th analysis of the world’s top law firm websites based on Ten Foundational Best Practices. The first study in 2005 set precedent by identifying the top ten foundational things law firms must do to ensure their websites were satisfying what visitors wanted.  It was the first full-scale report on how the legal industry was faring with its online marketing efforts, based on an objective analysis of AmLaw 100 Web sites.

Taking a disciplined and rigorous look at more than 60 attributes of EACH of 100 law firms was a herculean effort, but we were committed to do it in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013 and now in 2016.  Over the years, we have made the results broadly available, because we want the industry to improve, for law firms to get more bang for their website buck – and we want law firm website visitors to be happier and your lawyers, ultimately, to be more successful.

In 2016, however, we analyzed the AmLaw Global 50 law firms because we wanted to see just how “global” the Global 50 are.  Stay tuned for the full results of this very interesting Study.

The websites analyzed were those live as of July 1, 2016.  Any new launches after this date were not reviewed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH

We have several objectives in commissioning this research: 

1. Give marketing/business development teams and lawyers objective data to help them justify planning time, expense and “against the grain” recommendations
2. Give the website teams an unemotional, foundational basis for analyzing their current sites
3. Provide specifics to mktg/BD so they can hold their design/development teams accountable
4. Give mktg/BD a framework for measurable improvement in design, interactivity and engagement, searchability, content writing, creating an intuitive visitor experience and satisfying what sophisticated buyers of legal services want in law firm sites.

WHY SHOULD LAW FIRM LEADERS CARE?

Many websites are broken from a visitor experience standpoint – in fact, most of them are.  This research can benefit law firms of all sizes, not just the world's largest. Beyond the enhancement of specific features and functionality that are expected today, global – and other – law firms now have:

1. Access to data on how to create a better and more satisfying experience for their visitors
2. A snapshot of how leading law firms are doing and an understanding how your firm can better compete
3. A practical roadmap to view your website more strategically and to plan your website investments more thoughtfully.

Following the guidelines within the Ten Foundational Best Practices, visitors to your website will:

• Quickly find the information they want and need
• Easily see the differences in strategy, scope, reach and strengths from your firm to the next
• Return to your site to find out more

WHY THE GLOBAL 50?

“Global” is a word that defines the world’s largest law firms. In fact, all of the AmLaw 100 firms boast that they are “global,” as do the Magic Circle firms.  In the past we focused on the leading American-headquartered law firms, but the boundaries between local and international law are fading – and clients of these firms are doing business in hundreds of countries throughout the world.

These law firms have reputations that are built on decades of important client representation and advocacy. The firms at the top of the list are the closest the legal industry has to “brand name” firms. Virtually all of these firms set the standard in the legal industry against which others are judged and evaluated. In every Study since the beginning, we wanted to determine if the website presence of these firms was reflective of the excellence they achieve in other areas.

THE 2016 TEN FOUNDATIONAL BEST PRACTICES (FBPs)

The FBPs are refreshed each Study to take into account foundational changes that have been made in the broad web industry, changes in visitor expectations and the behaviors of buyers of legal services. Certain FBPs have been a part of the Study since the beginning (Communicating your Message, Design, Navigation, Site Search, SEO and Site Hygiene/Usability). Others have been updated (Biographies used to be called “Lawyer Bios” – but there are so many other professionals who are involved in the delivery of legal work and the running of the  law firm, we expanded it) and others have been added (e.g., all references to Responsive Design).

There are a total of 69 attributes within the Ten FBPs, but briefly, they can be described as follows:

1. Communicating your Message – clear and differentiating firm strategy, strengths and focus are apparent, geographic reach
2. Design – bold, distinctive branding, responsive design, intuitive information hierarchy and strong imagery
3. Navigation – global/local navigation are consistent and intuitive across multiple devices  
4. Professional Biographies – detailed experience, an overview that tells a compelling story of the person, current and larger-format photos, social media and other links
5. Content (excluding biographies) -- quality, clarity and organization of narrative content
6. Interactivity, Engagement and Social Outreach – how interactive and engaging is your site? Access to additional content including multimedia, blogs, social media, alumni portals, extranets and share functionality
7. Site Search – it’s about “finding” – easy access to and quality of the multiple site search options and search results
8. Site Optimization & Online Awareness (SEO) – is your site optimized for search engines?
9. Mobility / Responsive – brand integrity is high on mobile devices, intuitive and good user experience
10. Site Hygiene and Usability – site functions perfectly on the latest browsers, no error pages or broken links, site meets the W3C Level 1 accessibility standards.

SCORING

Each attribute is scored on a 100-point scale and each attribute is reviewed and scored separately.  For example, “Professional Biographies” has 10 attributes – each was scored separately. We average all the scores for each attribute to determine the law firm’s score for each FBP.  Once each FBP has its average score, those will be added, divided by 10 and that is the law firm’s total score.

Excellent:            85-100

Good:                   71-84

Fair:                      51-70

Poor:                    26-50

Unacceptable:      0-25

There were ten experienced website researchers who were responsible for one or more of the FBPs. They covered their particular areas of expertise, such as design, content, mobility and SEO. A special thanks to the research team: Doug Stern, Jeremy Ash, Paige Hornback, Keith Wewe, Emily King, Siobhan Davis, Stephanie Stone, Blake Davis, Anna Livia Mazzoni and Deborah McMurray.

2016 RESULTS  

One firm ranked excellent with a score of 85.4 – Morgan Lewis. 23 firms ranked good and 26 firms ranked fair.  This is the first year that no firm has ranked poor or unacceptable.  But more than half of the Global 50 firms ranked fair – there is enormous room for improvement.  The top 10 scoring firms are:

1. Morgan Lewis
2. Winston & Strawn
3. Weil Gotshal
4. Sidley Austin
5. DLA Piper
6. Perkins Coie
7. Squire Patton Boggs
8. White & Case
9. Reed Smith
10. Goodwin Procter

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you’d like more information or would like to purchase the Summary Insights and Findings Reports for each of the Ten Foundational Best Practices, contact Deborah McMurray at [email protected] or 1-972-897-4921.

STAY TUNED for a lot more trends, findings and interesting tidbits from this 2016 Study.

Marketing Technology is the new Black – but success in a law firm requires some rules

I just spoke at the sold-out-standing-room-only LMA Tech Midwest (#LMATech) conference in Chicago. It was the first Legal Marketing Association tech conference held in the Midwest, but it followed in the very successful footsteps of its older brother, LMA Tech, which takes place in San Francisco each year.

The audience was comprised of hungry, passionate marketing tech and other legal marketing/business development professionals, and those providing services and products to this crowd. If you are interested in quickly immersing yourself in the terrific content, search for #LMATech on Twitter and read the seriously good nuggets consumed and shared by tweeting attendees.

I moderated a panel on experience management, “Demystify Experience Management and Turn it into one of your Most Powerful Allies,” with panelists: Mikala C. Stewart, Global Director of Business Intelligence and Global Director of Litigation Development for Kirkland & Ellis; Deborah R. Grabein, Director of Business Development for Andrews Kurth; and Adam Stock, Chief Marketing and Client Services Officer for Allen Matkins.

Our premise, which is fueled by both many years of experience and passion, was that experience management is one of the most strategic – yet paralyzing – “initiatives” in today’s law firm.  (See my earlier Law Firm 4.0 post, “Experience Management is not an ‘Initiative’ – it’s got to be in your Firm’s DNA.”) It’s a universal problem for firms of every size, but it’s obviously a more painful concern for global and other multi-office firms. 

Every law firm shares the same over-arching and unifying problem:  they all want to win more profitable work. And the only way to get on the short list to win more and better work is to quickly present a list of specific deals or cases with a lot of detail that is relevant to the buyer of the legal service.  Buyers want to know: what have you done, for whom you have done it and what you can do for them.  This formula is predictable and simple. You have to win this short list test before you can make it to the actual hiring phase.

Experience management requires the perfect marriage of marketing and information technology (and oftentimes finance, too).  For too many years, these functions in a law firm have been impenetrable silos, where the different races or classes seldom mix, let alone respecting each other’s contributions.  CRM started the need for convergence, but even that is typically managed exclusively by the marketing/business development team. However, building a strategic and powerful experience database requires a comfortable union between marketing and IT – and in the last few years, we’ve seen the rise of the hybrid and "bridge" professional – marketing technology specialists.

Harvard Business Review projects that by the end of 2016, 89% of large companies will have a Chief Marketing Technology Officer. Two years ago in an article called “The Rise of the Chief Marketing Technologist,” HBR quoted Gartner research that said, “… by 2017, a company’s chief marketing officer would be spending more on technology than its chief information officer was.” 

The HBR authors (Scott Brinker and Laura McLellan) wrote, “Acting as the connective tissue between different constituencies, these executives engage with four key stakeholders: the CMO and other senior marketing executives, the CIO and the IT organization, the broader marketing team, and outside software and service providers."

All fine and well, but how do they do that?  Ted McConnell, a featured contributor to Media Post OnlineSpin, in his June 23, 2016 post called “The Marketing Technology Culture Clash Prevention Guide,” describes the marketing technologist as: “scientist, marketer, tinker[er], politician – not exactly a typical skill mix.”  His next statement, “it’s hard to find people that can respect the old and imagine the new, but that’s what it takes,” precisely applies to law firms.  THIS is what’s required – and expected – of these marketing technologists in organizations where people sell their brains for a living. I might add “nerd” and “geek” to this list, a' well as “sales person.”

McConnell says, “You will need a big thinker to help identify the new opportunities, a diplomat to calm the waters, and a pilot to turn the ship. With luck, the triumvirate plays well together."  He devised a rule-book of sorts that speaks directly to every marketing technologist, which I have included in its entirety below.  Note to these MTs – if you are naturally more scientist than you are marketer, then you should identify the skills you must develop to elevate your role even further. Likewise, marketers – if you are a creative visionary, but behind when it comes to your geekiness, climb in and learn about the top software products and vendors, and how they can help save your sanity (and help your lawyers be more effective and competitive).

Ted McConnell’s rule book to bridging the cultural divide between marketing and IT is below.

1. “Do ban buzzwords. 'Analytics' is a way to describe any activity that might involve math. It does not describe a business outcome or process. 'We need analytics' is a poorly formed request, and 'We have analytics' is equally lame. Sharpen your vocabulary and insist that others do the same.
2. Do focus on the 'so what.' The most useful information feeds the processes closest to the place where decisions are made. Does IT know how communications planning or media buying decisions are made? Each side can guide the other. Be gentle.
3. Do calibrate risk to reality. The IT world is filled with Sarbanes-Oxley-driven horrors -- go-to-jail stuff. But I’m not aware of anyone who went to jail for a bad marketing decision, or sending an ad to the wrong person.
4. Do know the size of the prize. Is a claimed 20% efficiency improvement for an item that’s 10% of your budget worth falling on your sword for?
5. Don’t dismiss agency capability. Brands often look to their agencies to make the right decisions regarding creative and media. Most agencies have measurement people and analytic teams. Advertisers might need the internal IT people and the agency to collaborate -- which doesn't seem to happen very often. 
6. Do invest in talent. Top talent might come from either marketing or IT, or both, or from the outside. Require top talent, enable them with tools, and constrain them to solving your most important problems. Find practitioners. Take them under your wing. They come in all shapes and sizes.
7. Don’t boil the ocean. Systems thinking often leads to the urge to design the perfect machine. That’s dangerous. Get real-world experience with people, platforms, and agencies that already do this before designing your own thing. Plan to evolve. 
8. Don’t nod as though you understand if you don’t. The current level of misunderstanding (both ways) is significant.  Worse, the risks of getting a market wrong are significant. 
9. Apply startup rules. Fail early and often. Use 'minimum viable product' thinking. Be market-aware. Favor real world over PowerPoint.

"The people who can bridge the cultural divide are curious, eclectic, articulate, humble, and thoughtful. They might not speak up. They might not come in the package you are used to, but that’s a risk you can live with.”

I couldn’t be more excited about this development in our industry.

Content Pilot Announces "2016 Global 50 Law Firm Websites: Ten Foundational Best Practices"

Content Pilot announced that it has begun the research for its next study, "Global 50 Law Firm Websites: Ten Foundational Best Practices." This is the 6th such study, which focuses on identifying and establishing foundational best practices that matter to visitors, and that, based on client interviews, move the needle with buyers of legal services.

Deborah McMurray (that is, me) created the research in 2005, believing that the legal industry desperately needed a roadmap for improving law firm websites. Law firms were spending millions and millions of dollars on their sites and not making visitors any happier. I analyzed the then-AmLaw 100 firms based on ten Foundational Best Practices (FBP), each which had several defining attributes. These were selected based on broad web industry best practices, known expectations of visitors, and stated goals and desires of buyers of legal services.

After I founded Content Pilot in 2006, I transferred the responsibility of the research study to the company, and hired or recruited subject matter expert volunteers for different segments of the research. After the initial Study, Content Pilot has sponsored the last four AmLaw 100 studies, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2013 – and there have been numerous articles and presentations about the research results for the Legal Marketing Association (LMA), ILTA, ALA, ABA, TerraLex, Lex Mundi and other organizations.  Content Pilot is a strategy, design, content and technology company that serves the legal industry and other professional services firms.

In 2016, we wanted to go even more global and see how the largest international firms are doing, so we are analyzing the AmLaw Global 50. The research will be conducted during June 2016 and the findings will be ready by September 1, 2016. Please email me at [email protected] if you want a free copy of the Executive Summary.

The Ten Foundational Best Practices change with each new study, as do the attributes under each one.  Although there are certain important features and functionality that remain constant from year to year; I have noted those by each FBP below.

The ultimate goal has always been to make visitors happier, have them spend longer on your site and to view more pages each visit.  Ultimately, the goal is for them to contact you with a specific question, issue or opportunity.  Your websites should drive revenue – and adhering to these Foundational Best Practices is one way to help that happen.

The AmLaw Global 50 law firms will be analyzed based on these 2016 Ten Foundational Best Practices:

1. Communicating your Message (in the #1 position on every previous study)
   1.  Clear and differentiating positioning strategy, feel and brand
   2. Practice and industry strengths are easy to see when you land on the site
   3. Geographic reach is obvious
   4. Contact information is easy to find, such as a link on each page
   5. Site features foreign language translations (enough detail in other languages & relevant coherent information)
      
      
2. Design (A part of every study, but the attributes are a mix of repeat and new)
   1.  Bold, distinctively branded layout and style
   2. Strong imagery reinforces and advances the firm brand and “story” - and is fresh and unique
   3. Site is responsive with deliberately designed views for phones, tablets and desktop
   4. The design is uncluttered and presents an intuitive information hierarchy
      
      
3. Navigation (Also a part of every study, but different defining attributes)
   1. Global and local navigation styles are consistent. The visitor doesn’t have to relearn new styles throughout the site
   2. It’s easy to navigate across multiple devices - the navigation remains intuitive and easy to use regardless of device
   3. The site does not use multiple expand/contract features that hide the most valuable content (i.e., experience)
   4. The site has a Global Footer with relevant clickable links
      
      
4. Professional Bios (Formerly called “Lawyer Bios,” but we have expanded it to include other important professionals)
   1. First 140 characters of the bio are current, compelling and relevant for SEO and reader benefit.  Is the reader immediately engaged in the meatiest content?   
   2. First 2-3 sentences of the Overview are descriptive of the lawyer’s practice, the type and size and industry sector of clients represented, and the geography of the practice
   3. Bio does not use Mr. or Ms. - it uses the lawyer’s first or nickname
   4. Photos are current and consistent - they convey personality...the firm’s and the lawyer’s
   5. Full contact information is easy to find
   6. The professional is highly accessible: social media links, email this page, print, vcard, they list their assistant/contact info
   7. Bios crosslink to practices/industries/news/events, etc.  Firms get points off if they list articles, etc. that don’t link.
   8. For lawyers and other timekeepers, bios include detailed experience/matter lists that are well organized with line breaks, sub-heads, etc. Avoids repetition of words and phrases, particularly at the beginning of bullet-points; e.g., Represented, Advised, etc.
   9. Page design supports elegant content organization that enables visitors to quickly scan and consume what they want - e.g., containers, boxes, heads and sub-heads, bullet lists, etc. No long, dense, unbroken blocks of text
   10. Associates and professional staff (such as the CFO, CMO, COO, etc.) have full biographies
       
       
5. Content (other than bios) (The same category as the 2013 Study, but with revised attributes)
   1. The content is visitor-focused - not “it’s all about me” - and is available in multiple languages (note how many languages per firm).  It also faces the client (e.g., describes benefits to the client, not just the firm’s features.)
   2. Page content has a clear information hierarchy and is well-organized for today’s scanning reader (i.e., uses sub-heads, bullet lists, containers and boxes, and the like).
   3. Practices and industries are broken out separately - by the services that clients buy. Geographic regions is a bonus.
   4. Service descriptions include experience specifics, including client locations, names or alias descriptions of clients (answering the questions: what have you done, for whom have you done it and where?)
   5. Video and multimedia content is featured, produced well and short
   6. The landing page for news/articles/events, etc., is well organized and easily sorted by topic, author, date. Nothing is listed that isn’t linked to a details page
   7. The site has a statement of core values that relate to clients, the profession and the markets the firm serves
   8. The site highlights its commitment to diversity and inclusion
   9. Charitable and civic commitment is described and evident. Does it highlight the leadership shown by the firm and its lawyers?
   10. Pro bono commitment is described in detail, highlighting stories and specific matters.
   11. Does the site use every landing page as an opportunity for value-to-client messaging?  For example, does the professionals page say something about the kinds and quality of the people who work there?  Does the contact us page say something about how accessible these people are?
       
       
6. Interactivity, Engagement and Social Outreach (This was added in the 2010 Study, but the attributes continue to evolve)
   1. Client extranet is offered and accessible.
   2. The site includes a link to an alumni community (LinkedIn or a separate website).
   3. Includes a newsletter subscribe feature, event registration, other sign-up opportunities.
   4. Links to firm/lawyer blogs on home page, bios, practice/industry and other relevant pages.
   5. Offers educational webinars, videos, podcasts
   6. Site links to social media sites and has an active/current presence on these sites.
   7. Share functionality is present throughout the site.
   8. Site offers PDF “Binder” or “Build a Brochure” functionality.
      
      
7. Site Search (A part of every Study, but the attributes have evolved as buyer expectations have changed)
   1. Site offers easy-to-find full-site keyword search.
   2. An advanced search link or option appears on all pages and enables visitors to narrow or refine the search in multiple ways.
   3. Search results are clear and well organized, and the most relevant categories (bios, experience) appear first.
   4. The site offers predictive, “did you mean,” highlighting search terms in annotated results, exact phrase searches.
   5. The site offers a separate experience search.
      
      
8. Site Optimization and Online Awareness (Also a part of every Study –  as search engine features change, so do our attributes)
   1. High quality backlinks and link relevancy throughout the site.
   2. Strong, properly structured HTML content on the home page and interior pages (H1, H2, H3, etc. for headings/subheadings, doc type, no image-based navigation or other text, etc.).
   3. There are content feeds from external sources (blogs, social media, videos, etc.)
   4. HTML sitemaps are present and include all pages organized in a clear hierarchy.
   5. Smart URLs with appropriate syntax are used in all sections.
   6. Page titles, meta-descriptions and natural keyword usage are used throughout the site.ww
   7. Images have alt tags that provide alternative text when images can’t be displayed.
   8. Tabbed bio and practice/industry pages all have the same page URL
   9. Utilizes correct schema mark-up throughout the site.
   10. Site speed: Fast page load - less than 4 seconds.
       
       
9. Mobility / Responsive (This was added in the 2013 Study – the question then was simply, “Is there a dedicated mobile site?” The AmLaw 100 average for this FBP in 2013 was 34.5 – some of the mobile sites were so poor that they scored low, even though the firms had them.)
   1. Brand integrity/personality is not lost on smaller devices.
   2. The user experience is superior regardless of device.
   3. There are intuitive, well-spaced navigation tools.
   4. Content and images resize correctly and information hierarchy is maintained.
   5. Mobile site is available in non-English languages - with the ability to return to English.
      
      
10. Site “Hygiene” and Usability (This has been the 10^th FBP since the very beginning, but the attributes have blossomed a bit since the 2013 Study.)
    1. Site functions perfectly on all the latest browsers.
    2. No error pages are found on spot check.
    3. No broken links or images are evident with spot check.
    4. Pages print and email easily.
    5. The site offers dynamic print to PDF option on most pages.
    6. Content has been checked for spelling.
    7. All appropriate domains are active, including https.
    8. The site meets the W3C Level 1 accessibility standards.

SCORING

Each attribute is scored on a 100-point scale and each attribute is reviewed and scored separately. For example, Site Hygiene and Usability has eight attributes - each will be scored, and then we will average those scores to get the total score for that Foundational Best Practice. Once each FBP has its average score, those will be added together, divided by 10 and that will be the law firm’s total score.

The scoring methodology and ranges have remained the same since the original 2005 Study.

• Excellent: 86-100
• Good:       71-85
• Fair:          50-70
• Poor:        26-49
• Unacceptable: 0-25

You might be interested in how law firms have fared in past studies -- not great, is the short answer.  The AmLaw 100 firms in the past five studies have had a lot of room for improvement. In the 2013 Study:

• 2% of the firms scored "Excellent"
• 23% scored "Good"
• 69% scored "Fair"
• 6% scored "Poor"
• And, no firms ranked as "Unacceptable"

We have our fingers crossed that the Global 50 websites will perform much better in the 2016 Study!

Special thanks to Leigh Dance, President of ELD International, who is serving as our global advisor.