It might be time to re-paint the front door (i.e. the home page). There are many elements I’ve always liked here—the speakers panel, many of the contact us components (although there should be a subscription link directly from the publications). However, the site still feels too brochurelike. It is one of those NY firms that was ahead of the web curve, but now that the others have awoken, need to regain some momentum.
An excellent marketing department focuses on strength in content. I've been to the firm on a number of occasions. Polite receptionists, good coffee and clean bathrooms. The home page cites winning a "web award" for best legal web site. For $100 (plus shipping) they can order a plaque from the web award company. It also costs $170 to enter the "web award competition" and you have no idea just how many legal sites were reviewed. This web award business is quite profitable. They have a bunch of sponsors as well. Let's see, sell the IMA awards for profit. hmmmmmmmm.
Having survived a merger gone bad and major attorney defections by the boatload, Schnader is still standing. The home page “recent successes” show that the attorneys still there are doing some good work. The web site has all the expected functionality, and has shown definite growth over the last year. The IMA used to know a bunch of people at good old SHSL, but alas, all those good folks are nearly gone.
A little too much design and not enough focus on delivering content and navigation. The home page could be much more effective. The inconsistent navigation forced me to constantly go “home” before moving on to the next area. Basically, this means that much of the traffic (i.e. page views) are really people trying to find their way through. Luckily, the site searching mechanism and results are very good. It almost seems like too much technology and not enough traditional fare. Of course, previous iterations of A&B online (before last year) were so weak, that you have to be happy with the forward progress.
Hey, AT, you had to ruin my day. I was all ready to tear into the firm for not getting with the times. Lo and behold, a real law firm web site appeared, with all the sections and components you would expect to find. Better late than never. Alerts, events, contact info, searching, navigation—the whole megillah!
The home page is a snoozer—sleeper blue, a legal-type something in the background. The headlines that appear when you click on “highlights” would be much more effective if they were listed on the home page. The “Locations” pages are well done, especially tying in relevant news items. Bios are strong as well. While nothing stands out as exceptional, most of the important bases are covered. You get the impression there is more content available than meets the eye. A little redesign with the same back-end would probably be a good investment.
I’ve got to believe there are more events and more goings-on at B&P than reflected on the web site. Yo! Are all you attorneys providing info to the marketing department? Ah, I thought not. I loved the archiving of materials, with everything six months or older moving to an archived page. Don’t you just love seeing press releases from 1999 on web sites? Unlike some firms, the home page “news” was fresh. The only events in a six-month span are staff appreciation lunches? Come on. Nobody speaks at a CLE? The “In the Community” page remains a strength.
I have a lot of trouble believing that the last firm “event” was about six months ago and I see nothing upcoming. Who is doing the updating? Give me something…speaking at a CLE, an in-house seminar. Throw me a bone. This was an issue last year. I also clicked on “subscribe to newsletters” and got a blank page. The practice area sections were the strongest part of the site. Somebody wake up the webmaster. Or, more likely, stick a cattle prod on some of the people that are not contributing to the site. Yeah, I’m talking to you. We’re all busy, buddy.
Heavy on graphics and design. The content you need is there, but the functionality and usability are weak. What is the deal with the “back” button? For who? For what? The info is there. And a point or two for some originality in photo selection.
While the new Jenner site is cleaner and sharper, the graphic design from page to page made for a slow experience (download time was an issue, and that is a rarity). However, the organization, information and navigation are well-coordinated. The content is up to date. The “offices” deserve more than a picture, address and link to Mapquest. Those taglines (“When it’s a matter of importance.”) always crack me up. More so because they sound like they were made up over a beer, yet you know people put thought and often money into it. Today’s sites also should have a better search engine, with more defined results.
