Not much has changed from last year’s remarks...kept up to date with press releases, quotable, articles and publications. Attorney bios are well kept and are user-friendly. The standard fare.
The home page is way too crowded. And another site with generic legal images (how many hands can that handshake shake?). And who picked those images in the practice area descriptions? An arm in a sling for health care. A stack of tin drums for environmental. How cliché. The only illegal dumping I saw was lots of crowded scrolling pages. The practice listings are repeated on the left and in the top navigation. Overall, the poor organization also led to slow download time and left my eyes thinking this was one of those 3-D pictures with a hidden image. Lots of content, but poorly put together.
I find it quite odd that the firm’s main web site is so “yesterday” looking, yet the firm clearly is interested in doing some cool things on the web. I read about www.wilentztv.com in a terrible New Jersey Law Journal article that inaccurately described changes in the state bar rules regarding advertising and the web. It also made it sound like this online offering was the first of its kind (the reporter should try contacting people that might know what s/he is talking about when doing a story), but that is not the firm’s fault. It was good pub and not their job to direct the writer. This was not the first time I read misinformation about law marketing issues there. Any way you slice it, the firm’s “TV Consumer Information Center” is a plus, as is the personal injury site. The main site is weak, and made weaker by the crisp look and features of the sister sites. HOWEVER…I’ve been informed that the main site is undergoing major renovations and should be up soon. I’ve added two intangible points—site unseen.
I liked the recruiting site better than the regular firm site. Maybe, though, my mouth was just watering at some of the fun I could have in New Orleans—one of my favorite towns. A & R does not have the sharp design of neighbor Phelps Dunbar, or the depth of info from Jones Walker, but it is going in the right direction after a few web efforts that were below-par. Not real keen on the use of the Martindale profile page as a bio page option. The web site bio, at a minimum, should have everything you list with M-H. Why leave the site? The navigation bar options could be stronger, as could a lot of the content organization. How about some intake info for subscribing to the various newsletters? It is also hard to find the articles that might be relevant to a specific attorney or practice.
Last press release? On this date, five months ago. Ironically, that is the exact same time frame that the firm was last given a “media mention”. I could go on to publications, newsletters and events. In other words, the webmaster must have packed up in the first week of December and take the web site update machine with him. Let’s just call the site review—“static quo”.
The first scrolling front page headline I clicked on (randomly) was a frickin’ year old. Last year, I did a whole review bit around the “driving” theme the firm uses. Yeah, yeah. Driven to win, succeed, etc. Do you ever notice how many of the car themes are used in law firm ads? Here is what the “legal news” page reads: “This page is a "hot spot" for links to current legal news, issues and updates. Bookmark this page and check back frequently to see the latest information.” That was as hot as it got. The “seminars and workshops” was like my gas tank—empty. If you like cute, the site is cute. IMA don’t like cute.
The site might be database-driven, but the presence screams static. Let’s get on the ball with the publications people. The other areas seem okay. However, for the second year in a row, the search engine failed to work. What-what-what! You are going to take a hit for that. The home page needs some gussying up. The news there is fresh and topical, but the presentation is sleepy. WILL ALWAYS LOVE…the online seminars in multimedia.
The home page continues to be a weak point of entry. The last new article in the article db was added about five months ago—not good (especially when you have a link to articles that are 30 days or less, and that is zippo). However, the home page had an article from this month. What gives? My hope is that the new site is in-development and that this site is being left to die on the vine. If not, you’ve fallen way behind in the web wars with your New England colleagues. Those intangible points are for the excellent pro bono work at the www.brownrudnickcenter.com. Otherwise, we’re going in reverse here.
You get spoiled by the related functionality of most new web sites, which makes the lack thereof a little tougher to overlook. CMP provides all of the data you really need, but provides a little less depth than some other sites. I still like the practice area descriptions, but would love them even more if they tied into relevant attorneys, articles and events.
Still in need of a new coat of paint. The blue background makes me blue. Overall, the expected stuff is in place. Clicking to hear how to pronounce the firm ala James Earl Jones is cute. Nothing stands out. It is always nice if something does. REDESIGN with the same back-end will enhance the experience.
