DWT has got the whole blog thing going, on top of the always stalwart site. I also gave them the IMA “blog test”—where I look to see when they were each last updated. Just so you know, I’ve proven to be one of the world’s worst bloggers. DWT passed with most-recent-posts of less than a week on two of three blogs. Overall, the main site is still very good. However, some weakness in searching and search results brings it down a notch. There are also areas that have not stayed current—such as pro bono. Not so much that the site is much weaker than others have gotten better.
It is not a knock on Dorsey, but because so many of the large law firms use the same vendor for site development, the result is a little too much on the cookie-cutter side. The Dorsey site has all the components you expect, and is still a far better iteration than the one they had a few years back. However, when all big firms look and feel the same, it takes away any chance of really differentiating yourself on the web. Granted, there are few masochists like myself that will actually visit every single one! I did particularly like the Careers site. After years of my bitching about worthless flash movies, firms have started to design recruiting sections that are much more useful to the inquirer. Little things like the firm’s summer associate hiring process is USEFUL.
One of the rotating home page messages shouts “Commitment to Diversity” – with a nice picture of a white woman and a black woman. There is a blurred white guy, and two other blurred people (a man and a woman, I think). Anyway, I get it. I did not know there was diversity in Ohio and Kentucky, but I’ll take your word for it. Hey, I’m just having some fun with you. I was born in Cincinnati. And I think the new FBT web site is a tremendous improvement, in every category—from design to data. A lot of nice new usability touches as well.
I’ve decided I no longer like the home page. Lighten it up and better highlight all of the stuff inside the box. This is another one of the few sites where I think the content is all there, but could look all prettied up (don’t they say things like that in Texas?). The surfing speed was a bit of an issue. However, the information and depth is still strong as ever, with the KnowledgeConnect section. I just think you need to make it easier for people to find what they need (or do not realize they need)! And I still get a kick out of the flash map showing “global access reach.”
When I think about the number of times a firm I work with needs to send a logo or photo to an organization for a sponsorship or similar promotion, I continue to wonder why more firms do not make these things available on its web site, as K&L does in its’ media center. I’ve had attorneys tell me they do not want to do it because someone will “steal” them. OK. Call me when this happens. Anyway, the K&L site remains strong. I did have some download time issues. The site is a little “heavy” in that manner. Ironically, the homepage does offer up the option of a non-flash version for the two people that still have dial-up in the world. The news briefs lacked the timeliness that I would expect, but in general was fine. Getting rid of the scrolling headlines helped. I liked the site highlights as well; including the “Top of Mind” survey that I sometimes look to when doing GC client surveys, to see one firm’s suggested trends. I’m also impressed by the firm’s continual investment in its brand. One item that would be helpful to me…a site map.
If you an LW alum, you’ve got a shot at winning an iPod Shuffle for registering on the special alumni site. The site still has a wealth of information, although it appears that some sections do not receive the same updating care from years gone by. On this date, there were no presentations put into “presentations” in 2005 (review date is July 2005). Only four “seminars & events”? Come on. The site still has good depth of content, searchability and some friendly features. The home page is a little dark and messy. LW Online has lost a step.
You’ve seen the ads, now see the site. I feel like I see an ad for this firm every time I turn around. Maybe I’m just reading the wrong magazines. Let me start by saying that while many of the “recent win” type ads and web content are good, use of such data in many states is prohibited. So if you are looking to copy, think about the states that you practice. I’m not real keen on the home page—especially waiting for the stars to align (you need to visit to understand). However, the more of these sites I review, the more appreciative I am for sites that have strong content but look a little different. The site is well maintained and does a good job following up its print advertising with strong online credentials. I’ve always had a fondness for the way L&G markets itself. More could take a lesson.
While some sections and pages are a little crowded, the overall site is detailed and strong. There is tremendous improvement in depth and structure. Here is a little tip for the home page news headlines—be diverse. And I’m not talking about hiring. On this day, four of five items are IP. Which is fine if you are an IP firm. However, while it shows me that your IP folks are busy marketing…others might be a little lazy. As an advocate for home page headlines (that do not scroll), always monitor the balance of subjects. For example, they should never all be “awards” or “cases”—show expansiveness. MWE provides what you would expect them to.
On the site map, I found it interesting to see the components of the law student extranet, although I could not access it. I’m not a student and MLA probably would not be interested in me anyway. Too much attitude and way too old, although I’m a pretty good lawyer. The home page and overall layout are nicely organized and well-balanced. I like the bios, with pdf option and vcard, not to mention a smooth layout. These pages can become eyesores, if you are not careful. There were some practice groups guilty of too much information (scrolling, scrolling). And some that clearly don’t do enough marketing (hop to it). I was interested in attending the upcoming “Bird Flu Summit” though. Man, if I can’t eat chicken, all that red meat will kill me.
What are those photos on the home page? The entry point is the weakest part of the site. That first impression is a misimpression since the overall site is good. I like the easy foreign language PDFs on the home page, but I’d like to see that real estate better used. Everything else is rock solid. Good press room. Good organization. Just steps away from that next tier.
