Simplicity Rules

Simplicity rules. Seventy percent of those questioned recently by Jupiter Media Metrix indicated that if they can't find what they want quickly on a Web site they leave, no matter how eye-catching the site. Browsing is out. Hunting is in.

In a world awash in information, busy people are honing their own hunting skills. They are learning how to bypass traditional media and identify alternative online sources that provide compelling and credible data, especially when it comes to legal issues. Going directly to the source often means visiting law firm Web sites for information. Like it or not, the Internet just put your Web site in the spotlight.

Many law firms have seized this basic principle. They understand that they can reach their clients and prospective clients by parlaying the existing credibility of their brands or by providing compelling content that builds relationships. To get consumers to your site, you need to meet three challenges:

Content

Do you have the journalistic sensibilities to make your content credible and compelling? If not, you will need to rely upon content providers who can deliver the legal information your prospects need to make a qualified buying decision.

Design

If you build it and they come, will they find what they want? In most cases, the primary purpose of graphic design is to establish corporate identity. But the Internet is both a visual medium and a system of information storage. People judge Web sites not only by the content itself but by how well that content is presented. Understand the needs of your audiences, and organize information to reflect their intuitive hunting patterns.

Maintenance

Are you ready for the demands of a world defined by on-demand information? The excitement and frenetic activity that surrounds the development of a Web site often overshadows the demands that follow its launch. Successful Web sites need a technical infrastructure that allows for easy content maintenance, regardless of size and scope. Use databases to build pages, so you can modify content with a minimum of fuss or programming expertise. Add a middleware solution to your database, and you can call up specific content for multiple devices, such as wireless personal digital assistants and mobile phones.

Woody Allen once said that "80 percent of success is showing up." Law firms should heed his advice. Law firm Web sites should provide compelling information to meet compelling needs in compelling ways. And in the end, nothing could be simpler than that.