January 7th, 2010
Marni MacLeod
Skunkworks Creative Group
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Here’s the next stream of consciousness post on elements that make for a user friendly website. This one is straightforward - display your contact information clearly and prominently on every page. While you may want to have a mailing address block at the bottom of the page (which is fine)…in my view (again…this is just my opinion, you are perfectly free to ignore me) you want to make it as easy as possible for potential clients to pick up the phone or add you to their email address book. What I like (and it drives our creative team nuts - which is part of why I like it … shhhh) is to have the firm contact information displayed at the top of the page either with the logo or in the upper right hand corner…and I like that on EVERY page. Some might argue that this is overkill when you already have a Contact page built into your nav BUT…not so if the point of the exercise is to make life easy for people who may be looking for your services. In the legal context in particular, I would argue that if someone is looking for a lawyer they are probably in a state of either anxiety or excitement and want to find information fast. Clicking around your site trying to find out how to contact you is not going to be as appealing as the spoon feeding approach. Also, they are looking at your site searching for key words that match the issue or problem they need to resolve. You have no idea where on your site they will be when they find what they are looking for and decide they want to contact you. If the contact info is right there…it’s one less thing they have to think about.
A word about Contact pages. Some might say (damn proverbial peanut gallery) “Why have a Contact page at all if you are going to put the information on every page.” Welllll, for me a Contact page serves more than one purpose. When I go to a law firm’s Contact page I am usually looking for their office location (ye old Google Map), some sort of imagery of their office building (first impressions), so I know what to look for if I’m going to meet with them. If it’s available I might also use Google’s new “drag me to the street” tool to get a look at the neighbourhood - I like to meet clients in context (it’s handy to know what else is close by that might be used to create a destination or provide people with reference landmarks). For those of you who haven’t tried it…go to Google Maps and type in your office address. When the map comes up look for the little yellow stick person on the nav — looks this:
So, while I like a phone number that is easily accessible (please don’t make me scroll to the bottom of the page and read teeny tiny print) I also think a well designed Contact page is a valuable tool to increase client familiarity and, by extension, comfort levels with your firm. Finally, for what it’s worth, to me a Contact page is the place for all extra detail…9 times out of 10 I’ve been on the phone or contacted the firm by email before I ever visit the Contact page.
Tags: Contact pages, Law firm websites, usability, web content
Posted in Law firm websites, Legal Profession | Add a Comment »
December 16th, 2009
Marni MacLeod
Skunkworks Creative Group
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If you are interested in the survey results you can find them in this issue of the CBA National. Just so you know…the panellists were not allowed to vote for sites of their clients or sites they had worked on. My hope is that this year’s results will inspire other Canadian law firms to take a good look at their websites and start thinking about how they present themselves from a client perspective.
Websites generally serve two primary functions. If your business is heavily skewed to the referral side a professional, informative website acts as a credibility check. If you are looking for new clients a user friendly website that clearly states what kind of law you practice and the matters you regularly handle is one way to provide another doorway into your office. Either way the site should be oriented to the user experience not limited to to a resume approach that focuses on the individual achievements of the firm’s lawyers. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t include all the wonderful things about your legal ability and highlight the prowess of your practice teams. Obviously, a prospective client wants to know about you. BUT I bet you they are more interested in how you can help them with the issue they have at hand (and how much it’s going to cost them to have you do so).
People skim sites looking for key words related to a specific issue or problem they are trying to research or resolve. In short, they are looking for reassurance they are not up the creek without a paddle or, if they are in trouble, they are looking for help. The other thing that tends to happen, particularly when people haven’t had any contact with the legal system or lawyers, is that they get overwhelmed by the procedural side of a problem or they develop unrealistic expectations about their position because they are misinformed about how the law is applied. Lawyers know that every legal issue has at least three component, a unique fact pattern, a procedural component and a case law or legislative component that will dictate or influence the outcome. This can be overwhelming for people who don’t have a legal background. When people feel overwhelmed it’s hard to make good decisions. A clear, user friendly legal website can restore calm by providing a frame of reference and perhaps most important it should supply a prospective client with general background on the practice areas covered and include an action plan (checklists are helpful) that includes calling the lawyer or firm for further advice.
One thing I have come across which I will say I think is a mistake (and this is just my opinion) is to hold back basic information on the assumption that the client will decide not to call or may think they don’t need a lawyer to help them. This makes no sense in my view. The better prepared your clients are when they walk through your door for the first time the less time YOU waste bringing them up to speed and educating them on what facts are going to be relevant, the kind of evidence they need to prove or defend a claim, the types of documents you need to review or legislation that may have an impact. Communication is key and part of a lawyer’s job is to explain a situation fully so that a client can make informed decisions and provide instructions accordingly. Ok, enough for one day. Next time I will share a bit of what I’ve learned about what makes a good user friendly legal website (hint: it’s not fancy Flash scripts or dramatic music).
Tags: legal services, websites
Posted in Design & Dance, Law firm websites, Legal Profession, Professional Development, Things we like, inspiration | Add a Comment »
December 4th, 2009
Jordan Milev
Skunkworks Creative Group
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Vancouverites can now test their eyesight just by gazing at the distant Grouse Mountain. The ski trail and the lights are pretty easy to spot but there is already a feature that will require more than just a fleeting glance.
It might not be easy to spot, at least from the city, but it’s up there to stay. And to stand as a huge, landmark proponent for renewable energy and all things environmental.
Called The Eyes of the Wind, the 65-metres tall wind turbine will start to rotate at 260km/h at the tips, feeding electricity to the facilities perched on the top.
Now, aside from the usual crowd rushing up the Grouse Grind, expect eco-aficionados of all colours and shapes, including our very own Green Leader, who, I am sure, will be thrilled at the sheer size and beauty of it.
On my part, I am personally thrilled that Vancouver has set a prominent example looming high as a daily promise that one day we’ll be done with oil and coal.
I also couldn’t resist my designer itch to add a small touch to the Grouse Mountain logo…
Posted in inspiration | Add a Comment »
November 18th, 2009
Marni MacLeod
Skunkworks Creative Group
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We don’t have a fax machine. Most of our communications take place on the phone, face-to-face or over email. However, there are still occasions when people … ok, it’s usually just government offices, want you to send them stuff via fax machine. Yeah…I know (sigh). Our Technical Director and Agency Sommelier, Mark Hicken, found himself in just such a situation this morning and…better yet, found a handy solution. It’s eFax.com, an online service that lets you fax from where ever you have Internet access…and lets you receive faxes via email. It’s so nice when a company makes it easy for a change. When you sign up you get a local fax number and you can then send and receive faxes as email attachments. If you want to check it out they currently have a free 30 day trial and the cost per month after that is $12.50 CDN + taxes. And, no… I do not have shares (although maybe I should)…I just think it’s a great way to save time and paper without having to alter your normal routine. Hats off to J2 Global Communications (eFax’s “Mommy”) for providing another tool in support of the paperless office.
Tags: faxing, paperless office
Posted in Mobile, Sustainability, Techie things, Things we like | Add a Comment »
October 13th, 2009
Cintia Stela
Skunkworks Creative Group
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When it comes to Google’s pioneer ideas and solutions, you can never have enough. Every couple weeks you hear of a new speculation or a beta version of a new service they are preparing to launch. Well, the most recent promise I have come across is Google Wave, a new service that combines e-mail, instant messaging, blogging, document sharing, wikis, and multimedia content to provide a seamless communications platform.
As of yet, only 100,000 people were invited to play with the new toy, but Macworld lists 5 reasons why we should be looking forward to this new creation:
- Single point of access
- Next-generation communication
- Real-time sharing and collaboration
- A life of its own
- It’s in the cloud
Do you think this is going to change how people communicate, or this is just another parallel universe which only a few of the tech-savvy people will be actually using?
Personally, I will give it a try for sure, but I wonder if this will become the default internet messaging tool of the majority in the long-term future.
Tags: communication, e-mail, Google, internet, wave
Posted in Techie things, We are amused, social media | Add a Comment »
