The most important decision after deciding to develop a law firm web site is who you choose to develop the web site. There are four key qualifications that are critical for when selecting a lawyer web site developer.

1. Consultative-Are they helping to implement your firm’s goals into the site?
2. Expert design abilities- Have they designed sites that you find impressive?
3. Search Engine Optimization- Can they show you how their sites rank?
4. Experience- Do they specialize in law firm web design?
5. Cost- Are they competitively priced?

Let’s break it down.

1. Consultative Approach
An experienced lawyer web site developer should be more of a trusted advisor than simply graphic designer. Your law firm web designer should be an excellent resource for enhancing your law firm’s design vision. Your web designer should be asking you lots of questions about the purpose and goals for the web site project. It is also important that your attorney web site design provides your law firm with ongoing consultation as new technologies emerge.

2. Expert Law Firm Web Design
One of my client’s told me that he felt that his web site is the “face his law firm.” To me, this does make a lot of sense. Many law firms spend small fortunes on making their law office look rich and professional. But many law firms make the mistake of being “penny wise” on their law firm’s web site design. Your law firm web site gives your visitor a clear, visual picture of your law firm.

3. Search Engine Optimization for Attorney Web sites
Search engine optimization for your law firm web site is critical for many different reasons. Image if a very important client was referred to your firm and they were not able to find your web when they searched for your firm on Google – or worse they found another law firm instead. Make sure your attorney web designer can demonstrate their ability to rank their web sites for specific keywords.

4. Law Firm Specific Experience
There are some significant advantages for hiring a web design firm that works exclusively for law firms. There are many ethical and complex issues that must be dealt with to prevent your firm from establishing a “client-attorney” relationship. Many web developers claim to specialize in attorney web design although the reality is they do not. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent these companies from misleading your law firm about their expertise. The best way to verify their claim is to research their company and any parent company on the web.

5. Can They Justify the Cost of Their Services?
Pricing for web site development is all over the board. You can find many “do-it-yourself” web companies for a cost as low as $150 a year. There are some web design firms that charge as much as $250,000 for law firm web development. The average cost of a custom web site design including search engine optimization is around $10,000 for 35 web pages. That figures to be around $225 per page or $50 per hour. Pricing will vary depending on the law firm’s needs and size. Make sure your attorney web site designer is willing to justify or explain the cost of each service they are charging you for.