Inspired by Derek Powazek’s great article on A List Apart, I decided to come up with a checklist specific to
1. Goal: Tell the visitor what the site is all about.
- Tell the new visitor what the site will offer them
- Tell the new visitor who you are
Design Solutions:
- Use a short phrase to describe who you are and what you do
- Put that short phrase on the top of the page
- Link to a more wordy page that better describes you
When a new visitor comes to a site, they ask “What is this?” You need to tell them who you are and what you do immediately. Users make a decision whether to stay or go in the blink of an eye:
“In just a brief one-twentieth of a second — less than half the time it takes to blink — people make aesthetic judgments that influence the rest of their experience with an Internet site.
The study was published in the latest issue of the Behaviour and Information Technology journal.”
2. Goal: Don’t Make Obstacles for Repeat Visitors
- Make it easy for repeat visitors to find the info they’re looking for
- Don’t treat every visitor like a stranger
Design Solutions:
- Make navigation clear and easy
- Allow one-click access to popular pages
- If possible, put targeted repeat visitor content on the home page
Repeat visitors already know who you are and what you do. Your home page should allow them to easily get the information they’re looking for without having to scroll through “getting-to-know-you” content.
Think of this in terms of interpersonal communications. The first time you meet someone, you introduce yourself, maybe shake hands, and have small talk. Every subsequent meeting is different. You already know the person’s name and who they are, so there’s no need to introduce yourself again.
Imagine if every time you wanted to talk to a co-worker, you had to introduce yourself again and shake hands before talking. That would get annoying pretty quickly.
Now put yourself in your current clients’ shoes. What information are you looking for? Some examples:
- Attorney Profiles and email addresses
- New articles and bulletins
- Directions
- A phone number
3. Goal: Look Alive
- Show that your firm is active
- Show off your expertise
Design Solutions:
- Place firm news items prominently on the home page
- Link to events and activities
- Link to recent publications and articles
Your attorneys don’t just sit behind a desk all day, they’re out there doing things. They write articles, they speak at seminars, they win awards, and they do interviews. Don’t be modest: let your visitors know what you’re doing!
4. Goal: Show Your Area of Expertise
- Tell visitors what areas of law your firm covers
- Show the industries you’ve covered
Design Solutions:
- List Representative Client Industries
- List Practice Areas
When a prospective client visits your site, they want to know if your firm can do the work. Answer that question right away.
5. Goal: Make Navigation Clear and Easy
- Get visitors to their information
- Meet navigation expectations
Design Solutions:
- Use “big buckets” for categorizations
- Categorize pages under appropriate headings
- Add a search function
The key for any visitor (new or repeat) is to make navigation simple. Get them to their information.
Popularity: 6% [?]
