I chose to review Jeffrey Behrendt’s family law site because it uses a few different techniques than many of the other sites I review. Compare the approach and style, for example, to the www.hartleyfamilylaw.com.au site reviewed in the International competition. The approaches and styles are different, but both work. I did have to chuckle when I saw the link here to the “free divorce mini-course”. I think people have done a great job getting divorced—early and often—without ever taking a class! (Note to Jeff: If my wife signs up, I would appreciate the professional courtesy of letting me know.) I guess happy marriages are bad for business in this practice. What helps with this approach? We’ll start with the domain name that says it all “Ottawa Divorce.” He’s incorporated “Ads by Google” which can help pay for the site, by possibly driving traffic to others. Most of all, the site is focused on content, content, content—that would impress a consumer looking for a specialist. Especially in areas like family law, where the comfort in local knowledge and expertise often kicks in. Of course, make sure you “Meet Emet”, Jeff’s son. Nothing like family to promote a family law practice. Like the profession, the site is not always pretty, but it gets the job done.
Anyone that has followed my web teachings since the beginning of Internet time (actually, around 1997) knows about my old friend Rene Larson. Like so many Internet relationships, we’ve never met. But, I’m sure we’d get along great. I’ve followed his always-effective use of the web for the Thunder Bay, Ontario practice. I’m not sure how many re-dos of the site there have been, but there is always something new. Lots of content in written and audio formats. I always liked the original site best, with the web cam and great online forms. Today, there is an audio message to greet you, among other components. Rene & Company has never stopped creating.
I still like Lloyd’s “affordable justice,” with fun, unique categories and content. Unfortunately, the site has not changed much (if at all) in a long, long time. This, of course, means that if you’ve seen it before, you do not really need to visit again. However, as they say during summer rerun season, if you did not see it before, it is new to you! An ideal site for attracting and informing consumer clients.
This Sweden-based firm still puts forth some unique dissemination of information, from the short videos for each office location to the array of publications. They mix in photos that do not take on the “clip art” feel. The downside is still the navigation inconsistency. I’d love to see that solidified, along with a home page with better focus. Many visitors will miss the left-side banners.
While the regular site is relatively basic and static, this firm started in Panama and has grown to be a worldwide presence, offering “legal” among its services. However, the firm has other web sites that support the law team, including www.latintrademark.net, a solid IP site that offers info on trademarks and IP in…hmmm…Latin America (duh). Yet another example of a firm that has used the web well to further worldwide growth.
