Knowing that the firm finally hired another CMO-level marketer left me assured that the horrendous web site of the past would not longer be staring me in the face. Remember when they did not use the intuitive domain name (vs. initials)? Or the splash page? Or the empty seminars section? I didn’t think so. Anyway, one of the strengths that hit me on the home page was the three highlights/headlines. All were tied to actual accomplishments in regard to the practice of law rather than the old “Seven new partners named” or “Firm Ranks in top 100 of something” that so many firms think is of some great value to educated viewers. While the home page showed great promise for what awaited me, the firm was cursed by bad timing, because on every click through to the interior, I got this message: The following information about this error has been recorded and sent to Platform360. This site is powered by Platform360 and Platform360 strives to keep all of its web sites bug free and will work quickly and diligently to fix this error as soon as possible. If you have any additional questions please contact the Platform360 CodeMaster [codemaster@p360.com]. Time: Thursday, April 06, 2006, 8:15:55 AM. Because I’m a nice guy, I will return to the site a second time for the scoring, but rules are rules, and I could have been a GC looking at someone’s credentials. Call IT.
Nothing better than when two top 250 firms merge after the NLJ list is published, meaning that there will most likely be 249 reviews instead of 250. An extra 25 minutes or so in my life that has been returned. And nobody can rank 250th. I like the home page’s rotating spotlight, which takes up the meat portion of the page, with the news headlines flush left. Above average graphics. Standard databases and functionality. Considering the relative newness of the marriage, it would probably make sense to at least offer a link off the home page to details (i.e. was there a pre-nup? Who was the maid of honor?)—and a better hint of current locations and size for the uninitiated. For those who want a refresher, PD was much stronger online that EA, prior to the union.
No arguing over graphic design here! There is none. Yet, it works. They took the old “content is king” phrase and took it to heart. The home page has improved by lightening the amount of text, which makes it much more appealing than it once was. The site is so easy to navigate through that you almost wonder if something is missing and you can’t put your finger on it. Simple without being simplistic. Still solid and user-friendly.
On this date, “in the news” on the home page is really stale. Unfortunately, the top news item was something I wrote about for a law firm client three months ago—thus it stood out to me more than it would others. Having said that, the Ice Miller site is still oh-so-close to greatness. A terrifically structured home page. Excellent use of the web for incorporating the firm’s business development tools. Sharp layout. Liked the link to the video blog. A few improvements (the contact info pages are STILL lacking) are all that is needed. I’ll give you until the 2008-09 IMAs (it will be here before I want it to).
MLB, you’ve come a long way baby…online. The mega firm finally has found a balance with a web presence that is worthy of the firm’s stature in the legal world. It is well organized and well structured. You will find many of the typical “hot” areas – such as alumni and pro bono. If you are familiar with the firm’s division of management (not all decision-making flows from one central locale), you can understand the difficulty a web management team would have getting it together, and keeping it that way. I would prefer sites like the envinfo.com be integrated into the main site. An interesting site that needs to be kept separate is the joint venture in Japan, at morganlewis.com-tmi.jp. There is still room to grow, but they are headed in the right direction.
My first instinct when getting to the home page was b-o-r-i-n-g. But then, like a plain Jane blossoming with personality, I took a deeper look, being the deep person I am. The home page message properly changes to reflect the “latest and greatest”. There were two “headlines” – one fluff (Best Lawyers) and one meat (big M&A deal)—the right way to balance. Who doesn’t enjoy meat and fluff? The layout of practice area pages is subtle in its depth. OK attorneys section. Strong newsroom section. Don’t let the looks fool you. They are doing a nice job presenting a firm portfolio.
After two years, I’m still not sure whether I’m here to praise this site, or kill it. It is all about graphic design. And certainly would not be mistaken for an informational web site. It can definitely be a pain in the butt to maneuver and find what you want. God forbid you are on a slow connection. Although, nobody should be. Like it? Love it? Hate it? You decide. I like that it is not the same as all the others. It would not be a site you would bookmark as a resource, but that does not always need to be the case.
Weil follows a useful trend of providing summaries for many sections, followed by the more-detailed overview, if you so desire. The content is set up in a way where it relates well. The bios are generally fine, although “education” should go on top, not at the bottom. The download time is a little slow for 2006, and when I tried to “register” for an event, the link was dead. However, the fact that it even exists is a step forward. The site still does a nice job putting you in touch with the right contacts. And the fact that the splash page and gavel are gone is reason enough for celebration.
Longer version or brief version for practice area descriptions? Thanks for asking. I did not like losing the navigation and design when viewing pages such as many news items. Not that you asked. I did particularly like the design and registration process for events. The search results could be better organized. Nice office pages—one of the few firms that actually tell you where to park! Another successful online upgrade.
The BC site still does a lot of things very well, but falls victim in the scoring to other firms catching up and moving ahead. The home page design is a little sleepy, but is still above average. An area that needs help is the “media center” (press releases) and “news” (which should probably include press releases, because if you do not think they are news, a journalist sure as hell is not going to think it is newsworthy). Under “events” on this day, there are none scheduled. None scheduled? Please. I’m still a big fan of the “client alerts” set-up. And I’ve always been a fan of the tech capabilities and knowledge of the firm. However, the site ain’t what it once was. However, I’ve seen it bounce back strong before.
