Please review my Attorney site

greg artim · #1 (**permalink**) 10-03-2007, 02:01 PM

Hello All,

I am looking for some input regarding a site that I redesigned. It was originally made by a relative of mine and it produced zero traffic. I wanted to update it and use it to generate income, as I'm sure we all do. This is my first attempt at site design. I bought Microsoft Expression Web and Photoshop and went to work. My biggest question is whether it conveys a professional image, whether you would hire me if you needed an attorney in Pennsylvania. I am trying to convey the image of a friendly, knowledgeable local Attorney who is the opposite of the large, downtown, monster law firm. The site is Pittsburgh Attorney Greg Artim.

Thanks for any input, it will be greatly appreciated.

davebarnes · #2 (**permalink**) 10-03-2007, 03:15 PM

1. Get a professional headshot taken. You look like you just stood against a wall and a friend took a snap.

2. Ditch the beveled edges on images. So 1999.

3. Use an external style sheet.

4. I think it is too heavy. I prefer this site that we created Malman Law Firm - Denver and Fort Collins personal injury lawyers as it is lighter.

Dubbya · #3 (**permalink**) 10-03-2007, 03:36 PM

You're in a very competitive niche so it's going to take some time, money and effort to both convey the message you're hoping to and build some traffic along the way.

You've done fairly well for your first site but you'd really benefit by hiring a professional to do a site layout for you. You can then take their layout and do the page development yourself.

If you'd rather do it all yourself, do some Google searches for "business website templates" to get some design ideas. If you find one you just love, you can always buy it (they're pretty inexpensive) and change it to suit your purpose.

While many here might gasp at the idea of using site templates, they're an inexpensive solution, usually designed by professional graphic designers and can usually be implemented quickly. Bear in mind that they're not all perfect from an SEO perspective and that any template you choose may require a great deal of SEO effort.

As it stands, the site appears reminiscent of a 1980's Frontpage theme. You've done everything possible to make the site appear dated and hackneyed.

Look at your source code and you'll see a ton of "       &nb sp; " (non-breaking spaces). Those indicate inexperience and are just bad coding practice. You're adding to your file size while decreasing your text to code ratio (keyword relevance).

Additionally, I'd recommend the following changes to improve your position in search engine results pages (SERPs), speed up the site and give it a more polished look:

Lighten the content background (it's not horrible, but lighter is better for readability)
Replace heading images with text (better for SE indexing and pages load faster)
Set your content cell "cellpadding:20px;" so that the text doesn't touch the sides of the cell, ever. (good use of white space improves readability and looks more professional)
Save the stylesheet to a .css file and link to it externally.(Speeds up site as users download it once for the entire site)
Convert your image based navigation menu to text links (image buttons appear circa 1984) to speed up the site and make it more search engine friendly. Consider that visually impaired users will have problems using it, especially if they use a screen reader.
Remove any borders or embossing from photos.
Replace dated graphics that appear to have come from free image or button generator sites. (Mailbox, Free case review, Do you have a Claim?)

To help insulate your inbox from copious amounts of sp@m, I'd highly recommend an email script that sends you messages versus the "mailto:" link.

It'll take some doing but you've got some great content to work with.

.02

Martinscholes · #4 (**permalink**) 10-03-2007, 05:36 PM

It is not hard hitting enough.

"I consider myself very knowledgeable on the subject."

Well yes, you probably do. But on your site it should be more positive. Like:

"I am considered very knowledgeable on the subject."

Self-recommendation is no recommendation is an old saying which carried some truth...

cw1865 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-03-2007, 06:07 PM

The only other recommendation that I would make would be to make some local geographic references in your website. For instance under the contact us you say that you are located in North Versailles, PA and its clear that you're targeting Pittsburg. When people are doing a search for an attorney they find out real quick that geographic region is extremely important, so perhaps under the practice areas try to include some references to surrounding municipalities and/or counties.....

jxw · #6 (**permalink**) 10-04-2007, 11:56 AM

Visually, it is a big read. Visitors do not want to read that much. They want to know what areas you practice in and how good you are. You might want to use bullets, but the bullets might be the same as the areas of practice on the left. The first paragraph on your home page lumps all the areas of practice (after the dash) as coming under civil litigation and personal injury. Your "home" page and your "about" page emphasize different areas of the law. The about page says you are best in lemon law and warranty cases. Your home page indicates civil litigation and personal injury is your main area of practice. In some paragraphs you talk about what the law firm of Karen Myers handles, in others you talk about you as an attorney. If you are a partner in the firm, mention that prominently. I was a little confused at one point as to what you would handle and what someone else in the firm would handle. There is more but I only have so much time. Hope this gives you a good start on the writing to go with what others have suggested.

If you are trying to drum up business for yourself, do not give the firm's e-mail address -- just yours.

Again, too much to read. Be crisp in your writing. Emphasize what needs to be emphasized.