Creating a home on the Internet. (creating a Web site for your law firm)(Brief Article)

Does your law firm need a Web site on the Internet? If you are a general practitioner and you want to get your name into cyberspace, a Web site will surely do the trick.

But don't expect legions or--even a handful--of new clients to come clicking at your electronic doorstep, say lawyers familiar with the ways of the Web.

"If you are unimaginative and you want a Web site, you will publish an electronic version of your firm's brochure," said attorney Jerry Lawson, who runs a Washington, D.C., area consulting business that helps lawyers develop these sites.

"If you're more imaginative, you will use the site to put out all kinds of information that will help you practice law and attract new clients," Lawson said.

Milwaukee attorney Donald Slavik, cochair of ATLA's Communications, Computers and Law Office Technology Committee, agrees that substantive content is the make-it-or-break-it factor in online promotion.

"If you know a lot about a unique area of law, I think a Web site can be helpful," Slavik said. "But if you're a general practitioner doing local stuff, I can't say a Web page would always be the best way to spend your money."

Lawson advises lawyers to change their thinking when it comes to promoting their practice on the Internet.

"Attorneys are used to thinking in terms of advertising in newspapers, magazines, or maybe on television," Lawson said. "Having a Web site is very, very different. You have to think of it as owning your own printing press or having your own radio station."

Lawson said there are two keys to creating an effective Web site: finding a practice niche and providing information that will appeal to the niche audience.

"After poor substantive content, the biggest reason a Web site is unsuccessful is poor promotion," he said, referring to publicizing the page. "It's definitely not something to approach with a `build it and they will come' idea."

At what price?

A word about finances. Having a consultant set up a Web site can cost anywhere from about $500 to tens of thousands of dollars, according to Lawson.

You'll save money if you do it yourself, but either way you'll have to pay a relatively nominal monthly fee to an Internet service provider to get your site online.

"Content is so much more important than the technical flash. As long as your Web site meets a certain technical quality, you can have nice-looking stuff without spending a fortune," he said. "The biggest expense is having the time to create the content. It's an indirect cost."

To sample a few law office Web sites visit:

http://www.taxprophet.com

http://www.ca-probate.com

http://www.visalaw.com

http://www.divorcenet.com