‘Differentiate or Die’, marketing guru Jack Trout warned in the title of his seminal work on how to survive in ‘our era of killer competition’. Trout is more associated with putting consumer brands on the map than he is with making law firms stand out from the crowd, but many of the rules he establishes translate to the profession. A law firm has to offer something unique if it is to attract and maintain business in a competitive marketplace, and then ensure it communicates that unique selling point – its differentiator – as effectively as possible. This article is not so much concerned with a law firm’s differentiator per se, but more about how firms can use their websites to differentiate effectively.
For the past six years, Intendance has been reporting on how effective legal websites are at presenting both firms and chambers to the marketplace, including how these organisations communicate with their clients, staff and potential recruits – and the world at large. Our latest report, The Intendance Fast Fifty Solicitors’ Websites 2007: Who is Winning and Why, identifies the best and worst websites among the fastest-growing top 100 UK law firms and presents the findings of an extensive investigation into what makes an effective legal website.
