Not so many years ago - but arguably an age in Internet terms - many businesses viewed a website principally as a necessary fashion accessory. A piece of technology that most wished to acquire, yet one which few knew how to capitalise. In some cases substantial sums of money were committed to establish an online presence, without a coherent website strategy. The fallout from the burst of the Dotcom bubble has been well documented and many have learnt the lessons and moved on. Within the legal sector websites have principally been viewed as sources of information, rather than as a means of generating direct revenue or streamlining business processes, but these lessons apply to all. As a community, barristers have demonstrated an impressive take up on the web, but in many cases they are at risk of falling behind should they choose to rest on their laurels.

The latest Intendance survey of 100 websites of central-London Chambers reveals that 95% of sets have a website. A very commendable figure but, whilst there are notable exceptions, many websites do show weaknesses in one or more of the three key categories measured: content, design and usability. On average, content was the weakest of the three categories, followed by usability and finally design.

The report - commissioned by London recruitment specialists LPA Legal Recruitment, which has many Chambers as clients - employs an established methodology to quantify the 'quality' of Barristers' Chambers' websites. Taking a sample of 100 central-London sets, the survey ranks website quality against the number of tenants in the set. Those sets with either no website, a website under construction or just a single page were automatically scored as zero although, despite having confined their website to a single page, 48 Bedford Row was given some dispensation as they have presented sufficient content to merit a modest score.

Hardwicke Building was the top scorer, followed very closely by Outer Temple Chambers and Monckton Chambers in second and third place respectively. At the other end of the scale, 11 New Square (Chambers of John Gardiner QC), 11 New Square (Chambers of Sonia Proudman QC) and 48 Bedford Row occupied the bottom three places.

The findings of the survey show that there is virtually no correlation between the size of a set and the quality of its website. Hardwicke Building was the only set to buck the general trend, being both the largest set in the sample and also the top scorer. Amongst the others, many sets have a web presence that is for the moment respectable, but there is a danger of slipping behind as website standards continue to rise. Barristers can be heartened by the knowledge that other Intendance surveys reveal that solicitors and accountants have not yet achieved the same level of website take up, but barristers must not rest on their laurels. The fable of the tortoise and the hare comes to mind...

In the light of these findings, it is advisable that all sets remain alert to the inexorable progress we observe in the online world. Both technology and website audiences are becoming more sophisticated and the expectations developed by each will continue to exert pressure on website owners. Just as advances in other communication technologies have caused us all to adapt, if barristers wish to portray themselves in the best possible light (to clients, as well as to prospective pupils and tenants) they must not neglect their website.

In order to get or to keep your Chambers on track, the following checklist - gleaned from our research - should assist those who are responsible for your website to establish and maintain an effective website:

I. The three criteria you must understand to get the best out of your website:

Look at your website objectively and rate it on the three key factors that matter to visitors. In order of importance, these factors are:

(1) Content: what information is available on your website and, in particular, which pieces of information will encourage potential clients, tenants and pupils to approach you?

(2) Usability: how easy is it to access this information and navigate the site?

(3) Design: does the visual impression of your website create the right image for your set, especially to those visitors who do not know much about you?

For a more objective view, ask sympathetic clients or contacts to assess your website and identify both strengths and weaknesses.

To expand on these key factors:

1. Content

The first area to improve is content. Make sure that:

i) You are addressing the main areas in which visitors are interested - please see checklist in Section II below.

ii) Website copy needs to be short and to the point, with the option of 'drilling' deeper into the website for more detailed information.

2. Usability

Website visitors can be notoriously impatient. If visitors aren't able to find what they are looking for easily, you run the risk that they will give up and move onto a competitor's website. Although it may not be straight forward to alter the structure of your existing website, you can improve usability by:

i) Using dynamic menus, to allow visitors to view titles of secondary pages without the need to pre-select a page.

ii) Ensuring the page layout is logical. Adhering to a conventional navigation structure will help your visitors orientate themselves quickly and encourage them to remain on your website for longer.
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3. Design

Once committed, it is not an easy task to change the design of a website, but some aspects can be remedied relatively easily. Two areas to consider are:

i) Use of images. A minimalist design can certainly be very effective, but there is a danger of appearing too bland. Carefully placed images, be they photographs of personnel or more abstract images, can enhance a website considerably by providing visual interest on an otherwise text-heavy page. Design should never detract from the content of the website but, like a well-tailored suit, it can provide that important 'edge'.
ii) Avoid the use of a 'welcome' page and software plug-ins such as Macromedia 'Flash'. The old copywriting maxim 'less is more' applies; in many cases the same message can be delivered more effectively with less text. In other words, a good principal is to consider what to remove, rather than what to add.

II. Identify your target audiences and the information they require

Potential new clients want to know why they or their legal representative should use you. For example, if you want to generate more work in employment law or intellectual property, provide facts and figures on your set's experience in these areas and if appropriate include references to previous cases and publications. Also ensure that prospective clients can contact you. Remember that if your brief is not coming from a solicitor then the client may not be familiar with your set, so it is important to reassure them that you have the appropriate track record. Bear in mind that potential pupils and other barristers may also be assessing you...

Your set should have a business plan that identifies both key existing clients and targets new clients. Again based on our research, we have compiled a checklist of the main page headings your website should include:

* Home page
* About Chambers
* Members and Clerks (including CVs and photographs as appropriate)
* Practice Areas
* News, Events and Seminars
* Recent cases
* Publications
* Pupillage (including application advice)
* Contact details and a printable location map
* Key word search facility
* Site map
* Enquiry form
* Links to other websites
* Wherever possible: printer-friendly pages

III. How to improve your website by using visitor statistics

All websites have the capability to generate information on how many people are visiting your website, when they visit, which pages they look at and usually some information on the profile of the visitor. You may already have access to these statistics, or else you can ask your website firm or IT department to produce them for you. Some of the ways in which you can use this data are:

(1) Number of visitors in a week: use this as a benchmark to evaluate the impact of any marketing initiatives.
(2) Which pages are most frequently visited? These pages contain the most useful information so make it easy for visitors to find them. In your marketing activities consider highlighting these pages so they act as a 'hook' to get people to visit your website. Once you've attracted people to your website, you can think about what else you want them to see.
(3) Which pages are least visited? Try to establish if this lack of popularity is due to poor signposting, in which case amend the headings and links to catch the attention of the visitor.

IV. Update your website frequently

* Be realistic about how frequently you will update content to your website - and keep to your plan. Ideally changes should be made on a monthly basis.
* If you use your website to advertise seminars, remember to remove notices of events as soon as possible after the date of the event. In our survey we noticed some chambers advertising events long since passed, which could detract from an otherwise impressive site.

V. Get feedback from visitors, clients and staff - and act on it

* If you make any significant changes to your website, or if you have never seriously marketed it before, asking for feedback is an ideal opportunity to encourage people to visit the site. Ask contacts for their assessment.
* Staff and colleagues have a vital role in supplying content, so ensure you solicit feedback from them.
* Make sure you analyse and act on feedback if appropriate. The key to this is good website management (please see Section VIII below).

VI. Coordinate other marketing communications such as brochures, business cards and seminars with your website

* All offline communications, for example brochures and business cards, should have your website address prominently visible.
* Consider printing copies of your website homepage for distribution at seminars, to encourage attendees to visit your website.

VII. Review Meetings with your website firm - what is working and what is not?

* Treat your website firm as a valuable partner. They have knowledge and experience that can make a substantial difference.
* Be prepared to try new ideas and use the website usage statistics to monitor progress, taking appropriate action where necessary.

VIII. Website management is the key to success

* Like any other activity in chambers, someone needs to take responsibility and be accountable for your website.
* One way to involve senior barristers is to ask them to share some of their experience by writing an article on their specialist field.
* Consider making a short presentation about your website to members, highlighting what the set is trying to achieve with the website and what content your colleagues could contribute. Ideally a senior barrister should chair the meeting.

IX. Conclusion

* At its best your website can keep your existing clients loyal, win you new clients, provide valuable publicity to the media and help you attract high-calibre new tenants and pupils - and offer you very good value for money.
* You can get more out of your existing website by using a three point strategy: (1) carry out a website audit and first make any improvements to content; (2) use feedback from clients and other users, and analyse your website statistics to understand what information visitors are interested in. Make it easy for visitors to access these pages by, for example, putting clear links to these pages on all the pages of your website. Finally: (3) make sure that your website manager has clear objectives and high level support.

Many of the sets in our survey have clearly taken the initiative and established a respectable web presence, but little in business life stands still. Don't rest on your laurels because the world is watching!

James Tuke is Marketing Director of Intendance, a website firm that researches, develops and manages websites with a special focus on professional services firms.

For more information or a free copy of the report "Barrister Websites: Who's Winning and Why?" Please Contact James Tuke on 020 8871 1330, or email james.tuke@intendance.com or visit www.intendance.com