Tuning up and toning down your website presence - Part One

This blog entry (Part One) is not about choosing the technical format of your website...html vs php vs flash…this blog is about presenting yourself in a professional manner to those who would contract for your services.

When I launched my first website, I believed that merely making my presence known would be the catalyst my business needed.

That was four years and four websites ago. I have learned that word-of-mouth trumps any form of print advertising. The odds of someone stumbling onto a website called elizabethcrownmorgan.com are slim, but if an attorney hears about Elizabeth’s services, he will want to know more about her. For those that know you, or have heard of you, a website presence is invaluable.

If you need a reason to slow your rush into the internet marketplace, this is it: invariably, you will later groan at something you have written and want to change it. It is really quite simple. I may not know how to write the next great novel, but I certainly know how to recognize it when it comes across my desk.

Your goal is to have your website represent you in a professional manner. Concurrently, you want visitors to:

• Remain on the site for an extended period to read your information
• Click through the pages of your site to have a full understanding of your services
• Understand your professional goals and objectives
• Return for updated information on a regular basis
• Recommend that others visit the site

General Recommendations

I. Graphics make the first impression, but if those Google image downloads appear on other sites, using them will not product-differentiate you from other legal nurse consultants.

There are resources for making your website look professional and aesthetically pleasing.

I highly recommend istockphoto.com. There, you will literally find thousands of professional photographs that touch every concept in marketing. You can search by profession, city, theme, color – the choices are extensive. It is a painless way to make your site unique. Choose the smallest and least expensive size since the small .jpg’s are perfectly adequate for site usage.

II. Visit the websites of large law firms. Most are tasteful and understated, reflecting the serious business of hiring legal representation. This is the tone to strive for – elegance and sincerity. I realize as I say this that there are many who would disagree with me.

But this is my blog. Stay tuned for Part II.