Critiquing Some Local Rhode Island Web Sites
By K. William Kyros
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly November 1, 1999
The internet economy has finally reached lawyers and law firms who are finding it necessary to establish a presence on the world wide web. Large firms and solo practitioners alike have embraced the idea of having a web site. My own company Lawyerviews.com has helped dozens of law firms establish their offices online.
What makes a web site successful depends on a number of factors, which I will classify as: style, content, user friendliness and download speed. Style evaluates, the effective use of graphics as well as layout and design of the site. Content measures the quality and utility of the information on the site. User friendliness refers to the way information is organized on the site and measures the ability of a user to navigate the site's links. Download speed refers to the performance of the graphics and text on the site as they load onto the computer. For these reviews I used a dial-up modem with a connection speed of 28.8 kps.
Tillinghast Licht & Semonoff Ltd
Employing a patriotic red, white and blue color scheme, Tillinghast Licht & Semonoff Ltds' web site delivers simple style and basic content.
The home page provides a nice introduction to the firm and is generally pleasing, however the layout is disrupted by a large white on blue scrolling marquee, currently directing viewers to an article on the Y2K Readiness and Responsibility Act.
The site uses a web site design feature called frames, which divide the content on an individual web page into sections. In this instance they are used to preserve the law firm name and links at the top of the screen, while allowing other material to appear in the body of the pages. The left of each page is decorated with a series of "TL&S" logos which are attractive and obviate the need for pictorial elements. Unfortunately, this logo placement forces all of the text throughout the site to be right aligned. This alignment affects pages printed directly from the site, cutting off about a half inch of the text on the right-as it did when I printed pages for this review.
The content is grouped into straightforward categories: such as "Attorneys", "Practice Groups", "Articles", and "What's New." Attorneys are listed alphabetically with links leading to a bio and black and white photo. Each attorney listing is followed by a link to a description of the attorneys' area of practice. The articles page, is a somewhat cramped but well developed and links to the full text of a few dozen articles. "What's New" highlights fairly recent cases handled by the firm and lists "Attorney Approbation's."
Unique to the site is a mini search engine that offers a "Full Text Search of the Site." I try my hand and type in "Kendra Beaver," the first attorney listed on the attorneys' page. I have no luck and I receive a message: "No documents found, please try again." I try again, but I get the same result when I type in "Y2K," the subject of the scrolling banner. A third search for "Tillinghast" fails. Strike three.
Overall a competently designed site with a few distractions.
Style: B+
Content: A-
User Friendliness: B
Download speed: A
Decof & Grimm
The site opens with an attractive stylized graphic of stacked books which also serve as links to the other areas of the site. The books are "Firm," "Attorneys," and "Practice Areas." Sandwiched between the firm addresses is a strange untitled graphic that links to the firm's email. The Decof & Grimm logo and side bar are done in an interesting simulated wood grain, although the grain makes the logo appear blurry.
Although the opening page states prominently that this is a firm of "Trial Attorneys," the page doesn't convey a sense of what the firm does- as there is no introductory paragraph or reference to the types of cases the firm handles.
The site architecture, with only three sections is very basic, but nicely done. The book motif is continued throughout the site-with the firm and attorneys pages featuring a graphic of an open book. The color scheme of each book is quietly carried over to each of the sections-the blue, red and green of the books is used in the heading and links of the respective pages. The links are at the top of each page which make them easy to see, but forces the user to scroll back up when they want to explore further.
The firm page provides an above average history of the firm and a crisp black and white photo of the office. The "Attorneys" page is easy to use, with bios and links to each attorneys' email. The "Practice Areas" page features the dreaded "Under Construction" disclaimer along with a 1998 copyright notice.
The site also includes Meta-Tags, hidden text in the html code that certain search engines will use to classify and index the site. These Tags which include keywords such as "medical malpractice law, product injury law, product liability law, automobile accidents,' should turn the site up when someone is searching for those practice areas.
The site is a good start but lacks content and fails to capitalize on its attractive design.
Style: A
Content: C
User Friendliness: A-
Download speed: B+
Anthony J. Bucci, Jr.
http://www.buccilaw.com
Anthony J. Bucci, Jr. has an attractive web presence. A solo practitioner, the site opens with a tasteful photo and concise summary of Attorney Bucci's impressive experience in complex real estate matters and corporate work.
A subtle textured background and soft tan and blue color scheme are refreshing. With the exception of a small circular logo with the scales of justice, there are few graphics on the site which make it extremely fast-loading. Links are provided on both the left of the pages as well as at the bottom, making the site is easy to navigate.
Although the site has five main sections it is thin on content. The news page highlights various media coverage, although the most recent item is about a year old. The full text of an article about the need to secure a domain name is included on the site (he is right). A mortgage calculator is apparently available if you have Internet Explorer 5.0 (I use Netscape), but I was able to download an Excel spreadsheet in its place. A guest book provides fields you can use to contact Attorney Bucci. Best of all the site includes a search feature that works. A search for "Bucci" turned up 10 results-complete with links to the relevant pages. Mortgage turned up four pages. The site is small enough that it really doesn't need a search engine, but it is a nice feature and will be of great value if the site expands.
An attractive small site.
Style: A-
Content: C+
User Friendliness: A-
Download speed: A
