Cookies and spam

THE internet has become the world's most powerful marketing tool. Over 500 million people use it, as many as 4,000 sites are launched each day, and more than 10 million domain names have now been registered. Given the competition, how can you be sure your website stands out from the crowd?

Whether you're planning a website from scratch or revamping an existing one, one of the easiest ways to plan it is on paper. Not only can you change your mind as often as you like, you can circulate your ideas to others before any money is spent. The most important thing to bear in mind when planning your site is your audience. Who will be using your site and what sort of information will they be looking for? After all, the information that a prospective client will be looking for will be very different to that sought by a prospective employee, so be sure you cater for everyone.

Having decided on the content of your site, the next stage is laying it out. How you layout your site and guide your visitors around it is entirely up to you, but there are some fundamental rules you would be wise to follow. Easy navigation is vital, as not everyone is well versed in using the internet. Make your navigation as clear as possible, usually along the top or left of the screen, and use simple language that everyone will understand e.g., about Us, Partners, News, Offices, etc.

It is also advisable to have a link to a dedicated Contact Us section on every page of your site and ensure that you include as many details as possible - addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses, ideally for each partner. You would be amazed how many law firm sites have managed to bury their contact details so well that they are almost impossible to find. There's no point attracting a potential client to your site if they don't know how to get hold of you.

Now it's the fun part - making it look pretty. This is where most of the mistakes are made. Colour, graphics, images and animation are all very tempting but, the more you use, the bigger your site becomes. And the bigger the site, the longer it takes to open. You may want an all-singing, all dancing website, but bear in mind that, on average, visitors wait just seven seconds for your site to open before going elsewhere. That's seven seconds, not seven minutes.

Most monitors are capable of displaying 16 million colours. That doesn't mean you have to use them all. Keep the colours simple, use a plain background, choose a readable font size, and keep the pages free of clutter. Graphics are, of course, an essential element of a site, such as photos of partners, but try to keep them as small as possible. The one graphic you should include, however, is your logo. Websites are about building brand awareness, so make sure your company name and logo appears on each page.

Once you're happy with your site, all that's left to do is post it on the internet. Right? No. The golden rule in website planning is to test it, test it and test it again. Get as many people as possible to look at the site before it goes live. Ask them to comment on how quickly it opens, how easy it is to navigate around, how relevant the information is, how clear it is to read, and anything else they would like to have seen included. Take note of their comments and go back to the drawing board if necessary. Look out for spelling mistakes too. Visitors to your site will gauge how professional you are as a firm by how professional your website is. Spelling mistakes are sloppy, unforgivable and very unprofessional.

The other thing to think about is how to drive visitors to your site. After all, there's no point having it out there if no one can find it. This is where Meta tags come in. Meta tags contain key words you can choose to help drive traffic to your site via search engines. It is best to have around 50 keywords that are directly relevant to your site, e.g., law, maritime, admiralty, shipping, dispute, arbitration and, of course, your company name. Also try to have some of these included in your introduction on the home page.

Lastly, and most importantly, your site must be constantly updated and maintained. Try to update it at least once a month by adding details of new cases, recent press releases, new appointments or partners, and upcoming events. Out-of-date or inaccurate information is not only frustrating for the visitor, it is potentially damaging to your firm's image.

Designing a website isn't easy but, by following a few golden rules, you can ensure that your site is not only clear and speedy but informative and professional too. How else are you going to attract those 500 million users?