An effective, result-producing marketing campaign is essential to the success of a law firm, and in today's world the Internet is one of the most efficient tools for cost-effective advertising. Websites are inexpensive to create and maintain. They are consistently current, as any element of a website can be updated instantaneously at a moment's notice. Websites can also, if used properly, assist in the acquisition and organization of prospective clients. A professionally designed website is capable of promoting your law firm to the public, answering questions that prospective clients may have about your services, and screening candidates in order to better benefit your client selection process.

There are five imperative elements to a working, results-oriented legal website. These criteria should be used to inform your web designer of your requirements:

- An extensive description of your firm, including a breakdown of all legal services provided. Biographies of your attorneys (including law schools attended, past positions held, qualifications, etc.), a brief narrative of the formation of your firm, an itemized list of specific services available to your clients, and a variety of contact information for all offices (E-mail, phone, fax, etc.), are all absolutely essential to your website, and provide the backbone of your appeal to would-be clients.

- An online evaluation form of some type, filled out through a series of aesthetically and functionally designed text boxes and drop down menus. These online forms, the results of which will be made available in an organized fashion through your office network, can be used to automatically disqualify certain applicants and flag others for review, effectively streamlining your selection process.

- Area-of-practice related news. If your firm is primarily personal injury and medical malpractice, include related news such as product recalls, pertinent legislative news, class action suits, etc. All areas of legal practice are subject to the world around us, so be sure to include any related news items of importance that may help your prospective clients better weigh their options.

- A list of frequently asked questions or FAQs, as complete and informative as possible. People in the process of weighing legal options are bound to have several hundred questions. In fact, one of these questions may be, "I don't even know what to ask!" Help your clients to understand their situation a little better. Try to give them hope that they will, with the right representation and professional action, be able to find an acceptable resolution to their problem.

- Finally, be sure to move forward only after securing a professionally designed, fully functional, and aesthetically pleasing website. There are a lot of under-trained and inexperienced web designers out there. Choose one with a proven track record for designing polished websites.

If these five requisites are not met, your website will fail to produce the results you are hoping for and your business will suffer in the process. Be sure to devote due attention to this one aspect of your law firm's marketing campaign. As the Internet gains in popularity, your investment will prove well-placed.