In what I’m sure will be a random (at best) feature on The Inspired Solo, we’ll be reviewing lawyer and law-related websites. These are paid reviews. However, I have stringent criteria before accepting these reviews:
- There can be no limitation or restrictions on what I write. It will be an honest critique.
- It must be either a law firm or solo website, or a site for a product that’s related to the practice of law.
Reviewers may request the inclusion of specific links and anchor text, but I do reserve the right to decline to include superlatives or inflated copy.
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About Bergel Magence
The law firm of Bergel Magence LLP, personal injury lawyers in Toronto, is spearheaded by Hy Bergel, Jeremy Magence, and Lorne Climans, three attorneys with fairly extensive experience in practicing Canadian personal injury law. According to the website, the firm highlights its slip and fall injury lawyers practice, and also handles car accident claims.
The Website — Home Page
Bergel Magence’s site utilizes a vivid color scheme of dark fuchsia and black with tan text. Light text on dark background is somewhat controversial in web design. Some folks — like me — like it when it’s done well, but others have a very hard time reading it. I also question whether the color scheme adequately conveys the firm’s brand. It seems a little “Vegas” to me. But on the other hand, it is definitely eye-catching, and it’s used consistently throughout — both pluses.
The image on the home page is an excellent choice. Personal injury law, in particular, is a highly competitive field. Using photographs to convey “These are our lawyers, and they’re real, friendly people” is an excellent choice. The row of thumbnail images across the bottom, linked to the firm’s attorney bio page is also a very good choice, as it promotes a sense of “we’re all one big team here” — who doesn’t want a friendly army on one’s side in a personal injury case?
Bio Page
What can you say about a bio page? It has pictures of each attorney and a short bio. As you might notice, I’m not a big fan of bio pages in the traditional sense. I don’t think they’re what clients really care about. They’re going to presume you have a law degree and passed the bar. Anything else is irrelevant. Instead of talking about your attorney’s resumes, why not convey value to your clients by actually demonstrating their expertise?
At the least, I would move the bio page to the bottom of the sidebar list.
“Why Hire Us?” Page
“Most experienced” … “long and successful experience” … “totally committed” … These are tired words — meaningless even. I’d suggest removing this page altogether. Instead of telling your potential clients you’re valuable, why not show them instead? Write pages that provide information about PI law. How about a list of “Top 10 Things You Should Do When You Get Hurt”? Or “What to Do After a Car Accident”?
Practice Area Pages
These pages are basically well written. I think they can be improved even further by the addition of some of the concrete, helpful information I discussed in the last section.
Call to Action
Bergel Magence gets points for including a call to action. It’s prominently set off from the rest of the page, and it’s clear and convincing. The only thing I would suggest is to duplicate it above the fold — higher up on the page — but keep the footer as well.
Conclusion
Overall, I think Bergel Magence has a pretty good site. It’s clean, well-organized, and highly readable. The use of images is excellent. It can be improved by the addition of some value-added content directed towards the firm’s target clients, and a more prominent call to action.
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