In the not so distant past, having a law firm website simply meant slapping up a few pages about the firm and its practice areas and then checking “develop online presence” off the to-do list. Websites were seen as a sort of online brochure – a static presence advertising the firm’s services.

However, the understanding about what makes an attorney website effective is evolving. In recent years, the Internet has begun serving as a great equalizer, giving both large and small firms access to a growing client base. The fact is, law firms have websites. The question is, are they being used as an effective business development tool?

Law firm websites are advancing from static sales brochures to frequently updated, dynamic publishing platforms. Good attorney websites have blog content that is regularly updated, take advantage of automatic postings on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and consider the needs of the user when providing timely, relevant content.

Building a flexible, dynamic and modern law firm website involves implementing strategies that establish your firm’s expertise and positioning your attorneys as leaders in their fields across multiple platforms. Getting prospects to your site is critical. But it is not the endgame. A website must also prompt calls and conversion. Here are some items to consider when building a modern, dynamic attorney website:

Social media integration. Give your articles and insight more mileage by sharing them automatically through appropriate social networks. Conversely, pulling content from social media sites on to relevant sections of your website can produce a stream of frequently updated, current content.

A great blog. Blogging frequently – at least once a week – is a proven way to produce results. Blogging and distributing content drives prospects to your site and helps establish you as a trusted resource.

Open source platforms. Some marketing companies like to build their own website platforms. But proprietary platforms are limiting. Open source content management systems allow you to take advantage of a wealth of frequently updated features and plugins at little or no additional cost.

Frequently updated pages. Keep attorney bios current with links to recent articles, news stories or events in which the attorney has participated. Solicit testimonials. If your state bar allows it, keep an updated list of case results. Supplement pages with video.

There are many ways to keep a website current. The key is understanding that the days of static sites are over. Visitors expect relevant, up-to-date content, and your website should deliver.