Occasionally, I’ll take on a law firm as a client that has no website at all. It’s usually a referral from a past client. Don’t care much for it though because I’m not really a web design guy.

Just over six months ago, I started working with one of these clients. And they spent three months fretting over the design – which is 2 months and 29 days more than they should have.

The colors had to be just so. The layout was modified 13 times. And they canned a majority of the content I suggested for the site.

All of this because the law firm wanted to portray a certain “Image.”

My recommendations went unheeded – and what the client has now as a web site….sucks.

It’s an image heavy site, slow to load and content that’s centered on the law firm….instead of content highlighting what the firm can do for the potential client.

Their brand-new website – sitting near the top of the search engines for search terms related to the practice – will be lucky to generate $10,000 a year in revenue. That’s chicken-feed.

This firm, like many others, has a presence or reputation in the community – or think they do. And worrying about this “reputation” will cost this firm – and others like it – a boatload of money.

For what it’s worth, here’s my advice to those that are considering spending money on marketing their practice in 2009.

Do not worry about your image. Do not judge your marketing efforts on what your spouse, friends or colleagues think of it.

If it can bring in 10 times the number of clients you had the prior year – and it’s okay with the bar – listen to whatever pro you’re working with – and run with it.

Ultimately, you have to decide whether you want to portray an “image”…..or if you want cold, hard cash.

The choice is yours.