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Question and Answers with Aaron Douglas, Marketing Director of Miller Nash LLP, about the Award-Winning Miller Nash LLP Web site
Electronic marketing is often measured by page clicks, visitor sessions, and search engine placement. While
this information is important, nothing can take the place of an honest qualitative analysis. The questions to
ask when pursuing electronic marketing are the same questions one should ask of any marketing effort,
"What is the cost , what is the benefit.?"
Along these lines, we offer a brief interview with Aaron Douglas, client services director of Miller Nash LLP.
Saturno Design has worked with Aaron to develop the Award Winning Web site MillerNash.com, as well as
the password protected online collaboration center on that Web site. We have asked Aaron to provide
answers to the questions that matter.
Aaron’s answers show the benefit of using Saturno Web-enabled software for online marketing. That’s proof
positive.
Time and Money Savings
1. Does the Web site, extranet, and proposal maker save you and staff time and, if so, how much
time? What is the dollar value of the time you save?
Web Site: I know that we save untold hours of staff time using the new content management system,
compared to our old process of sending e-mails to someone else to make changes on the web site (writing
out the changes, then following up to make sure they were done, reminding an off-site person to make the
changes if they forget, etc.)
I'd estimate $20k to $30k per year in saved staff time, plus an estimated $20k per year in saved costs
associated with "simple maintenance" of Web pages we now make ourselves, that we would have
previously been paying an outside web designer to update.
Extranet: Also, in terms of time savings of "draft" proposals, being able to prepare "drafts" online for the
lawyers to review electronically (even if they decide ultimately to only send a paper copy to a potential client)
saves us thousands of dollars a year in time, paper, color copier ink, wear and tear on the machine, etc. I
would estimate another $10-$12k for time and supplies taking into account the four of us who use the
proposal generator software.
Savings: $50,000 to $62,000 per year
New Clients and New Business
2. Has the Web site and extranet helped to bring in new business, new clients?
Absolutely, without a doubt. We have obtained new work simply because of our Web site's attractiveness,
functionality and content.
Web Site: The principal of an auction company has retained Miller Nash to represent it in connection with
an internet-based disparagement claim. The client selected the firm based solely on reviewing the firm's
Web site. Based on the Web site, the client concluded that Miller Nash was one of the "big players" in the
Northwest and had the expertise to handle its business.
A client who owns a few companies surrounding aviation, including an aircraft leasing company with $6
million worth of aircraft found us on the web specifically for our international law expertise. He was very
complimentary of our web page and said it was one of the best he had ever seen, perhaps the best, very
easy to navigate.
We had a very wealthy woman from Canada e-mail about her concerns for immigrating to the U.S. with her
husband and the estate tax and other issues. She found us on the Internet.
Extranet: A major Seattle technology company hired Miller Nash to help them set up their business and
otherwise serve as corporate counsel. The owners are young tech savvy types who I think were impressed
by receiving our same-day electronic proposal with useful information about our firm.
We were hired by a major Oregon municipality for some work (they were impressed with our site.) These
are just a few examples. There are plenty more in just the short time since we've redeveloped our Web site
and launched our extranet.
New Clients and New Business
3. How many new clients has it helped to bring in since launch 9 months ago?
We estimate that, for the last 9 months, the Web site has played an major role in bringing in at least 10 new
clients, including a major telecom company, and a company supporting renewable energy projects.
4 or 5 of those clients are major accounts. We are finding that larger companies are very impressed with our
technology [Extranet and Online Proposals] and that it is making a real difference.
We have also found that existing clients who are using the extranet like it a lot. I can't reveal their names, but
we are using the extranet for a multimillion dollar transaction.
4. What differences in Web site traffic have you noticed?
Our web site traffic has increased substantially.
MillerNash.com Web traffic reports provided below:
Average number of monthly page views before redevelopment: 130,403
Average number of monthly page views after redevelopment: 322,396
Average number of monthly visitor sessions before redevelopment: 7,784
Average number of monthly visitor sessions after redevelopment: 11,389
Average number of visitors each month before redevelopment: 2,918
Average number of visitors each month after redevelopment: 5,001
| Month | Entire Site Hits | Visitor Sessions
| Unique Visitors |
| Before Web redevelopment, extranet, and online proposals |
| Jan 01 | 133,563 | 7,934 | 3,148 |
| Feb 01 | 126,887 | 7,181 | 2,914 |
| Mar 01 | 133,052 | 7,460 | 2,430 |
| Apr 01 | 120,739 | 7,231 | 2,642 |
| May 01 | 137,776 | 9,113 | 3,454 |
| June 01 | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| July 01 | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| After Web redevelopment, extranet, and online proposals |
| Aug 01 | 280,805 | 8,613 | 4,061 |
| Sept 01 | 259,917 | 8,789 | 3,552 |
| Oct 01 | 368,191 | 12,659 | 5,343 |
| Nov 01 | 269,375 | 11,055 | 4,790 |
| Dec 01 | 211,215 | 10,074 | 4,445 |
| Jan 02 | 326,666 | 12,338 | 5,501 |
| Feb 02 | 321,462 | 11,854 | 5,127 |
| Mar 02 | 539,701 | 13,096 | 5,650 |
| Apr 02 | 324,228 | 14,019 | 6,544 |
Summary
Using Saturno software and development services, Miller Nash LLP has been able to provide clients with
more electronic content than ever before, and actually spend less doing it. The Web-enabled software
technology they offer clients has, in less than one year, increased their bottom line by bringing in new
clients, as well as new projects from existing clients. Additionally, Miller Nash staff have been able to use the
new software systems to complete previously time-intensive tasks in rapid fashion, saving between $50,000
and $62,000 per year in the client services department alone.
Savings: $50,000 to $62,000 per year (compared to old Web site)
New clients attributed to Web site and Extranet: at least 10 in first year
Increase in Web site traffic: increase of page views by 168%
Amount of Web content: before redevelopment: 500 pages, after redevelopment more than 1,250
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CLIENT QUOTES:
We looked at a number of Web site developers and Saturno's products were the clear choice. From our initial consultation, their understanding of the legal industry and willingness to accommodate our specific needs was apparent.
Throughout the project, Saturno acted as a partner in our Web redevelopment, not just a vendor. They delivered a solid product, based on our initial design concept, on time and within budget.
Steven T. Seguin
Executive Director
Sussman Shank LLP
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