Your Website Is A Powerhouse
I know, I know, I KNOW
You’ve probably heard this 1000 times by now, and here’s to 1000 and 1 – Your website is more than a digital brochure!
*Says it louder for the folks in the back*
And although it’s not necessary to start your private practice, it can help it tremendously!
As a mental health practitioner or coach, it’s important you know how helpful your website can be in maintaining and increasing your client caseload.
For your business, your brand, and the clients you help.
But the question is: HOW can it become such a powerful business tool for therapists and coaches?
In this post, We’re going to break down some of the ways your website can do more than collect digital dust – so you can get started in leveraging that bad boy the way it’s meant to be!
Powerful Uses For Your Private Practice Website
1. You can reach more clients and book more consultations
Probably the most obvious advantage to a website – GETTING MORE CLIENTS! WOO!
Many therapists grow accustomed to word-of-mouth or networking referrals. While this can and is great (go you for your networking efforts!), there are other ways to market that don’t require your direct time investment.
A website gives you the potential to reach clients for your therapy practice that have never heard of you before, without any direct influence of anyone else!
Essentially, it can be your 24/7 marketing tool, working for you while you sleep (maybe you’ll even wake up to some new intakes!)
Now, this doesn’t happen automatically and there’s often a lot more work involved than JUST putting a website out in the wild.
For instance, being crystal clear on your target audience helps your content tick the right boxes so those you need you may take action.
This may involve answering questions, like:
- What are their demographics?
- What problems do they have?
- What’s visually appealing to them?
- What result do they want to get?
And framing your website content around those answers.
This is why many people opt to hire a professional therapist website designer, to help clarify that message and plan a converting visual appeal.
2.You can stand out above the local (and non-local) competition
Having a well-designed and engaging website is more than a creative project, it gives you the opportunity to stand out and form connections.
The main issue with social media websites, and therapist directories is how limited it is for customizability. Your profile looks exactly like everyone else.
Same format and same structure.
It’s a lot harder to stand with profiles that, by nature, are designed to look exactly alike. Having a place online that’s visually and contextually unique helps your practice get noticed above the competition.
It also gives others the opportunity to see YOU and to see that you’re the best therapist to help them, especially if you work with a unique niche. For example, if you are a therapist for moms, you can uniquely create your website so it’s highly appealing to what moms like to see or read about.
Use your website to hold a place in the mind of your ideal clients, so you’ll be the first practice they think of when they’re ready to book an initial consultation.
3.Google can become your best friend!
And who doesn’t want Google to love them?!
We all know Google is the #1 way that people search for professionals (with the search term “therapist near me” getting 400k monthly searches). But at the very least, the one thing Google needs to share your services in their search results is a website!
A private practice website can help your web presence get found online by those searching for what you do.
This goes beyond the basics of a Google My Business listing.
People seeking therapy want to feel connected to a therapist before contacting them.
They want to be able to think, “Hey, this person seems to really understand ME, I think they’ll be able to help me feel better.”
So what do they do?
Their research.
They search a bunch on Google until they find the one they think can help them the most – who gives them that confidence.
Google My Business may give you that visibility, but it doesn’t allow your practice to shine the way a website that’s searchable can!
And then once they get to your website, you can WOW them and show them that you can offer them the support they’re looking for.
4.You can create a strong therapist brand and form strong emotional connections
Ahh, branding.
Such a buzzword these days that everyone’s talking about. However, there is a whole bunch of merit to it, especially for private practice professionals.
We live in a world that has about 10,000 too many options for every buying or service decision we make. And in the mental health world, that’s no different.
With the abundance of Psychology Today profiles and the popularity of services like Betterhelp, it’s hard to stand out above the choices, and that’s one of the reasons a website is so powerful.
But how does a website help your potential clients filter out these options?
We go by those we know, like, and trust – the core components of building a strong brand.
You see, it is more than a logo and color options, it’s the feeling people get when they hear or discover your private practice.
Your therapist brand is what makes others seek out your therapy practice above overs, especially when you have a consistent voice and identity.
It’s a lot easier to build that within your website’s digital walls since we are more likely to trust those who have that presence.
5.Client questions can be better answered through a FAQ or Resources page
You may not realize it, but therapy is very confusing for those who are so new to it.
And with more people becoming comfortable with the idea of therapy and beginning sessions, there may be a lot more questions from therapy newbies.
Think about the questions that clients always ask about therapy, your expertise, how your sessions work, insurance policies, your private practice’s location, etc.
Now, imagine how much easier it would be if all of that information was housed in one place?
Websites can help answer all of those important questions in lots of ways on your website: resource pages, hidden within your website content, and an FAQ page.
The more you’re able to answer questions in a jargon-free way on your private practice website, the more potential clients will understand the “how’s” and “what’s” of seeking therapy – and start feeling confident beginning the intake process.
- How do sessions work?
- How do I handle insurance?
- How much will I have to pay out of pocket?
- What do I have to share?
- What happens if I don’t start to feel better?
Also, it’s worth noting the amount of time you will save by having answered questions easily accessible. Less time can be spent answering common questions and more can be spent running your practice and helping your clients in-session.
Side tip: Give FAW’s their own navigation link, and make them as easy to find as possible!
6.You can help more people through their challenges without in-person visits
Being in the mental health field, you have a huge passion for helping people change their lives for the better (let’s be honest – no one starts a private therapy practice for the financial benefits!).
But something I’ve heard from many therapists, social workers, and counselors is the feeling of yearning to help people on a larger scale.
Not saying that every private practice professional feels this way, but if you do, a therapist website can be a great way of giving people the support they need without your need to be there.
Blog posts, live chat, and a dedicated resources page all offer ways to support others through their self-healing journey. For example, blog posts can answer ways to handle common mental health challenges, tips for coping, and information on mental health disorders.
Not only could this help you give encouraging support on a larger scale, but it can grow your authority within the field (especially if your practice is new!)
And the people who visit your blog may not be able to access your care in the present, but they could become clients in the future.
Helping those that may not be able to access care right now, but will in the future.
Although this isn’t an obligation to start a website for your private practice, but it is a powerful option.
7.You’re able to capture attention (and client leads) through building an email list
How many websites do you visit a day that you never land on again?
Probably a lot!
People get busy. They click on a website, search a big, and then get sidetracked with other things. Happens to all of us.
But, if they’re a part of your email list, you’ll be able to continuously share information about your, your practice, and the support you can offer. And email sign-up forms typically live on your website!
Email marketing is a great way for you, as a therapist, to build relationships with potential clients and continue to share up-to-date information. When you embed an email sign-up form on your website, those who are interested in the topics you talk about and potentially becoming a client will be entered on your email list.
I know email marketing can seem scary at first, but one of the easiest ways to get started with it is by having a monthly newsletter for your private practice. There are various software options, like Mailerlite, Convertkit, and SendinBlue that offer cheap and easy ways to get started with email marketing.
Remember, it’s not about getting it perfect right away, it’s about getting started. Bad first drafts are what lead to something great!
In Closing
There’s a bunch more that a website can do than simply just exist! When you see it as a powerful marketing tool with endless possibilities, you can help it start working for your private practice!
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