- The therapist must have a well-written, engaging bio
What makes an engaging bio?
The bio section should include a brief explanation of your therapeutic approach and an overview of what you have to offer in terms of training, education, or special skills.
- The website should be aesthetically pleasing with easy-to-use navigation.
Aesthetically pleasing websites have these things in common.
The color scheme must be attractive, although not distracting. The background should not be too bright or busy.
The layout should be easy to read. There should not be too many big blocks of text with no sub-headings or bullet points. Navigation must be simple and straightforward, with all the main pages (home, therapy sessions, about me, etc.) clearly laid out on one side of the page.
- The site needs engaging visuals that match the therapist’s personality
How to match your visual style with your therapy approach?
…through images and video links that reflect their personality and practice philosophy. For example, you might include a picture of yourself in action as a therapist or display one or two short videos where you talk directly to potential clients about how they can benefit from working with you. Videos are ideal because they show off your personality and explain in a fraction of the time what would take you several paragraphs to say in writing.
- The site must provide transparent information about how clients can book an appointment online
Can your potential client quickly book an appointment with you online?
The most important pages on a therapist’s website are those that will help a client to quickly find out if they might benefit from working with you, then be able to arrange a face-to-face session as soon as possible – ideally within 24 hours or less.
These key pages should… Provide information about the therapeutic process and how it works. Address common issues such as “What happens during a therapy session?” and “How often do I need to come for?” Outline the initial consultation process, Suggest the various types of therapy sessions available, Detail how to book an appointment – including any fees, payment options, and cancellation policies, etc.
Don’t overlook the convenience factor!
More and more people are using their mobile devices to access online information, so you definitely want to have a professional web designer create a site that is optimized for viewing on smartphones and tablets. This means making sure all your content is quick and easy to find when users are on the go – without having to zoom in or scroll around the page in order to read it.
6. The site should include a blog.
Does WordPress power your website?
A professional therapist website needs to have an active blog in order for it to be considered truly effective. WordPress can help you create a blog that is easy to manage, but the most significant benefit of using this platform is that roughly 60% of all websites are also powered by WordPress – which means that users already know how to navigate these sites, which makes them highly user-friendly!
Spelling and grammatical errors make intelligent professionals look bad. Always spell-check and proofread every single page before you publish it! The last thing you want is to lose potential clients simply because they decided not to contact you after reading your site because they couldn’t figure out what you were trying to say.
9. The site must be optimized for high search engine rankings.
Do potential clients know how to find you?
Your therapist website needs to rank high on the search engines if it is going to maximize its exposure and appeal to new potential clients. Make sure that there are several (but no more than three) keywords or phrases prominently displayed within the text of each page. These keywords will act as signposts for the search engines – guiding them towards your most important web pages, which they can use in order to evaluate whether they consider your website authoritative enough to feature it prominently when users look for therapists who offer specific types of therapy or deal with particular issues.
10. The website needs to be patient-focused.
Remember, the main goal of your therapist website is always going to be to help potential clients more effectively. So make sure you create an environment where they feel completely at ease. That means creating a site that lets them know that they are in good hands and that there’s nothing to worry about – alleviating any fears or concerns they might have before they even contact you. That basically involves showing empathy on your website by writing as if you’re speaking directly to them (and not at them).
Provide lots of educational content online for free!
Do you provide free resources like e-books or videos? Everyone loves getting something for nothing – so make sure you offer prospective clients lots of free educational content they can access at their leisure. Not only does this assure them that you are the right therapist for them, but it also gives them loads of reasons to contact you! All your free resources should have one main objective – convincing people that you are the best therapist for them.
