If you’re a visual learner, check out this video summarizing the main points:
(and if you want a video like this of your own, email me!)
If your graduate counseling program was anything like mine, it didn’t include much (if any) training on the business aspect of being a therapist. There was no discussion of marketing, advertising, financial planning, etc. Even as interns working towards licensure, our training is usually clinical, rarely including strategies for the business end of starting a business.
After graduation, I sought an internship with a private practice model, which gave me nominal training in these areas, with much to be desired. Fortunately, another job I worked while getting licensed (Marketing and Event Coordinator for Consciousness Hacking) gave me this training, which I was then able to apply when I started my own private practice.
I created my website in a day and a half, not thinking it was anything special, and was surprised when colleagues were asking for advice on their own websites after seeing mine. After talking to a few colleagues, I noticed some trends:
Even if therapists have training in marketing, they feel uncomfortable applying it for fear of appearing ‘sales-y.’ Marketing strategies they might’ve learned are often generalized to other fields, and not applicable to the delicate nature (not to mention legal and ethical considerations) of our profession. Sales funnels and 1-click upsells don’t apply to our websites; and, since we aren’t allowed to ask clients for testimonials, Yelp and Google reviews can be tricky.
So often, I hear therapists say, “I don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about marketing. I didn’t get into this profession for business. I just want to do therapy.” I get it - you don’t have time to attend all those networking luncheons, you’re not a blogger, you may even know about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but don’t have time to do anything about it.
I hear you; but, we gotta get people in the door, and with so many therapists from which to choose, we have to make ourselves stand out. But that doesn’t have to be as painful or as time-consuming as you think.
Just as often, I hear, “I’m not tech-savvy. I don’t want to spend an hour trying to move a picture down an inch.” I definitely hear you. To get myself through grad school, I ran a side hustle doing tech support and tutorials. I know how frustrating those things can be; but, there’s an easy solution here: just let me do it for you 😁 I’m one of those weirdos who actually enjoys it (gross, I know).
Finally, there’s the struggle of how much to self-disclose. How do you paint a picture of yourself that’s memorable and sets you apart from the thousands of other therapists while remaining well within your self-disclosure comfort zone? This is a tough one, and the question I spend much of my consulting time answering.
We know that, these days, it’s essential to have a website, so we have to find a way to comfortably navigate these considerations. Unfortunately, what often ends up happening, is a therapist will quickly throw something together or pay someone (often way too much) to do it for them, just to have something to refer to, but not anything special. You want your website to be a reflection of who you are and what you offer.
A potential client should see your website and feel comfortable, trusting, and excited to work with you...and, they should feel this within 15 seconds of landing on your website.
Studies have shown that visitors spend an average of 15 seconds on a website before deciding to take the next step or clicking away to something else.
So how do you write content and design a website that makes visitors want to choose you without relying on typical sales techniques, reviews, or marketing tactics that seem sales-y? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you some tips. This isn’t a sales-y, click-bait blog where I pose a lot of problems, and force you to pay me to get the solutions. But, obviously, I am also running a business. So if you like these tips and want some help tailoring them to your business and website needs, email me at therapywithvalerie@gmail.com ! (See what I did there? Transparency makes for authenticity, and less-smarmy sales techniques).
I offer web design and marketing consulting for therapists, coaches, massage therapists, healers, etc.
Below, I explain exactly why and how I do this.
First, here are six common mistakes I see with websites:
1. You’re saying too much without saying much at all
I can’t stress this enough — remember the 15-second rule. I know the anxiety of wanting to prove yourself by sharing everything you think people might want to know; but, this usually backfires. Relax, identify your message (what is most important for clients to know about you?), and say it succinctly and memorably.
Often, I come across therapists’ websites, and I spend way more than 15 seconds reading their bios only to leave, remembering nothing or feeling like it could’ve been any generic therapist’s website. We know you’re warm and love helping people, we know you value communication. Don’t waste your precious 15 seconds on the obvious. Instead, paint a succinct and memorable picture of what I might feel after leaving therapy with you.
Put yourself in your clients’ shoes, and think about what they might actually want to know about you. Address actual questions they might want to know but likely wouldn’t ask, eg.:
What happens once I walk in your door? What if I cry? Is it ok to get angry?
I’m a person of color / queer / neurodiverse / differently-abled / etc. Can I trust you? How do I know you can help me?
Who are you other than a therapist? What have you struggled with yourself? I don’t want to be the only vulnerable one here.
2. You’re telling me instead of showing me
You want me to know what kind of a therapist you are, so you’re telling me you’re warm, you work well with people who struggle like I do, and that I can feel comfortable with you. But, guess what? When someone tells you you’ll feel comfortable with them, you often feel uncomfortable. Our initial reaction is to put up a wall and question whether we can trust the person telling us to trust them.
So instead of telling, we want to show. Remember high school English class when our teachers drilled it into our heads: “Show, don’t tell.” Show clients what it would be like to work with you.
Tell stories, instead of descriptions of yourself. For instance, I’ve struggled with my bi-cultural identity. This slight self-disclosure engenders trust and a sense that “she can relate to what I’m going through.” Instead of saying, I’m passionate about healing trauma with EMDR, show your passion: I encountered EMDR during my first week of college, and was so blown away by the power of it that I decided to dedicate my career to it.
Show clients things they might not even think to want to know, like what to expect in a session: I start sessions by showing you where the tissues, blankets, and fidget toys are, and asking if you’d like to adjust the furniture or lighting. I explain that this is not the place to worry about making sense or being politically correct, and I ask where you’d like to begin.
3. It’s poorly-formatted or outdated
Did you throw something together, thinking I just need a basic website, I’ll return to it when I have time to make it better and then never got around to making it better? Did you create your website when you first started your practice, and haven’t been back to it since? Chances are, it’s obvious.
In this day and age, we hardly visit a restaurant without first perusing the website and reviews. We’ve become web-savvy and knee-jerkingly judgmental; one glimpse of a picture slightly out of place, a line that doesn’t line up, or unintentionally blank space is enough to send someone screaming from your website.
Also, keep it up to date with services you’re offering. You don’t want someone calling to join a group you no longer run, or with an insurance provider you no longer accept. We must remember that when people decide to see a therapist, they’re likely not in the most happy or stable state. If they take the time to research therapists, choose one, reach out, and then find out what they sought is no longer available, it can be a difficult blow to take. Let’s make it as easy for the client as possible.
4. It’s boring or not pleasing to look at.
Going deeper into creating a memorable site, you have to know your audience. Are you writing for other clinicians, or for potential clients? This is something I help therapists flesh out when we’re discussing an overarching marketing strategy: are you a therapist who networks with other therapists, blogs for publications that are directed to other therapists, teaches workshops/trainings to other therapists, or other activities that focus primarily on outreach to other therapists? Or do you focus your outreach to clients directly?
Both are fine, but your website is going to look vastly different from one to the other. Similarly, if your niche is adolescent boys, your site is going to look different than one directed towards single moms. Just like our treatment approach will be vastly different -- including the way we talk in sessions, how much we self-disclose, and how directive we are -- these differences should also be reflected in our website.
Regarding being pleasing to look at, you want clients to breathe a sigh of relief when visiting your site. You want them to come away with a memorable (MEMORABLE -- they must remember you from the 10 other sites they review) feeling of who you are and what therapy with you might feel like. In addition to showing language that uses concrete and memorable images, have a nice theme of actual images tying your website together. I designed a website once for a therapist who loved Joshua Tree National Park, with these images tying each page together. And for a therapist who loved hydrangeas, with a different variety on every page. Consistency is comforting and adds to the memorability of a website (just watch out for copyright infringement!).
5. There’s too much jargon
If you’re designing your website for other therapists, then go wild with jargon. However, if you’re designing it for potential clients (which is the safer choice since therapists will still get a sense of you, but it doesn’t work as easily the other way around), then it’s best to lose the jargon. Some clients have enough experience with therapy or remember their Psych 101 class well enough to know the difference between behaviorism and psychoanalysis; however, most will not know what these terms mean.
Imagine hearing that a therapist takes a ‘Humanistic Approach.’ If I didn’t know what that meant, I’d personally be put off, wondering Shouldn’t every approach be human-based? What else would it be? What does that even mean?
Your site should be informative, yet accessible to everyone and immediately comprehensible. If someone has to pause to think about what you mean, they might lose interest and just click to the next therapist’s website. We want to remove as many barriers as possible to them choosing you.
6. There’s no call to action (or too many choices)
Ok, you’ve designed a fabulous and memorable website, and the client is ready to take the next step...which is what, exactly? Do you offer a free consultation? Is it in-person or over the phone? Can clients schedule directly on your website? Do you have your intake forms available on your website? If so, do they need to fill these out first or should they meet you first?
There should be a clear call to action on every page — whether it’s a line that says Call or email me at … or a button that takes you to a contact form, make it as easy as possible for the client. Again, remember that when people seek therapy, they’re not usually in the stablest of places. Let’s make it as easy as possible for them to get the help they need (also, let’s not pretend you’re not playing the marketing game. Make it as easy as possible to close the sale!).
Alternatively, I’ve redone websites that had way too many options that the call to action got lost in confusion or choice. If you offer counseling, mediation, discernment therapy, behavioral services, Jungian analysis, hypnotherapy, and on and on and on, your potential client might be overwhelmed by choice, and choose a therapist who makes it more simple. It’s great if you offer a variety of services; however, (succinctly) make it clear how you differentiate these, and make the call to action as easy as possible.
So, why have I spent the last five minutes telling you what’s wrong with your website?
Because I can help you make it what you want it to be! As I said, I’m one of those weird people who loves people, technology, & business, so I enjoy a balance of my private practice and my web design services.
What do I offer? I will:
Help you find your voice (a voice that is authentic, comforting, and to the point)
Identify your audience (ie. niche, specializations, etc) and target keywords to use on your site
Make your vision pretty (with a nice theme of pictures to accompany your content)
Do the heavy lifting of registering your domain, implementing SEO strategies, and building the website so you don’t have to spend 30 mins bashing your head against the computer trying to move a line two inches down
How does it work?
I offer four web design packages, based on how involved in the process you want to be. I usually start with a questionnaire I’ve created to get you thinking about info you could include on your website that you might not have thought about (eg. When was the moment you knew you would become a therapist? How has your life prepared you for being a therapist? etc). Then, we have some phone discussions to determine your audience (ie. niche, specializations, unique training/certifications, etc).
After that, we start drafting content and discussing aesthetics of your site (this is where the package options come into play. Do you want to do the writing and I advise and edit? Or do you want me to do the whole thing and you have final say? Do you already have a website and just want a more updated, modern feel? Just want some help with phrasing a particular section? Want to migrate it to a different hosting platform or change your URL? Every job is custom, so I tailor it to your needs).
After enough drafts that the site finally looks exactly the way you want it, I walk you through any final steps (eg. choosing and registering a domain, finding discount codes for cheaper website membership fees, ongoing SEO strategies, website maintenance, etc.), and then I give you the login info, and your site is yours to own! (If you want any changes made down the road, I have options for that too.)
How do you get started?
If this has gotten you thinking it’s time for a website make-over (or make-under if your site is too busy), click here or email me at therapywithvalerie@gmail.com, and schedule a free phone consultation to discuss what you have in mind and how much it would cost.
It’s time to get a website that reflects who you are.