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Tag Archive for: Content

How To Embed A Psychology Today Link On Your Website (and Where To Put It)

Psychology Today is often the go-to directory for most mental-health therapists when they launch their private practice. Because of its high Google rank and searchability, having a profile can help you get found by more clients.

In this article, we’ll go over how you can add your Psychology Today Verification badge to your website.

What is A Psychology Today Verification Badge?

Simply put, the verification badge is a graphic with a link that Psychology Today provides to you.

It looks like this:

You can place this graphic on your website as a way to further connect your website to your Psychology Today profile.

You can use it as a small token to boost your credibility with website visitors looking to vet their new therapist.

Also, linking to credible websites, such as Psychology Today, can also have a slight benefit to your search engine optimization.

Where to Put Your Psychology Today Verification Badge

My personal opinion is that you’re going to create far more connection with your potential clients on YOUR website and NOT your Psychology Today profile.

Plus, because of Psychology Today’s high Google ranking, many visitors will see your profile first, and then go to your website to learn a little more about you.

Because of this, I like to make sure we’re keeping visitors ON your website, reading your blog posts and getting comfortable with you and CONVERTING into clients.

Not just sending them away from your website.

So, where do I recommend you put your Psychology Today verification seal?

Well, there’s no “one size fits all” for this and it really depends on the design of your website.

First and foremost, I usually relegate the graphic to my clients’ about pages.

There, you may have a section toward the bottom of the page that lists your credentials and trainings. It’s here where you can put the seal, along with other organization seals you may be affiliated with.

This creates one area of the website that a visitor can see your credibility.

Another place I may put the graphic when I’m designing private practice websites would be the website footer.

And if I do, it’s usually small and probably the last thing on the page.

Like I said, we want to keep your visitors on your website and lead them to contacting you through your calls to action.

While they could still convert off your Psychology Today profile (which is great), to me, your website provides a better representation of you and your personality and a better chance at converting.

That’s just my opinion!

How to Embed The Psychology Today Verification on Your Website

Ok, so how can you embed this nifty little badge on your own website? Just follow the steps below:

1: Log into your Psychology Today profile

2: Under your name, in the top right corner, click on “Link and Share”

3: Choose a size and theme that will work with your website styles

4: Click on the “Copy” button at the bottom of the page to copy the code

5: Paste the code into your website

This is where things may get just a little bit tricky.

Each website builder will be a little bit different, but you’re going to look for your builder’s way of adding HTML code to your content.

For example, in WordPress, you can add it right inside any text on a page by click the “Text” tab (as opposed to “Visual”) in your text editor:

Once you’re in the “Text” or HTML view, you can paste your code:

Most website builders work in the same way, allowing you to add code into any text block.

Once your Psychology Today code is pasted into the page, you can save or preview it:

If you’re having trouble getting the code to appear, it’s possible that the code is conflicting with your theme or some other code going on.

It’s always best to reach out to customer support for your theme (if using WordPress) or your website builder (such as Squarespace or Wix).

There you have it! Now your website will be cross linked with your Psychology Today profile.

0 Comments/by Daniel

Creating Your Website, How To & Tips

How To Write Website Copy When You Don’t Have a Niche

“Niching down” is a term you may often seen thrown around when it comes to marketing a private practice. Focusing on very specific populations of people or services is a great way to be the go-to expert in an area of therapy you love. But what if you’re just starting out or enjoy working with many types of people? How can you reflect that in your website and still attract clients?

In this article, we’ll talk about ways to approach your website marketing when you haven’t yet found your niche.

Do I Even Need A “Niche” In My Private Practice?

When it comes to any type of marketing, I truly believe that each business is unique.

What works for one therapist, may not work or even feel good to another therapist.

I encourage you to try new marketing approaches, test them for a time and see what works for you.

And it’s not just about the number of clients. If you’re doing anything in your business that drains your energy or doesn’t feel right, I encourage you to drop it.

I think that also applies to niching as well.

I’ve spoken to many therapist that work with all kinds of people in many different modalities and their practices are doing just fine.

The place where finding your niche can be so powerful for your marketing is when you want to really focus your practice and attract more of a very specific type of client.

When I started my website design business, I had many conversations with friends and family that thought that focusing ONLY on doing websites for therapists meant that I was limiting my growth.

But I knew that if I wanted to really help people, I needed to understand the challenges of my clients, inside and out.

If a restaurant came to me and said they’d love to work with me, would I turn them away?

Probably not – I’d love the challenge – but my understanding of what a restaurant needs in a website is much more limited than what a therapist would need.

For me niching has helped my provide a better service and product to my clients.

So what’s the point?

If you want your caseload to be filled with a very specific type of client, because that’s the work you love to do and you want to grow your expertise in that area… then go for it. Niche down!

But if you’re still finding out who you like to work with or just enjoy seeing all types of clients, then don’t try and force it.

How To Handle Your Private Practice Website Copy When You Don’t Have A Niche

Ok, so you’re not yet ready or feel the need to niche down in your private practice.

How can you use your website to get more clients?

While you may not be able to have an uber specific headline on your homepage like “I help new moms cope with anxiety and become the moms they’ve always dreamt they’d be,” I think there are still some strategic things you can do to make sure you’re connecting with potential clients.

1: Get to The Core of What You Love Doing

My wife went through the same struggle of wondering how/if she should find a niche in her private practice and market toward it.

She loves seeing a number of different types of clients – male, female and couples.

She also loves helping them with various challenges such as anxiety, family of origin and discovering their identity.

So when it came time to write copy for her website, we were a bit unsure where to begin.

But the more we peeled back the layers of what she loved doing – the more she listened to what made her feel alive in her work – the more she realized it all boiled down to one thing: relationships.

My wife loves helping her clients have better relationships.

So on her homepage, we created this title:

It’s broad enough to attract many types of clients (individuals and couples) but just specific enough to connect with any potential client who is struggling in their relationships.

So I encourage you to pay attention to the type of work you love doing. Think about the common denominator and use that as a headline on your homepage.

You’ve only got a few seconds to entice someone to stay on that page, so give them something to connect to.

It doesn’t have to be calling out a specific population (i.e. dads in their 40s who own a business) but it should give a sense of what you do.

2: Focus On The Types of Services/Specialties You Offer in Your Private Practice

Another way to attract many types of clients and work in your private practice is to give each potential client they need in order to feel comfortable reaching out to you.

To do this, you can create individual landing pages for all the services and specialties you offer.

If you enjoy doing some couples therapy, then create a specific page just for that. Really give them all they need to know about what therapy will look like.

Take them from a place of struggle (the reason they’re looking for a therapist in the first place) to a place of hope.

Another thing you can do is focus on the various specialties you address in your practice.

For instance, if you learn many people are coming to your for help with anxiety, create a specific page all about that.

These pages can help convert all sorts of clients. Plus they’re great for search engine optimization (SEO).

Check out this post to learn more about creating specialty pages that Google loves: How I Used SEO to go From Zero Clients to Too Many Clients

Tips For Discovering Your Private Practice Niche

I’ll be honest… having a specific niche makes marketing a lot easier.

It allows you speak directly to people and really connect with them.

You can use the tips above to get started creating website pages and copy, but if you think you’d like to eventually narrow your niche, I’ll leave you with a few tips:

Think about the clients you’ve been working with that you REALLY love. What is it about them that you love so much? Write it down.
Think about the types of challenges you love helping your clients with and what really excites you. Make a list.
Identify how the type of client intersects with the challenge you really want to be known for.
Keep a spreadsheet of notes on how your favorite clients describe their challenges so you can use it in your marketing copy.
Practice writing some headlines that capture who you help and what you help them do. You can use the best one on your homepage.

Conclusion

Having a niche can certainly simplify your marketing message, however, you can still be successful with your marketing without niching waaaay down.

If you don’t have a niche or even want a niche, I hope the tips above give you some direction as you think about the copy and marketing on your private practice website.

At the end of the day, you have to do what feels good and what works for you!

0 Comments/by Daniel

Get More Traffic, How To & Tips

5 FREE Ways to Get More People to Read Your Therapy Blog

Blogging can be one of the best ways to boost traffic to your private practice website. But simply putting a post on your website isn’t enough to ensure people actually read it. So what can you do?

In this article we’ll go over five ways you can boost your traffic with blogging while ensuring that visitors stick around and actually read your posts.

1: Write Content Your Ideal Clients Actually Want To Read

The first step in increasing your blog readership is to write posts that actually serve your ideal clients.

Your blog should not be a repository of “deep thoughts” or vague reflections.

I certainly encourage you to use your experiences and reflections to inspire your blog posts.

But a blog post titled “My Morning Hike” will get faaaaaar less views than one titled “How A Simple Walk Can Help You Set Goals and Decrease Anxiety About The New Year.”

When we use vague titles and long ramblings, it’s extremely unclear to the reader what’s actually in it for them.

Starting with your headline, you give your website visitors a reason to read each blog post.

Don’t know where to begin?

Start by thinking about why clients come to you.

Make a list of the challenges their facing and the topics you’ve been discussing in your sessions.

Then write about it!

Think of your blog as a way of serving your current clients as well as website visitors that may not even become your clients.

Over time, this will help increase connection with your readers, foster a positive perception of you and your practice, highlight your expertise and hopefully turn into more clients.

2: Be Consistent When Publishing New Blog Posts on Your Private Practice Website

Google loves seeing fresh content on your private practice website.

When you consistently add new blog posts, this lets Google know that your website is growing.

It says, “Now here’s a website that is constantly growing in resources. I like that!”

Plus, the more you write, the more words are on your website.

This means that your chances for ranking for new keywords is increasing constantly, so your ability to rank higher in Google for various phrases goes up and up over time.

When we first launched my wife’s website back in 2011, we saw her traffic double after she began blogging.

She added one new blog post each week for a few months.

And she didn’t even use social media to share the posts!

So, if you want to increase traffic to your blog, find a schedule that works for you and stick to it.

For tips on how to maintain a consistent blogging schedule, check out this post.

3: Use Social Media To Drive More Traffic to Your Blog Posts

If your clients don’t know your blog post exists, how will they ever read it?

Plus, your blog posts may or may not be ranking well in Google, making it hard to even find some of that great content you’ve been working on.

So, another way you can get your blog posts in front of potential clients is to use social media.

When you use social media to create a following, it’s another way to get your content in front of people.

And if people are liking your private practice Facebook page or following you on Pinterest, then they’ve already expressed some interest in what you’re doing.

This makes them more likely to read your posts when they show up in their feed.

Heck, even if it’s your friends and family that see your blog posts on Facebook, you never know who will read it, share it and get it in front of your next client.

My favorite social network for driving traffic is DEFINITELY Pinterest.

Did you know that Pinterest is the second largest driver of traffic, second only to Facebook?

Because of its traffic-building potential and nature of finding helpful articles on the platform, I believe it can be a powerful marketing tool for any therapist with a blog.

Related article: Why Your Private Practice Needs To Be On Pinterest.

But no matter what platform you love to use, social media is a great way to take your blog post a bit further and drive a little more traffic to it.

Some tips for using social media to promote your blog posts:

If you’re just starting out, choose ONE network and learn how to use it effectively before adding another
Be consistent. Just like how you should frequently publish new blog posts on your website, you should frequently be sharing on social media
Try and balance 1 post about your business to every 4 posts that are not promotional, such as quotes and helpful articles from others
Use Google Analytics to check in from time to time and see which platform is bringing in the most traffic and then focus on that platform to drive even more traffic

4: Use Email Marketing to Let People Know When You’ve Published a New Post

Just like social media above, using email marketing is a great way to send your blog posts to potential clients who have already expressed interest in your work.

One of the first questions I hear from people starting out with email marketing is “what do I say to people on my email list?”

Letting people on your email list know that you’ve published a new blog post is a great way to keep in touch with your list.

Once your blog post is published, you can write an email summarizing it and include the link back to your website.

I encourage you to link to your website, rather than just send the blog post in an email.

This way, people can visit other pages on your website if they want to – continually learning more about your services – and hopefully lead to scheduling a session with you.

Your email list should be filled with people who have already enjoyed your content enough to even give you their email address… so this audience is really the best target for reading your blog posts.

When they continue to get helpful and insightful articles a couple times a month, it warms them up to you, creates trust and helps remind them that you can help them.

You never know when someone will respond to one of those emails asking when they can schedule their next session!

5: Include Images in Your Blog Posts

So here is a stat that is pretty crazy:

Blog articles with images get 94% more views. (source)

94%!! Wow!

In our fast-paced world, photos help get our attention and drive engagement.

If you want to increase the amount of views your blog posts get, be sure to include at least one photo with each one.

This will help your posts stand out, especially when shared on social media.

Including images can also help you optimize your post better for search engines.

To learn more about how to optimize images for SEO, click here.

Conclusion

If you’re wondering why more people aren’t reading your blog posts, I encourage to give the five tips above a shot.

Test it out over time and see if your traffic is increasing.

Remember, just publishing blog posts is not always enough to increase your traffic.

You just may need to give people a reminder that your new blog posts exist. The more chances people get to hear about your post, the more clicks over to your website there will be.

And the best part about all the tips above is that they’re totally free for you to try!

5 Comments/by Daniel

Creating Your Website, How To & Tips

How to Tell Website Visitors What You Do in One Sentence

What’s one of the quickest ways to encourage a website visitor to leave your private practice website? Make it hard for them to understand who you help and what you do…

In this article I’ll share with you some tips to create a clear and concise sentence that will let your potential clients know they’re in the right place.

Content Clarity Wins the Day

Far too many private websites fall short of their mission to get more clients because there’s a lack of clarity when visitors arrive.

I see this all the time…

When landing on a homepage, I often have to struggle to understand what the therapist does and who they help.

And if I’m having trouble finding that information … well, then so are your potential clients.

One of the quickest ways you can correct this is by writing a clear and concise sentence, or “one-liner.”

When website visitors arrive, a one-liner that explains your private practice or any of your services can be extremely helpful in the marketing of your business.

Why?

Because it lets your potential clients know they’re in the right place.

Marketing expert, Donald Miller, explains in his book Building A Story Brand (affiliate link) that your one-liner should contain the following elements:

The Character: Who you help
The Problem: What you help them overcome
The Plan: Can you include HOW you help them overcome the problem?
The Success: What does success look like?

Here’s an example of a one-liner someone may have on the top of their homepage:

“I help new moms cope with depression and overwhelm so they can be the mom they always dreamed they’d be.”

You can see how quickly this can get the attention of a website visitor if they were a new mom looking to find help with depression.

It gives them a chance to say, “That’s me! I dream of being a great mom!”

You can do this on your homepage, your about page and certainly on all your landing pages for specific services you offer in your practice.

Write a Headline for Those Most Likely to Work With You

There will always be that small percentage of potential clients who are totally on board with your service.

And it’s good it’s a small percentage! That’s exactly who you want to reach.

Remember, you can’t make everyone happy. The best copywriters know this, so they write headlines and content for those who are most likely to favor the service they’re writing about.

Know your clients and gain insights from the people you work with in your private practice.

Trying to write for 100% of the people will hamper your conversion rate.

Listen to how your clients describe their challenges and write it down in a notebook to use as inspiration for your one-liners.

Write 20 Headline Options and Let Your Creativity Flow

I know, it’s a challenge, but it releases your own creativity. Don’t delete as you go. Allow creativity to take over. Play around with shortening and lengthening your one-liner.

Try elevating the benefit to increase intrigue with potential clients visiting your website.

Twenty variations should be enough for you to turn your ideas into the ultimate headline.

Open up and don’t be afraid of any variations that fall flat. You’ll end up with your share of good ones.

You can start by focusing on a one-liner for your homepage that encompasses your private practice.

From there, you can do this for each of your service pages.

Trim the Fat from Your Content

This is the stage where you trim the fat and delete any obvious junk content. Like any endeavor in the world, there’s always a lot you can learn from your mistakes.

Don’t be hard on yourself for having to toss out junk. It’s all part of the process.

Your ideas that fell short can serve as a springboard for new ideas.

Remember, your physical therapy or mental health practice is about solving problems and providing solutions for them. It’s not about you.

What The Rest of Your Private Practice Website Copy Should Contain

In addition to that amazing one-liner on the front page of your website, there are other critical elements that your site should contain.

1. Homepage

This is where you want that main one-liner to live. Quickly tell your clients what your private practice is all about. You know the old saying about “first impressions.”

Your homepage is the first impression, and likely the greatest impression, that a potential patient will receive. So make sure you convey that your business has the answers they’re looking for.

A visitor’s attention span will be around eight seconds. Attention spans are growing shorter and shorter.

Make their first impression count. Get right to the point and don’t give the reader too much information or require them to make too many choices.

Focus on the one major thing you want visitors to know, and don’t deviate from your theme.

Also, include an action that you want them to take.

2. About Page

This page should address your ideal client or patient. It doesn’t have to be a mind-blowing page. Just make sure that it has relevant information about your practice.

Write content as if you’re talking directly to your clients. It’s not a bad idea to offer up a glimpse of your life outside of your practice.

Keep it simple and focused on the ideal client you’re trying to reach and think about where they’re at when looking for your services.

3. Services Page

This page is the one where you introduce your services.

Break it down into the categories that your practice addresses. Be specific and informative.

When we design websites for clients, we like to make this page “your practice at a glance.”

You can provide some short introductions to all your services so a visitor can quickly scroll through and see what you offer.

Introduce the service, then link over to a page for each one.

4. A Page for Each Service Offered

These pages expound on each service you have listed on the Services Page.

This is where your content can go into greater detail about each service. This is also where you get to elaborate on your expertise.

You can create a one-liner to go on the top of each of these pages to quickly grab the attention of your ideal clients.

5. Blog

Your blog is where you can really show your expertise on very specific topics.

Google’s algorithm also likes the idea of refreshed and relevant content on websites. So try and write consistently, even it’s just one blog post a month.

It will definitely help your traffic!

Conclusion

It might be difficult at first, but you’ll get used to writing your private practice website copy as time goes on.

Practicing crafting your one-liner can be a great exercise that can help you simplify how you speak about your services and how clear and concise your copy currently is (or isn’t).

Got an idea for a one-liner for your private practice but need some feedback?

Head over to the CMTW Facebook group and post it there. We’ve got a bunch of your colleagues in there who would love to help you out.

And for more tips on writing simple and effective marketing copy for your private practice, check out the book Building A Story Brand or read my review here.

2 Comments/by Daniel

Creating Your Website, How To & Tips

Your About Page is Not About YOU

As a web designer who works solely with therapists, I look at a LOT of private practice websites. As I look at these websites, I often see one specific mistake repeated over and over.

The mistake is this: When I look at your About page I have no idea what you do or who you help.

Your potential clients will leave if it’s not clear you can help them

Yesterday I visited a bike store, looking for one of those cool beach cruiser bikes for my wife.

I had a pretty good idea for what I was looking for as I stepped into a used bike shop, but would have welcomed some guidance.

As I entered, I caught a glimpse of an employee in the back room, working on repairing a bike.

He never looked up. He never greeted me. Never asked me what I needed.

So I spent 5 minutes alone, looking at what options I could see.

Nothing caught my eye, so I left. I was probably in the store for only 8 minutes.

As I got back in the car, I couldn’t help but wonder, “what would have happened had the employee asked me what I was looking for?”

What if he asked me some questions about what brought me into his bike shop, looking to help me solve my problem (wanting a new bike for my wife)?

The SAME thing happens on private practice About pages all over the internet.

We often put what we think is the best information front and center, talking about ourselves, our training and our modalities.

But what is the client looking for?

What is THEIR biggest challenge? What problem are they looking to solve?

When I stepped into that room filled with bikes, it wasn’t clear that anything there would solve my problem.

So, I bounced.

If a potential client lands on your About page and it’s not abundantly clear you can help them, chances are they’ll bounce too.

Your Client Is the Hero of the Story

One of the best books I’ve ever read about marketing a business is Donald Miller’s Building A Story Brand (affiliate link).

I can’t recommend this book enough for it’s simple, yet powerful framework for creating solid marketing materials, including a website.

This book practically breaks down how to use the structure of storytelling to market to your ideal client.

If I could, I’d have everyone in my audience read this book!

He says that the key to marketing is making your ideal client the hero of the story.

Not YOU or your private practice.

When your potential clients can picture themselves fitting into the story of your business, overcoming their greatest challenges and getting what they want in life, they will more easily do business with you.

In his book, Donald Miller suggests these 3 crucial questions to ask yourself in order to market effectively:

What does the hero want?
Who or what is opposing the hero getting what she wants?
What will the hero’s life look like if she does (or does not) get what she wants?

This can directly be applied to your about page!

Instead of starting this crucial page with the headline “About Me,” begin with your client (the hero) as the focus.

What do they want more than anything RIGHT now as they’re searching for help.

What life situations, personal roadblocks or challenges are getting in the way of what they want. Why are they searching for a therapist at this time?

And then paint the picture of what life would look like once they’re able to overcome these challenges.

At this point we can turn the story toward you and your practice.

You are the guide who will help them get what they want. But before you present yourself as the solution, you must first identify with your client’s challenge.

Writing An Effective About Page for your Private Practice

So how do you actually write a great about page for your own therapy website?

Great question.

The first step is to get absolutely clear about who you serve in your private practice.

Knowing who you’re trying to reach will help you write content and know exactly how to speak and what to say.

Use the three questions above to help you craft the story of your ideal client.

Starting with where they’re at right now, your goal is to use the content of this page to guide them to their goal – a picture of what life could look like if they overcome their current challenges.

Here’s a simple outline you can use for your About page:

A headline that clearly states who you help and what you help them achieve
Paint a picture of their struggle – what does it feel like to be where they are right now
Paint a picture of what life could look like if they overcame their current challenge
Give them a plan – this is where you can explain what it looks like to work with you
A clear call to action – have them contact you or schedule a consultation

Need some inspiration for your About page?

Check out this post: Websites for Therapists: 10 Examples of Amazing About Pages

Conclusion

Your clients will leave your website if it’s unclear that you can help them.

The goal of your About page should be to quickly and clearly inform your ideal client that you can guide them to the life that they desire.

I hope these tips will help you put your ideal client at the center of your marketing and focus your About page on them… and not you.

Doing so could mean the difference between a website visitor moving on to the next therapist, or sticking around and becoming your next client.

If you’re struggling to create an effect private practice website and you’re tired of DIY tutorials that don’t take into account the nuances of marketing for therapists then I invite you to check out The Create My Therapist Website Toolbox 2.0.

Click the banner below to get started and I’ll take you through my entire process of creating a beautiful website that attracts new clients while you’re in session.

0 Comments/by Daniel

Creating Your Website, How To & Tips

5 Homepage Mistakes Therapists Make & How to Avoid Them

As a designer and consultant, I’ve reviewed many private practice websites. As I look at these websites, I often come across a handful of issues right on the homepage that, if resolved, could help create a better experience for the therapist’s clients.

In this article we’ll explore 5 homepage mistakes I see therapists make when they build their own website.

The Purpose of Your Homepage

As with any page on a therapy website, understanding the purpose and goal of the page will help you create a design and content that is strategic.

We’re not just slapping info on the homepage and hoping for the best, folks!

I often see therapists put a ton of information and too many choices on their homepage, leaving the user to have to sift through the content or just leave due to the overwhelm.

So, what is the purpose of a homepage, anyway?

The main goal of your homepage is to get your potential client to the information they’re looking for as easily and quickly as possible.

Your homepage is a way to get them to the NEXT page, where they can get the information they’re looking for.

Let’s look at 5 mistakes to avoid so you can help your website visitors find what they’re looking for and convert into clients.

Homepage Mistake #1: Not Being Clear Who The Website is For

These days, attention spans are SUPER short.

We are completely overwhelmed by information which causes us to only skim bits and pieces of the information we’re presented with.

Because you only have a few short seconds to grab your potential client’s attention, you have to make it clear on your homepage that they are in the right place.

What would you think if you were looking for help with some of your biggest life challenges, looking at multiple therapists’ websites, and you landed on this homepage?:

I’m wondering who the guy is in the photo.

It’s probably not the client, but it’s coupled with the testimonial I see.

Maybe it’s the therapist?

Looks like a nice guy…

The point is, I’m not sure… and I’ve wasted valuable seconds trying to figure out if this website is for me and if this therapist can help me.

It’s not quite clear.

Solution:

Let your ideal client know they are in the right place and that you get them.

Meet them where they’re at and think about what they’re feeling as they’re searching for help.

Use the homepage’s prime real estate to quickly communicate who you help and what you help them achieve.

Your “unique selling proposition” as they call it.

For more on developing your “unique selling proposition”, check out this post: 10 Things To Do BEFORE You Create A Counseling Website

Homepage Mistake #2: Sliders That Have No Purpose

We’ve all seen them.

Those huge photo slideshows with overlayed text swishing across the homepage.

But what exactly are they accomplishing?

Too often, I see people giving too much real estate to homepage sliders that don’t actually communicate anything.

Sometimes, a therapist will put a few quotes in this area.

Quotes, while maybe meaningful to you, mean very little to someone who is trying to solve a problem in their life.

It says nothing about how you can help your potential client.

And research shows that users often do not interact with sliders and will often skip right over them.

Check out this quote from Craig Kistler, Founder of Strategy & Design Co. said about homepage carousels/sliders:

“In all the testing I have done, homepage carousels are completely ineffective… In test after test the first thing the visitor did when coming to a page with a large carousel is scroll right past it and start looking for triggers that will move them forward with their task.”

Carousels used to be the bees-knees.

But now they’ve become a distraction when a user is trying to find the info they’re looking for on a website.

Solution:

Basically, don’t use sliders and keep things simple.

Make sure your homepage’s prime real estate is given to a simple, clear message that connects with your ideal client.

Don’t distract your clients with quotes in this valuable homepage area.

Rather, give them the info or opportunity they need to click through to the next page where they’ll find the meat of what they’re looking for on your website.

And if you insist on using a slider, just know that anything after the first slide will most likely be overlooked.

Homepage Mistake #3: Too Much Text & Information

Have you ever been online, maybe searching for a service or a product you want to purchase?

You’re using Google and you click on a promising link, land on the homepage and you’re suddenly met with a wall of text…

It’s like someone’s just handed you a book and told you, “here, read this, you’ll find what you’re looking for in there somewhere”.

It can be frustrating!

This is the same thing that happens to your potential clients when you’ve crammed too much information into your homepage.

They want to know if you can help them.

And they want to know it quickly.

So giving them homework and making them dig for that information won’t help them find what they’re looking for.

Chances are, they’ll get overwhelmed and leave your website.

Remember: The purpose of your homepage is to get the user to the next page; to get them the information they’re looking for.

Once they’ve landed on that NEXT page, they’ve indicated what they’re interested in, so that’s where the bulk of the text/content/info belongs.

When you put it all on your homepage, you’re deciding FOR the client what you think they should know, rather than letting them lead the journey.

And no one likes to be told what to do.

Solution:

Treat the homepage as an introduction to you and your services.

Keep copy simple, clear and let the user decide where they want to go to learn more.

Think about the most important information you can share to gently lead your client into your website to learn about you and your services.

Homepage Mistake #4: Hiding Contact Information

This mistake is a pretty straight forward one with an easy fix.

As a therapist, I’m guessing that the main goal of your website is to get new clients to contact you.

You want to get them off your website and on the phone or in your inbox… and ultimately in your office.

As I mentioned earlier, the busyness of life and the amount of distractions your clients face means you’ve got to make it as easy as possible to use your website and find what they’re looking for.

If they’re looking to contact you, make it as easy as possible, so when they’re ready they know exactly where to click to get in touch with you.

Solution:

Here are a few ways you can make it easy for your potential clients to contact you:

Have your contact information consistently appear in one place throughout the website (such as a top bar and/or footer)
Include one clear call to action to encourage the client to take the next step
Create a single page where clients can contact you and place a link in the menu, making the last link

Do the above and it will help give your potential clients zero excuses about not being able to contact you.

Homepage Mistake #5: Too Many Calls to Action

A call to action is when you ask your website visitor to DO something.

“Click here to learn more”

“Contact me now for a free 15 minute consultation”

Stuff like that.

When your potential clients are faced with too many options, the user can get overwhelmed and decide to leave the website.

They choose ZERO options… the opposite of what you want, right?

Just like mistake #3 above, you’ve given your potential client work in order to find what they’re looking for and take their next step.

Solution:

Think about the primary goal of your website and design your homepage accordingly, leading your client toward that goal.

Maybe your goal is to build up your email list, and that’s where you really connect with potential clients.

Then make the ONE main call to action all about joining your email list.

Is the goal to get them on the phone?

Then your ONE call to action can be focused on getting in touch with you.

It’s ok to have multiple links on your homepage because you do want to lead folks deeper into your website should they want more information.

But have just ONE main call to action that stands out from the rest of the page and encourages the user to take that one step that gets them closer to your goal for your business.

Wrapping it Up

Are you guilty of any of the above homepage mistakes?

Don’t worry!

The great thing about websites is that they are fluid and you can tweak and improve your private practice website over time.

I hope the above mistakes and solutions have helped you re-evaluate your own homepage and inspired you on some changes you can make.

Do you need some professional guidance on your own website? Let’s chat.

If you’re struggling with know what you can do to improve your website’s design or take your online strategy to a new level, I’d love to chat.

I offer 1-hour consultation calls where we can talk about everything and anything related to your website.

We can take a critical look at your design or chat about your content marketing strategy.

We can even get into WordPress technical issues if you like!

Click here to learn more about consultation calls and schedule one today.

1 Comment/by Daniel

Creating Your Website, Custom Websites for Private Practice, Design & Inspiration

What To Expect When Working With a Website Designer: Part II

We’re continuing our series on what to expect when working with a website designer to build a website for your private practice.

In Part I, we talked about everything that goes on before your website project actually starts: researching the right designer, the first call, getting a proposal and gathering your content.

In this article, we’ll go over the website-building phase and everything that goes on while your designer is making magic happen for your private practice website.

Your Private Practice Website Project Begins

Ok, the big day has finally rolled around. It’s your project start day!

By now, you should have wrapped up your responsibilities and delivered all your content to your designer.

I like to have all these assets (copy, photos, logo, design preferences, etc.) about two weeks prior to your project start day.

I’ll spend a couple hours organizing and making sure I have all I need to get started.

If anything is missing, I’ll get in touch with my client via Asana, our homebase for the project.

As your project begins, there’s really not a whole lot that should be on your plate, other than making yourself available to answer any questions your web designer may have.

This is where the value of hiring someone really shines.

You’re free to focus on your clients and other marketing activities you love, rather than fighting with trying to build a website.

Enjoy this time and make the most of it!

Providing Feedback to Your Designer

I can’t speak for all website designers, but in my projects, we build in two milestones where you can provide your feedback.

The first time comes rather quickly, usually within the first week of the project.

I’ll present you with a homepage and an about page design for you to review.

I often like to record a video walkthrough of these two pages to explain certain design decisions and tell the story of how the design will help achieve the goals laid out at the beginning of the project.

The reason we start with just the home and about pages is because at this stage in the project we’re making sure we’re heading in the right direction.

This is where you’ll want to make sure the website feels right, is speaking to your ideal therapy clients and, yes, looks great.

I’ll create a task in Asana where you can add your comments and questions for each page.

It looks something like this:

Then, I’ll head back to my lab (home office) and make any necessary adjustments based on your feedback.

After we’re both feeling good about the direction, the meat of the project can begin where I’ll start fleshing out all of the pages on the website and putting all the pieces together.

Depending on the size and complexity of your website, this process may take 1 to 2 weeks.

The second round of feedback comes after this phase, where you’ll be able to look over the entire website and we can discuss any concerns you may have once the content is in place.

Launching Your New Website

At this point we’re into the home stretch.

Depending on the complexity of your website, it can take anywhere from 3 – 8 weeks to get here.

Much of the work is still really in the web designer’s camp and you can continue being the amazing therapist you are while they’re hard at work getting everything in place.

They’ll be making sure all plugins are working correctly, the website looks and functions well on mobile devices and assure everything is operational for a smooth transition to a live website for the world to see.

If you have a website live currently, chances are that your designer has been building your website on a separate web host so they can work without interrupting your current website.

At this point, I like to coordinate with my clients on a good time to finally “launch” the website and move all the files to your live website environment.

I’ll make backups of both your live website and your new website (in case there are any hiccups along the way) and start moving your website files over.

Once the files are moved to your live hosting server, it can take a few minutes to a couple hours for the website to refresh and appear.

And then we’re LIVE!

Open the champagne because a new season has begun!

What Happens After Your Therapy Website is Launched

That wraps it up for what you should expect during the website-building phase of working with a web designer.

If you and your designer have planned well, your biggest task is to make yourself available to provide feedback and answer questions from your designer as they come up.

In our next post, we’ll talk about what to expect after your website is live to ensure a smooth handoff and make sure you get the most out of your private practice’s new marketing asset.

1 Comment/by Daniel

Creating Your Website, Custom Websites for Private Practice, Design & Inspiration

What To Expect When Working With a Website Designer: Part I

Hiring a professional designer to create your private practice website is a great investment that can help you grow your caseload. But what does it look like to work with a web designer?

In this article I’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at how I work closely with my clients to create websites that are an asset to their private practices.

Specifically, we’ll talk about everything that goes on before your website project begins.

Because there are many phases to a website project, I’ll be sharing a few articles focused on each phase.

If you’re thinking about hiring a pro to build your website, I hope this helps you know a little bit about what to expect before, during and after your website project.

The Research Phase: Finding a Website Designer for Your Private Practice

When you’re thinking about investing in a professionally built website for your private practice, it’s important you find someone you know and trust.

I’ve heard too many stories about therapists hiring some web guy only to be left in the lurch with a website that doesn’t work and isn’t finished.

I haaaaaate hearing that story over and over.

A great designer should not only have good website skills, but also just common courtesy and relationship skills as well.

In order to find someone who is the right fit for you, you’re going to have to have some conversations with potential designers.

It’s the same as your clients.

They often call around and speak to a few therapists before connecting with one they really believe can help them with their challenges.

You’ve got some business challenges that a website designer can (hopefully) solve and you’ve got to find someone you trust.

The First Call With A Web Designer

With any designer you’re thinking about hiring, there’s got to be that first call.

I’ve got a form on my website that folks can fill out that lets me know the context of their web challenges and what they’re facing in their private practice.

Once I get that, we’ll schedule a time to chat.

I like to use Zoom, a video meeting application, for these types of calls.

There’s something about seeing each other that helps foster a more relaxed conversation as we get to know one another.

This first call is your chance to see if the designer’s services and skill can help you overcome your private practice challenges.

A website needs to help you solve a problem in your business.

Do you need to convert more clients to raise your bottom line? Let them know this.

Are you looking to branch out into more coaching and speaking gigs? Your designer will need to know this too!

And I think a good designer will ask you questions that help you uncover your goals and understand your current challenges.

Because when you understand your challenges more, you’ll be better positioned to decide how much you’re willing to invest in a website that helps you overcome those challenges.

So that’s what that first call should focus on.

Oftentimes, on that first call with my potential clients, we’ll also go over some details of the typical timeline and process that a website project will take.

Getting into some of that information can help you uncover whether this person is organized and well-prepared to server his/her clients well.

After that first call comes the proposal…

Moving Into The Website Proposal Phase

Once we have that first conversation together and it looks like my services and personality would be good fit, I’ll begin putting together a proposal.

I’ve got a short form I ask my clients to fill out that helps capture some more specifics about their website and what they envision.

Do they want to add an ecommerce shop functionality to their site?

Or perhaps they’re going to have 30 pages on their website…

I’ll need to know that in order to provide the most accurate quote for the work involved.

So once I get the answers to those questions, I’ll retreat into my web design lair and put together a very specific proposal for the client.

A proposal should be the guiding star for the project.

I use the proposal to clearly state what business goals this new website will hope to achieve.

Along with that is what requirements does this client’s target audience need to be able to do on this new website.

All of this guides the entire project and the decisions to be made.

So, when you receive a proposal or quote, make sure you’re both in agreement, not just on what will be on the website (a blog or online scheduler) but the main goals or challenges that the website solves.

Once I’ve decided on what it will take to solve my client’s challenges, I’ll price the project and send along this proposal and quote.

Most designers, including myself, will require you to sign a contract and submit a down payment to secure a place in their calendar for your project.

We designers have a lot of deadlines we need to juggle, so if we can’t count on your project being nailed down in our calendar, things get messy and no one wins.

At this point, you can accept the proposal, sign the contract and submit your down payment for your website project.

Then work begins!

What Happens Before Your Website Project Start Date

Ok, so you’ve signed a contract and put some money toward your project… exciting stuff!!

So, do you just sit around waiting for your time to roll around on your website designer’s calendar?

Absolutely not!

There’s plenty of work to be done leading up to your project.

When I speak to therapists who may want to hire my services, I make sure to let them know this.

Some folks want their website created and launched ASAP, but having a few months leading up to the project is actually a GOOD thing.

As the designer, it’s up to me to organize the project and set a realistic timeline to deliver the website and solve my client’s problems.

So I’ll spend some time after a project is locked in setting up all the required tasks and deadlines in my project management software called Asana.

It will look something like this:

Asana is AMAZING. It lets myself and my clients know exactly what’s due when and lets us communicate and share files all in one place.

I’d be lost without it.

Another thing I’ll do is set up a Dropbox folder where you can begin uploading your content.

Gathering Your Content Before Your Website Project Begins

Your main task leading up to your project start date will be to gather your assets together for your website.

This may include working with a copywriter to create some killer copy that will convert your website visitors into paid clients.

It may also include getting new portraits taken to help you create connection with your ideal clients.

For me, this time is where I lend some feedback to my clients as they begin to pass along their content.

I always have one main Dropbox folder where my clients can upload copy for web pages and photos they want to use on their website.

I’ll look through their content and keep us on track so that we have all we need to begin the website project.

It’s during this time that you as the client will be tasked with the most hands-on work.

A great designer will keep you organized and moving forward toward your project start date.

It’s your responsibility to provide what’s needed to begin your project.

Most designers, including myself, will not begin your project unless they have all the content and assets needed to create your project.

This allows your project to fit within the deadlines and scope of the work that’s been quoted.

Once you’ve gotten all your content together and your project start date arrives, it’s finally time for the designer to get to work!

The Website-Building Phase

I hope this article helps you understand what to expect when working with a designer on your new website project.

In my next blog post, I’ll share with you what you can expect during the next phase of working with a designer to have your private practice website created.

The next phase will be where the designer gets to work taking all you’ve delivered them and turning into practice-building online gold.

1 Comment/by Daniel

Creating Your Website, How To & Tips

5 Ways Your Private Practice Website is Making You Look Unprofessional

Whether consciously or subconsciously, we make quick decisions about the validity and trustworthiness of a business when looking at their website. The same is true of your private practice.

In this article, I’ll share 5 ways that you could be sabotaging your professionalism and trustworthiness on your own website.

Your website is one of the most important marketing tools you have.

It can be one of the most effective or, unfortunately, ineffective means for establishing yourself as a trustworthy expert, able to help the potential client who is searching for answers and has landed on your site.

So, which one is it for you? Effective, or ineffective?

When you look at your website, do you get a sense of pride, knowing it represents you and the value of your service?

Do you feel like potential clients can quickly get a sense of that value and think, “this is the type of person I want to work with”?

If so, that’s great!

You can walk away proud and go do something fun. You’ve earned it.

If not, read on.

There are a number of subtle ways that you can communicate private practice excellence to your potential clients through your website design.

Let’s get to it.

1: Your Portrait Looks Like it Was Taken On A Phone

You have a beautiful face and your potential clients want to see it.

They long for that connection, and a high-quality, professional-looking photo of yourself can help create that connection.

But when all you have is one photo to work… and it’s blurry and doesn’t fit with the aesthetic of your website… it screams “unprofessional”.

When I see that, I think that the therapist either doesn’t care about the quality of their marketing material, or they just can’t afford to get a decent photo taken.

Remember:

Visitors make split-second judgements about you, your trustworthiness and your credibility when viewing your website.

If your portrait photo is blurry, cropped from an old family photo or looks unprofessional…

YOU will be perceived as UNPROFESSIONAL.

Now, check out one of my past clients, Dr. Lori Buckley…

She had AMAZING photos for me to work with, which made my web designer heart SO happy:

Notice how she’s not just using just one vertical photo.

She had multiple wide shots with blurred backgrounds of her in a coffee shop and other locations.

This not only gave me a so many more possibilities for the website design, but it also created this inviting and warm connection because her face easily distinguishable.

It’s like she’s inviting the viewer into her world.

So, if your personal photos on your website feel a bit unprofessional and aren’t working to create that connection, think about investing in some new ones.

And you don’t have to break the bank on these either.

Here’s a few suggestions for how to get your portraits taken:

Find a local photographer (Google, Facebook recommendation)
Search for someone on Craigslist
Living Social or Groupon have tons of photography deals
DIY with a real camera

You don’t need to hire the best photographer out there. You can even just do it yourself.

The point is to have high-quality photos to use in multiple ways on your website and other marketing materials.

2: Your Website Doesn’t Work On Mobile Devices

In today’s world, your website has to… HAS TO… work well on mobile devices.

Not only will Google be less likely to suggest your website in search results if it’s not responsive, but you’ll also just annoy your visitors who are looking at your website on a phone or tablet.

If someone can’t use your website easily, they can’t find the information they need to do business with you.

And if they can’t do business with you, why do you have a website at all?

If you can navigate your website easily on a computer, but when you open it on a phone, everything is tiny and your images fall apart, you’re going to turn some visitors away.

Google says 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead. (Source)

You are a professional and you need a professional-looking website.

And a professional-looking website is one that works for all users, no matter what device they are on.

So, if it’s been years since you’ve built your website and it doesn’t work well on mobile devices, it’s time to do some work.

Not doing so could mean turning away a whole lot of clients.

3: Your Website Design Looks Like It’s From the 90’s

I was 15 years old in 1997.

And I was also a pretty geeky kid, figuring out all the many ways I could use the family computer to do cool stuff.

I remember waiting for hours just to get through on AOL so I could “surf the web” and chat with my buddies.

The internet was new in those days and OMG how far we’ve come.

Here’s what MSN’s homepage looked like in those early days:

I remember these types of websites.

Buttons floating in odd places.

Blinking images and colors.

Animated text sometimes scrolling across the page.

Fonts in all shapes and sizes.

It worked at the time because we had no idea what we were doing and every business on this new-fangled internet was trying to figure out.

But we’ve learned a lot when it comes to using a website to market a business.

Modern website design is about getting the user to the information they want/need as easily as possible.

So, in a way, websites today look simpler.

Navigation is clear as well as what the website is.

At least that’s how it should be.

Your website doesn’t have to look like a 90’s website, but if it feels outdated, you likely are already aware of it.

It’s time to bring it up to date.

4: You Don’t Have a Logo

Did you know that our brains process images 60,000 times faster than we process words? (source)

Your logo is one of the quickest ways you can communicate with your website visitors who you are and what your practice is like.

It’s also one the first things that your potential clients will look for when landing on your website… even if it’s subconsciously.

We are creatures of habit, so we’re used to seeing that logo at the top of websites that we visit.

When it’s not there, something just feels off.

I often see therapy websites that don’t have this important piece of their brand in place.

There will either be just text, spelling out their name, or no logo at all.

It feels like something is missing or maybe their practice is still being formed and they are still getting all the pieces in place.

I’m left with more questions, wondering why the person doesn’t have a logo, when I should be subconsciously trusting this person and their well established brand (and private practice).

And you don’t need anything fancy or expensive.

Just a simple graphic representing you and/or your practice will establish your professionalism and help your potential clients focus more on your website content instead of wondering if they should trust you.

Need a logo? Check out this post:

Logos for Therapists: The Ultimate Guide to Designing a Logo for Your Private Practice

5: Your Website Is Just Too Busy

Usability is everything when it comes to having a website that connects with your potential clients.

If it takes your users too long to find the information they need, they’re going to bounce.

Since 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content/layout is unattractive, (Source) it’s extremely important to do what you can to organize and design your content well.

This can start with the main menu for your website.

Is it very cluttered, with too many links, forcing users to have to sift through all the info in order to find what their looking for?

Start there and find ways to simplify your menu. Not every page on your website needs to be in that menu.

You can take some links and move them to the footer so that those who are looking for them can get to them, but they won’t take away from the pages want your ideal client to definitely see.

Take a look at the most important pages on your website.

Do you have a strategic reason for each element on those pages?

Or do you have a picture floating here or there just because you like it?

Donald Miller, author of Building A Story Brand says this:

“You’ve got to have a strategic reason for every element and even word on the page. If you don’t, or if the reason is just “I like it,” then it needs to go. As the artist and author Austin Kleon says, ‘Creativity is subtraction.’ So don’t be afraid to remove entire sections and cut out major elements.”

A professional-looking website is one that allows its visitors the freedom to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible.

But when a website is cluttered with too many distractions, precious seconds are lost as your ideal client tries to make sense of what they’re seeing and why they should care about what you offer.

Keep it simple. Keep it clear.

Is Your Website Helping or Hurting your Private Practice?

Your website may be the most valuable marketing asset you have in your business.

And it should work for you, bringing in new client leads while you’re in session with your current ones.

If you’re unsure about the steps you should take to improve or redesign your website so that it attracts clients, let’s talk.

Get started by filling out the form on this page and we’ll schedule your free 30-minute consultation.

1 Comment/by Daniel

How To & Tips

5 Tips for Writing Effective Web Copy for Your Therapy Website

A guest post by Sharon Martin, LCSW

Your website is your most important marketing tool.

Most people start looking for a therapist with an internet search, hoping to find a therapist’s website that they can relate to. Even when a potential client is referred to you by a trusted friend or physician, they probably still want to check you out online before making an appointment.

So, not only is a website a key marketing tool, it’s essential that your psychotherapy website can convert visitors into clients. Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it seems!

Like most of you, I’ve looked at a lot of therapists’ websites and know that getting the web copy just right is a difficult task.

But, you can nail it with some practice and practical tips!

When I teach therapists how to blog, I use these same strategies, so I know they are effective for writing copy that will resonate with your ideal clients.

How Therapists Can Write Effective Web Copy

1: Know your audience.

Effective web copy needs to be targeted to your niche or the very specific type of clients that you hope to attract.

So, before you start writing, it’s helpful to identify (in as much detail as possible) what clients you want to serve.

Creating an ideal client avatar (describing demographics, presenting problems, personality traits, childhood history, etc.) will help you write copy that reflects your ideal client’s concerns.

2: Keep it simple.

Your website should be informative, but you don’t want to overdo it.

Visitors to your website are probably already overwhelmed, so don’t add to their overwhelm with an overly busy webpage.

Leave plenty of white space on the page, break up your content into short paragraphs, and use bullet points and headlines so the most important information stands out.

As for your copy, aim to keep your writing conversational, easy to read, and avoid too many clinical terms. Remember, your potential client is in pain and is looking for relief — not your dissertation on the subject.

3: Be authentic.

It seems obvious, but I’m going to say it anyway: Potential clients need to see your authentic self come through on in your web copy.

As therapists, our biggest stumbling block regarding authentic web copy is our fear that a bit of self-disclosure, showing our sense of humor or using some curse words, will appear unprofessional.

However, if this is how you usually talk to clients, then having it in your web copy will help clients know if you’re the right therapist for them. I think an easy guideline is to aim for your web copy to align with the way you actually talk to clients in session.

4: Talk mostly about the potential client’s experience and less about yourself.

Even though your website is supposed to highlight you and your services, it’s not really about you.

Yea, I know it’s a little confusing, but here’s the thing, potential clients are looking for a way to relieve their pain and solve their problems.

They are only interested in you as a vehicle for helping them do this. Therefore, don’t focus on telling them about every certification you’ve earned and every conference you’ve attended.

Instead, reflect the client’s experience, show that you empathize with their pain and that you can help them feel better.

They want to read your website and think, “Wow, this therapist totally gets me!”

5: Always have a call to action.

Every page of your therapist website should direct the reader to take a particular action.

It might be to call you for a consult, schedule an appointment, watch a video, or visit another page on your website for more information.

Again, it may seem obvious to you that you’d like the reader to call you for an appointment, but specifically asking someone to take action on your website, dramatically increases the likelihood that they will.

So, be sure your web copy invites potential clients to take the next step.

Conclusion

Writing effective web copy is hard work, so be prepared to put in a good amount of time and effort.

It’s definitely a work in progress! As you work on writing your own web copy, I hope these five tips will help you stay focused and write copy that speaks directly to your ideal clients’ needs.

Sharon Martin, LCSW is a psychotherapist, blogger, and coach in San Jose, CA.

She loves helping therapists grow in their personal and professional development and particularly enjoys teaching them how to blog and market their practices with social media. Sharon writes the popular blog Happily Imperfect for PsychCentral and regularly contributes to other publications. You can connect with Sharon and find out more about her Blog Like a Pro program for therapists at: https://SocialWorkCoaching.com.

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2 Comments/by Daniel