10 Website Myths To Stop Believing If You Want More Clients
When it comes to private practice therapy websites, there’s a lot of misinformation floating around. Since we didn’t learn about marketing or website building in grad school, we assume certain things about therapist websites that end up standing in the way of practice growth.
Having worked with hundreds of therapists to design better, harder-working websites, I’ve noticed 10 common myths about private practice websites that contribute to the distance between potential clients and open spots on your caseload. I want to debunk these myths right here and now so that your website works harder to connect you with the right clients.
Myth #1: My private practice website is a place for people to learn more about my qualifications and credentials.
While your credentials and qualifications should be included as a footnote on your About page, they should never be the main focus of your website. These things may seem like defining characteristics about you (after all, you worked freaking hard to earn them!), but unfortunately, most potential clients won’t make a decision to call you based on your qualifications alone.
Above all, your website is a place to connect with your ideal clients by empathizing with their experience and offering real value and tangible results. Basically, your website’s job is to offer visitors a taste of what it’s like to sit on your couch. If you spend your sessions telling your clients all about your qualifications and credentials, then by all means, lead with that! But if you’re an actual therapist, I’m guessing that’s not how your sessions usually go.
Myth #2: After my website is built, I can forget about it.
Too often, helping professionals let their websites go untouched after the initial launch, assuming, “It’s built, so they will come!” We all know how that goes, right? Even though your website is available for anyone to find, it doesn’t mean they will. It’s your job to direct a continuous flow of traffic to your website so that people can experience the virtual space that you curated and contact you.
Think of your website as a storefront. When you first start out, your store isn’t going to be in a prime location where lots of foot traffic will file in. Instead, you’re located down a side-street. In order to keep your store open, you’ve got to find ways to direct people to your store at all times.
The best way to direct quality traffic to your website for free? Blogging. Publishing helpful, value-packed content to your blog gives people new reasons to visit your “storefront,” and the more familiar they become with you and your “store,” the easier it will be for them to pick up the phone and make the call to start therapy.
Aside from the benefits of directing traffic to your website, there are consequences for leaving a website untouched as well. I’ve heard accounts of Google listing businesses as “closed” when a website hasn’t been updated for a period of time, even if that business is alive and well. At the very least, publishing regular blog posts lets Google know that your business has a pulse.
Myth #3: My website is a great place to show off my Instagram feed.
Making your Instagram feed a prominent part of your website design will direct the traffic you worked so hard to get after learning about Myth #2 away from your website. That’s not good. Your website should be the end goal for all connections you make online, no matter how pretty your Insta-feed is or how many followers you have.
It’s okay to include social media icons in the footer of your website, but if you’re considering displaying a preview of your feed, ask yourself, “Why?” If the answer is, “So my visitors can get to know me better,” you’ve got some work to do on your website.
While social media is a great place to make connections and have conversations, your website is the place where people can truly feel what it’s like to work with you. It’s also the only virtual “property” that you own. Social media platforms own your following; relying too heavily on these platforms will hurt you in the long run.
Myth #4: I should try to appeal to anyone and everyone to increase my chances of getting clients.
Are you trying to be everything to everyone too? We all know that this is impossible, yet so many therapists still believe that casting a “wide net” will yield better results. I can tell you from personal experience: it doesn’t. Do yourself and your business a favor and choose a niche. Then identify an ideal client within that niche.
Your website should appeal to that person and that person alone.
Don’t be afraid of repelling people; this is what a good website does. If your website doesn’t filter people out, you’ll have to do it. And I haven’t talked to many therapists who enjoy fielding phone calls, answering the same questions over and over again. This is the work that falls away when your website is designed correctly.
Myth #5: Website design doesn't really matter.
Would you say the same thing about your office decor? Website design, just like your office decor, creates an atmosphere and sends a message. While you don’t have to have a top-of-the-line couch or a custom-designed website to create a welcoming space, design does matter.
When it comes to growing your business, the success of your efforts comes down to your ability to build trust with potential clients. According to recent research*, 94% of people cited website design as the main reason they mistrusted a business, and 48% of people cited web design as the number one factor in deciding the credibility of a business.
Take some time to decide which colors, fonts, and design style most accurately communicate your personality and therapeutic style, and go from there. If you need some help getting started, take my free quiz to find out how to design your website based on your personality.
Myth #6: The words on my website don't really matter.
Again, would you say the same thing about the words that you say in session with your clients? The words on your website, or “website copy”, contribute to the atmosphere and space that your design creates. Your website’s design and copy work together to hold space for your ideal client’s experience.
Focus on speaking directly to your ideal client through your website copy. Remember, someone looking for a therapist wants to know if they’ll feel seen and heard by you. Dial down the talk about yourself, and dial up the empathetic reflections and summaries. My Website Copy Template is a great place to start if you need help forming effective copy.
Myth #7: SEO will solve all my problems.
While Search Engine Optimization is important (remember the storefront analogy? SEO helps you move your store to the main streets to get that coveted foot traffic), it’s not a magic bullet. Just because your store is on a busy street doesn’t mean people are going to buy from you.
I hear a lot of concerns from business owners who believe that the reason they’re not getting clients has something to do with SEO. Most of the time, lack of new client inquiries doesn’t have as much to do with SEO as you might think. It often has more to do with poor website design, ineffective copy, or inconsistent marketing.
Make sure SEO is a part of your website strategy, but don’t skip the crucial work of learning how to connect with the right people through your website. When you know your website connects and converts, then ramp up your SEO efforts.
Myth #8: Since therapy isn't about me, it's not important to have pictures of me on my website.
Nice try. If you’re going to be sitting across from your client as their therapist, they need to know who you are and what you look like. Therapy is relational. If your website doesn’t have pictures of you, it’ll be extremely difficult for your ideal clients to connect with you.
There’s a widespread fear of visibility among therapists. We learn to keep ourselves hidden to “maintain boundaries,” but at a certain point, these extreme boundaries become a hindrance to practice growth.
When I was transitioning out of my role as a therapist, I had to work through several layers of fear around simply showing my face online. So I get it. But hear me when I say: when you show your face, you make it so much easier for people to schedule that first session.
Read this post if you need help finding good photos for your website.
Myth #9: Being professional is more important than showing my personality.
This harkens back to Myth #8; are you trying to be professional or are you experiencing fear of visibility? Many therapists feel uncomfortable showing their personality online but feel perfectly comfortable showing their personality in the therapy room with clients.
My advice is this: act the same way online as you do in session.
If you’re a super buttoned-up blank slate in your therapy sessions, then by all means, convey that same atmosphere on your website. But if you bring your humanness into your work, as most modern therapists do, it’s important to communicate and convey that on your website as well.
Showing your personality will make it easier for people to bridge the gap between website visitor and client. Remember, your website’s job is to offer visitors a preview of what it’s like to sit on your couch, so accurately conveying your therapeutic style and personality is one of the most professional things you can do as a business owner.
Myth #10: Building a website is overwhelming, so I should have someone else build and manage it so I don't have to think about it.
While I commend asking for help when you need it, there’s a time and place for outsourcing. I think it’s extremely valuable to learn the ins and outs of each aspect of your business before handing off tasks to other people.
When you first start your practice, I recommend learning how to build your own website, write your own copy, and manage your own website. It’s the whole “Give a man a fish / teach a man to fish” thing. Spending time learning how online marketing works at the beginning will set you up for success and empowerment in the long run. Outsourcing your website before you understand how your website supports your business could ultimately slow your growth.
Here’s when and how I recommend outsourcing, depending on your budget:
Website Budget: < $300
Design and build a website yourself. Find a website building platform, use free or low-cost resources (like this post) to build yourself a simple starter website that will help you establish an online presence.
Website Budget: $300 - $2,000
Outsource the parts of your website that feel difficult or life-sucking, but maintain ownership and management power. If you’re struggling with designing your website and writing its’ copy, my pre-designed website templates for therapists will help you get a jump-start on these key elements.
Website Budget: $4,000+
Hire a professional designer & developer to build you a custom website that stands out from the rest, while maintaining website ownership and management power. If you’re ready to upgrade your website and branding, I can help. Learn more about my custom design services here.
Your website can be your most valuable marketing asset and your hardest-working employee if it’s set up correctly.
Releasing these website myths may take some inner work and exploration, but I promise, if you take my advice, you’ll have an easier time filling your practice with dream clients.
Not only that, but the more therapists that let go of these myths, the easier the therapy-search process will become across the board. I imagine a world where searching for a new therapist is easy. Where every private practice therapist has a website that communicates so clearly that clients find the right therapist in a matter of days, not weeks or months.
Will you help me create that reality?
* https://www.ironpaper.com/webintel/articles/10-web-design-statistics/
