3 Simple Tweaks You Can Make to Your Website Right Now to Get More Clients
You’re frustrated. You’ve invested your time and energy in creating a private practice website yourself because, let’s be honest, your practice isn’t pulling in the “hire a web designer” bucks yet. You’ve heard that your website can help you get more clients, but all your website seems to do is collect dust.
*Insert sad trombone noise here*
I have good news, though. You don’t have to wait until you’re financially ready to hire a designer to start optimizing your website for practice growth. In today’s blog post, I’m going to show you three simple website tweaks that you can implement right now to help you attract more clients.
Tweak 1: Put your face above the fold
“Above the fold” means the portion of your homepage that is visible when your website first loads. Here’s a great example of what I mean here:
I know it can be scary and vulnerable to show your face on the internet, but the truth is: people want to know about you before they work with you. We all do research online before we invest in just about anything these days, and therapy is no exception.
When your face is the first thing people see when they land on your website, a human connection is made (even if it’s through a screen). Instead of hoping that your website visitors will click over to your About page to see a picture of you (or worse, waiting until they meet you in person to actually see your face), introduce yourself right away. Foster the therapeutic connection right from the start, and you’ll spend less time stressing about the lack of new client inquiries, I promise!
Pro-tip: Use a high-quality, professional headshot - no selfies! Don’t have a high-quality picture of yourself? Hire a photographer in your area to take a few headshots. Wear clothes that match your website colors, and once you get your professional photos back, pop them into your website and voila! Your professionalism just went way up.
Tweak 2: Put your brand tagline above the fold
Your brand tagline is a simple, succinct sentence that describes what you do and who you do it for. I know you do so much to hold space for your clients, but keep it simple here. Make sure your tagline can be understood by the average layperson.
Here’s a great example of a simple tagline:
Psychotherapy & Art Therapy for College Students
Alternatively, a great tagline can speak to the transformation that the people you serve want to experience. Using the example from above, here’s what that could look like:
Psychotherapy & Art Therapy to Help Manage the Stress of College Life
Being extremely clear about what you do and who you do it for helps your website visitors decide quickly whether or not they want to learn more. If a website visitor is confused by the words on your website and has to search around to find out what you actually do, they’ll likely lose interest and leave your site - even if they’re looking for counseling services.
Tweak 3: Include a clear call to action
On a business website, it’s important to guide people to take action, because the simple fact is: they won’t take action if you don’t explicitly tell them how.
Don’t expect folks to contact you just because you have a “Contact Me” page.
Instead, include a clear and direct call to action on your homepage. Think about what action you want prospective clients to take. Do you want them to book a free, 15-minute phone call? Do you want them to join your email list? Get clear on the action you want aligned clients to take, and then write your call to action.
Great calls to action encourage visitors to take action now, and describe what the visitor will get after they take action. Here are some examples:
“Download my free guide: ‘5 Steps to Diet & Body Shame Freedom.’ Learn how to release body shame and cultivate an empowered relationship with your body and food.” Followed by a button that says: “Download Now.”
“Book a free 15-minute phone consultation here.” Followed by a button with your phone number displayed.
“Reserve a spot in my upcoming workshop: ‘Art as Therapy: Paint to De-Stress.’ Learn simple techniques to release everyday tension. No painting experience required!” Followed by a button that says: “Reserve A Spot.”
Your website can (and should) help you get clients
Your website is often the first point of contact between you and potential clients. If it’s cluttered, confusing, or depersonalized, you’re leaving money on the table - and more importantly, you’re making it harder for the people who need you the most to utilize your services.
Take some time in the next day to implement the three website tweaks I described above, then continue to share your website whenever possible. The more people see it, the better your chances of your website doing what it’s supposed to do - get you clients!
Ready to grow your practice, but not sure where to start?
Get started with my free guide: Grow Your Practice on Autopilot. This step-by-step guide will help you connect with hundreds of potential clients 24/7. Download the guide here.
