Tips for More Effective Therapist Websites

I'm often asked to critique therapist websites. Here are my general criteria to make your website more effective.

1. Each therapist should have a separate page on the site.

2. Articles are a great addition to a practice website, but they need to be

• Consistent (all PDFs or all links -- ideally, use links)
• Written by a therapist -- not just compiled information. Put YOUR name on it.
• Updated regularly. (Reference a current event in the article to make it relevant.)
• Listed alphabetically, or listed by category. Or, better yet, both.
• Error-free. (No typos!!)
• Internally linked. At the bottom of each article page, it should take you back to the individual therapist's page who wrote the article.

3. Individual therapist's pages should like to a "Contact Us" page. E-mail and phone numbers should be on each therapist's page. The practice phone number should be on every page of the site.

4. The site needs to be professional -- no broken links, no ugly pages.

Your Website

I probably get more questions about websites than about any other tactic for marketing your private practice. Therapists often ask me, "Do I need a website?" My answer is: "No."

Should you have an online presence? Yes ... but it doesn't have to be a website. You can have a simple profile online, contribute to online forums, write a blog ... even use Google's AdWords service to market yourself.

And even if you DO have a website, it doesn't have to be elaborate. It can be as simple as one page (although I recommend 3-5 pages, including sections for your Bio, Services, Articles/Resources, and Contact Information).

An easy way to get started is a paid profile service, like that offered by Psychology Today. For just $29.95 a month, you'll have your own web page online, and Psychology Today's The Therapy Directory service also promotes you online on major search engines and health websites. Watch the demo on their site to see how to set up your profile. (Use this link to receive a free listing for 90 days!)

Once your profile is online, register your own domain name, and "point" it to your profile.
Check if your domain is available, and register it now!

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With an online presence already established, you can then work on developing your actual website ... starting with 2-3 pages initially and working your way up to a full-fledged site.

The cost of developing a "standard" private practice website can be as little as $400-$600. Contact us for more details.