There are more than 100,000 therapists in the US – and those are the ones that specialize in psychology alone. Whether your niche in his cognitive behavior therapy or sex therapy, you need a means of reaching the people who will benefit from your services. The most effective way to do so online is with a well-designed therapist website.
Here are several must-haves of a successful therapist website:
Brand Identity
Your brand messaging must be clear and quickly identifiable. By brand identity, we mean your mission and value statements, your logo, color scheme, typography, image selection, tone, etc. Your brand messaging shouldn’t simply state what you do, but why you do what you do – and how you do it better than anyone else.
Think of your brand identity as the blueprints that will shape and drive your business. That includes your website. Don’t start building your site without one.
Easy Navigation
When in doubt, keep it simple and get your message across quickly. Don’t overstuff your site with dozens of links, drop down menus, and albeit chaos. Have a simple navigation menu on the top or side of your page with clearly defined options. Most websites for therapists only require a few pages with the following content:
- Home page
- About page
- Service pages
- A landing page for each service
- Blog
- Contact page (sometimes a small, easy-to-find form on the homepage will do )
Sites like Cedar Park and Oshun Media are great examples of simple but effective website design.
Make It Mobile-Friendly
55.56% of all internet traffic is mobile. If your website isn’t as responsive on your smartphone as it is on your desktop, you’re going to miss out on a lot of site traffic. Also, your search engine ranking will likely take a devastating blow.
Use mobile-responsive design when you start building out your site and test it on Google. Use a font that’s large enough to read (size 12 or 14 usually works fine), and make your forms short and simple. The easier things are for your visitor, the more likely they are to come back.
Fast Load Speed
According to Forbes, mobile load times drive customer experience and impact sales. 70% of consumers say page speed impacts their willingness to buy.
- 22% of shoppers said they would close the tab altogether
- 15% said they would visit a competitor’s site
- 12% said they would tell a friend about their negative experience
To improve your load speed, compress all of your images, get rid of plugins you don’t need, and use a high-quality theme. Google’s PageSpeed Insights is particularly helpful here.
Include Testimonials
When others rave about you, it speaks to your credibility. Who are you more likely to believe: someone who talks about how great they are, or someone talking about how great someone else is? Testimonials are a must-have for any therapist website. If you don’t have testimonials, your future patients may grow suspicious.
Your Picture and Ideal Patient Images
Take a professional headshot and put it on your home or about page. Avoid using selfies or pictures of you drinking at a party or sunbathing on the beach. You want to attract clients, not likes and comments from your friends on social media.
Also include images of your ideal patients. This is a little trickier, because you usually won’t have photos of actual patients on your site. Stay away from overused stock images. If you’re uncertain, use conceptual images instead. It’s all about getting the idea across.
Social Media Icons and Contact Info
Widgets to your social media platforms and contact information should be easily identifiable. Without them, your visitors may have difficulty reaching you or learning more about you.
Testing, Testing
Get feedback before launching your therapist website. A second pair of eyes can help you identify mistakes that you’re unaware of making. Once you’ve gone back and made the corrections, you’re ready to launch!