The Fastest, Easiest, Most Cost-Effective Approach to Website Design
As a therapist in private practice, building a website may not come naturally to you. And let’s face it, hiring a professional web designer can be an expensive and daunting task. But what if I told you that you could create a professional-looking website on your own without sacrificing quality or losing your sanity? Yes, you read that right! And the best part? You don't need to hire a professional website designer or learn to code.
To launch a website quickly and with minimal effort, you need to understand what’s involved in the design and launch process. That way, you can decide where you want to invest and where you want to save.
Here’s what’s involved:
Branding
Identifying your brand is crucial because it supports every other step of the website design process. Your website designer will be lost (and frankly, pissed) if you haven’t completed this step, and it could result in spending money unnecessarily. Your brand involves the vision and voice of your business, colors, fonts, and other visuals representing your business, and a detailed description of your target audience/market (i.e., your ideal clients).
Design
The design of your website will need to include the visuals you identified during your branding process. Your website design must reflect your ideal clients’ values, needs, and desires with relevant images, colors, graphics, fonts, etc. In addition to making your website relevant to your ideal client, you want a modern, unique design that stands out from other therapist websites.
Copywriting
Copywriting isn’t just about writing well; it’s about capturing your services, optimizing your copy for search engines, attracting your ideal clients, and persuading them to hire you. Whether you write the copy yourself or hire someone else, you must communicate detailed information about your ideal client, offerings, and brand. If you’re a “good enough” writer, you can save money doing the copywriting yourself.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If I had a nickel for every therapist who came to me asking why their gorgeous designer-made website isn’t hitting page one on Google search results, I’d be one rich woman. The answer is always the same: That expensive designer you hired didn’t do SEO.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is optimizing content to rank higher in search engine results pages. SEO is critical to digital marketing, helping businesses reach their target audience. The goal is to improve the quantity and quality of organic (unpaid) traffic to your website. SEO includes techniques like keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and content creation. To succeed in SEO, it's essential to understand search algorithms and develop strategies that align with them.
As you can see, your website project won’t be completely hands-off. You’ll either need to learn these skills yourself or outsource them. Either way, you must invest time, energy, and money into your project.
With that said, there are a few things you can do to make this process more manageable. Be prepared for some shameless plugs here. I have built High Five Design Co. to meet the needs of people like you, so expect this blog post to highlight my products, services, and resources.
Done is Better Than Perfect
I’ve noticed that the therapists who get frustrated with the website design process tend to be indecisive and perfectionistic, believing they must have a “perfect” site that never needs attention. This is the WORST way to go about a website project! Your website must be updated often if you want Google to keep showing it in search results. So not only is the desire to have the perfect website unrealistic, it will hurt your business.
You know how your first pancake never turns out right? Sometimes you throw it away, and sometimes you eat it anyway. Either way, the second, third, and fourth pancakes will be better. You don’t freak out when the first pancake is a little weird. You just keep making pancakes! That’s how I want you to approach your website. Go into your website project with the attitude of “done is better than perfect.” Just like you can make another pancake, you can (and should) edit and update your site in the future.
Complete my Brand Strategy Workbook (it’s free!)
Don’t bother paying for a professional branding expert. The Brand Strategy Workbook will guide you through a process to help you identify your visual elements, ideal client, and value proposition, as well as your practice vision and voice. Knowing these key aspects of your business provides a foundation for your website.
As you complete the Brand Strategy Workbook, you must be decisive. Don’t be sidelined by small details or believe you can’t make changes later.
Another branding tip: If you don’t have a designer’s eye but need help with a color palette, check out my Instagram page and these blog posts for ideas. You can also find TONS of branding ideas and color palettes on Pinterest.
Choose the Perfect Website Builder
There are many options, but I recommend Squarespace for our purposes. Squarespace is quick and easy to use, and your website will look highly professional.
Here’s more on why I love Squarespace for therapists and coaches.
Pick a Template
The cheapest way to get started is to get a template that is built on Squarespace. Some are free, and others are usually less than $400.
I offer a free template, or you can use one in the Squarespace library. Squarespace’s templates are not optimized for therapists and coaches, so you might have to make several changes to the website layout and formatting. For that reason, my free template might be a better option. (Yes, it’s totally free. No strings attached.)
If you don’t like the design of my free template or Squarespace’s free options, you can purchase a template built specifically for therapists and coaches from a 3rd party seller. This usually costs between $200 and $400, but you won't need to make as many changes when you buy a template created for a therapist or coaching practice. You can plop your content directly into it and trust that the layout and formatting are strategically designed for your industry.
High Five Design Co. makes templates for therapists and coaches who want an inexpensive, high-functioning, designer-quality site built specifically for your industry. Using a template saves you time, money, and the guesswork of knowing how to make a site that grows a therapy or coaching practice.
Write Your Copy
While a professional copywriter adds significant value to your website, it can be expensive for a new private practitioner. I recommend you use online resources or books to learn how to write the copy yourself. That way, you can confidently update your website copy without depending on someone else. If your website is not performing at the level you think it should, you can invest in professional copywriting later.
How do you learn copywriting for therapist websites? You can take a class or scour the internet, but I’ve done that for you. And I’ve compiled all my knowledge into my Website Content Guides. By the time you’ve completed my Website Content Guides, you have all your website copy written, and you’ll be armed with professional copywriting skills that you can use for the rest of your life!
Try a One-Day Website
If the thought of a DIY approach makes you nauseous, or you prefer a collaborative process with a designer, then the One-Day Website might be a good fit. With a One-Day Website, we will complete and launch your entire site in one day. It’s not entirely hands-off; you’ll still provide website copy and brand information, but I will be available for 6 hours to provide live, in-person feedback on everything. I will edit your copy before pasting it into your site, and we’ll work together on the design. I’ll also provide some foundational SEO work to get you started. If this sounds like a good option, click here to learn more.
