OTT 15 - What Needs to Happen Before You Build a Therapy Website?

If you're planning a new website this year, the most important work happens before anyone starts designing. Get that part right and you build the site once, instead of paying to redo it in 18 months.Many therapists treat a website like a one-time purchase. You pay for it, it launches, you move on. Then a year and a half later you're back where you started, writing another check for another site, because the first one never actually fit the practice.You might think the fix is a better designer or a nicer template. It's not. The projects that work start with strategy, not design. This episode walks through what that planning looks like, and why it's the difference between a site that works and one you'll replace.Key takeawaysA homepage that tries to speak to everyone connects with no one. Name your priority client first."Look professional" isn't a goal. A booked consult call is a goal.Words come before design. Design makes a message land, it can't create one.Your analytics already hold answers. Before rebuilding, check what's working and what isn't. Sometimes 2 pages are doing all the work.Client language belongs in your headlines. The exact phrases people use ("I feel stuck," "my nervous system feels broken") become the pages that answer them.Sequence matters. Build the pages that convert first, then add ongoing content. Publishing blog posts on a site that doesn't convert is a common way to waste money.Links mentioned in this episodeLearn about the Digital Trailmap Session: privatepracticeelevation.com/digital-trailmap-sessionBook a free 15-minute call to talk through your plan: privatepracticeelevation.com/kickoffThis episode is brought to you by HelcimWhen was the last time you looked at your payment processing statement? A 3% flat rate on one session feels small. Across a full caseload, it adds up to thousands of dollars a year just to accept payments.Helcim works differently. Instead of a flat rate, they use Interchange Plus pricing, which passes the real bank rate to you plus one clear margin. That cuts processing fees by about 25% on average. No monthly fees, no software fees, no contracts, and full HIPAA compliance. You also get digital invoicing, automatic payment reminders, and cards on file for easy post-session billing.Start now and your first $5,000 in transactions is completely fee-free. Head to helcim.com/PPE or click the link in the show notes.