Creating a Compelling Healing Arts Websiteby Juliet Austin, MA
Marketing Coach, Consultant and Copywriter
Many healing professionals spend a lot of time and money on websites that don't bring about the results they expected. If this is your experience, you are not alone.
If you are not getting the response you want from your website, it can be due to many factors. One of the most significant is that your website may not be compelling. In other words, it may not be motivating your potential clients to take action. A compelling website can make all the difference as to whether prospective clients take the next step to contact you or not.
If you want to get better results from your website, you will at least need to know some basic guidelines for creating a website that compels people to take action once they get there. Below are 5 that will get you started.
1. Have a Simple, Clean Design
Of course you want your materials to look interesting and professional, but be careful that your graphics and the overall design do not distract prospective clients from your message. Be wary of designers who want to include graphics that can overwhelm people or fancy technology that frustrates and distracts your website visitors.
Your writing should be easy to read. Black ink is usually the easiest on the eye. Remember, you want prospective clients to read your copy so that they discern whether or not you can help them with their problems. If they get agitated trying to read your website, they may click to another site and never return to yours.
Write in short sentences and include lots of white space. It's hard to read on the computer so make it as easy as possible.
2. Have a Compelling Opening Headline
Start with a compelling headline that speaks directly to the kind of person you are trying to attract. This headline should focus on the potential client and what they are seeking. It should *not* be about you or your services. The purpose of an opening headline is to attract the attention of the reader. If your headline is interesting, they will likely keep reading, if it is boring or doesn't speak directly to them, chances are, they won't read any further.
Your headline should either be problem or benefit focused. I often prefer the former, as I think it works better because people's thoughts are usually dominated by their problems when they seek help. A problem-based headline would address the concerns or key problems your target market has. A benefit focused headline would address what they want to have happen (i.e. what would it look like if their problem was solved).
3. Focus Your Website on Your Prospective Clients
One of the most common problems made by healing professionals unfamiliar with marketing, is that they focus their websites far too much on themselves. How many websites, for example, have you seen where the home page opens and you immediately read about the professional--who they are, what their qualifications are, etc?
So, what is wrong with focusing your website on yourself? After all, your potential clients want to know about you and your services, don't they? Yes, they do, but it's typically not the first thing on their mind when they land at your site.
They are usually first concerned in knowing whether you understand them and the difficulties they are experiencing. In the marketing field this principle is often referred to as "WIFM" (What is in it for me?) People sit up and take notice when something addresses their desires directly.
So, how do you illustrate to potential clients that you understand their problems and know how to help them? You can do this by first writing about your clients' problem(s) and the solution(s) they are seeking. If you have been convincing in showing them that you understand them and have what it takes to help them solve their problems, they will be more ready to take the next step and read about you and your services.
4. Focus on the Benefits of Your Services as Opposed to the Features
Many professionals confuse the "benefits" with the "features" of their services. "Features" are statements about your business that describe what your business is about, the types of services you offer, how you work with your clients, etc. Potential clients do like to know the features of your services, but this is not typically what entices them to hire you.
"Benefits", on the other hand, focus on concrete things clients can expect to experience as a result of the features of your services. For example, communicate better, be pain free, have more energy, have happier relationships, etc.
In order to list the problems and benefits for your potential clients accurately, you will need to know your target market well and what it is they are seeking.
5. Describe How You or Your Services Are Unique
What is unique about you and the services that you offer? What do your clients get from you that is different from what they get from other professionals?
Because there are numerous other professionals offering similar services to yours, you will stand out if you can convey how you are different from them. Some examples of uniqueness include how you offer your services, your pricing, the quality of your services, your training, how you work with your clients, the value you provide, the outcome you deliver, etc. Whatever it is, it should be different enough so it's compelling in its uniqueness.
If you utilize the above guidelines in your website, you will undoubtedly get much better results--i.e. more clients. It takes some time and experimentation to do this, but when your phone starts to ring more often, you will be glad you made the effort.
Juliet Austin, MA is a Marketing Coach and Copywriter who assists helping and healing professionals (coaches, therapists, counselors, massage therapists, alternative health practitioners, etc.) in attracting as many clients as they can handle. She assists them in overcoming resistances to marketing, implementing no or low-cost marketing strategies, creating compelling promotional materials, and in writing client-attracting website copy.
Want to make your website more compelling? Join Juliet for the Client Attracting Websites Tele-seminar Series starting on October, 23, 2007. Find out more at julietaustin.com.
Get Juliet's FREE, 22 page, report, "67 Surefire Ways to Attract Clients" at julietaustin.com. You can also check out Juliet's Build Your Profitable Private Practice Exclusive Members Program and get a 30-day trial for only $4.95. For more info go to: buildyourprivatepractice.com.