Whether you choose to sign up to a drag-and-drop site builder, or to hire a web designer to build a professional website for your counselling services, there are a number of things to consider before choosing the right option for you.
At first, you might be attracted by the ease at which you can get started with a site builder. But after weeks or months of fiddling around and replaying how-to guides over and over, you might decide that it’d be easier to hire a web designer instead so that you can focus on what you do best - counselling.
In this post, you’ll learn everything there is to setting up a website. We’ll guide you through the technicalities needed to get started, and walk you through the pros and cons of all the options available to you.
Why do private counsellors need a website?
A study carried out by researchers in SFU in Vienna, Austria showed that 45% of former and current patients had obtained information about their therapists, and 80% of them used the internet to do this.
Having a professional website for your private therapy or psychiatry services is essential if you want to gain the trust of your clients, and establish yourself as a leading professional who they turn to when they need help.
Moreover, your website serves as a powerful, owned digital marketing channel where you can show off your skills as a therapist, and show your potential clients who it is that they’re getting as their counsellor when they book with you.
It helps if you think of your website as an investment. If you have a professionally-designed site which loads fast, has great copy and is primed for converting visitors into bookings, just one or two clients a year from it should more than pay for the website itself.
How much does it cost to build a website?
The cost to make a website depends on which methods you use to build it.
If you decide to go down the DIY route, and sign up to a drag-and-drop builder, you can expect to pay anything from £8 a month, to £100 a month, depending on which type of package you choose, and what features you subscribe to.
Remember that if you do decide to use a website builder, you’ll have to do everything yourself, including building the design, deciding on branding, web copy and maintaining your site.
If you decide to hire a web designer, the price varies considerably with different designers. I make professional websites for businesses like yours for an affordable monthly payment. Contact me here for a consultation.
What’s needed to make a professional website?
A website is a lot more than just a link to information about you as a therapist: it serves as a powerful, owned marketing channel for you to reach your target audience with relevant content, ultimately helping you to get more clients.
But to build this powerful marketing asset, there are a number of technicalities to set up and have in place. Principally, building a website comprises the following:
- Buying a domain name (www.yourwebsitename.com)
- Signing up to a hosting package. You store all of your website’s files with your host.
- Setting up an email address
- Writing all of the copy for each and every page of your site
- Deciding on the design, branding, visuals and styles
- Building and implementing site-specific features, such as a contact form, booking page and a blog.
You might be thinking that it seems like there’s a lot which goes into making a site, which is where drag-and-drop website builders come in. Often, you can get your domain and host your site with your chosen site builder, and use a template, or theme to help you with the design.
But is it really that easy to make a professional-looking site with a drag-and-drop builder? And will it be as good as one made by a professional web designer?
Should I use a drag-and-drop builder?
It’s easy to get sucked into the relative ease at which you can get started on your own website if you sign up to a site builder. But you might soon realise that you don’t have the skills or the time to build a site that is as good as what a professional could build.
When it comes to making a website for your therapy or psychiatric services, there are several ways you can go about this; mainly you have the following options:
- Hire a professional web developer (recommended)
- Use a website builder
- Set up a Wordpress site and pay for the hosting yourself
There are various pros and cons to each of the above, which we explore in depth below. But you should realise that sites built with a website builder are often slow and underperform in search engine rankings.
Both using a website builder and a self-hosted Wordpress site will require you to buy your own domain, and if you use Wordpress you’ll need to pay for hosting. And you still have to do EVERYTHING yourself, including designing each component, page and layout; you’ll need to write all of the web copy, and invest in digital marketing if you want to see real results.
Digital marketing is an entire endeavour in itself. It involves using pay per click (PPC) ads, content marketing, link building and social media posting. Analytics also play a huge part in optimising your marketing strategy to maximise your ROI.
Many low-budget marketing agencies will sell you both a website and a digital marketing plan, but the websites they build are often done with some form of a website builder, which is slow and performs poorly in search engine results.
Consider your budget
The budget you decide on should reflect how much revenue you expect your website to generate. Typically a budget of around £20-£50 per month is a low amount, and to see real results you need to invest a lot more in site optimisation and digital marketing.
You could test the waters with a website builder. But I’d only recommend this if you think you want to spend a lot of time making it, and if you have the copywriting skills.
Do you have the time and skills needed to make a website?
Whether you choose to make your own site with a drag and drop builder like Squarespace, or download a theme for a Wordpress-hosted site, you will need to invest a considerable amount of time to build your site.
It takes time to learn how to design or customise a template on a site builder, and no matter how much time you spend on your site, it’s difficult to get it looking and sounding professional. You’ll need to write all of the copy for each page of your site. Are you good at writing sales copy? Do you want to?
Before I became a web developer, I tried using site builders myself, and I had no idea what I was doing. I discovered that sites built with drag-and-drop builders are slow, which significantly affects search engine performance.
If you’d rather focus on what you do best and hire a professional who can offer you an all-in-one-package, just go here to make a consultation. I’ll build you a blazing fast website with all of the copy included, and I’ll set you up with a professional email address which gets past spam filters.
How to make a website for your therapy services with a website builder
If you’re tempted by the relatively low cost and promises of being able to build a beautiful website that looks like it was designed by a professional, here’s a list of some reputable site builders to get you started.
Common website builders
There are vast amounts of drag and drop site builders out there, each with different features and pricing plans. Typically, the monthly price of a website builder is between £8 and £100 depending on how much extra storage and how many features you want.
Some popular drag-and-drop site builders with templates for psychiatrists include:
- Wix
- Squarespace
- GoDaddy
- Bluehost
- Hostinger
If you’re not sure of which one to go with, there’s no harm in taking advantage of any free trials on offer to check out the different features of each builder.
The advantages of using a website builder
Some business owners like website builders because premium plans often give you access to ready-made websites, or templates, stock photos and apps to add to your website. Better website builders often have libraries of resources and videos to show you how to customise your site.
Other benefits of using a site builder include:
- Affordability: website builders are generally cheaper than other options available to you. You could get started with a basic plan from as little as £8 a month.
- Full control: you decide on branding, copy and your site’s user experience. You have all the tools needed to make a website for your therapy business.
- Usability: it’s relatively easy to drag and drop blocks around a web page and build a website. Or, you can implement any templates or themes your provider offers.
- An all-in-one solution: you don’t need to buy a separate hosting plan. Most reputable builders will allow you to buy your own domain. And customer support is usually available.
The disadvantages of using a website builder
Site builders might seem appealing at first. You land on the homepage of a builder and everything you need to get started is served on a plate to you. And all you need to do is get your credit card out. But is it really as simple as they might have you believe? Absolutely not. Here are the main disadvantages:
- High levels of involvement - which consumes all of your time. You’ll need to:
- Build the site yourself, including deciding on style, branding, making the design and creating a good user experience (UX)
- Write all of the marketing copy and content. Though, you could hire somebody to do this for you at an extra cost.
- Maintain the website
- Search engine underperformance: sites built with website builders often don’t perform well in search because they’re slow and not optimised for speed.
- Site-builder limitations: you’re limited to the capabilities of the builder. Your chosen website builder might not allow you to add certain features or customisations which you need.
- Lack of flexibility: some site builders do not allow you to switch themes once you’ve published your site. So, if you want to make big changes to the look and feel of your site, you need to start over with a new theme.
Create a self-hosted CMS website with WordPress
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) where you publish content on your site and manage your content without needing to write extra code. It’s relatively easy to create or edit pages, and you can customise your site with downloadable themes and plugins.
What you need to build a WordPress site for your counselling business
There are a number of things you’ll need to purchase and set up if you want to make a site with WordPress. In a nutshell, you’ll need to do the following:
- Buy a domain name (e.g. example.com)
- Subscribe to a hosting plan
- Install WordPress on your site
What is a domain name?
Your domain name is the web address you type into a browser window to visit a particular website. For example, www.google.com. You can buy domains from domain registrars. You’ll normally need to renew your domain every 1 or 2 years, depending on which plan you choose. Typical prices range from as little as a few pounds to between £20 and £40 per year.
What is a hosting plan?
A host allows you to rent space from their servers where you can store all of your website’s data, code and files. Typically, prices range from £10 to £50 a month depending on how much storage space and extras you want.
Should I use WordPress to make a website for my therapy services?
When you have little or no experience in web development, you need technical skills and knowledge to set up and build a WordPress site. That’s not to say that you couldn’t learn how to do this, but if you want to get your site up and running quickly, without any hassle so that you can focus on your counselling services, WordPress might not be the best option for you.
Hiring a web developer to make your site
We’ve shown you the DIY options for building a website, which we said can take up a significant proportion of your time. Now, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of hiring a professional web designer to make your site.
The advantages of hiring a professional web designer for your therapy website
The biggest advantage for you is that you don’t have to waste time trying to build something which you don’t have the skills and knowledge to do well; you won’t have to spend hours messing around with drag-and-drop builders or learning how to build a WordPress site.
There are many more advantages to hiring a web developer:
- Speed optimisation: if a site’s built for speed, it should perform better in search engine rankings.
- A first-class website: your site will look professional, and have an optimised user experience (UX).
- Limitless possibilities: if you need customisations or extra content, all you need to do is reach out to your web designer and tell them what you want.
The disadvantages of hiring a web developer
Just because you have a professional make your website doesn’t mean that you’ll be appearing at the top of Google search pages; ranking in Google is also about your SEO and content strategy - or digital marketing, and requires a bigger budget.
There are a number of other things to take into consideration when choosing a web developer to build your site for your psychiatry services:
- Higher cost: hiring a web designer usually costs considerably more than other options, and growing and expanding your site costs extra.
- Less control: you’ll need to collaborate with your web developer to decide on your site’s design, content or to make customisations.
- Finding a web designer: you’ll need to find a web developer who you can trust, and this in itself can be a long process.
How much does it cost to hire a web developer?
Some web developers will ask for thousands of pounds upfront to build your website. Others might ask for a smaller down payment and the rest upon completion. And in some instances that might be before doing any copywriting.
It’s important to realise that web developers are not copywriters. Writing the copy of your site is a whole endeavour in itself, and requires extra budget. Once the design, layout and branding of your site has been made, it’s down to the copy to sell your services.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. I make websites for businesses of all shapes and sizes. All I ask for is an affordable monthly payment. For that small monthly payment, you also get:
- A blazing fast website which will be faster than any site built with a site builder, boosting your search engine performance.
- I design and build a site which involves you at every step of the way. I’ll show you some mockups, and then you pick which one you want and any customisations you’d like.
- I write all of the copy for you - and it’s copy written by a professional. Before I trained as a web developer, I was a copywriter. When you hire me, you get great copy AND a great website!
What to consider when hiring a web designer for your psychiatry services
When you hire a web designer to build your website, you’re investing in a business relationship which should be collaborative and meet your specific needs. Different developers have their own ways of doing things, and each charges different prices. Here are some extras for you to consider:
Be prepared to fill out a website brief
A website design brief is a comprehensive document which details everything that’s required to build your website the way you want it. Working with your web designer, you will need to complete a brief so that the designer can understand your needs and how you’d like the design, style and layout to be; this may include:
- Business overview and mission statement
- What the goals of the website are e.g. to get X number of new clients a month
- Deliverables, such as pages, content, visuals and domain setup
- Who the target audience is
- Competitor research
- Style, branding and design of the website
- Project timeline of when deliverables will be finished
Your website brief may not be as exhaustive as the above, but there should be a clear sense of what you hope to get out of your site and what it should look like.
Setting agreed upon deadlines for deliverables
When you decide to hire a web designer to make your site, you should have a clear set of deliverables to be given to you by a specific date. For example, you might agree with your web designer to receive a mock-up of your site, with branding and style but without the content. And then you agree on a date to see the finished website before publishing.
Signing a contract
You should sign a contract drawn up by your web developer which details the following:
- What the deliverables and their due dates are
- How long the contract is to last and details of any minimum periods
- What happens if you cancel your contract before the minimum period
- The cost of the developer’s services and what it will cost for any agreed upon extras
- What rights you have to the intellectual property made by the designer
Each web developer will have their own ways of doing things, and you should check your contract carefully before signing.
Ask about responsive design
It’s likely that your patients and clients will be searching on a smartphone to discover what therapy services are available to them in their local area - which is why you should check with your web developer that your site will be fully responsive and perform well on mobiles, tablets and desktops.
Takeaways
The relatively low cost and ease at which you can get started building a website with a drag-and-drop builder might seem appealing at first, but after spending weeks or months fiddling around and trying to make a pixel-perfect website, you’ll probably want to consider the other options available to you.
So, why bother to unnecessarily waste your time? I can build you a super-fast, professional website which will be optimised for performance in search engine results pages, have great content that brings in new clients and takes your counselling business to the next level.
For a free consultation, email me here to make an appointment.
Whether you choose to sign up to a drag-and-drop site builder, or to hire a web designer to build a professional website for your counselling services, there are a number of things to consider before choosing the right option for you.
At first, you might be attracted by the ease at which you can get started with a site builder. But after weeks or months of fiddling around and replaying how-to guides over and over, you might decide that it’d be easier to hire a web designer instead so that you can focus on what you do best - counselling.
In this post, you’ll learn everything there is to setting up a website. We’ll guide you through the technicalities needed to get started, and walk you through the pros and cons of all the options available to you.
Why do private counsellors need a website?
A study carried out by researchers in SFU in Vienna, Austria showed that 45% of former and current patients had obtained information about their therapists, and 80% of them used the internet to do this.
Having a professional website for your private therapy or psychiatry services is essential if you want to gain the trust of your clients, and establish yourself as a leading professional who they turn to when they need help.
Moreover, your website serves as a powerful, owned digital marketing channel where you can show off your skills as a therapist, and show your potential clients who it is that they’re getting as their counsellor when they book with you.
It helps if you think of your website as an investment. If you have a professionally-designed site which loads fast, has great copy and is primed for converting visitors into bookings, just one or two clients a year from it should more than pay for the website itself.
How much does it cost to build a website?
The cost to make a website depends on which methods you use to build it.
If you decide to go down the DIY route, and sign up to a drag-and-drop builder, you can expect to pay anything from £8 a month, to £100 a month, depending on which type of package you choose, and what features you subscribe to.
Remember that if you do decide to use a website builder, you’ll have to do everything yourself, including building the design, deciding on branding, web copy and maintaining your site.
If you decide to hire a web designer, the price varies considerably with different designers. I make professional websites for businesses like yours for an affordable monthly payment. Contact me here for a consultation.
What’s needed to make a professional website?
A website is a lot more than just a link to information about you as a therapist: it serves as a powerful, owned marketing channel for you to reach your target audience with relevant content, ultimately helping you to get more clients.
But to build this powerful marketing asset, there are a number of technicalities to set up and have in place. Principally, building a website comprises the following:
- Buying a domain name (www.yourwebsitename.com)
- Signing up to a hosting package. You store all of your website’s files with your host.
- Setting up an email address
- Writing all of the copy for each and every page of your site
- Deciding on the design, branding, visuals and styles
- Building and implementing site-specific features, such as a contact form, booking page and a blog.
You might be thinking that it seems like there’s a lot which goes into making a site, which is where drag-and-drop website builders come in. Often, you can get your domain and host your site with your chosen site builder, and use a template, or theme to help you with the design.
But is it really that easy to make a professional-looking site with a drag-and-drop builder? And will it be as good as one made by a professional web designer?
Should I use a drag-and-drop builder?
It’s easy to get sucked into the relative ease at which you can get started on your own website if you sign up to a site builder. But you might soon realise that you don’t have the skills or the time to build a site that is as good as what a professional could build.
When it comes to making a website for your therapy or psychiatric services, there are several ways you can go about this; mainly you have the following options:
- Hire a professional web developer (recommended)
- Use a website builder
- Set up a Wordpress site and pay for the hosting yourself
There are various pros and cons to each of the above, which we explore in depth below. But you should realise that sites built with a website builder are often slow and underperform in search engine rankings.
Both using a website builder and a self-hosted Wordpress site will require you to buy your own domain, and if you use Wordpress you’ll need to pay for hosting. And you still have to do EVERYTHING yourself, including designing each component, page and layout; you’ll need to write all of the web copy, and invest in digital marketing if you want to see real results.
Digital marketing is an entire endeavour in itself. It involves using pay per click (PPC) ads, content marketing, link building and social media posting. Analytics also play a huge part in optimising your marketing strategy to maximise your ROI.
Many low-budget marketing agencies will sell you both a website and a digital marketing plan, but the websites they build are often done with some form of a website builder, which is slow and performs poorly in search engine results.
Consider your budget
The budget you decide on should reflect how much revenue you expect your website to generate. Typically a budget of around £20-£50 per month is a low amount, and to see real results you need to invest a lot more in site optimisation and digital marketing.
You could test the waters with a website builder. But I’d only recommend this if you think you want to spend a lot of time making it, and if you have the copywriting skills.
Do you have the time and skills needed to make a website?
Whether you choose to make your own site with a drag and drop builder like Squarespace, or download a theme for a Wordpress-hosted site, you will need to invest a considerable amount of time to build your site.
It takes time to learn how to design or customise a template on a site builder, and no matter how much time you spend on your site, it’s difficult to get it looking and sounding professional. You’ll need to write all of the copy for each page of your site. Are you good at writing sales copy? Do you want to?
Before I became a web developer, I tried using site builders myself, and I had no idea what I was doing. I discovered that sites built with drag-and-drop builders are slow, which significantly affects search engine performance.
If you’d rather focus on what you do best and hire a professional who can offer you an all-in-one-package, just go here to make a consultation. I’ll build you a blazing fast website with all of the copy included, and I’ll set you up with a professional email address which gets past spam filters.
How to make a website for your therapy services with a website builder
If you’re tempted by the relatively low cost and promises of being able to build a beautiful website that looks like it was designed by a professional, here’s a list of some reputable site builders to get you started.
Common website builders
There are vast amounts of drag and drop site builders out there, each with different features and pricing plans. Typically, the monthly price of a website builder is between £8 and £100 depending on how much extra storage and how many features you want.
Some popular drag-and-drop site builders with templates for psychiatrists include:
- Wix
- Squarespace
- GoDaddy
- Bluehost
- Hostinger
If you’re not sure of which one to go with, there’s no harm in taking advantage of any free trials on offer to check out the different features of each builder.
The advantages of using a website builder
Some business owners like website builders because premium plans often give you access to ready-made websites, or templates, stock photos and apps to add to your website. Better website builders often have libraries of resources and videos to show you how to customise your site.
Other benefits of using a site builder include:
- Affordability: website builders are generally cheaper than other options available to you. You could get started with a basic plan from as little as £8 a month.
- Full control: you decide on branding, copy and your site’s user experience. You have all the tools needed to make a website for your therapy business.
- Usability: it’s relatively easy to drag and drop blocks around a web page and build a website. Or, you can implement any templates or themes your provider offers.
- An all-in-one solution: you don’t need to buy a separate hosting plan. Most reputable builders will allow you to buy your own domain. And customer support is usually available.
The disadvantages of using a website builder
Site builders might seem appealing at first. You land on the homepage of a builder and everything you need to get started is served on a plate to you. And all you need to do is get your credit card out. But is it really as simple as they might have you believe? Absolutely not. Here are the main disadvantages:
- High levels of involvement - which consumes all of your time. You’ll need to:
- Build the site yourself, including deciding on style, branding, making the design and creating a good user experience (UX)
- Write all of the marketing copy and content. Though, you could hire somebody to do this for you at an extra cost.
- Maintain the website
- Search engine underperformance: sites built with website builders often don’t perform well in search because they’re slow and not optimised for speed.
- Site-builder limitations: you’re limited to the capabilities of the builder. Your chosen website builder might not allow you to add certain features or customisations which you need.
- Lack of flexibility: some site builders do not allow you to switch themes once you’ve published your site. So, if you want to make big changes to the look and feel of your site, you need to start over with a new theme.
Create a self-hosted CMS website with WordPress
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) where you publish content on your site and manage your content without needing to write extra code. It’s relatively easy to create or edit pages, and you can customise your site with downloadable themes and plugins.
What you need to build a WordPress site for your counselling business
There are a number of things you’ll need to purchase and set up if you want to make a site with WordPress. In a nutshell, you’ll need to do the following:
- Buy a domain name (e.g. example.com)
- Subscribe to a hosting plan
- Install WordPress on your site
What is a domain name?
Your domain name is the web address you type into a browser window to visit a particular website. For example, www.google.com. You can buy domains from domain registrars. You’ll normally need to renew your domain every 1 or 2 years, depending on which plan you choose. Typical prices range from as little as a few pounds to between £20 and £40 per year.
What is a hosting plan?
A host allows you to rent space from their servers where you can store all of your website’s data, code and files. Typically, prices range from £10 to £50 a month depending on how much storage space and extras you want.
Should I use WordPress to make a website for my therapy services?
When you have little or no experience in web development, you need technical skills and knowledge to set up and build a WordPress site. That’s not to say that you couldn’t learn how to do this, but if you want to get your site up and running quickly, without any hassle so that you can focus on your counselling services, WordPress might not be the best option for you.
Hiring a web developer to make your site
We’ve shown you the DIY options for building a website, which we said can take up a significant proportion of your time. Now, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of hiring a professional web designer to make your site.
The advantages of hiring a professional web designer for your therapy website
The biggest advantage for you is that you don’t have to waste time trying to build something which you don’t have the skills and knowledge to do well; you won’t have to spend hours messing around with drag-and-drop builders or learning how to build a WordPress site.
There are many more advantages to hiring a web developer:
- Speed optimisation: if a site’s built for speed, it should perform better in search engine rankings.
- A first-class website: your site will look professional, and have an optimised user experience (UX).
- Limitless possibilities: if you need customisations or extra content, all you need to do is reach out to your web designer and tell them what you want.
The disadvantages of hiring a web developer
Just because you have a professional make your website doesn’t mean that you’ll be appearing at the top of Google search pages; ranking in Google is also about your SEO and content strategy - or digital marketing, and requires a bigger budget.
There are a number of other things to take into consideration when choosing a web developer to build your site for your psychiatry services:
- Higher cost: hiring a web designer usually costs considerably more than other options, and growing and expanding your site costs extra.
- Less control: you’ll need to collaborate with your web developer to decide on your site’s design, content or to make customisations.
- Finding a web designer: you’ll need to find a web developer who you can trust, and this in itself can be a long process.
How much does it cost to hire a web developer?
Some web developers will ask for thousands of pounds upfront to build your website. Others might ask for a smaller down payment and the rest upon completion. And in some instances that might be before doing any copywriting.
It’s important to realise that web developers are not copywriters. Writing the copy of your site is a whole endeavour in itself, and requires extra budget. Once the design, layout and branding of your site has been made, it’s down to the copy to sell your services.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. I make websites for businesses of all shapes and sizes. All I ask for is an affordable monthly payment. For that small monthly payment, you also get:
- A blazing fast website which will be faster than any site built with a site builder, boosting your search engine performance.
- I design and build a site which involves you at every step of the way. I’ll show you some mockups, and then you pick which one you want and any customisations you’d like.
- I write all of the copy for you - and it’s copy written by a professional. Before I trained as a web developer, I was a copywriter. When you hire me, you get great copy AND a great website!
What to consider when hiring a web designer for your psychiatry services
When you hire a web designer to build your website, you’re investing in a business relationship which should be collaborative and meet your specific needs. Different developers have their own ways of doing things, and each charges different prices. Here are some extras for you to consider:
Be prepared to fill out a website brief
A website design brief is a comprehensive document which details everything that’s required to build your website the way you want it. Working with your web designer, you will need to complete a brief so that the designer can understand your needs and how you’d like the design, style and layout to be; this may include:
- Business overview and mission statement
- What the goals of the website are e.g. to get X number of new clients a month
- Deliverables, such as pages, content, visuals and domain setup
- Who the target audience is
- Competitor research
- Style, branding and design of the website
- Project timeline of when deliverables will be finished
Your website brief may not be as exhaustive as the above, but there should be a clear sense of what you hope to get out of your site and what it should look like.
Setting agreed upon deadlines for deliverables
When you decide to hire a web designer to make your site, you should have a clear set of deliverables to be given to you by a specific date. For example, you might agree with your web designer to receive a mock-up of your site, with branding and style but without the content. And then you agree on a date to see the finished website before publishing.
Signing a contract
You should sign a contract drawn up by your web developer which details the following:
- What the deliverables and their due dates are
- How long the contract is to last and details of any minimum periods
- What happens if you cancel your contract before the minimum period
- The cost of the developer’s services and what it will cost for any agreed upon extras
- What rights you have to the intellectual property made by the designer
Each web developer will have their own ways of doing things, and you should check your contract carefully before signing.
Ask about responsive design
It’s likely that your patients and clients will be searching on a smartphone to discover what therapy services are available to them in their local area - which is why you should check with your web developer that your site will be fully responsive and perform well on mobiles, tablets and desktops.
Takeaways
The relatively low cost and ease at which you can get started building a website with a drag-and-drop builder might seem appealing at first, but after spending weeks or months fiddling around and trying to make a pixel-perfect website, you’ll probably want to consider the other options available to you.
So, why bother to unnecessarily waste your time? I can build you a super-fast, professional website which will be optimised for performance in search engine results pages, have great content that brings in new clients and takes your counselling business to the next level.
For a free consultation, email me here to make an appointment.
Whether you choose to sign up to a drag-and-drop site builder, or to hire a web designer to build a professional website for your counselling services, there are a number of things to consider before choosing the right option for you.
At first, you might be attracted by the ease at which you can get started with a site builder. But after weeks or months of fiddling around and replaying how-to guides over and over, you might decide that it’d be easier to hire a web designer instead so that you can focus on what you do best - counselling.
In this post, you’ll learn everything there is to setting up a website. We’ll guide you through the technicalities needed to get started, and walk you through the pros and cons of all the options available to you.
Why do private counsellors need a website?
A study carried out by researchers in SFU in Vienna, Austria showed that 45% of former and current patients had obtained information about their therapists, and 80% of them used the internet to do this.
Having a professional website for your private therapy or psychiatry services is essential if you want to gain the trust of your clients, and establish yourself as a leading professional who they turn to when they need help.
Moreover, your website serves as a powerful, owned digital marketing channel where you can show off your skills as a therapist, and show your potential clients who it is that they’re getting as their counsellor when they book with you.
It helps if you think of your website as an investment. If you have a professionally-designed site which loads fast, has great copy and is primed for converting visitors into bookings, just one or two clients a year from it should more than pay for the website itself.
How much does it cost to build a website?
The cost to make a website depends on which methods you use to build it.
If you decide to go down the DIY route, and sign up to a drag-and-drop builder, you can expect to pay anything from £8 a month, to £100 a month, depending on which type of package you choose, and what features you subscribe to.
Remember that if you do decide to use a website builder, you’ll have to do everything yourself, including building the design, deciding on branding, web copy and maintaining your site.
If you decide to hire a web designer, the price varies considerably with different designers. I make professional websites for businesses like yours for an affordable monthly payment. Contact me here for a consultation.
What’s needed to make a professional website?
A website is a lot more than just a link to information about you as a therapist: it serves as a powerful, owned marketing channel for you to reach your target audience with relevant content, ultimately helping you to get more clients.
But to build this powerful marketing asset, there are a number of technicalities to set up and have in place. Principally, building a website comprises the following:
- Buying a domain name (www.yourwebsitename.com)
- Signing up to a hosting package. You store all of your website’s files with your host.
- Setting up an email address
- Writing all of the copy for each and every page of your site
- Deciding on the design, branding, visuals and styles
- Building and implementing site-specific features, such as a contact form, booking page and a blog.
You might be thinking that it seems like there’s a lot which goes into making a site, which is where drag-and-drop website builders come in. Often, you can get your domain and host your site with your chosen site builder, and use a template, or theme to help you with the design.
But is it really that easy to make a professional-looking site with a drag-and-drop builder? And will it be as good as one made by a professional web designer?
Should I use a drag-and-drop builder?
It’s easy to get sucked into the relative ease at which you can get started on your own website if you sign up to a site builder. But you might soon realise that you don’t have the skills or the time to build a site that is as good as what a professional could build.
When it comes to making a website for your therapy or psychiatric services, there are several ways you can go about this; mainly you have the following options:
- Hire a professional web developer (recommended)
- Use a website builder
- Set up a Wordpress site and pay for the hosting yourself
There are various pros and cons to each of the above, which we explore in depth below. But you should realise that sites built with a website builder are often slow and underperform in search engine rankings.
Both using a website builder and a self-hosted Wordpress site will require you to buy your own domain, and if you use Wordpress you’ll need to pay for hosting. And you still have to do EVERYTHING yourself, including designing each component, page and layout; you’ll need to write all of the web copy, and invest in digital marketing if you want to see real results.
Digital marketing is an entire endeavour in itself. It involves using pay per click (PPC) ads, content marketing, link building and social media posting. Analytics also play a huge part in optimising your marketing strategy to maximise your ROI.
Many low-budget marketing agencies will sell you both a website and a digital marketing plan, but the websites they build are often done with some form of a website builder, which is slow and performs poorly in search engine results.
Consider your budget
The budget you decide on should reflect how much revenue you expect your website to generate. Typically a budget of around £20-£50 per month is a low amount, and to see real results you need to invest a lot more in site optimisation and digital marketing.
You could test the waters with a website builder. But I’d only recommend this if you think you want to spend a lot of time making it, and if you have the copywriting skills.
Do you have the time and skills needed to make a website?
Whether you choose to make your own site with a drag and drop builder like Squarespace, or download a theme for a Wordpress-hosted site, you will need to invest a considerable amount of time to build your site.
It takes time to learn how to design or customise a template on a site builder, and no matter how much time you spend on your site, it’s difficult to get it looking and sounding professional. You’ll need to write all of the copy for each page of your site. Are you good at writing sales copy? Do you want to?
Before I became a web developer, I tried using site builders myself, and I had no idea what I was doing. I discovered that sites built with drag-and-drop builders are slow, which significantly affects search engine performance.
If you’d rather focus on what you do best and hire a professional who can offer you an all-in-one-package, just go here to make a consultation. I’ll build you a blazing fast website with all of the copy included, and I’ll set you up with a professional email address which gets past spam filters.
How to make a website for your therapy services with a website builder
If you’re tempted by the relatively low cost and promises of being able to build a beautiful website that looks like it was designed by a professional, here’s a list of some reputable site builders to get you started.
Common website builders
There are vast amounts of drag and drop site builders out there, each with different features and pricing plans. Typically, the monthly price of a website builder is between £8 and £100 depending on how much extra storage and how many features you want.
Some popular drag-and-drop site builders with templates for psychiatrists include:
- Wix
- Squarespace
- GoDaddy
- Bluehost
- Hostinger
If you’re not sure of which one to go with, there’s no harm in taking advantage of any free trials on offer to check out the different features of each builder.
The advantages of using a website builder
Some business owners like website builders because premium plans often give you access to ready-made websites, or templates, stock photos and apps to add to your website. Better website builders often have libraries of resources and videos to show you how to customise your site.
Other benefits of using a site builder include:
- Affordability: website builders are generally cheaper than other options available to you. You could get started with a basic plan from as little as £8 a month.
- Full control: you decide on branding, copy and your site’s user experience. You have all the tools needed to make a website for your therapy business.
- Usability: it’s relatively easy to drag and drop blocks around a web page and build a website. Or, you can implement any templates or themes your provider offers.
- An all-in-one solution: you don’t need to buy a separate hosting plan. Most reputable builders will allow you to buy your own domain. And customer support is usually available.
The disadvantages of using a website builder
Site builders might seem appealing at first. You land on the homepage of a builder and everything you need to get started is served on a plate to you. And all you need to do is get your credit card out. But is it really as simple as they might have you believe? Absolutely not. Here are the main disadvantages:
- High levels of involvement - which consumes all of your time. You’ll need to:
- Build the site yourself, including deciding on style, branding, making the design and creating a good user experience (UX)
- Write all of the marketing copy and content. Though, you could hire somebody to do this for you at an extra cost.
- Maintain the website
- Search engine underperformance: sites built with website builders often don’t perform well in search because they’re slow and not optimised for speed.
- Site-builder limitations: you’re limited to the capabilities of the builder. Your chosen website builder might not allow you to add certain features or customisations which you need.
- Lack of flexibility: some site builders do not allow you to switch themes once you’ve published your site. So, if you want to make big changes to the look and feel of your site, you need to start over with a new theme.
Create a self-hosted CMS website with WordPress
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) where you publish content on your site and manage your content without needing to write extra code. It’s relatively easy to create or edit pages, and you can customise your site with downloadable themes and plugins.
What you need to build a WordPress site for your counselling business
There are a number of things you’ll need to purchase and set up if you want to make a site with WordPress. In a nutshell, you’ll need to do the following:
- Buy a domain name (e.g. example.com)
- Subscribe to a hosting plan
- Install WordPress on your site
What is a domain name?
Your domain name is the web address you type into a browser window to visit a particular website. For example, www.google.com. You can buy domains from domain registrars. You’ll normally need to renew your domain every 1 or 2 years, depending on which plan you choose. Typical prices range from as little as a few pounds to between £20 and £40 per year.
What is a hosting plan?
A host allows you to rent space from their servers where you can store all of your website’s data, code and files. Typically, prices range from £10 to £50 a month depending on how much storage space and extras you want.
Should I use WordPress to make a website for my therapy services?
When you have little or no experience in web development, you need technical skills and knowledge to set up and build a WordPress site. That’s not to say that you couldn’t learn how to do this, but if you want to get your site up and running quickly, without any hassle so that you can focus on your counselling services, WordPress might not be the best option for you.
Hiring a web developer to make your site
We’ve shown you the DIY options for building a website, which we said can take up a significant proportion of your time. Now, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of hiring a professional web designer to make your site.
The advantages of hiring a professional web designer for your therapy website
The biggest advantage for you is that you don’t have to waste time trying to build something which you don’t have the skills and knowledge to do well; you won’t have to spend hours messing around with drag-and-drop builders or learning how to build a WordPress site.
There are many more advantages to hiring a web developer:
- Speed optimisation: if a site’s built for speed, it should perform better in search engine rankings.
- A first-class website: your site will look professional, and have an optimised user experience (UX).
- Limitless possibilities: if you need customisations or extra content, all you need to do is reach out to your web designer and tell them what you want.
The disadvantages of hiring a web developer
Just because you have a professional make your website doesn’t mean that you’ll be appearing at the top of Google search pages; ranking in Google is also about your SEO and content strategy - or digital marketing, and requires a bigger budget.
There are a number of other things to take into consideration when choosing a web developer to build your site for your psychiatry services:
- Higher cost: hiring a web designer usually costs considerably more than other options, and growing and expanding your site costs extra.
- Less control: you’ll need to collaborate with your web developer to decide on your site’s design, content or to make customisations.
- Finding a web designer: you’ll need to find a web developer who you can trust, and this in itself can be a long process.
How much does it cost to hire a web developer?
Some web developers will ask for thousands of pounds upfront to build your website. Others might ask for a smaller down payment and the rest upon completion. And in some instances that might be before doing any copywriting.
It’s important to realise that web developers are not copywriters. Writing the copy of your site is a whole endeavour in itself, and requires extra budget. Once the design, layout and branding of your site has been made, it’s down to the copy to sell your services.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. I make websites for businesses of all shapes and sizes. All I ask for is an affordable monthly payment. For that small monthly payment, you also get:
- A blazing fast website which will be faster than any site built with a site builder, boosting your search engine performance.
- I design and build a site which involves you at every step of the way. I’ll show you some mockups, and then you pick which one you want and any customisations you’d like.
- I write all of the copy for you - and it’s copy written by a professional. Before I trained as a web developer, I was a copywriter. When you hire me, you get great copy AND a great website!
What to consider when hiring a web designer for your psychiatry services
When you hire a web designer to build your website, you’re investing in a business relationship which should be collaborative and meet your specific needs. Different developers have their own ways of doing things, and each charges different prices. Here are some extras for you to consider:
Be prepared to fill out a website brief
A website design brief is a comprehensive document which details everything that’s required to build your website the way you want it. Working with your web designer, you will need to complete a brief so that the designer can understand your needs and how you’d like the design, style and layout to be; this may include:
- Business overview and mission statement
- What the goals of the website are e.g. to get X number of new clients a month
- Deliverables, such as pages, content, visuals and domain setup
- Who the target audience is
- Competitor research
- Style, branding and design of the website
- Project timeline of when deliverables will be finished
Your website brief may not be as exhaustive as the above, but there should be a clear sense of what you hope to get out of your site and what it should look like.
Setting agreed upon deadlines for deliverables
When you decide to hire a web designer to make your site, you should have a clear set of deliverables to be given to you by a specific date. For example, you might agree with your web designer to receive a mock-up of your site, with branding and style but without the content. And then you agree on a date to see the finished website before publishing.
Signing a contract
You should sign a contract drawn up by your web developer which details the following:
- What the deliverables and their due dates are
- How long the contract is to last and details of any minimum periods
- What happens if you cancel your contract before the minimum period
- The cost of the developer’s services and what it will cost for any agreed upon extras
- What rights you have to the intellectual property made by the designer
Each web developer will have their own ways of doing things, and you should check your contract carefully before signing.
Ask about responsive design
It’s likely that your patients and clients will be searching on a smartphone to discover what therapy services are available to them in their local area - which is why you should check with your web developer that your site will be fully responsive and perform well on mobiles, tablets and desktops.
Takeaways
The relatively low cost and ease at which you can get started building a website with a drag-and-drop builder might seem appealing at first, but after spending weeks or months fiddling around and trying to make a pixel-perfect website, you’ll probably want to consider the other options available to you.
So, why bother to unnecessarily waste your time? I can build you a super-fast, professional website which will be optimised for performance in search engine results pages, have great content that brings in new clients and takes your counselling business to the next level.
For a free consultation, email me here to make an appointment.