Are Therapy Directories Worth It?

Should you use therapy directories?

Even if you’re just starting out in the therapy world you might already be familiar with online therapy directories; external websites that promote your therapy business by putting your details in front of potential clients.

In theory these directories seem like a great idea; you pay a monthly or yearly subscription, add your details to their site and wait for people to discover you. If all goes to plan people will find you, like you and call you to book an appointment.

But does it always work this way?

Recent research suggests that these days, over 90% of people will search the internet before buying something significant online and for most people, health and wellbeing is viewed as significant. So, even though people may find you on an online directory they’ll tend not to call you straight away, but will rather check you out on your website before deciding their next step.

And here’s the thing…

If you don’t supply a link from the directory to your website so people can check you out, the chances of them contacting you can fall dramatically…which wouldn’t be good for your business!

And maybe worse…

If you do supply a link from the directory to your website and your website is poor, potential clients might see this as a reflection of you and your services, lose faith in you and leave your website in seconds! This could be a disaster!!!

Does your website reflect your business and the quality of service?

Visitors can leave a poor websites in seconds!

These days people are accustomed to using the internet to discover, research and buy what they want. They’re used to seeing good, quality, functional websites and just like walking down a high street, they’re becoming prolific at judging a businesses by its shop front:

 

If it looks up-to-date, smart, professional and welcoming they may enter the shop and have a    look around…if it looks old fashioned, tired, cluttered and boring they’ll probably walk on by, never to return again. It’s the same for your website.

 

So are directories worth it?

Well, the short and annoyingly vague answer is that they might be. It’s going to depend on the individual directory, how they work, how much traffic they can bring you and if you can convert that traffic into paying clients. One thing’s for sure though, the better the content you add to the directory, the more people will click through to your website. The better your website, the more people will contact and book with you.

TEST IT!

Sadly there isn’t an app (not yet anyway) that will tell you exactly what’s happening in your business at the touch of a button. You need to test things and keep track of what’s happening yourself. For example, most directories will show you how many people are looking at your directory page and clicking through to your website. If this number is low you might consider changing the content you’ve placed on the directory. Does this improve the numbers? If not, is it your content or the directory that’s not working for you?

Recently I was chatting to someone who was attracting a lot of interest on his directory page. His content and the directory itself were obviously working well because he was attracting a high number of people, with the majority of these directory visitors also clicking through to his website. But sadly, this didn’t result in an increase in contacts or business…

What was happening..?

His website was turning people away!

Whether online directories are right for you or not, these days, potential clients are more likely to check you out online before deciding to contact you. Getting your website right is more important than ever and should be a major consideration to your business and online strategy.

FREE GUIDE

To help you move forward faster, I’ve created a free guide called, ‘ Grow Your Online Therapy Business‘ that you can download straight away by filling in the sign-in box below.

In it I talk about how to become an authority in your field, what’s currently working online and offer 10 suggestions that every therapist who has a business website should know about. Just reading it can put you at an advantage…even better to take action:-)

Keep well.

FREE: Become An Authority

Be irresistible and attract new clients with our easy-to-follow guide.

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