The homepage of your therapy website is the first page that visitors see. It is one of the primary factors that makes or breaks the user experience of your website. 

Remember that friend that made a horrible first impression on you, and even 5 years later, you cannot seem to forget that experience?! 

Same goes for your therapy website. Your homepage is your chance to give your visitors the best first impression of you and your mental health business. 

In fact, recent statistics show that it takes about .05 seconds for a visitor to form an opinion of your business when they visit your website. That’s fast. 

First impressions matter. They can lead to incredible success for your business, or can lead you to ask the question, “why isn’t my therapy website bringing in any clients?”  Let’s choose the first option. 

When a potential client comes to your homepage, both the copy (the words on the page) and the visuals are critically important.

Here are some of my overall copywriting reminders as you start to craft the words on the homepage of your mental health website. 

1. Your website and the copy are NOT about you. It is ALL about your client — about your ideal client. You are writing to someone specific. Narrow down your niche. Write to this specific client audience. 

2. Make your website easy to read. This means avoiding large chunks of text – include lots of small paragraphs, use bold and italics, and use lists to make your page easier to read. 

3. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a purpose for writing.  Include frequent buttons and a call-to-action in most sections. 

Ok, you’re ready to get started creating your homepage. Where to begin? 

Keyword Research.  Narrow down the few keywords that you want your homepage to rank for. These should be frequently searched terms by your ideal client.  

Are your clients looking for a women’s therapist in Texas? Are they looking for an anxiety counselor in California? Use this as a starting place for your keyword research. 

Google Keyword Planner is a great tool to begin with. 

Then, write your headings and include your primary keyword – your H1 & H2.  This is basically the title and sub-title of your therapy website. 

Your H2 is a great place to include parts of your mission or vision statement.

Next, write your HOOK.  A hook is an opening statement designed to draw your reader in and capture their attention.  Why will your reader stay on your page? How can you make them interested enough to continue reading?  

While you are crafting your copy, remember to utilize these simple copywriting strategies.

• Lead with empathy

• Get to the point, first. Put the conclusion in the introduction. Do not wait till the end of the page to state your case. 

• Talk about benefits of working with you, not just the features of working with you. Discuss, not only what you do, but how your ideal client will feel after they finish a session

• Capture emotions – whether pointing out a frequent presenting problem or area of emotion for your ideal client, or highlight how their future could be different

Next, write a brief “About Me”, the therapist, section.
**but remember, this is not about you. I cannot state this enough.  Always bring it back to how your services serve your clients. 

Write in first person. Use the word YOU.  

Then, include an introduction to your services.

You can break this down into the types of therapy you specialize in.  

• CBT

• EMDR

• IFS

Or you can break it down into groups you work with

• Individual counseling

• Group therapy 

• Consulting

Next, a Frequently Asked Questions section. 

A FAQ section is a great place to anticipate any questions or objections that your visitors may have. 

Include your pricing, how the first session goes, where you are located, and of course, don’t forget the Good Faith Estimate. 

Your FAQ section is a great place to bulk up the words on your homepage – if you are struggling to make your page long enough. 

Then, design a newsletter sign-up section. 

Even if you do not have anything to say yet, start building an email list. This is a foundational marketing principle that SO many people forget about. Your email list is designed for non-client-specific communication like practice updates, closures, etc. 

And finally, as always, end with a clear Call-To-Action. If your goal is to get visitors to schedule a free consultation, have your calendar link to schedule right there on the homepage. If you want them to fill out a contact form, have the contact form on your page.  Minimize the clicks for your visitors to see the greatest conversion. 

Need some ideas? Not sure where to start? 

Schedule a free consult – I’d love to help.

Xoxo,

Ashley  

TL;DR

Your therapy website homepage is critical. Write good copy. Make sections easy to read.  Include CTAs. I’d love to help.