I am giving the audio away for free + a video critique I did of a therapist websites.

The audio is just over an hour and it covers the following 5 points on how to make your website client-attracting:

1. The value of the niche-focused website for therapists and healing artists
2. What we know from website usability studies about attracting  therapy and healing clients
3. Why you must have an opt-in freebie / newsletter sign-up on your website
4. How a video introduction can get you more clients
5. The most important element of a client-attracting website: compelling copy

If you haven’t heard me talk on websites for healers and counselors before, you might want to grab the audio-recording now.  Here is the link if if you want to grab them: Client Attracting Websites.

In part 2 in this series I discussed the role of empathy in compelling web copy and how it is similar to empathy in your work with your clients.

In this 3rd article, I will show the importance of building hope in your web copy and how this also parallels the healing or therapy relationship.

Once your web copy has shown some understanding and empathy for the suffering your web visitors are experiencing, it’s time to help them build hope that their situation can improve–to show them that it’s possible to move away from pain and suffering.

By the time people arrive at your website, they may have been struggling for a long time and may have tried other methods attempting to find relief with limited, or no results.

Your job at this point in your web copy is to help build hope that may have been lost, or perhaps never existed in the first place. It’s important to mention here that you are *not* making any promises or guarantees that people will feel better if they see you. You are simply helping them see that change is possible.

Why is building hope important? Because if your potential clients don’t have hope, it is less likely they will choose to get help and therefore unlikely that they will become your clients. Furthermore, if they don’t become clients, they are less likely to get the help they need.

So how do you build hope in your web copy?

Just like you do when your clients show hesitancy, doubt or feelings of hopelessness when they come to see you.

You begin by acknowledging their skepticism and doubt, and again show empathy for these feelings.

As you would with a client, you let your web visitors know that it’s natural to feel some hesitancy about seeking help, especially if they have tried unsuccessfully in the past to resolve their problems.

You then reassure them that their life can be different.

By using case studies or testimonials you show them that others have found a way out of their pain, which helps them realize that they can possibly find relief as well.

You build credibility by showing you have the experience, skills, and methods to help them. You use statistics and other evidence to prove that you, or your techniques, have been successful in the past.

You provide whatever information you have that might help them be more receptive to help.

Gradually as you address their fears and concerns about seeking help, their worries begin to melt away.

They will become more receptive to therapy or your healing methods and perhaps be ready to contact you –or at least they will be more likely to remain engaged in your copy and stick around to read more. Perhaps they will even sign up for your newsletter.

Once you have sufficiently built hope, you want to start addressing the specific benefits of working with you. Part 4 of this article will discuss the how to write about benefits in your copy, so stay tuned…

To read Part 1 of this article click here.

To read Part 2 of this article click here.

To add your comments to this article click on the “Comments” link below.

In Part 2 of this series, I am going to show you how using empathy in your copy mirrors the effect of using empathy with your clients in your therapy or healing practice.

As a therapist (and also as a healer) because you care about your clients’ healing process, you take care to ensure you build a strong relationship with them.

And what is the major component in building a strong relationship?

Empathy.

You show your clients that you care, that you understand them and that you really want to help them overcome their problems.

Let’s look at how empathy plays out when potential clients first contact you…

When potential clients first contact you they have a specific problem and that is where their focus is. They want to tell you about their problem and the pain they are experiencing. And, they want to feel that you understand their pain and their specific situation. They want to know that you care and that you ‘get’ them. You will likely ask some questions in order to understand their specific situation better and empathize with their pain.

Through this process of listening, asking questions and showing empathy, you begin to build trust with your potential clients. They then start thinking things like, “Ah, this person seems to ‘get’ me. I feel this person understands what I am going through. Maybe this
therapist (or healer) can help me.”

Potential clients then begin to feel more open to the possibility of working with you. They may not yet have made the final decision to jump on board, but there is an opening towards you that has begun.

And this is precisely what happens for potential clients when your web copy addresses their problems and pain.

When potential clients land at your website they often don’t know anything about you. Their problems are foremost in their mind and they are looking for help.

They are hurting, perhaps anxious, and maybe even feeling discouraged or hopeless about the likelihood of their situation improving.

Your job with your web copy is to show empathy and let them know that you understand their problems. And, in order to show that you understand them, you need to address their problems very specifically.

It is through your web copy that you begin the relationship building process just like you would if you were speaking with a potential client on the phone or sitting with a client in your office. By empathizing with their pain you start to build trust–at least enough
trust to encourage them to stick around and read your website further.

Stay tuned for Part 3 in this series where I will tell you how to continue the relationship building process with clients through your web copy.  Empathy is only the first step. In the next article, I will discuss the importance of building hope in your potential clients and letting them know what the benefits of working with you can be.

To read Part 3 of this article click here.

To add your comments to this article click on the “Comments” link below.

If so, you may not have chosen your therapy or healing practice because of the money, but don’t you deserve to live your life free from money worries? My pal, Karin Mizgala, the brilliant financial whiz and I have worked with lots of therapists and healing professionals who do a fantastic job in helping their clients overcome seemingly insurmountable problems.

But when it comes to handling their own finances, well… let’s just say many could use a helping hand. It’s certainly easy to lose track of the financial side of things with so many competing demands on your time and attention.

Nevertheless, bad money habits and practices can seriously impact the viability and profitability of your business – to say nothing of the anxiety, confusion and stress created when things get out of control!

And let’s be straight, here…

Despite all the altruism and compassion you may have -a private practice is still a business. Just like any car wash, dental office, or manufacturing plant. We need to cover our expenses, pay ourselves and our staff and keep up with our taxes if we want to be there for our clients over the years.

And don’t you want enough cash coming in to enjoy a good life now and a secure and comfortable future in your later years?

To run a financially profitable private practice, you need to get honest with yourself.

Can you really say that you know exactly how much money is coming in every month – where it’s coming from — and where it’s going?

Do you know how much, and where to invest money in your practice in order to grow your income?

And…

Do you have a plan for where you want to be financially in the long-term and a concrete strategy for getting there?

If not, now’s the time to do something about it.

Money may not be your favorite topic and you may want to avoid it like the plague. However, if you want to attract more into your life and run a profitable practice, you need to be able to engage in the world of money with confidence and ease.

So here is the scoop…

If you are ready to get the help you need to develop a healthy relationship with your private practice finances, join Karin Mizgala and myself for our Private Practice Finances Made Easy FR.EE Preview Tele-seminar on Wednesday, September 16, 2009.

You can sign up by clicking here.

If you you need to deal with your business finances but are tempted to continue putting it off, I would strongly advise against it.

Why?

Because the sooner you get your financial systems and a plan in place, the sooner you will be successful financially. Yes, really. So join us for this fr.ee call.

Please click on the “comments” button below to add your comments or ask questions about this call or your private practice finances.

This is the first of a 5-part series that illustrates how the practice of effective therapy and healing mirror client-attracting web-copy. I will show you how client-attracting web copy offers a win-win situation for you and your potential clients.

If you are familiar with my newsletter and my work you likely already have some idea of the value of client-attracting web copy. If you haven’t, chances are you may not even know what the term means. So lets begin with a definition which I will break into 2 parts. The first part of the definition focuses on the benefit to you as a practitioner and the second part of the definition focuses on the benefits to the potential client or customer who visits your website.

1. Benefit to You:

Client-attracting web-copy is the art and science of using words to compel potential clients to take action on your offer when they visit your website. Your offer could be to ask them to sign up for your newsletter or to buy a product or service from you. The benefit to you as a private practitioner is inherent in this definition. Obviously the more your web-copy resonates with potential clients, the more clients you are going to be attracting and the more sales you will have.

But, the benefits of client-attracting web-copy don’t stop with the benefits to you…

There is also a benefit to the potential client who visits your site –here’s where the second part of the definition of client-attracting web-copy comes in:

2. Benefit to the Client:

Client-attracting web-copy shows your clients that you understand them and their problems and informs them of the benefits of what you have to offer. Client-attracting web-copy also educates and builds hope and faith for clients that something else is possible. It can reduce anxiety and fear and can actually be part of the change and healing process long before the client shows up in your office.

Watch for Part 2 of this article in my newsletter or on this blog where I will show you how using empathy in your web-copy mirrors the practice of using empathy in your work with clients.  You can also check out the Client-Attracting Websites Home Study Program.

UPDATE: Part 2 of this article can now be read here.

To comment or ask a question about this article, please click on the “Comments” link below.

The market becomes more and more competitive every day. If you want to succeed, you must keep ahead of the curve.This means you must have access to the most effective and leading-edge methods for building and growing your practice. If you don’t,  you will be left behind.

I get calls every week from panicked practitioners who once had a thriving practice. But because they haven’t kept up with the ever-changing trends and methods for maintaining a full practice, they are seriously struggling.

If you are a therapist or healing professional wanting to attract clients from your website you need to be credible.You see, when most people land at your website they don’t know you.

Yes, it’s true.

You may be a wonderful person and offer great services. But if your web visitors don’t know you they won’t trust you. And if they don’t trust you they won’t be ready to work with you.

So you must build trust and credibility through the content on your site.

How do you build trust and credibility?

One way is through compelling case studies. Find out more at this FR.EE Teleseminar:

Discover how to make your website attract all the
clients you need. This is an intensive coaching
program where I advise, support and guide you
as you make your website more client-attracting.

Here’s what a participant said about
the last program:

“I just wanted to thank you again for the Client-Attracting
Websites coaching program where I learned a lot about
copywriting and search engine optimization. So far
I have received 2 new clients as a result of your feedback
on my website and search engine help. They both found me
on Google. And…the copy really resonated for them so they called.”

Find out more by visiting this page:

In my virtual coaching business I have been able to work with all kinds of interesting people from various parts of the world. I love this International aspect to my business and wouldn’t change it for anything.

However,  having an International client base is not the only benefit to having a virtual business. A more significant one for me is that my coaching practice is location independent. This means that I can work from any geographical location since I work exclusively by phone and Internet.

In fact, when I began my coaching business over 10 years ago my vision was to spend a fair amount of time working away from my home office in Vancouver. Although I have done this for short periods of time over the years, for one reason or another I have yet work for extended periods away from Vancouver.

After 10 years, I am excited to say that this is about to change…

In the late fall I will  be doing some extended travel while running my business (more on this in the coming months).

People often tell me that I am “lucky” because I work at home, set my own hours, can work in my pajamas (even though I don’t) and can work from anywhere.  When I hear these comments from others, I inform them that the benefits I enjoy from having a virtual business have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with luck.

Rather, these benefits  have to do with having a vision of the kind of lifestyle I wanted and then finding a way to make it happen.

Why am I telling you this story?

I am sharing this with you as a way to encourage you to check in with yourself and assess how closely your business is aligned with the lifestyle that you want to live.

Why Did You Start Your Private Practice?  What Was Your Vision?

There are many reasons why you might have gone into private practice. Perhaps it was to have more flexibility and freedom? Or maybe it was to make more money, or to be your own boss or to work with the type of clients that you love to work with? It could also be that you wanted to work from home or to take more holidays?

Whatever your vision was, how close are you to actually achieving this vision?

If you are not living the life you want is it because you have lost touch with your vision? Have you become complacent or discouraged and given up on your dream? Perhaps you are on the path of making it happen but it hasn’t yet come into fruition? Or perhaps you never had a clear vision to begin with?

It goes without saying that the closer you are to living the life that you want, the happier and more fulfilled you will be. In turn, you will provide a better service to your clients and be a better role model for them.

If you are one of the many who has never established a clear vision, perhaps it’s time you did. Having a vision for the kind of life you want, will inspire you in your work and increase your motivation to take the steps necessary to make your vision become a reality.

If you are not yet living the lifestyle you want, what do you need to do differently?

I would love to hear your comments and personal experiences on this topic. Please add your comment below by clicking on the comments button.

Too often I witness businesses spending a lot of time and effort putting together a brilliant web site only to leave it as is for two
or three years – an eternity in Internet time. They figure, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”

Well, it may not be broke, but it’s just not doing as much for your business or organization as it could be. You need to keep the
content of your site fresh. This is important for both visitors to your site (especially repeat visitors) and search engines.

Let’s look at the first of these.

When people come to your site for the first time, if they see dated material, they’ll probably not take you too seriously – not a good first impression.

If you went into a grocery store and saw milk in the refrigerator that was past  its expiry date, would you go back to that store?
(Okay, not all of us drink milk, but you get the point.)

Repeat visitors will be even more critical if they keep seeing the same material each time they visit your site.

The reason they’re checking back is to see… what’s new?! What if the radio station you listen to never played new songs? How long would you keep listening to it? Probably not very long. True, we do like some degree of familiarity and to be able to see/hear our favourites, but if there’s never anything new, we lose interest quickly.

As for search engines, they look at your site in a similar manner.

If there’s nothing new in a while, they’ll start dropping your rankings,as your site is considered not that important. Makes sense, really.

So, does this mean that you need to obsess about changing your page copy every day or to even hire someone to do that for you?

Not at all (do I hear a collective “phew”?).

There’s no rule, but the more often you can do it the better. A realistic plan for most small to medium sized businesses is to
freshen at least some of the content every two or three months. If you can to do it more often, great. If you can only manage every six months, well that’s still better than nothing.

We’re not necessarily talking about rewriting the content on every page. Again, it’s up to you and your schedule as to how much you’re going to do, but at the very least have a news section on your home page or a top ten list that you can easily update on a regular basis. If you have the time/inclination to update more of your site or add new pages, even better.

Just do something. If it helps, schedule the first day of every even numbered month to update whatever you have time to. Trust me, your site visitors (potential customers) and the search engines will like you for it!

If you haven’t updated your website in a while, perhaps it’s time you did. If you want help making your website the best it can be you might want to utilize The Client-Attracting Websites Home Study Program.