What great therapist websites have in common: 20 things to copy

The best therapist websites don't look alike, but they do the same twenty things. Here they are, so you can check your own site against them. If yours does twelve, it's ahead of most; if it does all twenty, it will fill a caseload.

The first screen

1. The first sentence says who you help. 2. A real photo of the therapist in a real room. 3. The consult button visible without scrolling. 4. "Accepting new clients" or the honest alternative, stated.

The pages

5. One page per specialty, titled the way people search. 6. One page per clinician in a group. 7. A page that explains what the first session is like. 8. Fees stated plainly, with insurance and superbill details. 9. A page for each insurance plan accepted, or one for out-of-network benefits.

The words

10. Written to the client, in "you," about her problem before your method. 11. No modality names in headlines. 12. Warm, short paragraphs. 13. Answers to the 1am questions: is it private, can we do video, what if I cry.

The trust

14. Sixty seconds of the therapist on camera, if comfortable. 15. License and training present, but below the human part. 16. A few honest reviews about the practice experience, if appropriate and permitted.

The mechanics

17. Fast on a phone. 18. Booking online, confirmed in a minute. 19. No health information collected beyond a name and a way to reach back; HIPAA-friendly tools. 20. Every consult tracked to the page that brought it, invisibly.

What great sites leave out

A philosophy page before the who-you-help page. A blog nobody updates. Stock photos of people laughing. Pop-ups. A contact form as the only next step.