Steps to Building Your Private Practice Website

A website can be an essential tool for a private practice as it allows potential clients to easily find and learn more about the practice and its services. A website can provide valuable information such as the therapist’s background and qualifications, the types of therapy offered, hours of operation, location, and contact information. A well-designed and informative website can also help build trust with potential clients and establish the practice’s credibility. Additionally, a website can serve as a platform for sharing educational resources, testimonials from past clients, and important updates about the practice. Overall, having a website can help a private practice reach and engage with a broader audience, ultimately leading to increased visibility, referrals, and revenue.

Select a domain name

Selecting and purchasing a domain name can be an important step in establishing an online presence for your business. One preferred choice is Google Domains, which offers a user-friendly interface to search for and purchase available domain names. To get started, simply visit Google Domains and enter your desired domain name to see if it’s available. If it is, you can purchase it directly through the platform. Keep in mind that the cost of domain names can vary depending on factors such as the popularity of the name and the domain extension chosen (e.g. .com, .net, .org). Most domains will cost about $13/year if they have not been registered by someone else who purchased the domain and are now reselling.

Choose your hosting provider

When selecting a website host for a WordPress site, consider factors such as server performance, uptime guarantees, customer support, security features, backup options, and pricing. Some recommended hosts for WordPress include Bluehost, SiteGround, WP Engine, and HostGator. Be sure to research and compare different hosting options before making a final decision.

Elaborating on the key features to pay attention to

1. 1. Server performance: This refers to the speed and reliability of the server your website is hosted on. A high-performing server can provide fast loading times and a seamless user experience for your visitors.
   2. Uptime guarantees: This is the amount of time that the server your website is hosted on is expected to be up and running without interruption. A high uptime guarantee means your website will be available to visitors more often.
   3. Customer support: This refers to the level of support and assistance provided by the hosting company when you encounter technical issues or have questions about your website. Good customer support can save you time and frustration when dealing with website issues.
   4. Security features: This includes the measures taken by the hosting company to keep your website and data safe from hackers and other online threats. Good security features can help prevent data breaches, malware infections, and other security issues.
   5. Backup options: This refers to the ability to backup your website data, content, and settings in case of any data loss or corruption. Reliable backup options can help you restore your website quickly in case of any issues.
   6. Pricing: This refers to the cost of the hosting plan, including any additional fees for add-ons or upgrades. It’s important to consider pricing when selecting a hosting plan that meets your budget and needs.

Our recommendation

After testing multiple website hosting platforms, we found that Bluehost and CloudWays are both capable options. However, we ultimately chose CloudWays due to its dedicated server infrastructure that ensures greater security and uptime for our website. While Bluehost is a low-cost option, its shared server infrastructure can make it vulnerable to security risks from other websites hosted on the same server. Although CloudWays comes at a higher price point, it provides the necessary level of security and uptime for a professional website.

Bluehost

Bluehost has excellent customer service, has 1-click WordPress installation to build your websites, and extraordinarily low rates.  When we say low rates, you can host your website for as low as $2.99/month.  We hosted 13 websites just $18/month.  Technology wise, Bluehost makes it pretty easy for anyone to launch a website.

Here is a referral link that will get you a discount on Bluehost and be able to host your own website for just $2.99/month,

CloudWays

CloudWays offers extensive self-help documentation and live chat customer support, immensely helpful, along with a relatively simple method for deploying a WordPress site.  CloudWays does have a bit higher hill to climb on technology to set up your server.

Aspects of setting up your server are,

1. 1. 1. Select application, chose the most up-to-date WordPress version.
      2. Name the application (website name) and name your server (whatever you want)
      3. Select the server.  CloudWays uses hardware and technology from the world’s best data companies (Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, DigitalOcean, etc.).  For your site, DigitalOcean will be the best option, as it will provide the services, storage, and capabilities needed at the lowest cost.
      4. Select Server size:  There are many options available for server size.  Realistically, you will only need the 1GB option to support a small to medium sized site with lower traffic (several thousands of visitors per month).  The size can be increased later.
      5. Select Location:  The server location is the physical location of where the storage devices will be located.  The closer the server is to you/your customers, the faster it will be.

Here is a link to CloudWays to get started AND you will get a $25 free hosting credit.

Get a Logo

Getting a logo is not critical to running your business, but it truly can be a recognizable symbol for people to associate your brand with.  Creating a logo is not too difficult either.  To get a logo for free, you can throw some shapes together with your business name in PowerPoint (or utilize PowerPoint’s “Design Ideas” section – I love this!) and BAM!  You have a logo.  If you’re not a creative type or would prefer to have a professional looking logo, I recommend the folks over at Fiverr.  Fiverr is a platform where you can outsource almost any task to a global workforce of skilled specialists to complete it for you.  Often times, you can have highly professional and qualified people design a logo for you for <$55.  To get started with Fiverr, just head to Fiverr.com.  As an added bonus, you can get 10% off your first order by using the link http://www.fiverr.com/s2/5090546013

Build your site

When it comes to building a website, we’ve tested several platforms and narrowed down our options to CloudWays and Bluehost. Both come with WordPress setup out-of-the-box, which is an easy-to-use page builder. However, we prefer to use Elementor for its ease of editing and speed. Simply install the “Elementor” plugin and use the “Hello Elementor” theme. If you choose to stick with the WordPress basic page builder, we recommend the “Sinatra” theme for its features and ease of use. There are many YouTube videos available to help you get started.

For design inspiration, browse other websites and steal bits and pieces that you like. Donald Miller’s book “Building a Story Brand” is a great resource for designing a website that engages customers.

When designing your website, keep these key things in mind (adapted from “Building a Story Brand”):

• Have an offer above the fold: Include a call-to-action button and an offer at the top of your website that can be seen before the user scrolls.
• Obvious calls to action: Use bright, standout buttons to encourage users to take action.
• Images of success: Use pictures of happy people to elicit an emotional response and make your potential client feel the emotional reaction you’re trying to convey.
• A bite-sized breakdown of your revenue stream: Communicate to your audience how they can pay you and how much it will cost them.
• Very few words: Keep your message short and to the point, using bullet points and pictures to convey your message.