Today we’re answering one of the most common questions I get from healthcare providers about their internet presence: Is Psychology Today profile worth it?
(Exchange Psychology Today with Healthprofs, insurance provider databases, etc. if it applies more to you!)
The quick answer: maybe, but it’s not a replacement for a website. And maybe your gut feeling led you there – but let’s take the time to make sure you really understand why a website benefits both the business side of your practice and your clients themselves.
The Sales Funnel
The sales funnel shows the journey that potential clients/customers take when making a purchase. It begins with awareness and concludes when a purchase is made – and in my eyes, it’s like its own chapter of the stages of change model! As people decide that they’re ready for change, they’ll also complete the sales funnel steps somewhere in those contemplation, determination, and action stages.
Awareness
A potential client discovers you and your offerings, and begins to explore.
Interest
The client becomes more actively interested in services you offer (or services like it) and may comparison shop for other providers as well.
Decision
The client is ready to get started and take next steps – yay! They may need some support in reaching this stage.
Action
The client takes action on the next steps – like booking a discovery call, submitting an inquiry, or requesting a session.
Okay, so why does this sales funnel matter to your Healthprofs listing? Because that listing is great for the first stages of the funnel – but might be holding your practice back when it comes to sealing the deal with clients.
Databases are great at generating interest…
When you’re looking for info online, where’s the first place you turn? Google. But – plot twist – when you do find that information, where is it actually coming from? Someone’s website.
A search engine’s goal is to house a database of information (in Google’s case, the whole internet. In the case of databases, the providers who create a profile with them) and make it easily searchable for website visitors. Psychology Today and similar options are extra-unique because they’re such a specialized search engine – you know that the people searching on them are specifically looking for services that are (or are close to) what you offer.
This means that databases are amazing at raising awareness of your private practice – getting eyes on your business. They work amazingly for clients who are at the top of the sales funnel; the ones just starting their journey. Psychology Today can be worth it if you have a well-written bio and features that clients are looking for (like a specialty, certain insurance, etc). They’re also fantastic for generating interest.
…but not at sealing the deal
However, when it comes to actually making a decision and taking action, databases can start to fall short. The further potential clients progress along the sales funnel, the less Psychology Today and other similar databases can contribute to both you and them.
If many of your competitors have a website linked and you don’t, it may influence someone’s decision about who to reach out to. If you have a website linked, but it’s confusing – you guessed it! Decision = influenced. If clients have more questions than you’re able to answer in your bio and listing, they may assume that the answers aren’t what they want to hear and simply not reach out.
Check out the example above of how much differently your Psychology Today listing and your website can display information and your personality!
When it comes to actually submitting an inquiry with you, there’s also some tech glitches to be aware of that may make it hard to actually connect with potential clients.
“I had a client reach out to several therapists through Psychology Today, and we thought none replied – until months later when she checked her spam and realized their replies went straight to junk. They lost a potential client, and she had a huge gap in care.”
– Amy Shen, RD, LD, CEDS
Bottom line: Databases aren’t a replacement for having your own website, but they can supplement it.
How to Get The Most out of Your Psychology Today Listing AND Your Website
If you only have capacity to live in one place on the Internet (I feel this), it’s a website all the way. At $19/month for a basic plan, Showit is about $11/month cheaper than Psychology Today and gives you way more benefits than a Psychology Today listing (see below). If you have the finances for both, you can separate their functions like this:
PS – setting up your site? Use my affiliate link for your first month of Showit FREE!
Psychology Today can…
- Give clients a quick overview of facts about your practice so they can determine whether or not you’re a potential fit
- List the payment methods and insurance plans you accept
- Potentially provide contact methods for you
Your website, on the other hand, has significantly more function in your marketing process.
Your website can and should…
- Help you get new leads (through backlinks from Psychology Today or other traffic sources)
- Introduce you as a provider: give some background information about you, establish your credibility, and help generate interest in working with you
- Showcase the benefits of working with you specifically
- Anticipate and answer questions potential and current clients may have
- Provide a clear, easy way to contact you for the next steps in working together
- Create an easy-to-find and use hub for current clients through clearly listing your contact information and linking out to your client portal + other resources
Looking for a website that does all this and more? Join the waitlist for my easy-to-customize website templates coming soon!
So, is Psychology Today worth it?
Bottom line: maybe, but probably not if you have leads coming in from other sources. If you have listings on provider databases in addition to your own website, here’s how I’d recommend refreshing and updating the content to make it as clear as possible:
- Audit your current site to see how it’s measuring up to the list above – is it giving clients the info they need to book with you? Is it making them want to book with you?
- Give your site a copy refresh with my free website blueprint, which will help tell you exactly which words to put where on your website for maximum clarity & conversion
- Use your new copy to update your provider database listings – it’s totally fine to reuse it! See if you can direct people toward your website, and release the pressure to have your listing take on 100% of the conversion process. Its job is now just to get people to your website, where you have creative control & no character limits
- Don’t have a website? Join the waitlist for my new website templates coming soon! They’re easy to customize, beautifully designed, and have all of the pages and sections you need to clearly and confidently share your private practice with the world.
- Don’t forget to revisit your referral sources often and pay attention to where they’re coming from to see if Psychology Today is worth it for you!
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