Is your website putting new clients off?

Websites are supposed to help bring customers to our practice rooms, but all too often a poor website can put potential clients off. We look at the pitfalls you need to avoid…

LET’S start with the most obvious one, which is a website that’s incomplete or which contains out of date information. Not only does this make you look incompetent, but also suggests a lack of care and attention to detail. People may even assume you’ve gone out of business. Make sure your staff listings, service offerings, schedules and contact details are all correct.

There should be no pages that have no text and every click through should take you to the right page with the right information. If people want to find out more, the information they need should be available.

Even if all you have is a holding page, make sure this displays your phone number or email so people can get in touch.

No clear call to action

It’s surprising how often websites fail to tell their readers what they should do next. Make sure that both your services, contact, about us and home page include a call to action. Effective calls to action are things like:

n Want to feel better about yourself?

Call (our number) for a free consultation. n Call (our number) to book an appointment. n Book your first session online here n Sign up for our free taster course today n Subscribe and receive our free eBook n Take your first step on the journey to better health

Inappropriate imagery

Think about your customer base when choosing website imagery. There are a huge number of stock images of attractive half-naked women with orchids in their hair receiving relaxing massages in upmarket spas. The chances are that your customers are a bit older, a bit lumpier, a bit less perfect and a little more real. They often have health issues and may not feel that great about themselves, physically or mentally. Images of physical perfection can be off-putting and pictures of luxury spas may not only misrepresent your practice room, but can also send a subliminal message that they cannot afford your services.

If the majority of your customers fit a particular demographic, say older women, or men with sports injuries, then your website should reflect this visually. This helps people feel like they have found the right place, where they will feel a sense of belonging.

Poor descriptions of what you do

Potential customers are browsing your website for one reason. They are looking for someone that can solve a problem, whether that’s physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. The descriptions of what you do should be clear and concise. Don’t assume that your client knows the difference between Shiatsu and Swedish Massage or that they already know about the Emmett Technique or Kinesiology.

When you explain your services, focus on the benefits they offer to your potential customers, rather than giving the history of the modality. That can go elsewhere. Your job is to make readers feel comfortable enough to take the next step and book an appointment.

Personal polemics

While it’s fine to let your personality shine through in your website and all aspects of your business, there’s such a thing as too much information. Few people choose a holistic therapist on the basis of their opinions on Ascended Masters, vaccinations, veganism or their opinions on the current Prime Minister. They just want someone who can provide the right treatment that will make them feel better.

Essentially, your website needs to be focussed on your potential clients and you as a conduit to better health, rather than a place to share your deeply held beliefs. This also applies to your business social media. Make a clear separation between your public persona and the private you and remember that things you write now can come back to haunt you later. Privacy is increasingly illusory.

If your website looks more like a manifesto than someone explaining the benefits their services bring to health and wellbeing, then you may well be sending potential clients to your competitors. Obviously, how much your personal beliefs can be expressed is tied to the modalities you offer. As a general rule, the more physically-based or the more common your services, the less room there is for esoteric views. This means it’s okay to be a bit off the received a good service. Most of your clients may find you via word of mouth, but this should also be leveraged on your website to help new clients feel secure. Testimonials help make it easier to build trust.

wall if you’re offering spiritual retreats, but not if you offer sports massage.

Tone of voice

There’s an old saying that you’ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

If you read the wording on your website, then imagine a person who might be saying them, how does that person seem? Are they happy and pleased to see new clients? Do they sound competent and down to earth? Do they seem friendly and approachable? Do they know what they’re talking about, but able to explain what it means to a potential client? Or do they sound unhappy, crotchety, or exhausted?

You may have a page on your website which discusses things like fees and cancellation policies. It’s important that the tone of voice here does not drift into the draconian. You want to be firm but friendly. If there are too many rules, some people may feel too intimidated to make an appointment. Think about where this information needs to be shared on the customer journey and the best way to deliver it.

Lack of testimonials

Testimonials and reviews help potential customers recognise that others in the same situation felt they could trust you and that they

Technical issues

Aside from the look and feel of your website, you can also put people off by not understanding how they use websites these days. When browsing, the average attention span is between six and ten seconds. That means you have a very short window in which to grab a potential client’s attention. If your site is clunky and slow to load, then people won’t hang around. Similarly, if the information they want isn’t the first thing they see, then you’ve lost them.

Keeping a close eye on your web analytics can help with this. You’ll be able to see how people move around your site, which pages are popular and how long people visit for.

You website needs to be designed so that it loads quickly and looks good on mobile devices. Up to 94% of people scroll through websites on their phones, so this needs to be a primary design consideration.

Remember that the first thing a potential client encounters your business is when they visit the website. Your website is the face your business presents to the world and its job is to help persuade people to take the next step along the customer journey. If it doesn’t attract people visually and provide the information they need quickly, easily and in a convincing fashion, then it has failed. n