I’ve seen it time and again in the Facebook groups…
Fresh therapists are starting their journey into private practice and they know they need a website.
So the first question always seems to be… “what platform is best? Wix? Squarespace? WordPress?”
It seems like the first logical step, right?
They know WHY they need a website so they move right into the HOW of building one.
I do the same thing a lot in my own business when I’m trying to solve marketing challenges.
I get an idea or I know I need to pursue something that will bring growth, but I get tripped up in all the HOW I’ll deliver it.
Here’s the thing…
Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, your nephew Jimmy who knows how to make websites, etc….
They’re all just tools that will essentially get you the same thing… a website.
So why not just choose the cheapest and easiest one and call it a day and move on, right?
Because I know you’re better than that, friend.
I know that you’ve got BIG dreams for your private practice and your career path.
Anyone can go on Google and search for “the best website platform” and compare all the details until the cows come home. But you’re not just anyone.
I’ve worked with therapists on shoe-string budgets and I’ve worked with group practice owners with 20+ clinicians who continue to add more clients and income to their practice each month.
So, what question do the successful, driven, growth-oriented and scale-focused private practice owners ask that the ones who are content with the status quo don’t?
The question is this: “Where do I want to be in 5, 10, or 20 years?”
Instead of focusing on the problem they perceive (i.e. what’s the easiest, best, cheapest website builder?) they focus on the goals they have for their income and career.
From there, they can get a picture of the landscape, where they’re heading, and ask a better question when it comes to the website conversation:
“What website platform will help me reach my goals, and faster?”
Someone on insurance panels who needs a website to be a simple online business card won’t need their website to do as much as the therapist who dreams of filling their private practice up, adding associates underneath them and launching a group practice.
That type of therapist needs a website platform that will grow with them and allow them to hand off her website tasks, SEO and content creation to someone else eventually (hopefully sooner rather than later).
That type of therapist shouldn’t be spending their time trying to pick a font for their homepage hero image because there are thousands of people you could pay to do that.
So, when I get asked that question, “Which platform is best”, I always say, “it depends”.
What type of therapist are you and where do you see yourself in 5, 10 and 20 years?
Do you see yourself in the same place or do you want to see growth and exciting new opportunities for your career and family?
I’m guessing you probably want to see the latter happen, right?
So, you’re probably thinking, “Ok ok! What platform DO you recommend, Daniel?!!”
Fair enough.
When I look at the many successful practice owners I’ve worked with as well as my own wife, who’s been able to fill her practice to a waiting list, I just don’t see them doing that with a subscription-based website builder like Wix, Weebly or Squarespace.
There’s a reason why 35% of the internet runs on WordPress and why many of the top brands use it… and why it has always been my platform of choice for therapists who want to scale and eventually let go of wasting time tweaking their website.
You see, those other website builders are made to make owning a website as easy as possible (and to make money of course).
Do you need a website? You can sign up, spin-off a template and you have one and they have your money. Win-win, right?
But the truth is, WordPress is the choice of the pros, yet it’s actually not much harder to set up than a Squarespace website.
The reason why so many businesses choose WordPress is that the software is free and you can take it and find a professional to basically do whatever you can dream up for your website.
My desire for you is that you actually won’t have to even touch your website.
That you set it up on a solid foundation, with the right content and code in place to rank in search engines.
Then fill your practice and start outsourcing your website tasks so you can focus on the big-picture strategies that are going to explode your practice and help you hit your income goals.
I could get into the weeds about why WordPress comes out on top of Squarespace, but this article does a pretty great job so I’ll leave it to them:
https://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/wordpress-versus-squarespace/
Can you have a successful website and practice with a subscription-based website builder?
Yes, you can and I’ve seen some folks do it.
But I’ve seen more folks come to me after using these builders looking for help to improve and wondering why their website isn’t getting new clients into the business.
So I say, why not skip all that and build your website with your 20-year plan in mind?
Remember, the quality of our life (and business) is determined by the questions we ask.
