The Website Mistakes That Are Costing You Clients as a Counsellor

Transcript of episode 248: The Website Mistakes That Are Costing You Clients as a Counsellor
If you prefer to read or want to skim through what I've talked about, here’s the full transcript below.

Now, you might not realize that you're doing this. Your website might even look good, really good, might look warm and thoughtful like you really care, which of course you do. But there are a few small things that can actually shift how it feels to someone that's actually reading it. Just enough to make them hesitate.

But the problem is when somebody's already feeling unsure about reaching out, that hesitation can often be all that it takes. 

Hi, and welcome to the Grow Your Private Practice Show. I'm Jane Cha, and I help counselors to get found more easily by the right clients, not by shouting louder, but by choosing words that feel clear, real, and relatable.

So if your marketing feels like a bit of a mystery at times, then you are in the right place. 

So hello, hello, hello, and welcome back and if this is your first time here, it's really great that you found us. I hope you're having a great time so far. Having a good day. Now, I've been talking about this a little bit more recently, the way a lot of counseling websites end up trying to do. Too much and in the process of that, they end up not really saying what you want them to say at all.

In fact, I went into this in a lot more detail in episode 245, which is called When You Counseling website is trying to say too much and what to do instead. I'll put those details in the show notes if you want to go and check it out. But there's another side to this as well, because sometimes it's not necessarily about how much you are saying, it's about what you are saying.

Maybe too soon, too soon in the relationship, which can be the moment that things start to feel a little bit off. So the kind of shift that takes someone from thinking, do you know? I think I could talk to this person to, oh, I'm not really sure I'm ready for any of this. And that bit is the bit that really matters because most people, they're not gonna leave your website thinking, oh, that's because it was the contract page.

What they'll do is just close the tab and just move on somewhere else. And I see this all the time with counselors in private practice, you know, you are trying to do things properly, trying to be clear, be professional, to protect your practice. You know, all good instincts. But unfortunately, sometimes the way this shows up can create a little bit of distance between you and the person who, like I say, is already a little bit unsure about reaching out in the first place.

So here are three of the things that I see all the time, and some suggestions of what you might want to do instead. So the first one is, it's about contracts. It's about talking about your contract. Too early in your website. So the first thing is the word contract. It like it makes people feel a little bit twitchy.

It certainly does me. So if you have something on your website that mentions your contract or even includes your contract in full, it's usually there for all the good reasons. You wanna be clear. You want to set expectations, you want to avoid any awkwardness further on. And you maybe want to protect yourself as well.

And look, that makes sense. Of course it does. You know, you are trying to do things properly and be upfront about how you work. But let's just put ourselves in the counselor's shoes. Think about how they're feeling because this might appear like a little bit, a little bit too much for them. 'cause they're not going on websites comparing policies or looking for legal clarity.

What they're trying to do is just to work out. Am I gonna feel safe with this person? And look, let's face it, the word contract isn't gonna give, like it isn't gonna give vibes around safety. It's gonna make it feel formal, something binding a bit heavy, like I say, especially if they're already really nervous.

And it's the kind of word that can make someone just pause and think to themselves, do you know this suddenly feels quite serious, and I'm not sure that I'm ready for all that yet. And that small shift in the feelings can be enough to stop them from taking that next step. So what can you do about it?

Well, listen on, I'm gonna talk about that in a bit. So the second one, the second thing you might have on your website that might be putting people off might be to do with your cancellation policy. So you might have something on your website that says, I dunno, I require 48 hours notice of cancellation.

Or you will still be charged. And you know, this can often come from a place of experience. We all know what it's like to have, you know, late cancellations or no shows or gaps in your diary that you can't fill. So you know, you are trying to protect your time and your income, which is completely fair. You know, I've got no problem with that.

But the problem for me is. That we have to remember that this is somebody who doesn't know you yet. And for that sort of person, this line sounds very different. You know, before they've even spoken to you or had any sense of really who you are. They're being told what will happen if they get it wrong, and it doesn't take much for their mind to run into that.

So they start thinking. Well, what happens if I'm ill or what happens if something comes up at work or what happens if I have a day where I just can't face leaving the house? And now if that happens, I'm gonna get charged for that and this is already quite expensive for me. So, you know, it can feel a little bit harsh and a little bit risky for that client, not because.

You are talking about those things, but because of how it reads on the page without having the chance to hear it in your voice with your explanation. So again, I keep saying this, but it's just so important for someone who's already a little bit unsure, unsure about reading out. That moment can be enough to make them pause, and sometimes that can stop them from getting in touch at all.

So the last one. Third one is about sending clients away from your website. Now this is something that I have definitely done on my early website. I talked about this a little bit in episode 245. I did this and I wonder if you do too. So what this is, is do you have a section on your website where you are really being helpful?

So do you have a section on your website that's got like helplines and charity details and other resources that people might be interested in? Now again, it's usually there because you just really want to be helpful and to make sure people have somewhere to go, whether they work with you or not. And that really does come from a genuinely nice place.

And that's the problem because cancers are genuinely nice people most of the time. But the thing is, this creates a problem because it's, it's not easy for people to find you in the first place. You know, let's think about this. You may have been doing your marketing and so you've got a website, you've got a directory. You may be do blogs, you may be on socials, you may be on Google Business Directory.

You know that getting out there, being visible, being found. It's not the easiest thing in the world, is it? But this person's landed on your website and they're having a look around. Yeah. Fantastic. So they're reading, they're considering whether to reach out or not, but then they find details of other places to go.

A list of free resources that they can go and check out. And so they go, because you've made it really easy for them to leave, the exact moment that when they were deciding whether to stay and whether to reach out to you. So instead of helping them take that next step, your website ends up literally sending them somewhere else and somebody else ends up being their therapist.

Now remember your potential clients, they're clever. They know that if they want some help, they'll find it. They'll have a look on Google and you know, the same as you would if you were looking for some help, but you don't have to send them there directly. They're capable of doing those searches themselves.

Trust that if they've landed on your website that you are probably going to be a good choice for them. So what can you do instead without feeling really awkward about it? Because this can sometimes be the point when FE people feel a little bit stuck because it's all very well taking things off your website, but you still need to say these things somewhere.

You know, talking about contracts and confidentiality and cancellations. It all matters. It all matters a lot, but it needs to be said at the right time. Now, when I was still working as a counselor in private practice. I didn't ignore these things, I just kind of moved with them. So what I did is I, I took them off my website because again, it feels harsh written down on a website.

So I'd bring them into that very first session, the one where we'd first met and we'd had a conversation, and there was a little bit of trust starting there. So once they started to feel more at ease, once they were beginning to think, yes, I think I could work with this person. That's when I would start talking about this.

So usually when people came to me, I would kind of just ask them a question about, okay, it's lovely to see you here. can you tell me a little bit more? What about what brings you here today? Something about that. And what they do is they talk a little bit about their story and then they'd get to the end of their story and you go, thank you very much for sharing that with me.

and you, you know, you maybe reflect some of it back to them to let them know that you've heard what they're saying and you understand. And then what I'd do is, I'd say, right, you can relax for a moment now, and what I'm gonna do is talk a little about, a little bit about me and how I work. And then what I'd do is I'd introduce something about the more admin side of it. So I'd say something along the lines of, there are a few of the more practical bits that I'd just like to talk you through so you know how everything works. And then I'd cover what needed to be covered. So if I was talking about the contract, I'd soften it. You know, I'd say something like, I know the word contract sounds really official, but really it's just there. So we both know where we stand. Or if I was talking about cancellations, I'd explain it in a straightforward human way, not as a warning that they're gonna get told off, but just as a part of how the work runs.

And again, with confidentiality, I'd keep it really simple. You know, what we talk about stays here and you can add what you need around that. You know, you can, you can extend on some of those things, but the difference is by this point, they've already been sat with you for an amount of time. They've told you their stuff.

They've come to a conclusion about you. They get a sense of you, and this is how everything will change. So hearing these things just sounds different in your voice at that time because when this is shared too early, it can become one more thing. They have to get past. One more reason to hesitate.

One more reason to close the tab, but set at the right moment. In the right way. It doesn't create distance. It just starts to build that trust. So if you can strip it back, warm it up, and let it sound like you, then you can really say anything. And it's not gonna sound like so jolting. So I hope that's helpful for you, and I just want to let you know as well that look, if your homepage isn't quite working, if it all feels a little bit muddled, like you're not really saying what you mean, or the right people just aren't getting in touch, this is usually the point where trying to figure it out on your own stops working because it is not just about knowing what to say, it's about turning what's in your head into something that actually connects with potential clients. And that's exactly what I do in my write to your homepage session. We focus only on your homepage, the part where most people will land first, and we shape that into something that's clear, that's simple and that's easy for people to recognize themselves in. So the right person reads it and thinks. Yes. You know, this sounds like me. Now all the details for the Write your homepage session are in the show notes. 

Okay. So that's it for today. I really hope that you found this useful and you're gonna go off and you're gonna try this out. And all that's left to say is, look, thank you so much for listening and if this episode has resonated with you, make sure that you hit follow so you don't miss out the next one.

And honestly, look, your ideal clients are already out there. This is just another way that's gonna help them to find you. And choose you. Okay, I'll see you soon. Take care.