MHM#55 Why some therapy practice websites receive few enquiries

About 70% of the solo therapists I work with in our one-on-one program already have a website. These therapists are typically in the first one to three years of their private practice and realise they need support with marketing and filling their caseload. One of the first steps they often take in creating their practice, before we start working together, is building a website. Some created it themselves, while others worked with a website designer or agency. Prioritising building a website is completely understandable, as having a website is essential for building a successful private practice.

Most of the time, in fact I can’t recall a situation where we haven’t done this, part of working with a therapist involves updating their website, even if it has only been built recently. This isn’t necessarily because the website is poorly built or designed, although that can sometimes be the case. More often, it’s because the menu, pages, and content aren’t effectively connecting with prospective clients. As a result, the website struggles to build trust and help prospective clients feel confident enough to take the next step and book an appointment.

We actually spend much more time updating existing websites than building new ones, for two core reasons:

1. The website content is too general and doesn’t connect with anyone, or
   
   
2. The website content speaks to a specific niche but isn’t meeting that niche where they are.
   
   

Successful therapy websites and marketing depend on getting very clear on your niche and understanding where they’re at.

When you’re in the early stages of growing your private practice, it can be tempting to market yourself as a generalist, thinking this will give you the best chance of filling your practice quickly. However, what often happens is that you attract fewer clients because your website struggles to connect with anyone. By trying to talk to everyone, you end up talking to no one.

Imagine landing on a website that says:

“I work with children, teens, and adults struggling with a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, stress, substance abuse, and ADHD.”

Compared to:

“I help neurodiverse, career-passionate young women navigate the workplace.”

If you were a career-oriented young woman with ADHD experiencing challenges at work, which therapist would you be more likely to book an appointment with?

I know it’s not always easy to choose a niche, especially early on when you may feel you haven’t worked with enough clients to know who you’re most passionate about helping. So niche down as much as you can right now. That might mean choosing a broader niche like grief, with sub-niches underneath it, such as people who have experienced death, loss of identity, empty nest,  divorce, etc. Over time, you might discover that you enjoy working with empty nest clients the most and begin narrowing your messaging to focus just on that sub-niche.

Once you’ve identified your niche, the next step is to think about where they’re at and what they’re presenting with. You might know that what they believe is the issue isn’t actually the core issue. However, if we don’t meet people where they are, using language that reflects what they believe is happening and what they believe they need help with, you risk either not connecting with them at all or scaring them off because the messaging feels too confronting.

For example, if you work with people who have struggled their whole life to maintain long-term romantic relationships, you might know that there is often past trauma or attachment issues involved. But if they have no awareness of this or haven’t connected those dots yet, leading with messaging about past trauma on your homepage is likely to feel too confronting and overwhelming.

Another example is an addiction therapist I’ve worked with. She primarily works with people who struggle with alcohol, but these clients don’t view themselves as addicts. They aren’t seeking help for addiction. They’re seeking support to regain control of their drinking and reduce the chaos in their lives. If they land on a website that has “Addiction Therapy” front and centre, they’re likely to think, this therapist isn’t for me, I’m not an addict.

So, if you’re in the early stages of private practice and don’t yet have a website, start by getting as clear and as narrow as you can on your niche. Then think about where your niche is at and what they believe they need help with. Let this guide the pages you include on your website, as well as the messaging and language you use on them. And if you already have a website, I recommend that your first marketing task for 2026 is to review your website content and update if needed.  

The more clearly your website speaks to a specific niche and meets them where they are, the more trust you’ll build. And in therapy marketing, trust is everything. Trust helps people feel safe and confident that you’re the right therapist for them.