At this point in the middle age of the internet, you probably don’t need to be convinced that every mental health practice needs a website. But as a reminder, a website can:
- help new patients find you and know what you do
- educate your patients and potential patients about your areas of expertise
- allow you to accept credit cards via your website (entered by your clients or by you)
- allow clients to download your consent forms, print, read, complete and bring to their first visit
- post your privacy policy (HIPAA) policy online and stop providing printed copies
- help new clients find your office with pictures of your building and custom point-to-point directions
- recruit new patients
Potential patients will find their mental health therapist primarily by searching the internet. They want to know
- what you charge
- what age patients you treat
- what your specialties are and how you can solve their problems
- if you accept their insurance
- if you seem like an approachable person
Potential patients will find their psychologists/mental health therapists through search engines like Google. Even patients referred to you will look for you on the internet before calling. A website is the 21st century version of the Yellow Pages. To grow your practice or increase the self-pay segments, click here.
Even if you have a perpetually full practice, you can use a website to work smarter:
- allow patients to read your HIPAA, informed consent and fee contracts online
- allow them to download and fill out your forms before their initial appointment
- put a Google Map with directions to your office on your site
- put your articles or other information about conditions you treat on your site
- link to information for your patients
- accept credit card payment over your website via a PayPal or other merchant services
For more detail on using your website to improve your efficiency, click here
All of this is easy to do with a Sites for Psychologists website (see our DIY guide)