So you’re new in private practice and need a first website or you need a website upgrade. It can be a difficult choice when deciding on a website builder that works best for your practice. Many times, mental health professionals we speak with told us that they chose a website builder primarily because of pricing. While this may be helpful in the short-term, it’s important to choose a website builder that can grow with you, your practice, and your marketing strategy. Keep reading to see our list of best website builders for psychologists, therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals.

In the digital age, establishing an online presence is essential for psychologists to connect with clients and showcase their expertise. Choosing the right website builder becomes a pivotal decision, influencing the professional image one conveys online. The best website builders for psychologists seamlessly blend user-friendly interfaces with customizable features, enabling mental health professionals to create a compelling and informative platform.

Advantages of Website Builders for Psychologists

Let’s review some advantages of website builders for psychologists. Website builders:

Are typically reasonably priced

Allow you to create websites fairly quickly

Enable drag and drop building capability

Often take care of the backend updating for you

Are built for mobile and standard devices

Can help you get your practice up online quickly

So for a new practice needing an online presence quickly, website builders can be your friend.

Disadvantages of Website Builders for Psychologists

Now that we’ve looked at the advantages, set’s review some disadvantages of website builders for psychologists. Website builders:

Are often outgrown once a practice grows, or a real marketing strategy is implemented

Can be limited in capabilities

Are often boilerplate looking

Don’t really help you with SEO unless you have a comprehensive strategy implemented before you start your build

Limit many great marketing tools available

For the long-term health of a practice and their online strategy, website builders may limit you.

Should I Use a Website Builder or Hire Someone?

As the owner of a marketing company, I have gotten this question many times “Should I use a website builder or hire someone to build my website?” Well, it depends. Not all website companies are the same. Some website companies will create a nice looking site, but don’t have the SEO strategy skills needed to create an online presence that generates leads for your business via a SEO strategy.

My recommendation is, you can use a website builder to get online quickly when you’re just starting. But, investing money upfront in hiring a professional that knows SEO strategy will benefit you much more in the long-term of your practice. Search engine optimization (SEO) takes many months to start working, so it’s best to get a jump on this as soon as possible. Having said that, it’s a good idea to create your own website on a website builder quickly when you just start, and start researching website companies that specialize in SEO and have experience working with mental health professionals.

Best Website Builders for Psychologists, Therapists, and Counselors

Now that we’ve reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of website builders, here is our list of best website builders for mental health professionals:

1) WordPress

WordPress, while technically a website builder, is probably the most difficult platform to use on this list. However, if you hire a website company to build your site, they will most likely use WordPress because of it is highly customizable and can provide many tools to help with a SEO strategy.

Advantages: 

Highly customizable

Relatively cheap

The most used website platform on the planet

Great SEO tools available

WordPress is “free” but you’ll need a hosting company

Disadvantages:

Somewhat difficult to use for new users

You will need 3rd party tools implemented

Updates and site maintenance required

Cost: WordPress requires a hosting company, which can cost between $10 and $30 per month. WordPress itself is free to use as it’s open source.

Verdict: I personally love WordPress, it’s what my marketing agency uses for psychologists and other mental health professionals. However, if you approach this one on your own, there is a steep learning curve. It is very flexible in both design and capabilities, but it may not be a good choice for a first-time build if you are doing it yourself.

2) Wix

Wix is a highly used website builder popular with many small businesses. Many mental health professionals use Wix because of it’s easy drag and drop builder.

Advantages:

The starting costs are lower than some other builders out there

The drag and drop builder is relatively easy to use,  although it can take some getting used to

You can get your website built pretty quickly if it only contains a few pages

Disadvantages:

A very general builder not specific to therapists

Usually a beginner website that many users grow out of when it’s time to implement a stragegy

Limitations in design

Not so customizable with 3rd party tools

Cost: $16 to $59+ per month

Verdict: Wix is a popular website builder and is fairly easy to use. There are some limitations, but it can be used to get a site up quickly and relatively affordably.

3) Squarespace

Similar to Wix, Squarespace is a general website builder small business owners use.

Advantages:

Free trial available

Drag and drop builder

Good for selling online

Website can be set up quickly if only a few pages

Disadvantages:

Not designed for mental health professionals

No free plan available

Cost: $23 to $65 per month

Verdict: Squarespace is a good website builder for selling online. Like any of these other website builders, they are just tools. If you don’t have a strong SEO strategy imagined before the site is built, your site won’t help you generate many clients.

4) Simplepractice

Simplepractice is more than just a website builder, but they do include a website builder in some of their plans.

Advantages:

Intuitive and easy to use builder

Integrates with their EHR system

30 day free trial

Good for a basic site

Disadvantages:

Not a standalone website builder

Limited SEO capabilities

Limited strategy capabilities

Cookie-cutter in appearance

Cost: $69.99 to $99.99 per month

Verdict: If you already use Simplepractice, their free website is not a bad option to get a site up quickly. However, your site will most likely not benefit you in finding new clients.

5) Brightervision

Brightervision is fairly well-known in the mental health space. Many psychologists, therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals use them for their websites.

Advantages:

They guide you through the whole process

No experience required

HIPAA-compliant

Disadvantages:

Don’t use the “pre-generated” copy for your pages or your blogs. This will not be helpful for any SEO strategy as Google likes original content.

$100 set up fee

Cost is more expensive than other options

Fairly boilerplate looking

Cost: $69-149+ monthly, $100 upfront

Verdict: For newer mental health practices, this is not a bad option. However, the most common complaint I’ve heard from Brightervision users is that their website “didn’t help them” get clients.

6) Hire a Website Company

Hiring a website company is a great option for those looking to jumpstart their SEO strategy. I’d only recommend this option to a practice looking to get clients via an online strategy.

Advantages:

Website companies:

Build the site for you

Take care of maintenance (usually as an add-on service)

Build a custom-looking site that differentiates you from competitors

Can implement a strong SEO strategy (if they have the knowledge)

Disadvantages:

A costly investment up-front

If you choose the wrong agency, it can be a headache

Not all website companies know SEO

Cost: Depending on what you’re getting, a custom website can cost you anywhere from $4000.00 and up. A strong SEO strategy will require a larger website, so expect to pay more. You’ll also need copywriting done if you don’t write for SEO.

Verdict: For mental health professionals needing to grow their practice online, hiring a website company with heavy SEO experience is a phenomenal investment. I highly recommend SEO for private practices that aim to be in business more than 3 years and want a steady flow of new clients regularly.

Final Thoughts on Choosing a Website Builder for Your Therapy Practice

Thank you for reading this resource on the best website builders for psychologists, therapists, and counselors. It’s very tough to say which website builder option is the best for you, it depends on your needs, your budget, and your practice goals. If you want a website that will generate leads for your practice, a custom SEO strategy and website is highly recommended. If you just need to get a site up quickly, one of the other options may be your best bet.

TherapyByPro is an online mental health directory that connects mental health pros with clients in need. If you’re a mental health professional, you can Join our community and add your practice listing here. We have assessments, practice forms, and worksheet templates mental health professionals can use to streamline their practice. View all of our mental health forms, worksheet, and assessments here.

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