OK I am a bit of a geek which is unusual for a massage therapists.  I have a system that I use and recommend but it is fairly time intensive yet anyone can do it. So the other day I started researching various website design systems for massage therapists and was wondering what people are using and what is effective.
An effective website to me is one that gets 3-5 clients a week AND also makes you an additional stream of income from promoting affiliate products. (Affiliate marketing is promoting things that are related to massage – like I promote a stretching program, Traumeel, Biofreeze and books on health that I have read)
The reason that I feel a website is so important is that it is more than just a calling card for your business. It is also an opportunity to be more professional and educated doctors and the general public about what massage really can do and how it is used.  You know the drill – it’s good for stress, injuries, wellness but most people are clueless really about their bodies.
A website is one of the easiest ways to get clients I think because people are already looking for a massage therapist. They aren’t looking for you when they start out – but they are just looking for someone to help them with whatever issue they are having – stress or pain in some combination usually.  People want to know that you have experience working with the kinds of things that they are dealing with. They want to make sure they are spending their time wisely. What do they think when they find a site that doesn’t have any more info than just a few pages on how much the massage therapists charges?
One of the best exercises you can do is to go online and try to find a good massage therapist. Go through all of the process of searching online. Actually go and do it and follow through and go and get the massage.  See what you find out there!
The components of an effective website are many. It has to do with keywords and a little simple search engine optimization and also just writing all of the things down that you really just talk to people about – how muscles work, how massage works, what happens with stress and injuries. Writing this all down will also improve the way you communicate with clients in person.
While all of the technical details might seem too overwhelming they are worth learning about to create an effective website. I have it all laid on on my website at www.thebodyworker.com
If you would like some help with your current website just leave the address and I will give you some pointers on how to get your site to the top of the first page of Google (which is really the goal of every website. )
Happy Halloween!
Julie
