Think about the last time you looked for a dentist, a plumber or a restaurant. You probably did it on your phone, in a spare moment, and you gave each website a few seconds to answer your questions before moving on.
Your future clients do the same, often at a harder moment. They’ve finally decided to get help. They may be anxious, exhausted or searching late at night. They want to know quickly whether you can help, what it costs, whether their insurance works, and how to reach you.
Here are the 12 things they look for. For each one, you’ll find why it matters and a simple way to check your own website. Open your site on your phone and work through the list.
1. It opens quickly on a phone
Why it matters: Most people search for “therapist near me” on their phone, and most people leave if a page takes more than about three seconds to open. A slow website loses people before they’ve read a word.
How to check: Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and open your website on mobile data. Count how long it takes before you can read the page and tap things. If you’re counting past three, it’s costing you clients. Our missed clients calculator estimates how many, and why your website is slow on phones explains what usually causes it.
2. A Book now button they can’t miss
Why it matters: When someone’s ready, they want to act right then. If they have to hunt for the button, the moment passes, and reaching out to a therapist is hard enough already.
How to check: On your phone, open your homepage, then three other pages. Can you see a Book now (or “Request a consultation”) button on each one without scrolling far? Does it go straight to your booking system, whether that’s SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Jane, Headway, Alma, Zocdoc or whatever you use?
3. Fees, in actual numbers
Why it matters: Cost is one of the first questions people have. “Contact us for rates” makes them email, or quietly choose a therapist who shows it.
How to check: Pretend you’ve never heard of your practice. Can you find the cost of a first session in two taps? If not, our fees and insurance page template gives you the wording.
4. Insurance, by plan name
Why it matters: For many clients, insurance decides whether they reach out at all. They want to see their own plan’s name, and to know what happens if you’re out of network.
How to check: Is there a list of the plans you’re in network with, like Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna or UnitedHealthcare? Does it explain out-of-network benefits and superbills? If you don’t take insurance, does it say so kindly? Our post on what a therapy website should say about insurance walks through it.
5. Who they’ll be seeing
Why it matters: People are trusting you with their story. They want to see a face, a name and a little about the person before they reach out. Many clients choose the therapist, not the practice.
How to check: Does every clinician have a photo, their license type (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, PsyD and so on), the states they’re licensed in and a few warm sentences about who they help? A bio that’s only a list of trainings doesn’t tell a nervous client much.
6. What you help with, in their words
Why it matters: Clients don’t search for “cognitive behavioral therapy” first. They search for “therapist for anxiety”, “couples counseling” or “help after a breakup”. Your website should use the words they use.
How to check: Read your services page. Does each specialty say who it’s for and what it helps with, in everyday language? Ideally, each main specialty has its own page.
7. Where you are, and whether you see people online
Why it matters: Location still matters, even with telehealth. People want to know if you’re nearby, whether there’s parking, and whether you can see them online in their state.
How to check: Is your full address on every page, usually in the footer? Is there a parking note? If you offer telehealth, does it say which states you can see clients in? Is your address exactly the same as on your Google Business Profile and Psychology Today profile?
8. When you’re available
Why it matters: Evening and weekend sessions are a big reason people choose one therapist over another. So is a clear answer to “are you taking new clients?”
How to check: Can you see your hours, or at least your general availability, on a phone? If you have a waitlist or aren’t taking new clients, does the website say so, so people don’t wait for a reply that won’t come?
9. What the first session is like
Why it matters: A first session can feel daunting. Knowing what to expect lowers the worry enough for people to reach out.
How to check: Is there a short section that walks through getting started: a free consultation call if you offer one, intake paperwork, how long the first session is, and what happens in it?
10. Easy for everyone to read and use
Why it matters: Some of your clients are older, have low vision, or are reading your website at a very hard moment. Small gray text, tiny buttons and busy pages make it harder. It’s also part of what the ADA expects.
How to check: Hand your phone to someone over 60 and ask them to find your fees and book. Watch where they get stuck. Is the text large enough? Can buttons be tapped easily? Do links look like links?
11. Signs they can trust you, including with their privacy
Why it matters: People want reassurance that you’re licensed, real and careful with their information.
How to check: Look for license details on every bio, a clear privacy page, a padlock in the browser’s address bar, and real photos of your office. Then look at your contact form. If it asks people to describe what they’re going through, it can raise HIPAA concerns. Read whether your contact form is a HIPAA risk. Reviews can help too, but check our guide to advertising rules for therapists first.
12. A quick answer to “can you help me?”
Why it matters: The very top of your homepage is the most important space on your website. In a glance, a visitor should know what you do, who you help and where.
How to check: Open your homepage on your phone and look only at what you can see without scrolling. Does it say what kind of therapy you offer, where you are (and which states online), and offer a way to book? “Welcome to my practice” doesn’t count.
Bonus: easy to find in the first place
None of this helps if people never find your website. Clients increasingly ask Google and AI assistants like ChatGPT for a recommendation. A website that covers the 12 items above is already in good shape, because the same clear answers that help clients help Google too. For more, read how to show up in ChatGPT and Google’s AI answers.
Your scorecard
Go through the list and give yourself a check for each item your website gets right:
- 10 to 12: Your website is working hard for you. Keep it up to date.
- 7 to 9: A few gaps are probably sending people elsewhere. Start with speed, booking, fees and insurance.
- 6 or fewer: Your website is likely costing you clients every week. It’s worth a closer look.
Want a second opinion?
It’s hard to see your own website the way a stranger does. Our free website check looks at these 12 things for you and sends back a simple report: what’s working, and what might be costing you clients.