Part 4 - The Look and Feel

Throughout Parts 1 , 2 , and 3 of our series, we delved into the creation of a basic listing, the expansion of this listing into a detailed mini-site, and the utilization of a blog to boost your online presence, establish your expertise, and raise awareness of your services. Now, in Part 4, we shift our focus to the significance of visuals, formatting, and editing in optimizing your online presentation.

Visuals Matter

Your attention to detail, your choice of colours, and the background you select, all contribute to the overall feel of your profile. Choose colours and looks that support your professional image and statement.

If your focus is on gentleness and nurturing, think about 'soft', pastel colours and calming scenes like fields or trickling rivers to support this. If you focus on helping your clients to find their inner strength and overcome obstacles, consider using ‘stronger’ colours like dark blues and greys, and background images such as mountains or strong seas.

The 'Layout' page enables you to choose your colours, fonts and background image from a provided selection.

Focus on Formatting

It sounds mundane but formatting is important. Poorly formatted writing looks unprofessional and this makes you look unprofessional. Check for consistency by considering:

1. • Headings
2. • Text-size
3. • Spacing
4. • Font
5. 
   

TherapyRoute stipulates that you use plain text to populate your profile, rather than cutting and pasting from Word documents as this can cause problems with your layout. To convert your existing Word documents to plain text; copy and paste the text into a free Text Editor such as Notepad, and then copy it from there to your mini-site builder.

Tip: We have found that one-page layouts attract the most return visits. Although we recommend populating your profile thoroughly, keep your copy succinct and to the point.

Edit and Edit Again

Go back over your profile and get a sense of how it reads.

1. • Will your look and feel resonate with potential readers?
2. • Is your picture inviting?
3. • Does your professional statement compel readers to want to read on?
4. • Are your Approach and Services sections informative yet clear and understandable?
5. • Is the detail in your profile correct?
6. • Is it free from typos or grammatical mistakes?

Remember, typos and poor grammar can easily make you look incompetent. You may be an experienced and respected therapist but a reader can only assess you with the information they are given, so make sure it's good!

Contents of the Series

Introduction - Create the Ideal Therapist Profile

Setting the scene, communicating how you help clients, and being mindful of keywords and search phrases in your writing.

Part 1 - Making Your Basic Listing Work for You

The first step in creating an online profile is to create your listing. We take you through the various elements involved, from your professional statement to your profile photo and identity.

Part 2 - Creating your Mini-Site

Consider your mini-site as an enhanced version of your basic listing, offering more detailed information and allowing for customization to create a truly unique digital presence. In fact, it can even serve as your personal website! By completing your listing, you've already laid the foundation for your mini-site. The information you've provided will automatically populate your Home and Services page. We'll assist you in expanding on your Services section and filling the Approach page with comprehensive details, ensuring potential clients gain a clear understanding of your offerings and how you can support them.

Part 3 - Using Your Blog

Your Blog posts can be shared on your mini-site or submitted for inclusion on TherapyRoute. Here we explore a Blog to bring more visitors to your profile, through sharing your own unique and creative writing.

Part 4 - The Look and Feel | This Page :)

We look at the importance of your profile's look and feel and discuss mundane but vital factors, such as formatting and editing.

Part 5 - Help your Mini-Site Get Found

Once you have created a mini-site, one of the most important tasks you can do is to ensure it gets found. We discuss how you can share your profile link and include relevant keywords to boost your site’s findability. Finally, you have completed creating your online profile. Now you can sit back and let it work for you!