Jul 22 2010
Meet Carrie Merscham, PsyD
Here is a 15 minute audio of Colorado psychotherapist Carrie Merscham, discussing with Mel Restum, PhD how she developed a website that is now generating 20 referrals a month. Click on the Play button below her picture to listen:
Key quotation: “I find the online piece to be critical…it gives people lots of different options to take a look at, to find out more information about who you are and what you do.”
Carrie’s website is a great example of someone succeeding online by diversifying her presence online.
You can see her site at: http://www.coloradotherapycare.com
Note: Carrie’s site is NOT an example of the template websites that we create as part of our Website Success Strategies program; this is a custom design.
Summary:
Lifetime Value of a Referral: $1000
(using conservative estimates of $100 per session and 10 session length of treatment – her actual numbers are higher than this)
Lifetime Value of Website Referrals Per Month: $20,000
(20 referrals x $1000 = $20,000).
Lifetime Value of Website Referrals Per Year: $240,000
(12 months x $20,000 = $240,000)
Good information! Thanks for sharing! I’m looking forward to learning more as I create my site. Keep up the good work.
I have had a similar learning process to Carrie’s and similar experiences except for website traffic. I am still unclear how to find out the daily level of traffic to my website. How does one do this?
Patti,
To find out how many visitors you’re getting on your site (along with a whole bunch of other vital information about your website traffic), go to statcounter.com. Register and follow the instructions. You’ll need to enter some code (they provide it, you just cut and paste) into the code of each page on your website (they tell you where in the code to put it). Then log into your account on statcounter.com and look at all the reports. Hope this helps.
–Carly
Google Analytics has, by far, the best way to track visitors to your website and where they find you. It’s free!
A couple of points not explicitly mentioned by Carrie — she has a clean, easily navigable site which has a single focus: make an appointment. Good lesson for me — perhaps I should split my current site into two — one which focuses on offering one-on-one hypnotherapy and the other which markets self-help products.
Thanks for these recordings!
I am in private practice in Sydney, Australia, which is of course a very different market than the US market, however, I am now getting 95% + referrals a month from my website and at least 3-4 new inquiries a week.
However, I do believe it is important to diversify your marketing efforts and community marketing is still important as an overall strategy for building your private practice.
The most beneficial features of my website have been an online appointment scheduler, my newsletter/blog and testimonials. These are the aspects that I get the most positive feedback from clients.
I also think it is essential that you offer a free product so that you encourage clients to join your email list. This is the first point of contact where you can start building a relationship with potential clients.
Hello Carrie,
Congratulations on your success with your website and online marketing!
I have developed a group website, am listed in psychotherapy locator services (e.g., Psychology Today, 4-therapy.com), and I have developed an AdWord campaign. I am still in the start-up process of tweaking my website and AdWord campaign, and haven’t yet had the returns in referrals that you are enjoying.
Could you give us a ball-park idea of how much of an investment it takes to bring in those 20 referrals per month? And how do you split your investment between AdWords and locator services? Do you find one source better than the other?
Thanks very much for sharing your experience.
Hi Carrie,
Enjoyed listening to your podcast. Very informational.
Would you be willing to share the name and contact information of your web designer?
I have had a similar learning process to Carrie’s and similar experiences except for website traffic. I am still unclear how to find out the daily level of traffic to my website. How does one do this?
Thanks for these recordings!
I am in private practice in Sydney, Australia, which is of course a very different market than the US market, however, I am now getting 95% + referrals a month from my website and at least 3-4 new inquiries a week.
However, I do believe it is important to diversify your marketing efforts and community marketing is still important as an overall strategy for building your private practice.
The most beneficial features of my website have been an online appointment scheduler, my newsletter/blog and testimonials. These are the aspects that I get the most positive feedback from clients.
I also think it is essential that you offer a free product so that you encourage clients to join your email list. This is the first point of contact where you can start building a relationship with potential clients.
Google Analytics has, by far, the best way to track visitors to your website and where they find you. It’s free!
Hi Carrie,
Enjoyed listening to your podcast. Very informational.
Would you be willing to share the name and contact information of your web designer?
Hello Carrie,
Congratulations on your success with your website and online marketing!
I have developed a group website, am listed in psychotherapy locator services (e.g., Psychology Today, 4-therapy.com), and I have developed an AdWord campaign. I am still in the start-up process of tweaking my website and AdWord campaign, and haven’t yet had the returns in referrals that you are enjoying.
Could you give us a ball-park idea of how much of an investment it takes to bring in those 20 referrals per month? And how do you split your investment between AdWords and locator services? Do you find one source better than the other?
Thanks very much for sharing your experience.
Good information! Thanks for sharing! I’m looking forward to learning more as I create my site. Keep up the good work.
Google Analytics has, by far, the best way to track visitors to your website and where they find you. It’s free!
Hi Carrie,
Enjoyed listening to your podcast. Very informational.
Would you be willing to share the name and contact information of your web designer?