Best Website Builder for Therapists

Wondering about the best website builder for therapists?

For therapists who may not have a web design background, luckily there are therapist website builder tools to help to make the process of designing a website simple, streamlined, and straightforward.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular therapist website builders—and determine which is the best.

The best website builder for therapists: SimplePractice

Not all website builders are created equal. 

When evaluating your options, it’s best to look for a website builder that was designed specifically with therapists in mind—like the website builder from SimplePractice.

The SimplePractice website builder gives you all the tools and features you need to build a website that’s functional, well-designed, and works for you, your clients, and your practice—without having to hire an expensive web developer or learn how to code.

When you build your website using SimplePractice, you get access to:

• A curated selection of pre-designed templates
  
• Tools to personalize the look and feel of your website in minutes, including ways to incorporate your logo and brand color palette
  
• Responsive design that adapts to any screen size—so your website looks great no matter where visitors access it, whether that’s a laptop, desktop, tablet, or mobile phone
  
• Built-in tech capabilities—no need to learn search engine optimization (SEO), HTML, or other web design frameworks
  
• Full integration with the SimplePractice electronic health record (EHR), which allows you to centralize everything you need to run your private practice—and access everything you need from one easy-to-use platform

And the best part? With the SimplePractice Essential or Plus plan, you can build and use your website for free—which can save you hundreds (even thousands!) of dollars per year on website costs.

What therapists say about building a website with SimplePractice

Clearly, SimplePractice offers a number of helpful tools and features for website building. 

But, as a therapist, what is it like to actually build your website using the SimplePractice website builder?

User-friendly customization features

We checked in with Sara Marrs O’Donnell, MA, LCPC, NCC. After using SimplePractice in a previous position, she opted to use the SimplePractice website builder to create the website for her Illinois-based private therapy practice, Grow Connected PLLC. 

“When I started my own practice, I wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible—and SimplePractice made building a website quick and easy,” says Marrs O’Donnell.

Familiarity with the platform wasn’t the only reason she chose SimplePractice as her website builder.

“When I compared it with other website builders, it was easier on my budget and was more user friendly,” she says. “Other website builders were overwhelming with options—and I found SimplePractice to be more streamlined to fit my needs as a business.”

She also enjoyed the website builder’s customization features. “I liked the color palette and template options,” she explains. “And I liked that sections were listed piece by piece…the prompts for each section were easy to follow.”

Website builder integrated with EHR

Marrs O’Donnell also found huge value in using a website builder that integrates directly with her EHR. 

“I think it is most helpful with how clients can contact me or access the client portal,” she says. “It makes paperwork easier and allows clients to schedule appointments.” 

Therapist Sarah Murcko, LMHC, also had a positive experience when creating the website for her private practice in Florida, Pensacola Marriage Counseling.

Features tailored specifically for therapists

From Murcko’s perspective, one of the major benefits of the SimplePractice website builder is that it’s tailored specifically to therapists. She was able to design a functional, effective website without having to wade through all the unnecessary (at least for therapists) features found on other website builders.

“I did try both Wix and Squarespace and they are fairly user-friendly, but with me only needing the basic information—[like] practice info, fees, about me—SimplePractice offered an easier way for me to do that without needing to learn new things,” says Murcko.

Murcko also found real value in how easy the website builder was to use—and, because her website is connected to the SimplePractice platform, how much easier it was to run her entire practice. 

“The ease of plugging in your info and having SimplePractice do the work for you is a big time saver,” says Murcko. “Plus, because it’s all in one platform, there is less room for error when it comes to scheduling, practice info, [and other therapy-related issues]. It’s also easy to make edits without having to log into multiple sites.”

“Time is important to me,” she says. ”And being able to do everything from one login is a timesaver.” 

Murcko had such a positive experience with the website builder—and SimplePractice as a whole—she has recommended it to multiple colleagues.

“I have recommended SimplePractice to every therapist that asks about [an] EHR,” says Murcko. “We’re not trained in school how to start and run a business—only how to be a therapist. SimplePractice has taken a lot of the legwork off the backend of running a business, while allowing some customization.”

Other website builders

As mentioned, SimplePractice offers all the features therapists need to build an effective, well-designed website that’s integrated within your EHR to make running your practice a breeze. 

However, if you’re curious about other website builders, some include: 

Squarespace

Squarespace is a popular website builder that comes equipped with a variety of features to help make website design a bit less complicated. 

Some Squarespace features include:

• A website editor that allows you to create the structure of your website using drag-and-drop functionality
  
• A large volume of customizable templates for a variety of business types
  
• A library of integrations that allows for additional functionality, like appointment scheduling via Acuity

All that said, the Squarespace platform isn’t without its drawbacks. 

Squarespace’s monthly fees are higher than other competitors—and adding the functionality therapists need to effectively run their practice (like scheduling) can cost extra.

Depending on the plan, Squarespace costs range from $25 to $72 per month (although you can save on per-month costs by signing up for an annual plan).

WordPress

If you’re looking for a highly customizable website building experience, you may want to explore WordPress. 

The WordPress platform offers a variety of features, including:

• A huge library of themes and plug-ins that allow users to create a truly custom website experience
  
• Extensive online and community-created resources to support users throughout the web design process
  
• Lower baseline costs than other website builders

It is important to note, however, that WordPress is a much more advanced website builder than the other options on this list. WordPress can have a somewhat steep learning curve—and if you don’t need a highly customized website (which most therapists don’t), there are simpler options out there.

Depending on the plan and features needed, WordPress pricing can range anywhere from $4 to $65 per month.

Wix

Another popular website builder is Wix, which offers a variety of features that can help therapists build a website from the ground up, including:

• A drag-and-drop website editor designed for users with limited tech experience
  
• An app market that offers easily integrated additional functionality (like appointment booking and client management)
  
• Customer support to help with any issues in the web design, publishing, or management process
  
• Plans offer free domain for one year

However, many users report that switching platforms (and either adding your website to Wix or moving your website from Wix to another platform) can be challenging. 

There are also some reports of slower loading times vs. other platforms—which can potentially cause user experience issues for visitors and clients.

The cost for Wix’s website building services range from $17 to $159 per month (billed annually).

TherapySites

TherapySites is a website builder designed specifically for therapists. As such, they offer a number of features that therapists might find helping, including:

• Pre-written content developed by therapists
  
• Client management tools, including appointment scheduling, client portals, and HIPAA-compliant forms and email
  
• Mobile-responsive designs

However, it’s important to note that TherapySites only offers website services, not a full practice management platform—so if you’re looking for your website to integrate directly into your EHR, this may not be the right for you.

TherapySites pricing ranges from $59 per month (for the standard plan) to $99 per month (for the SEO plan).

How SimplePractice streamlines running your practice

SimplePractice is HIPAA-compliant practice management software with everything you need to run your practice built into the platform—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing.

If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to run a fully paperless practice—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.

Try SimplePractice free for 30 days. No credit card required.

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