Most therapists had their website built by someone else.
It launched, they shared the link a few times, and it became one of those things running quietly in the background of practice life.
And somewhere in the back of your mind, there is probably a question you have never fully answered: Is it actually working?
You do not need any technical knowledge to answer that question. You just need to know what to look for.
Why Looking Fine Is Not the Same as Working Well
A therapy website can look clean and professional while having real functional problems running underneath it.
A contact form that does not send emails. A site that search engines have quietly stopped showing. A security certificate that expired six months ago. Pages that look great on your laptop but break completely on a phone.
These are not design problems. They are setup and maintenance problems. And because most therapists are not regularly visiting their own site and testing it as a new visitor would, these issues can go unnoticed for a long time.
According to Pew Research Center, over 90 percent of Americans now use a smartphone. Most of the people who will ever visit your therapy website are looking at it on a phone. That makes mobile display and speed checks non-negotiable, not optional extras.
The 10-Point Check: Go Through This Right Now
Open your website on your phone and on a desktop or laptop. Visit it as a new client would and go through this list.
- Check for the padlock
Look at the address bar in your browser. Does your web address start with https and show a small padlock icon? If it starts with http without the padlock, your security certificate is likely missing or expired. This shows a Not Secure warning to your visitors. - Check how it looks on your phone
Can you read the text easily without zooming in? Is the menu usable? Do the buttons work? Most people searching for a therapist are on their phone. If your mobile experience feels clunky, you are losing them before they reach your contact page. Google even has a free mobile-friendly test tool where you can type in your web address and it will tell you immediately if there are mobile display issues. Takes thirty seconds. - Test your contact form
Fill it out yourself and submit a test message. Does it arrive in your inbox? This is one of the most common and most damaging problems on therapy websites, and the only way to know it is broken is to test it
- Check how fast it loads
Open your site on your phone using mobile data rather than WiFi and time how long it takes to fully appear. More than three seconds is worth addressing. - Search for yourself on Google
Type your full name and your city, and your practice name. Does your website appear? If it does not show up at all, there may be a technical issue with how search engines are finding your site. If you want a more detailed picture of how Google sees your site, Google Search Console is a free tool that shows you exactly which pages are being indexed and if there are any errors. It is free to set up and I recommend it to every therapist I work with. - Read through your content
Is your contact information current? Are the services you list still the ones you offer? Are your fees still accurate? Outdated information creates confusion before a client ever reaches out. - Look at the copyright year at the bottom of your site
Is it current? A footer showing a year from two or three years ago signals that the site has not been maintained. - Check that all images appear
Browse every page and confirm there are no missing images, which show up as empty boxes with a small broken icon. This can happen after updates and affects the impression visitors get of your site. - Try navigating the menu
Can someone find your contact form in one or two clicks from any page? The path to reaching you should feel simple and clear. - Check for a photo of you
This is not technical but it is a setup issue worth naming. A warm, genuine photo of you builds trust faster than almost anything else on a therapy website. If yours is missing, that is worth fixing.
What a Well-Set-Up Therapy Website Also Includes
Beyond the checks above, a correctly set up therapy website has a few content elements that help potential clients make an informed decision about reaching out.
- A clear statement of who you help and what you help with, written in the language your clients would actually use, not clinical language. This helps visitors understand quickly if you are the right fit.
- A contact option visible on every page. A form, a phone number, or a scheduling link. The path to reaching you should never be more than one click away.
- Page titles and descriptions for search engines. Each page on your site should have a clear title and a short description that search engines can read. These are invisible to visitors but they matter for helping people find you. A web professional can check these quickly.
- A privacy policy. Increasingly important and in some cases legally required depending on your state. If your site collects any information through forms, a basic privacy policy is worth having in place.
Want to see examples of therapy websites that have all of this in place? Browse our portfolio. Every site I build starts from a checklist very much like this one.
What to Do If You Find Problems
If you worked through this list and found things that are off, do not be overwhelmed. These are fixable issues and it is genuinely good that you found them.
Some of these you can fix yourself, especially on Squarespace and Wix, which are designed to be easy to use without technical knowledge. A broken contact form might just need its email settings adjusted. An outdated bio can be edited right from your dashboard.
For WordPress sites, some fixes are simple and some need a professional. An expired security certificate, for example, is something your hosting provider can usually resolve quickly. Speed issues and tool conflicts typically benefit from someone who handles these regularly.
If several things came up, or if the process felt overwhelming, that is a signal your website would benefit from some proper care. Our SEO and website care services are built around exactly this kind of foundational work.
Check Your Site, Then Get the Support You Need
Your website is often the first experience a potential client has of you. Before they speak to you, before they decide to reach out, they are on your site forming an impression.
Taking fifteen minutes to work through this checklist is one of the most practical things you can do for your practice. What you find might reassure you. Or it might be the nudge you needed to get some support in place.
Either way, you will know. And knowing is always better than quietly wondering.
If the checklist turns up a few things that need attention, the Website Care Starter is a simple way to get them handled. You bring the list, we take it from there.
