James, a LinkedIn member, sent us this InMail a little while ago:

“I really want to grow my practice, but it’s really slow going. I’m getting some referrals through word-of-mouth, which is great, but I wish it wasn’t such a slog to grow my client list.

Last year I invested in getting a website, but it’s not getting a ton of traffic. I don’t know how to increase the traffic, nor do I have the $$$ to pay a digital marketing company to fix it for me.

I’m also listed in a few online therapy directories (Psychology Today + Good Therapy + Better Help). I’ve gotten some referrals through them, so I’ll keep going with that.

But to be honest, I feel a bit disheartened by the fact that practically every therapist in town also list with these directories, so the competition is stiff and it’s hard to get noticed.

I know that I really need to figure out additional ways of getting new clients, but frankly, working on my marketing strategy is the last thing I feel like doing after a long day at work.

So there you have it. I’m not really sure what I should be doing to get new clients. All I know is that I’m tired of spinning my wheels.”

We want to emphasize something for you:

James is an excellent therapist. He really cares about helping his clients improve their lives.

But despite his hard work and dedication, he isn’t getting the results that he deserves.

But Jame’s Story Isn’t Unique…

When it comes to growing their practice, many therapists are struggling. The idea of growth has been replaced with striving to just make ends meet.

But even if your practice already has a decent number of clients, you probably still hope to fully maximize your client list.

The cost of not taking action is high.

Within mental healthcare, there is a wide range of salaries. Nationally, therapists make anywhere from $35,000 to $110,00 per year.

Write down your average monthly income over the last 12 months. Then write down what you want your average monthly income to be.

Let’s say your average monthly income is $4,000 per month, and your goal is actually to make $8,000 per month in your therapy practice.

This means that the gap between where you are and where you want to be is $4,000 per month.

In other words, you’re paying a cost of $4,000 every month you don’t solve the problem of how to find more clients.

The direct impact on you and your family is a smaller nest egg, which can be scary when inflation and the cost of living are skyrocketing.

Given all the time and money you’ve invested in your education, not to mention how hard you work to help your clients day in and day out, you don’t deserve to be financially stressed.

But Not Everyone is Struggling…

Let us know if this has ever happened to you:

You’re working on your marketing plan when you discover that other therapists in your area are fully booked. In fact, they’re no longer accepting any new clients, nor is there any room on their waiting list.

Clearly their practice is thriving.

You think to yourself, “How did they manage to grow their client list when mine has flat-lined? My services are just as good as theirs.”

Even though you don’t have x-ray vision to peek inside the inner workings of their business, you just know that they’re attracting new clients on a consistent basis and generating a great income.

And you might wonder, “What are they doing differently?”

It’s time to ask yourself some important questions…

Do You Have All of Your Eggs in One Basket?

Therapists are highly-educated and intelligent people who are guided by science and data.

Since approximately 92% of the population use the Internet to find goods and services, most therapists wisely invest in having an online presence.

It’s a smart decision. It makes sense to be found online because that’s where potential new clients are looking for a therapist like you.

However, a common misconception held by therapists – and by business owners generally – is that it’s enough to just have a website…

…or that it’s enough to just have a Facebook page…

…or that it’s enough to just have a listing in one of the usual therapy directories.

When it comes to digital marketing, the best practice is to showcase your business in as many different places as humanly possible because the Internet is an enormous place and consumers conduct searches in different ways.

Just having a single online profile is like putting all of your eggs in one basket – you’re giving potential new clients only one chance to find you.

Whereas, having multiple profiles of your business multiplies the chances of potential new clients finding you online.

There’s also another important benefit…

A benefit that’s so important that it’s impossible to overstate it…

In-depth research in the field of consumer behaviour shows that multiple profiles leads consumers to believe that you are a well-known and reputable service provider.

Your website, Facebook page, and various business listings all work together to give consumers the confidence that calling you to make an appointment is a good decision.

The whole really is greater than the sum of its parts.

Think about the last time you looked for a professional service that was a significant investment, either in terms of time or money, or maybe even both…

Before making a booking, didn’t you FIRST do a Google search and read absolutely everything that you could possibly find out about them?

Didn’t you find it reassuring to see this business featured on multiple, trust-worthy websites, all attesting to the excellent reputation of this business?

But let’s imagine that you could barely find anything about this business when you did your Google search…

Wouldn’t you wonder if they were a brand-new business with zero experience?

Or perhaps a business that was so unsuccessful that it couldn’t afford standard digital marketing?

Or maybe even a shady business wanting to lie low?

The bottom line is that being found in multiple places online is absolutely vital to any business’s credibility and long-term success.

So here’s our Public Service Announcement…

If any website tells you that listing with them is the ONLY thing you should do, you should ignore it. It’s self-serving advice and, frankly, it’s bad advice given the amount of data on the topic.

Enough said.

This leads us to the next important question…

Do You Have Golden Eggs?

Golden eggs are rare and valuable. They’re highly-prized and obtained by a select few.

How does this concept translate to client referrals from online sources?

Therapists today are jockeying to be seen in a very crowded online marketplace.

Since most of the other therapists in your city or town also have a website, a business Facebook page and/or listings in the usual directories, it’s very difficult to actually stand out.

But the good news is that it’s not impossible – if you know where to look.

Ask yourself…

“How can I strategically position my business online so that I can maximize the number of leads that I receive?”

“Where is that sweet spot where the traffic is high, but the competition for leads is low?”

The sweet spot yields golden eggs – valuable leads that only you and a few other people are receiving.

Here’s some free, but valuable advice…

When it comes to your website, the sweet spot lies in focusing on a niche practice area…

…a sub-speciality that has a good amount of searches every month, but much less competition.

As an example, a speciality is “grief therapy”. It’s a very popular search term.

However, many websites reference “grief therapy”, which means that there’s a ton of competition when it comes to ranking in search results.

High competition translates into a very low probability that potential new clients will find your website. They won’t even know that you exist.

Time to think about finding a niche…

A sub-speciality might be “grief therapy for widows” or “grief therapy for kids” or “grief therapy after suicide”.

Not many websites reference these terms, but many people still search for them. So there’s low competition, but high probability that you’ll get new clients via your website because it’s ranked high in search results.

You’ve then found the sweet spot with your website. It’s going to give you golden eggs year after year.

When it comes to online business directories, the same principles apply.

A niche directory where the traffic is high – but competition with other therapists is low – is going to be a valuable source of client referrals.

What you may not know is that Love Lives On has the premiere niche Business Directory when it comes to end-of-life issues.

Love Lives On is a comprehensive online resource centre for people who are facing a loss.

We have a huge library of content covering hospice care, funeral planning and grief, that’s used by millions of people.

Our expertise lies in knowing what people are searching for online, (in understanding Google data), and in creating content that meets that need.

However, we realize that we are not a substitute for an experienced therapist who can work one-on-one with a person or a family.

Hence, all of the content on our website leads our users to our niche Business Directory where they can find a qualified therapist.

Love Lives On is unlike any other business directory that you’ve encountered before…

First, joining our Business Directory is by invitation only. (More later on about why we have a vetting process.)

Second, there is also a strict limit on the number of spots that are available.

We don’t believe in overstuffed directories – grieving people are easily overwhelmed by too many options.

Our users appreciate that we present them with a short list of qualified therapists to consider, each of whom has been thoroughly vetted by us.

If you’re successful in securing one of the limited number of spots in our Business Directory, you’ll be getting valuable client referrals – golden eggs – month after month.

Love Lives On Business Directory. High traffic. Low competition. The sweet spot.

Imagine feeling free, knowing that you’re being found in all the right places online. Enjoy your weekends, confident that you’re doing all of the right things to consistently get new clients…

We’ve got you covered!

What People Are Saying About Love Lives On

Every person on the Love Lives On team has lost someone significant in their lives, so we share a passion for helping others who are on their own journey of grief and healing.

Passion cannot be bought or taught.

We help by creating the most researched and in-depth content on end-of-life issues that you’ll find online today.

It’s a time-consuming and expensive endeavour, but we’re proud that we provide people with access to important information 24/7.

Even if they’re up in the middle of the night because they just can’t sleep, a visit to Love Lives On gives them the answers that they’re looking for.

We also help by providing them with a Business Directory that’s known for its short-list of the best professionals in a local area. Vetted. Trusted. Curated.

The work we do here at Live Lives On is appreciated by families and professionals alike, and that means a lot to us.

Here are just a handful of the heartfelt comments that people have posted about Love Lives On’s vast library of content and carefully curated Business Directory:

How a therapist cares for people that we send their way is of utmost importance to us.

People that use Love Lives On are vulnerable and place great trust in us – it’s not something we take lightly.

It’s why we have the only Business Directory that has a thorough vetting process. It’s also why few are chosen.

Other directories will accept anyone and not care about a business’s track record. For them, it’s all about making as much money as possible.

But at Love Lives On, we value people over profits.

When you join Love Lives On, you’ll be joining a thriving community of caring professionals – exceptional people who have been hand-picked by us because they’re utterly amazing at what they do.

Like us, they truly care about people who are going through a difficult time. Once again…

Passion cannot be bought or taught.

Here are just a few of the lovely comments we’ve received from stellar people that we’re showcasing in our Business Directory:

We’ve got a proven track record of providing our business partners with new clients, month after month.

Our business partners often express gratitude for our help with growing their business in a way that’s easy to do and doesn’t break the bank.

And we hear them when they say that they’re relieved that we take on the enormous responsibility of generating new clients for their practice so that they can focus on doing what they do best, which is providing therapeutic care.

It’s a mental burden that feels good to put on somebody else’s shoulders.

No wonder our Business Directory has a retention rate of 94.7%

It makes us so happy that professionals love being a part of the Love Lives On community. It makes all of the hard work that we do worthwhile.

Here’s Exactly What You’ll Receive When You Join Love Lives On

Our Business Directory is a busy connection hub that’s used daily by people looking for a therapist in their area.

When you join our thriving community, you’ll receive a Premium Listing in our popular Directory.

There are three main advantages of having a Premium Listing:

One, Premium Listings come up to the top of search results, which means more attention for your practice.

Two, Love Lives On is an exclusive directory. By receiving one of the limited number of Premium Listings for your area, you’ll own a valuable piece of digital real-estate.

Three, unlike a basic, bare-bones listing which only gives consumers your business name and phone number, a Premium Listing is comprehensive and engaging.

It’s a full-page devoted to telling potential new clients absolutely everything they want to know about you and your practice.

It has a beautiful photograph of you, all of your contact details, a comprehensive description about your therapeutic services, reviews, Google map and directions to your office, as well as links to your website and social media platforms.

In addition to sending new clients directly to your doorstep…

…new clients that are ready and willing to invest in therapeutic therapy, who you can really help…

…your Business Listing on Love Lives On – which is recognized as an authoritative website on end-of-life issues – will also expand and enhance your overall online presence.

It will work in perfect synergy with your other online profiles to inspire confidence in potential new clients that you are reputable and professional.

So if potential new clients first find you via your website, your business Facebook page, a listing on some other website, or in some other way, but they’re still not quite sure about you…

..and they Google your name in order to learn more…

Your Business Listing on Love Lives On – which is an impactful and visually beautiful website – will contribute positively to the impression of you that’s forming in their minds.

By joining Love Lives On, you’re investing in a client-generation strategy that takes the worry and stress out of growing your practice.

There is a modest fee of $29 per month – even with just a couple of new clients per year, the listing pays for itself.

We offer great value when it comes to our directory listings because we’re committed to building long-term relationships with our business partners.

It’s a huge amount of time and effort on our end to properly vet potential business partners, so once that process has been completed and you’ve joined our directory, we do everything possible to ensure that you’re happy with our services.

There is also a one-time fee of $50 which covers the cost of setting up your listing, proof-reading the business description that you supply us with, resizing your images if needed, and adding search engine optimization.

There are no other fees or hidden charges.

For example, we do not charge you if you wish to update your listing in the future. If you want to replace the photo on your listing, or if you want to refresh your business description, we’re happy to do this work for you at no charge because we want to help you succeed.

As another example, we do not charge you for the work we do to monitor your reviews. When someone writes a review about you, the review has to be manually approved by Love Lives On before it becomes publicly visible.

We’re the ONLY directory that offers human oversight for reviews. We provide this service at no cost to you because we truly care about your reputation and we work hard to protect it from being spammed or trolled.

Lastly, you’ll be happy to hear that we don’t lock you into a long-term contract. It’s a month-to-month arrangement that you can cancel any time with zero hassles.

We can afford to offer this because of our track record of success. Again, our retention rate is 94.7%

Once a therapist tries us, they’re usually hooked!

How to Secure Your Spot in Our Directory Before It’s Too Late