Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/82405
ten for today BY REBECCA JONES MAKE YOUR WEBSITE POP The perfect website for a massage therapist needs to do just one thing: increase business. If it's not doing that, then all the analytics, gizmos, and fancy visual effects you throw in wind up being little more than technological toys. An effective website—with appropriate content, professional appearance, and user-friendly marketing tools—has a tremendous potential to expand your business and is ultimately worth the effort you spend creating and updating it. Each website will, of course, have its own personality and should reflect your tastes. After all, it's an extension of you and your practice. Still, there are some pointers to keep in mind as you build that perfect website. 1. BEGIN WITH A GOOD TEMPLATE Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) can help you with this. "When creating a website, many people are intimidated and just don't know where to start," says Lara Evans Bracciante, ABMP director of information services, who, along with a team of talented individuals, recently deployed the super-friendly ABMP Website Builder. The program provides professionally designed templates and a road map for content, making website creation easily accessible, even for the technology-challenged. "Using a good template program allows you to choose a design and color scheme that conveys professionalism right out of the gate," Bracciante says. 2. ADD STRONG CONTENT "It doesn't need to be extensive, but it does need to be relevant," Bracciante says. The ABMP Website Builder can provide you with existing content, such as features on the benefits of massage. But don't be afraid to come up with your own messages. The really adventurous might want to commit to doing a regular blog. "This is very powerful," says Randall Craig, author of the Online PR and Social Media series, who has hundreds of tips for website building on his own site, www.randallcraig.com. "Then, not only is there good content, but a blog allows you to syndicate your content outward. You can put your blog posting on your Facebook or LinkedIn page." 80 massage & bodywork july/august 2011