Archive for Massage Websites

Blogging about massage

June 25, 2010 Julie Onofrio Massage Websites, News

Last week I was sent an email announcing that my blog on my other site www.thebodyworker.com had just been put on a list of the top 50 blogs in the massage profession and they wanted be to put a banner on my site saying so.  To me that is just spammy really.  Giving an award to a site just so that they will put a banner on their site with a link to that site when the site is not looking like a quality site just hits me the wrong way. The other thing is that there wasn’t much info on the site really and there also wasn’t any info about who the creator or authors were.  They were also missing most of the blogs that I think are worth while in the massage profession. I sent an email back asking and got a reply from a guy who said he was the owner of the blog and that there were a few freelance writers some who were massage therapists and some who were not who were going to be writers for the blog.

To me what makes for a good blog is first off you can find it easily!  Most are actually not found easily.  The second thing is that it is updated regularly – like once or more a week or better yet every day.   The content of the blog is also important.  I hate hearing about what people had for dinner and other use less information.  It has to be informative and worth my time.

Some of the most important blogs to follow are:

Laura Allens – Massagepundit.com at Massage Magazine and her own personal blog  www.lauraallenlmt.com

Felica Browns -www.spalutions.com blog about massage and spa business.

The Massage Body of Knowledge blog – a must read to keep up to date with what is going on in the creation of the BOK for the massage profession.

and of course mine here at www.thebodyworker.com and my new one at www.massagepracticebuilder.com

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Educating Massage Clients – types of massage

March 21, 2010 Julie Onofrio Massage Websites, News, Resources

One of  the most common questions I get from  massage clients are about the various types of massage that are out there.  In this arena I think massage therapists have what is called “The Curse of Knowledge” by Chip and Dan Heath in their book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
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Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. Our knowledge has “cursed” us. And it becomes difficult for us to share our knowledge with others, because we can’t readily re-create our listeners’ state of mind.

Clients know very little about the different types of massage or about how the body works for that matter.  All they know really is that they are in pain or under stress or whatever their reason is for calling you and coming to you.  You have to assume that they don’t know anything.  They don’t know why they should use different types of massage or when.  They don’t know the history of them and how they evolved.

Should they care?  Not really when you think about it.  All they care about is how YOUR massage feels and if it is right for them.  The many misconceptions about different methods lead to making uninformed decisions.

With the rise of franchises who focus on mainly Swedish and deep tissue massage, teaching clients about different types of massage can be to your advantage and the profession in general.   Specializing in a specific area can also be helpful in building your business.  The goal is to differentiate yourself from those franchises and show value for what you do and the various types of massage.   (See article on “Franchises and Their Impact on the Massage Profession from Massage and Bodywork Magazine )

So that is why I am creating the most indepth section on the different types of massage and I am actually doing it on two different sites – one on www.massage-career-guides.com  as a general resource for people who are becoming massage therapists and the general public.  My other list will be on my new site -www.massageceguide.com  that will be geared toward massage therapists wanting to increase their skills and value as a massage therapist.

So what does all this have to do with you?   I am looking for people who want to add their articles and information on the specific type of massage that you do or know about.  Writing about it and seeing many different people’s perspectives on the different types of massage and getting that info out there will help in the process of building our profession and keeping the Franchises from taking over.   When you do write an article on one of my sites, I will create a link to your site which is a very valuable part of getting traffic to your site.  The search engines track the number of links going into your site and rate your popularity and will rank your site higher in the search engines when you have more links.  You website has a higher chance of getting listed on the top of the first page of results (which is your goal in having a website!)   Since my sites are highly optimized already and receive good rankings, it will also help many readers and searchers who are looking for info on different types of massage and will help to continue to educate people about the value of massage.

When you write an article you don’t have to be writing for a textbook.  You are writing for an audience (online searchers) who have a very short attention span.   Write just the way you would talk to someone about what type of massage that you do.   Tell people about why you learned it, why you do it, what it means to YOU! and your clients.   I don’t want the same ‘rote’ descriptions that are seen on the many directories and books on the different types of massage.

To add your listing all you need to do is fill out the form that is on each page about the different types of massage. I don’t have all of the types listed yet but am working on it.  If there is a type that you do that is not listed let me know and I can add it.  If you are a teacher of something specific I will be creating new sections at www.massageceguide.com in the near future so stay tuned to get your articles and teacher profiles listed there. (This site is still in the early stages so bear with me!)


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Using Facebook to Promote Your Massage Business

December 20, 2009 Julie Onofrio Massage Websites

Using Facebook to promote your massage business can help to connect you with new clients.

The best thing to do is to build a fan page for your massage business.  That way it keeps things separate from your personal Facebook page.  People don’t have to become friends with you – they just become a fan of your page.  When people become fans then their friends and family who are connected to them on Facebook will also see that they are a fan of your page and it might inspire then to find out more.

Even with a Facebook page you really need a website to back you up and refer people too from the Facebook page that outlines all of your services, fees, location and is also filled with articles on why people should get regular weekly massage (yes weekly!) and how massage can help them.

To create a fan page first go to the small link at the bottom left hand side that says ads and pages.  It is there that you can create your page.  (I think!)  It took me a few hours to figure it all out and even now I am not quite sure about it all!)

Once you get your page created you can then create a badge to add to your website so people on your website can follow your page.  Also ask a few friends to follow you to get it going!

The one drawback to fan pages are that the wall and other postings don’t show up on your main wall which is what most people see first when they login to facebook.

On your pages section you should also create articles and add photos.  I have just started a page for my massage business and am not done yet but you can take a look at it.

I have also created a page for Massage Practice Builder and will be working on updating that and adding more content.

I actually can’t figure out the craze really but it is what it is.  People like facebook.  It is fun and I have been able to connect with old friends easily but keeping them all separate is a challenge.  You can create a separate friends list for clients and create different privacy settings.  You don’t really want clients seeing all your friends from high school or what you had for dinner or your new remodeling project.

I actually get much better results working on my website because I not only get traffic to my website and clients from my website but it also makes me additional income while I am busy writing on my other sites and doing massage.  I actually have been busier than I ever have in my massage business right now for some reason.  The only thing I have been doing is writing an article now and then for my clinic site.

How are you using Facebook?  Has it helped your massage business?

You can join my Facebook Fan page!  The best way to learn how it works is to just start using it!

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Massage Websites to Get Your Ideal Massage Client

December 20, 2009 Julie Onofrio Massage Websites

Massage Websites and any kind of websites are a passion of mine.  Websites are really the best way to get new clients next to networking or word of mouth.  When people are searching for ‘massage, your city’ people will find you.  That means that they have already been looking and thinking of getting a massage.  They most likely already value massage which is one of the components of an “Ideal Massage Client“.   People who are looking for a massage will be better clients in general.  They want to be there and understand the value of a massage and what it can do for their health.

I have been writing about massage websites for quite some time and I don’t really think people are getting it.  I know it took me a few years before I really got what it meant.

Having a website is essential to succeeding in the massage profession.  Having a website listed in the top position on the first page of Google is needed even more.  What good is a website if no one is finding it.

To get your website listed at the top of the Search Engine results for any engine there are many things that you need to do.

  • Create high quality content.  Write about massage and what it is that you really do.  Write about the real benefits of massage – not just the standard list of things like “increases circulation”.  No one really cares if it increases their circulation.  Tell them why it is important and what it really means.
  • Have an xml sitemap that lists all of the pages on your site and updates itself when you add new content or change content on your site.  Submit your xml sitemap to Search engines.
  • Have an email newsletter and a sign up form to collect people’s names and email addresses.
  • Refer people to affiliate programs when appropriate or use Google Adsense to supplement your income from your website.  Your website can be making you additional income while you are working doing massage.
  • Create a plan for your website.  Find the best keywords for your website and use them strategically throughout your site and pages.  Everything online is about keywords.
  • Figure out what solution do you provide and focus on that in your website using it in the domain name and throughout the website

These are just a few of the things a massage website can do for you.  You can read more on massage websites (whether you use SBI! or not) and how to create them or just sign up for Site Build it! which will take you through all of the steps of building a website for your massage business that does all of the above.

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Secret to a successful Massage Website

November 20, 2009 Julie Onofrio Massage Websites

I have been writing everything I know about creating websites.  I think it is the one most important tool to having a successful massage business.  A website for your massage business is the most efficient  targeted marketing tool you will ever need.  It takes a lot to really understand websites and get them to get the results that you want -a steady stream of clients (no matter what the economy is doing) But it is worth the time and effort.  For most massage therapists who hate to sell it is an ideal way to connect with clients without having to do much of anything really – just talk to the client when they call.

So from figuring out your keywords, choosing your ideal domain name and learning how to write content for your massage website that builds trust with potential readers – the 1 most important page on your website is your xml sitemap.    Hugh?  Yes you probably thought I was going to say your sales page or your services page or the 30 different articles that you have written and the many articles that you will continue to write.  Or if you have hired a designer or one of the many website hosting systems geared directly towards massage therapists and are still wondering why you aren’t getting 3-5 clients a week and also having your website bring in additional income for you while you do massage.

It is most likely that you don’t have an xml sitemap.  To tell you the truth I don’t even know exactly what it is.  As far as I know it is a specially coded webpage that is a collection of all of the pages on your website but with the most recent pages that you created somehow marked as new content.  The xml sitemap is a page that readers don’t see but the Search engines do.

When you are first starting out you need to submit your xml site map to search engines and verify your site.  Doing this will also protect you if your site gets highjacked (and it will if you are using a regular hosting service).

If you don’t have an xml sitemap on your website you can create one using one of the free xml sitemap creators such as the one from www.auditmypc.com Once you get it made then you just upload it to your website.  It is also known as the feed for your website.  People can follow your feed (like on this blog and others) by subscribing to your feed which allows people to see your latest posts or pages.  They can choose to read it or not which gives them the power of the delete button.

Everytime you change a page or add a page you need to update your xml site map by going through the whole process again.

Or if you are using Site Build it! you don’t have to do anything.  An xml sitemap is built into the website.  You can see it in action on my other site at www.massage-career-guides.com If you look at that link it won’t really make any sense.

What I can tell you is that this is the driving force of your website.  All of the pages of your site are useless if they don’t get found by the search engines.  This little tool keeps the search engines informed of your site.  While it doesn’t guarantee that you will get found or listed where you want to (on the first position on the first page of Google) it does increase your chances significantly.

So if you aren’t using the xml sitemap protocol you can today when you start your Site Build it! website.

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