www.thebodyworker.com

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.

The two key elements of massage websites are:

1. How you create and use keywords in your pages and in the metatags of your website
2. How you talk to your readers about what you do, what massage does.

After offering to review people’s websites for them for free in my last newsletter, two of the common problems I found were that people didn’t use keywords correctly in their pages and in their metatags.

Metatags are a hidden part of the site that users don’t see.  They are for the search engines.  The meta tag is what shows up in the short blurb that the search engines show as a part of the results.  This information is crucial because it can make the difference between getting the click to your site or not.  There are two main parts to the metatags- the description and the keywords.  Different website systems have different ways of entering this information.  You will have to find how to do this in your system that you are using.

The Description metatag should have your main keyword of your page in the first word and then a short sentence describing what it is that you do.  Mine would be something like:

Downtown Seattle Massage- Deep tissue massage, triggerpoint therapy, sports massage in Downtown Seattle

The Keywords metatag should read something like this:

Downtown Seattle Massage, seattle massage, deep tissue massage seattle, sports massage seattle

The first word in each metatag should be your main keyword that you want to get found for. What keyword would that be?  Whatever you specialize in or want people to find you for.  Think about how people would search for you.  People aren’t actually searching for you- they are searching for a solution to their problem.  They want to find someone to help them with whatever it is that they have a problem with which is usually some sort of pain or stress.   When they find you through a search they will feel more confident in the results because you are not selling to them or trying to sell them on massage.  They found YOU on their own.  For more on metatags and keywords see www.thebodyworker.com

NOTE:  The keywords should also be in your domain name to make it clear and simple.  People don’t search for healing hands massage or guiding lights.  They search for massage, your city.  That should be your domain name.

(All of this headache about using keywords can be eliminated when you use Site Build it! to create your website as they provide all of the instructions and tools to make this all happen.)

The second component to all of this then is the content that you use on your main page and the rest of your site.   People don’t care what certifications you have, what training you have had, what type of massage you do (unless they are looking for something specific).  All they care about is themselves!!  When you get that and start writing for your potential client it will all come together.

Think about what solution you provide…

That is one of the keys to writing online or communicating even in person with people.

Here is my best example:

I started my business in a health club.  There was a guy who went out running everyday at the same time.  He would always say that he wanted to get a massage blahblahblah… He never would book.  One day I started asking about his running and lo and behold I finally got it.   I started telling him how I thought massage could improve his running issues and he booked right there on the spot.

These simple calling card types of sites don’t do much but give basic info.  A website that is full of info on various diseases and conditions that you work with and also full of info will build trust with people online.  Since they aren’t meeting you in person -yet- that is what you have to go on for now.

Sites that start out with things like:

• relax, rejuvenate – OK who doesn’t want that! but they don’t care about it really.  Most don’t think they need to.  They just know they need help with something even if it is stress.
• Flash intros or full flash sites – may look cool but people will miss your presentation and what you have to say
• Music playing! – this is one of my all time pet peeves.  I do not want to hear YOUR music.   I immediately will close the window without even reading the site- worse yet is not being able to turn the music off right at the top of the page.
• the dreaded benefits of massage (increases circulation, increases joint flexibility)  People don’t really know why their circulation needs to be increased and probably don’t care.  The real benefits of massage are those that are really unproven like the client of mine who came in with neck pain and left discovering he was nicer to his coworkers and his partner.   With every so called benefit of massage- ask the question SO WHAT?  Keep answering until you get to something really meaningful and beneficial.  You will have tears in your eyes!  That’s a real benefit of massage!
• Then there is the technical info – explaining how massage works.  Remember that most people don’t know the names of muscles or even know where a muscle is. People don’t know what mechanoreceptors or care why their circulation needs to be increased.  Talk to people as if they were in 5th or 6th grade.  Yes really.  Since people scan websites – technical info can be too much.  Put it into your own words.  Simple is best.

So that is just a few pointers for starters.   To really get this I recommend that you read Make My Content Presell  (preselling just means building trust.)

Don’t be put off by the challenge of writing.  All it really is about is writing down the things that you should be saying to clients and potential clients in the first place.  Writing it all down will actually help you in explaining it in person to someone and help you get more clear about what it is that you do.  For more help on writing download the free Ebook “Make Your Content Presell”.

Let me know what questions you have about writing content and using keywords or if you would like me to review your site for you to give you some feedback, I would be happy to.  Just contact me through my other site at www.massage-career-guides.com

Here is my list of 10 Massage Website Essentials for getting clients from your website:

1. Start with keyword research to choose the best domain name and plan your site.  This will help search engines find it but also will be giving people what they want.  Start with using the free Google Keyword tool to see what people are searching for.   Start with searching for ‘massage, your city’ to see what comes up.  Brainstorm other words such as stress, fibromyalgia massage, injury massage and think of other words people might use to find you.
2. Use the keywords strategically in the file names, descriptions and keyword meta tag of your website.  Learn more about how to use keywords and formatting your webpages.
3. Write at least 30 pages of content.  Don’t worry about having to write scientifically or to be a good writer.  Just write the way you talk to people.  Explain things like how muscles work, how massage works.  It is also  a good exercise to write articles like that to help you when you do speak with clients and potential clients.
4. Look for other ways to have your website bring you income.  Promoting other products where you get a percentage of the sale is called affiliate  marketing.  There are many good companies and products that are really complimentary to a massage business.  I promote the Theracane, Traumeel and Books through www.amazon.com and also a stretching program.   I also use Google Adsense on some of my top traffic pages for miscellaneous keywords like muscle spasm, muscle tension.  You don’t want to use Adsense on your services page or home page where your most wanted response is to get people to call for an appointment or sign up for your email newsletter.
5. Email newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with clients and potential clients educating them as to the benefits of massage, how and what massage can be used for.   Clients coming in for back pain may not realize that massage can help their plantar fasciaitis too.   You can also use the newsletter to announce special offers and to get people to ask you questions about what they need.
6. Your website needs what is called an xml sitemap on it.  This is a special file that you can get created with free software or it comes automatically with Site Build it! or you can install it easily on a wordpress blog.   This special file will be updated whenever you add a new page or change a page or rebuild a page.  You then submit your  xml sitemap to the various search engines.   Just submitting your url doesn’t do much anymore because of the incredible number of websites out there all competing for listings.  Here is more on (from one of my other sites) how to submit your xml sitemap to search engines.
7. Have your contact info on every page – phone number or contact form so that people don’t have to hunt around for it when they are ready to call or make an appointment.
8. Use twitter to place a feed on your homepage and/or appointment page to let people know that you have a last minute opening or to let people know your schedule each day or each week.
9. Get your site listed in the Google Local Results.  When you do a search for massage, your city there is usually a section at the top of Google that says ‘Local results’.  Just click on it to get a list of the full results and then at the bottom click on add your business.
10. Your website is an interactive tool to engage potential clients and educate them but also to find out what they need or are looking for.  Having statistics is usually a regular service provided by webhosts.   It will tell you each day how many people came to your site and what keywords they did use.  You can take advantage of that and use that info to provide more info on that topic.  You can find out what people want to know more about.  Giving that to them is all part of the process of building trust with viewers of your website.

You get all of this information and the complete tools to make this all happen with Site Build it!  I have yet to find any webhost or website service that teaches you all of this and provides the tools for making it happen.  They have special software to help you brainstorm keywords and plan your site.  They automatically create an xml sitemap on your site and update it at your request.  They have a system that you can collect people’s email addresses and create an email newsletter.  They teach you how to write for the internet and how to research keywords to writer about.   They teach you how to research and find affiliate programs and also integrate other streams of income into your website.  You can also learn about how to create a website on another topic and create a niche for yourself and another income stream.  All this and they haven’t raised their rates since I began in about 2002 with them and they keep updating their tools and resources every day.  If you can’t figure something out you can find more help in the forums.

Purchasing a Site Build it! website building system is an investment in your business.  Let me know if you have any questions or if you want me to take a look at your current website and give you some feedback on how you can get it working for you.  If you need more help you can also take an online class with SBI! to help you every step of the way.

Why just build a website when you can build a web business?  Having a website for your massage business is one of the first things you need to do.  Today websites are much more than just a few pages announcing your services and the fees that you charge and your training.  Today a website needs to be about the user – the potential client.  They aren’t really looking for you when they type in ‘massage, your city’ but the chances of them becoming a client significantly increase when they find your site on the first listing of Google results and all of the other search engines.  Once they find your site they will be looking for an answer to their problem which is usually some sort of pain or stress or whatever it is that you specialize in.    They want to know that you know what you are doing and aren’t one of those flaky massage therapists who never seem to call anyone back and that you can handle whatever issue it is that they have.

People buy based on their emotions.  Developing trust and presenting yourself as someone who knows what they are doing is a combination of having a clean presentation on your website and a clear way for them to find the information that they are needing.

Websites today also get so much ‘stray’ traffic of people just searching for miscellaneous topics related to pain, stress and muscle spams.  My page on my clinic website on muscle spams is being found for the words “massage, muscle spasms”.   This isn’t a very targeted keyword that I expected to get found for.  So people all over the country are finding it and they won’t be coming to Seattle to get a massage.  In the mean time, I still am making money off of those visitors by using Google Adsense on the page.  I also make other income from my site recommending products like Traumeel, Biofreeze and Triggerpoint tools.

Getting your site to work like that and make you money while you are doing massage (or sleeping!)  is a process of finding the best keywords for your domain name and the pages of your site.  Online everything is about keywords and what people are searching for.  Researching keywords and creating a layout for your website is easier when you use the Brainstormit! tool from Site Build it! which just rolled out it’s latest version. (Always something new being added to SBI! but the price hasn’t gone up since I have been using them).

While building a website for your massage business is one of the best ways to find highly targeted clients – people who are already searching for massage, a website can also be a source of additional income to support you in building and running a business.   I can only comfortably do about 12 massages a week because of the physical demand of the work.   The websites that I have created about massage and a few other topics support my passion of doing massage so I don’t have to worry about it if I do get the flu or want to take a few weeks off.

If you are interested in learning how to create a website for your massage business and to create additional streams of income for yourself – the best resource I know of is Site Build it  (which is on sale right now- buy one for the regular yearly price of $299 and get the second one for $100 so you can start building both.)

So why build a only a website when you can build a web business?

I often ask people that I am working with ‘why are you a massage therapist’?  It tells me a lot about how serious people are about their careers and where they want to go.

I was watching Oprah  a few days ago and she had the kid on from the British Idol tv series who went on to sing at Michael Jackson’s funeral.  He had the cutest thing to say.  He said he was being asked how he got where he was  on the show.  He said something like – are you just here so that your mum (with a cute British accent!) can see you on tv or are you here to sing or do your thing and become what you are meant to be?

So if you are serious about becoming a massage therapist you can no longer avoid getting yourself a website that gets you a steady flow of new clients.  I get so many massage therapists who just say that they want to create a web presence but when I get down to the real part of doing that – they just want something simple and easy.  Well you can get that and just create a one page website or get one of those many massage webdesign companies to create you a basic site with a few pages that outline your basic services, location and you have seen them or you can take the time to learn or invest your money and hire someone who can create you a website that really works – which is one that gets you a steady flow of new clients no matter what they economy is doing or not doing.

That involves doing a lot of planning, thinking and writing about just what it is that you do and writing about 20-30 pages about it.  I know you didn’t want to be a writer but that is just part of the process.  You don’t have to know how to write professionally.  Writing for a website is just about learning to write down all of those things that you say or will be saying to explain to people what it is that massage does or will be doing.  It is just letting people know what you do and what massage does so that people can make an informed decision about whether not massage will be right for them and if you will be a match for their needs.

Putting it all into a website will help build trust with potential readers.  Writing all of this content with keywords that the search engines read and that users will be using is what will get your site to the top of the first page of google AND get the person to call you – it is as simple as that!

When people ask me what webhost or servers I use for websites I tell them about Site Build it!  It is what I use for my site www.massage-career-guides.com.  The only reason I don’t use it for this site is because I started this site in 1999 and have thousands of pages of content that would have to be moved one by one which would probably take me a year at the rate I go, but I used all of the principles that I learned from Site Build it! to build this site which is why it does so well (I get about 3000 people a day on here!)

So for massage therapists who are promoting their services your goal is to be saying “I am not taking any new clients for 3 months because I am booked”.  If that sounds good to you then you can read more about how to do it yourself on your own or take a class on how to do it or hire the people at Site Build it! to do it for you.