Thinking About Using a Platform for Your Practice? Here’s Why I’d Skip Those.

These days, alternative health practitioners have more options than ever to promote our services online. We’ve got GMB, social media, websites, directories of all kinds – many of which provide bundled solutions like calendars and payments. The other day, I got a text from a sales representative for a popular platform for healing practitioners. He probably didn’t expect me to ask pesky questions about local SEO, Google reviews, etc. – but those were the first things I was curious about. I already kind of knew the answer:

‘Uh…uh…’

While these platforms might seem like an easy, no-fuss option, they come with several downsides that could seriously hurt your long-term growth. In this article, I’ll explain why I don’t recommend using platforms that build your website and control your digital presence, and what you should look out for when choosing the best option for your practice.

Who Owns Your Website?

One of the biggest red flags when using some of these platforms is that they own your website. While they may offer a shiny new site, the moment you want to leave, you’re stuck. This is a major disadvantage for anyone serious about building their authority as a practitioner – or a lasting online presence.

Why it matters: When a platform builds your site and holds onto the rights, you’re at their mercy. If you want to move your website, change hosts, or make major updates, you’re tied to their system, which can be costly and complicated.
The risk: If you want to change platforms, you risk losing your domain, website, and all the content you’ve created. The branding you’ve built may not be portable, and your site could lose its SEO value in the process.

Reviews Aren’t Helping You Outside Their Ecosystem

Many of these platforms host their own review system, keeping feedback from patients and clients confined to their ecosystem. While this may help build social proof on the platform, it can hurt you in the long run.

Why it matters: Google Reviews are essential for local SEO. When patients leave reviews directly on the platform’s site, they don’t count toward your Google ranking, and potential clients aren’t seeing them when they search for your practice.
The risk: Without Google Reviews, you’re missing out on one of the most important ranking factors for local businesses. You could have plenty of reviews on the platform, but they won’t help you get discovered by new patients who are searching for you on Google.

No Local SEO

A major drawback of some platforms is their lack of focus on local SEO. SEO is an ever-evolving field, and local search is especially important for health practitioners who rely on nearby clients.

Why it matters: Local SEO is about getting found by patients in your area. These platforms often don’t provide the necessary tools or customization to optimize your site for location-based keywords.
The risk: Without proper local SEO, you won’t rank in search results when potential patients are looking for services near them. A website optimized for local searches can be the difference between landing a new patient or being overlooked.

Lack of Flexibility and Control

When you use one of these platforms, you give up control over your website and online presence. They provide you with a pre-built template and often restrict customization options.

Why it matters: You need a website that reflects your practice’s unique personality and values. A customizable website allows you to implement changes that suit your business and your patients’ needs.
The risk: Without control over your design, content, and layout, you lose the ability to evolve your online presence as your practice grows. You can’t make quick changes, adapt to new marketing trends, and your website can quickly feel outdated.

Costs Can Add Up Over Time

Some of these platforms come with monthly fees that seem reasonable at first (or maybe not). However, as time goes on, you may find that the value isn’t there, especially when compared to the cost of managing your own website.

Why it matters: You’re paying for a service that doesn’t give you full control over your website, and you’re also missing out on the opportunity to own your digital presence.
The risk: Paying for a platform that controls your website and reviews means you’re not investing in long-term growth. The costs can quickly add up without delivering the ROI you need.

Platforms Like Heal.me and Others: A Double-Edged Sword

There are several platforms like Heal.me that cater to health practitioners, offering website creation, reviews, and patient acquisition services. Some of the most well-known options include:

• Zocdoc
• TherapyTribe
• Heal.me
• HealthProfs
• ChiroMatchMaker
• BetterDoctor
• Mindbody
• Practo
• The Wellness Universe

These platforms can provide some valuable backlinks, which may help improve your SEO if they link back to your website. Backlinks from reputable, high-authority platforms can boost your domain authority and local visibility. However, the cost of listing on these platforms varies, and you need to weigh the price against the SEO benefits.

The Trade-Offs

While you might benefit from backlinks, these platforms often don’t give you control over your SEO strategy or Google Reviews, which are crucial for long-term growth. The benefits of backlinks may not outweigh the long-term costs, especially if your goal is to build an independent, fully optimized website.

Why You Should Own Your Website

Platforms like these may seem like an easy fix, but they come with several trade-offs that can limit your ability to grow your practice. The inability to own your site, the lack of Google Reviews, limited local SEO opportunities, and overall lack of flexibility mean you’re not setting yourself up for long-term success.

Owning your website and having full control over your content, branding, and SEO strategies is crucial for building trust, establishing authority, and generating revenue. It’s worth the investment to have a site that’s customizable, built with local SEO in mind, and designed to reflect your unique practice.

Take Control of Your Online Presence!

When it comes to growing your practice and getting found online, don’t settle for a cookie-cutter solution. Investing in your own website and ensuring that it’s optimized for SEO and designed to reflect your brand is the key to lasting success. By doing so, you’ll not only increase traffic, but also build a stronger relationship with your patients and stand out from the competition. Hit me up!