What is GoodTherapy?
GoodTherapy is an online directory that allows patients and individuals in need to access a qualified mental health practitioner. The platform lists a wide range of different practitioners from all over the United States, helping to minimize certain barriers to healthcare and ensure everyone has equal access to the help they need. In addition to listing individual practitioners, GoodTherapy also includes information regarding local businesses, rehabilitation centers, and treatment programs. If your practice is wanting to elevate its online presence and increase referrals, then listing your services on a web directory is a good way to go. However, there are certain limitations associated with GoodTherapy’s site that may prevent you from wanting to become a member. In this guide, we’re going to highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of GoodTherapy, before pointing you in the direction of some suitable alternatives so you can find the perfect match for your business!
GoodTherapy benefits vs. limitations
GoodTherapy is used by millions of people, including both practitioners and patients. These individuals have found numerous positive aspects of the platform, including the following:
Increased referrals: Generating referrals is the most important outcome of listing your business on a web directory, and most of GoodTherapy’s members report they experience this. With data-driven analytics and a focus on search engine optimization, GoodTherapy will elevate your online presence and ensure a greater number of patients can access your services.
Education courses: Even as a licensed practitioner, it is important that you continue to focus on enhancing your education in as many areas as possible. Whilst this can be difficult to manage considering your likely busy workload, GoodTherapy offers intuitive and interesting web conferences led by professionals in various healthcare fields. These courses run online, meaning you and your associates have unrestricted access to high-quality education resources.
Marketing enhancement: As mentioned, GoodTherapy utilizes data-driven analytics and search engine optimization, meaning that the marketing for your business will be enhanced at all times. In today’s digital age, it can be difficult for healthcare businesses to know how to optimize their advertising, but this stress is mitigated with GoodTherapy, who does all the work for you!
Despite these evident benefits, GoodTherapy has also been associated with some limitations. These include the following:
Cost: First and foremost, GoodTherapy can be costly. It has four different pricing plans depending on whether you are an individual or group, and the features that you want to be included in your membership. The plans start at $323/year and increase to $430/year, costs that may put a dent into your budget.
Doesn’t guarantee new patients: Although GoodTherapy receives a substantial amount of traffic and will likely lead to referrals, it is not guaranteed that your business will acquire new patients. Visibility is reliant upon building an effective profile, which can be extremely time-consuming. Ultimately, your business should be using a web directory as a supplementary marketing strategy, and definitely should not rely on it as the sole way of attaining patients.
What are the 10 best GoodTherapy alternatives?
Although GoodTherapy is very well known, there is a wide range of other alternatives that are not only just as effective but are more affordable. We’ve created a brief list of 10 suitable alternatives so that your business can feel confident in the decision that you make.
Carepatron
Carepatron’s platform has been designed by healthcare practitioners for healthcare practitioners. In addition to offering various marketing-based resources, it integrates with a wide range of practice management tools designed to streamline tasks within your practice. These include clinical documentation, medical billing, patient communication, and appointment scheduling. Implementing Carepatron within your business will lead to an intuitive, seamless healthcare experience for both patients and practitioners, with the added benefit of saving your practice extensive amounts of both time and resources. Carepatron offers a free plan for start-ups or smaller businesses, or a $19 pp/month plan for those who require unlimited features.
Psychology Today
Psychology Today is one of the leading web directories in today’s healthcare industry. With millions of users, it connects patients with qualified therapists and helps to ensure everyone has access to the care they deserve. The platform utilizes search engine optimization, meaning if you have an effective profile, you will receive higher visibility. Nevertheless, because Psychology Today is so popular, it can be difficult to compete with other listed businesses. Also, there have been reviews citing negative experiences with certain therapists, which has the potential effect of making individuals reluctant to reach out. Psychology Today costs $12 per month.
Betterhelp
Betterhelp is another online web directory that is extremely popular. In addition to elevating online presence, the platform is easy to implement and includes educational resources. It costs $260/month per user, which is fairly expensive, especially considering there are alternative platforms that offer free listings. Additionally, Betterhelp doesn’t guarantee psychiatrists, meaning patients can’t receive prescriptions or diagnoses.
Therapy Tribe
TherapyTribe targets individuals and businesses that are looking for more clients. Using geo-targeting technology, TherapyTribe connects patients with accessible practitioners, whilst also elevating web traffic through online optimization techniques. Although TherapyTribe has a one-month free trial period, at the end of this it charges $29.95/month.
American Psychological Association (APA)
APA is a renowned platform that connects a wide range of different qualified psychologists. The type of membership that you can access is dependent on your level of education, experience, and years in the workforce. APA is well known for generating referrals and is a fantastic and valuable resource for networking, marketing, and taking the next step in your professional career. To be a member of APA, there is a base rate of $247/year.
Therapyden
Therapyden’s platform allows healthcare practitioners and businesses to list their services for free. The profile that you make can be customized to suit your specific values and aims, helping you to generate a larger number of referrals and increase your revenue. Whilst a basic listing is free, if you are truly wanting to achieve growth and establish your business, then premium membership is $20 per month.
Caredash
Caredash lists healthcare practitioners from a wide range of fields, ensuring that patients can access any type of care that they need. The platform’s top specialties include primary care, therapists, dentists, pediatricians, and optometrists. This is particularly useful for healthcare businesses that offer a range of services, as they don’t have to make separate listings. Caredash offers a free profile, allowing you to maintain financial comfort whilst still generating greater revenue.
Black Therapist List
Black Therapist List is a recent web directory that lists qualified black therapists. The platform is an extremely valuable resource targeted at reducing certain barriers that prevent black patients from receiving the healthcare they need. Depending on whether your business fits into this criteria, a listing costs $14.99/month following a free two-month trial period.
Zencare
With a targeted focus on optimizing marketing, Zencare will list your business and help you widen your clientele. The platform guarantees high-quality images, videos and profiles, with an additional booking feature to help streamline the scheduling process. Whilst these tools work to enhance your online presence, group memberships cost $89 per month, which is fairly expensive.
Theravive
Theravive allows your business to list its services in a number of different cities. Each of these listings is separately customized and utilizes individual marketing strategies to help you enhance your online presence and generate referrals. Additionally, your business can choose to list as a local practice or a telehealth practice, ensuring your services are available to as many potential patients as possible. The cost to list your business on Theravive begins at $247/year.
Take Home Message
Listing your business on an online directory is a fantastic way to boost your online presence, attract new clients and generate revenue. Given the expansive number of available directories out there, it is essential that you conduct research into each platform’s pros and cons before making your executive decision. Hopefully, this guide has provided you with some valuable information regarding GoodTherapy as a web directory, and you feel somewhat more confident in the choice that you make!
Further Reading:
https://www.counselingwise.com/the-top-8-therapist-directories-pros-cons-and-costs-to-list-your-practice/