ALIGNED AESTHETIC: 5 Reasons Wellness Websites Are Different and What Yours Actually Needs to Attract Aligned Clients

Oct 9

Let’s be honest. The wellness industry isn't like other businesses, as there is so much to consider when building your website. Your clients are looking for a safe space for their transformation, not transactions. They are likely going through deep personal struggles or periods of growth and shifts that require a lot of trust in you and your services.

In this post we are going to cover 6 ways in which your wellness website needs to cater to your specific audience, and why standard business website advice falls short for healing practitioners

Trust Takes Center Stage

Your potential clients are considering sharing a lot of personal and vulnerable information about themselves with you. This is not typical of other industries whether it be finance, beauty, real estate, etc. This is a place where clients must feel safe above all else, which is why building trust is so essential. And your website is a perfect opportunity to do just that.

Clients are making deeply personal decisions about their health and wellbeing
The role of your story, credentials, and approach in building credibility is important here. When they see you have overcome your own struggles to get to this point, that will instantly create more connection.
Photo considerations: professional but warm, not stock photos. Now, of course you can use some stock photos, but it is important to get several images of YOU, whether it is you candidly doing what you love, or professional headshots. Your audience wants to really see you just like you want to see them when you work together.

Clarity Over Mystery

There's a delicate balance in wellness marketing: you want to honor the sacred, transformative nature of your work without alienating people who are new to it by using too much industry jargon. Be careful to word things in a very clear and concise way as to not turn people off from working with you, before they even get to know you.

Your ideal client is often confused, overwhelmed, or in pain. Someone seeking a functional medicine practitioner might be desperate after years of unexplained symptoms. Someone looking for a Reiki practitioner might not even fully understand what Reiki is. Your website needs to meet them where they are—not where you wish they were.
Clear service descriptions matter more than poetic language. While it is tempting to use certain words to feel into your work, make sure it isn’t overly sappy or spiritual.
Create a balance between spiritual/holistic terminology and accessible explanations. Don’t automatically assume everyone will know the terms in your practice, but don’t shy away from them either. You also want to come across as an expert in your field.
Navigation that guides rather than obscures. Help your audience through the customer journey the way you would in a session with them. Make no assumptions about them knowing everything.

The Emotional Journey Map

Take your audience through a specific journey that lets them know they are taken care of by you, even though you haven’t started working together yet.

Understanding the visitor's mindset is key here: they're often nervous, skeptical, or have tried everything and need some hope.
Your website should mirror the healing journey. State a problem they might be experiencing, give them hope, offer a solution, and ease out with motivational wording about possible outcomes (problem → hope → solution → transformation)
Strategically place your testimonials and results from past clients. These are one of the most powerful ways to create more trust with people who don’t know you yet.

Specific Functional Elements Wellness Sites Need

Wellness websites also potentially need more integrations than your average business site, as clients need ways to book with you and may have additional questions even after browsing your already informative pages.

Provide easy booking/scheduling integration (reduce friction for nervous first-timers)
Write FAQ sections that address common fears and objections, as your audience needs as much information as possible before making the decision to invest with you.
Clear pricing or investment information builds more trust. Nobody likes taking their time learning more information just to be met with a services page and no prices (which generally leads people to believe it must be too expensive if you won’t list your prices.
Offer contact options that match your client's comfort level. Maybe they prefer to book a video call, fill out a form, or email you.
Create resource pages that demonstrate your expertise, whether that is a few freebie downloads, blog posts, a podcast, or anything else that showcases what you offer without the initial investment.

The Energy of Your Design

Yes, your website should also look welcoming, of course. This can be through color, typography, imagery, copy, and much more. Your audience is likely a more highly sensitive group, so the aesthetics really matter.

Color psychology and imagery matter more in wellness. They determine the environment and whether it feels safe and inviting, or chaotic and untrustworthy.
Utilize white space as healing space. There is a reason breath work can be so healing to many people. Think of white space in the same way. A chance to pause and breathe for the nervous system. Not just overloading them with new information at every turn.

Common Mistakes Wellness Practitioners Make

Let’s conclude with a few mistakes that we see too many wellness practitioners make on their websites.

Too much mystical language that makes beginners feel isolated. No one wants to feel like they aren’t capable of healing because they don’t understand the words you are using. Assume they have never even read about the topic and go from there.
Hiding practical information (pricing, what to expect, logistics). The more they know what is ahead, the better.
Using generic stock photos of meditation and yoga. Show what you got! Take photos of you in your element at the office or with a client.
Not having a clear next step/call to action. Let you website guide and show the user how to navigate. Don’t make them have to think too much.

Hopefully these tips will help get you started with making your website feel aligned, trustworthy, and easy to use for your audience. And take a look at our Squarespace templates that have taken all of the above into account already. Have any questions? Feel free to reach out :)