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A physio website should tell someone in pain, on their phone, what you treat, who they'll see, what it costs, whether they can claim it, and how to book. Anything that doesn't help with one of those can wait.
Below is the checklist we use, in the order a patient needs it. The psychology version of this list is built around anxiety and privacy. A physio patient is usually more practical: they've hurt something, they want it looked at, and they want to know if their health fund will help.
Picture a few real visitors. Someone whose back went while lifting the kids' bikes into the car. A parent whose daughter rolled her ankle at netball on Saturday. A retiree who's been told by their GP to "see a physio about that knee". A tradie with a workers compensation claim number and no idea what happens next.
Most of them don't need anyone's permission to call you. Healthdirect puts it plainly: physios are first contact practitioners, so you don't need a doctor's referral to see one. A lot of people don't know that. One line on your homepage, "No referral needed", answers a question many visitors have and never ask.
List what you treat the way people describe it, not the way your notes describe it. "Lower back pain", "sore shoulders from desk work", "running injuries", "getting back on your feet after surgery", "pelvic floor and pregnancy". Then, on each page, explain in a sentence or two what a session for that problem usually involves.
Group your list by body area or by situation, and give the main groups a page each. That helps a visitor find their problem in seconds, and it helps you show up when they search for it. Our local SEO guide explains the second part.
Mind the wording. Physiotherapy has no specialist registration, so the Physiotherapy Board says "specialist" wording is likely to mislead, and Ahpra lists "specialises in", "specialty" and "specialised" in the same bucket. Ahpra suggests phrases like "substantial experience in" or "working primarily in" instead. "Sam has substantial experience with running injuries" says the same thing without the risk.
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Every practitioner gets a profile with:
If anyone uses "Dr", make the profession clear right next to it. Ahpra's guidelines use the example "Dr Lee (Osteopath)", and the same pattern works for a physio: "Dr Lee (Physiotherapist)". The Physiotherapy Board also allows the "Dr" title for physios who hold the Specialist Physiotherapist credential from the Australian College of Physiotherapists, used the way the Board describes.
Publish your fees: an initial consultation, a standard follow-up, and any longer or shorter appointment types. Then answer the claiming question for each way people pay. This is where physio sites differ most from other allied health sites, because there are so many paths.
Private health insurance. Extras cover usually doesn't need a medical referral. If you have a HICAPS terminal, say so, and say what it means: patients can claim at reception and pay only the gap. HICAPS says it works with every Australian private health insurer.
Medicare. A patient with a GP chronic condition management plan can get Medicare rebates for up to 5 individual allied health services a calendar year (up to 10 for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patients). Those visits are shared across all allied health disciplines, so a patient who also sees a podiatrist will run out sooner. Patients whose GP plan was made before 1 July 2025 can keep using it until 30 June 2027. Tell people whether you bulk bill these visits or charge a gap, and how much.
DVA. Veterans need a referral from their GP. Under DVA's treatment cycle, a referral lasts 12 sessions or a year, whichever ends first. The cycle doesn't apply to TPI Gold Card holders referred for physiotherapy. A short "Veterans and DVA" section tells them you know how it works.
Workers compensation and motor vehicle claims. If you take them, say so, and list what to bring: the claim number, the insurer's name, and the case manager's details if they have one. If you don't take them, say that too. It saves everyone a phone call.
You own the site and your files, always.
This is the page most physio sites skip. Tell people how long the first visit takes, what to wear (shorts for knees, a singlet for shoulders), what to bring (scans, reports, any referral or plan) and roughly what will happen: questions, an assessment, some treatment, a plan. Someone who knows what's coming is more relaxed walking in.
Address, a map, parking (and whether it's free), the nearest bus or train stop, and access: is there a step, a lift, a wide door for a wheelchair or crutches? Someone on crutches needs to know about the stairs. If you have a hydrotherapy pool or a gym space, show a photo of it. Our guide to website accessibility covers the website side of access.
Carefully. Ahpra treats positive comments about clinical care (symptoms, treatment, outcomes, a practitioner's skill) as testimonials, and they can't be used in your advertising, which includes your website. Comments about customer service or communication style that don't mention clinical care may be used. Editing a review to cut out the clinical part can itself be misleading. Our AHPRA advertising rules guide has the full picture.
Clinical testimonials, "specialist" wording, outcome promises such as "pain-free in three sessions", and stock photos of models in tape. Once the checklist above is in place, the next most useful thing is a booking path that works on a phone: our guide to online booking for physio clinics covers that, and the most common physio website mistakes covers what to fix first.
Yes, if it's true for how you work. Many people assume they need a GP referral first, and one line saves them a phone call. Add a note that Medicare plan and DVA patients do need one.
List the ones people book most: the first visit and a standard follow-up, plus classes if you run them. Add any longer or shorter appointment types underneath.
One "Fees and claiming" page with a short section for each works for most clinics. Link to it from your booking button so funded patients see it before they book.
They can, and it often sounds more like them. Give everyone the same headings so the profiles sit together well, then check each one for "specialist" wording before it goes live.
Yes. People want to picture the room they're walking into, the gym, the parking and the front door. A few real photos do more than a gallery of stock images.
