Discover my favorite tools as your Website Doula.
I know marketing your business online is A LOT of work. There are plenty of details required that you might not have thought about. We all need systems to better support your clients & make your admin easier.
The list goes on... I’m here to help point you in the right direction! Here are some of my top recommendations as the Website Doula:
Shopping Carts
I love love love ThriveCart. The checkout page design options are fantastic, and it has an excellent interface for user checkout with options to upsell with bonus offers as well as subscriptions, free trials, coupons and more. Plus you can get a special one-time purchase price of $495 instead of pricy annual fees. This is what I use now for all of my online sales and courses. Check it out!
Note: This is does not serve as an online store with multiple products in your cart, but rather a checkout funnel for services & products. You can, hover, include bump up offers, upsells & downsells if you wish.
Wondering about Shopify? If you're wanting a full shopping cart, it's an excellent platform if you have a business that is primarily ecommerce.
Online Scheduling
Having clients be able to automatically book and even pay for sessions through your website is a great way to save time AND make it easy to work with you. My top options are:
Book Like a Boss > Lots of great functionality for appointments, packages & classes, this is what I have used for years.
Acuity Scheduling > The higher-level plan includes HIPAA compliance for care providers.
Calendly > Integrates well with Honeybook client management system.
Your Website Privacy Policy & Cookies
Privacy laws are tricky - different in every state and country and always changing. Unless you have a great lawyer in your back pocket keeping tabs on it all, I highly recommend Termageddon for your site privacy policy and cookies setup. It will automatically update for you as privacy laws evolve.
Annual pricing is $119/year (before my coupon code!). This is HIGHLY recommended for your site's legal protection as you collect client data.
If you use the link below you can use the coupon code DOULA for a 10% discount.
Dubsado, Honeybook & 17hats
When you have a growing practice, having a tool that effectively helps you nurture potential clients & manage your existing client load makes all the difference. There are lots of great options out there.
My #1 choice is Honeybook for the user-friendly interface (click here for a free trial & to save 20% on your first year)
Dubsado and 17hats are also popular options for wellness business owners.
Email Marketing
If you want to send newsletters or create email nurture sequences, you need an email marketing tool.
ConvertKit & Active Campaign > Ready to really commit to email marketing? These are my top choices for clients who are well-established, growing, and active in their marketing.
Mailerlite > The best fit if you are just sending out an occasional newsletter to your client base or want to setup a simple giveaway.
Online Course Platforms
If you're looking to offer courses, I have three great options for you!
Thrivecart is my favorite shopping cart, but did you know it includes a simple course platform as well?! With a lifetime purchase of just $495 you get a shopping cart for services & products with payment plan option and an excellent course platform that meets most client needs. Get a 30-minute thrivecart setup session free when you purchase using my link!
Skool is an excellent choice if you want to create an online community membership with videos & live streaming webinars - and very affordable with its intro plan at just $9/month!
Or, consider using Thinkific (get one month free!) or Teachable. This platform is designed solely for course delivery and the higher-prices plans include excellent features such as quizzes & community.
Keyword Research Tools
We all want to show up first in search results on Google, right? Well, to do that, you first need to know how your ideal clients are using Google to find you. I love Ubersuggest as an affordable keyword & seo research tool for clients who enjoy geeking out on this stuff.
If you want to know what potential clients type in when they are looking for your services, what words or phrases they using - Ubersuggest is the tool for you.
You can also discover what order they are using them in - for example, are they typing in Chicago Doula, or Doula Chicago? Or which wording variations are they using the most? Birth Classes? Birthing Classes? Childbirth Classes? Childbirth Class? Childbirth Education?
If you want to understand the best keywords for your website, research how your competitors are showing up, and even do a full site audit to know how you can improve your site, check out Ubersuggest. You can do a free account or upgrade for more advanced functions.
My Doula Village
My Doula Village is the ONLY membership community for doulas that gives you affordable access to a doula business coach & marketing expert (The Doula Darcy) AND a supportive community of other doulas. Get the tools and support you need to get more clients and grow a sustainable doula business without feeling like you’re doing it alone. This membership includes a library of video trainings, a private Facebook group, and monthly live Office Hours with The Doula Darcy and more. Learn more here
One to One Doula Mentoring & Business Coaching
Get personalized support, mentorship and coaching from The Doula Darcy to scale your doula business. Save 10% with coupon code SJWEBSITE10.
Doula Website Templates
Simple semi-custom doula website templates. Save 10% with coupon code SJWEBSITE10.
Web Hosting
Based in Canada, Websavers provides fantastic affordable hosting for my clients all over North America. If you're in the USA you'll save about 30% thanks to the exchange rate. Skilled support team (instead of a massive call center), no overloaded servers, automatic site backups, and affordable. I have been with them for many, many years. One client commented, "Just saying - I love websavers - they are so helpful and accommodating!!!! Thank you for setting me up with them!"
Secure Passwords
When it comes to passwords, I've seen it all. Your dog's name, birth year, fave food, the same exact password for everything... We all know we "should" be better about creating secure unique passwords but somehow it's always at the bottom of the list. I'd like to introduce you to LastPass. I would be absolutely lost without it.
Google Workspace
My top choice for client emails is to pay for Google Workspace (gsuite) Starter ($6/month) or Business Plan ($12/month). This allows you to have a domain-based email such as hello@mywebsite.com that is totally independent of your hosting = more reliable & faster service that is less likely to be flagged as spam. SIGN UP NOW
Email Signatures
Have you always wondered how people create those fancy signatures at the bottom of their emails? Here's my secret!
Wisestamp > You can create a beautiful customized email signature in less than 5 minutes, including features such as your photo, social media icons, and even your latest blog post.
Secure Passwords
When it comes to passwords, I've seen it all. Your dog's name, birth year, fave food, the same exact password for everything... We all know we "should" be better about creating secure unique passwords but somehow it's always at the bottom of the list. I'd like to introduce you to LastPass. I would be absolutely lost without it.
Favorite Online Tools for Health & Wellness Business Owners
I know creating a new website and building your business online is A LOT of work. There are plenty of details required that you might not have thought about. Along with content and images, you have to consider systems to support your work.
Want a newsletter or lead magnet? You need an email marketing platform!
Ready for clients to start booking appointments online without going back and forth by email? You need a booking calendar tool.
Planning to launch online courses? You need to choose a course platform!
The list goes on... While it can be overwhelming, I’m here to help! Here are some of my top recommendations as the Website Doula.
CLIENT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
When you have a growing practice, having a tool that effectively helps you nurture potential clients & manage your existing client load makes all the difference. There are lots of great options out there.
My #1 choice is Honeybook for the user-friendly interface (click here for a free trial & to save 20% on your first year)
Dubsado and 17hats are also popular options for wellness business owners.
SHOPPING CARTS
I love love love ThriveCart. While it doesn't create a "shop" page like easy digital downloads below, it has an excellent interface for user checkout with options for "bump" and add-on products as well as subscriptions, free trials, coupons and more. Plus you can get a special one-time purchase price for lifetime usage. This is what I use now for all of my online sales. Check it out!
Easy Digital Downloads is a favorite storefront platform that can be easily integrated within your website. It is especially useful for selling virtual products.
Wondering about Shopify? If you're wanting a full shopping cart, it's an excellent platform if you have a business that is primarily ecommerce.
EMAIL MARKETING
If you want to send newsletters or create client email automation sequences, you need an email marketing tool.
ConvertKit & Active Campaign > Ready to really commit to email marketing? Whether you want to have automated email series or trigger campaigns based on user interactions with your content, these two providers are my top choice for clients who are well established, growing, and active in their marketing.
Mailerlite > In the past few years Mailerlite has emerged as a leading competitor to Mailchimp. Many find the interface to be simpler and their free plan has more versatility.
WEBSITE EMAILS
My top choice for client emails is to pay for Google Workspace (gsuite) Starter ($6/month) or Business Plan ($12/month). This allows you to have a domain-based email such as hello@mywebsite.com that is totally independent of your hosting = more reliable & faster service that is less likely to be flagged as spam. SIGN UP NOW
*Yes, you can also have a free domain-based email through your hosting account if you prefer. This is less than ideal in terms of functionality. Or, some clients create a free "business" gmail such as blissmassage@gmail.com.
ONLINE COURSES
If you're looking to offer courses, I have three great options for you!
Thrivecart is the most affordable option out there, with a lifetime purchase of just $495 or pro for $695 You get a shopping cart for services & products, payment plan options, bump offers, upsells & down sells, and an excellent course platform that meets most client needs. It's not the fanciest course platform out there, but if you're offering just a few simple courses and don't need all the bells & whistles (and most of you don't!) something like Kajabi offers it is a Great choice.
Kajabi is the top all-in-one platform for course delivery. If you are an established business with one or more courses at higher price points, it may well be the perfect fit for you. Check it out now with a free trial.
Thinkific (get one month free!) & Teachable > These easy-to-use platforms are designed for courses. With a free beginner plan on Thinkific, you can even host up to 3 courses (with limitations in functions, of course).
or...
Build the course right into your site. Let me know if you're interested in learning more about this option.
SCHEDULING & CLASS REGISTRATION
Having clients be able to automatically book and even pay for sessions through your website is quickly becoming the norm for service providers. My top options for individual bookings and group class registration:
Acuity Scheduling > The higher-level plan includes HIPAA compliance for care providers.
Book Like a Boss > Lots of great functionality, this is what I have used for years.
Calendly > Probably the easiest tool in terms of setup. Integrates well with Honeybook client management system.
If you only need to do class registrations, we can either create a simple registration form and payment through your website or use Regfox for more functionality.
EMAIL SIGNATURES
Have you always wondered how people create those fancy signatures at the bottom of their emails? Here's my secret!
Wisestamp > You can create a beautiful customized email signature in less than 5 minutes, including features such as your photo, social media icons, and even your latest blog post.
PASSWORDS
When it comes to passwords, I've seen it all. Your dog's name, kids' names, birth years, favorite food, the same exact password for everything... We all know we "should" be better about creating secure unique passwords but somehow it's always at the bottom of the list. I'd like to introduce you to LastPass. I would be absolutely lost without it. Do yourself a favor and set it up for yourself today.
WEB HOSTING
I set up almost all of my clients with hosting accounts at Websavers. Based in Canada, they provide fantastic service for my clients all over North America & if you are in the US you'll save about 30% thanks to the CAD - USD exchange rate. Small host, skilled support team (instead of a massive call center), no overloaded servers, automatic site backups, and affordable. I have been with them for many, many years.