{
  "title": "The State of Independent Physical Therapy Websites 2026",
  "edition": "2026-Q4",
  "period": "Q4 2026",
  "sample": false,
  "source": "corpus",
  "note": "Aggregates computed from automated scans. No individual site is identified.",
  "url": "https://clikiti.com/research/physio/2026-q4",
  "scannedAt": "2026-10-15T12:51:00.987Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-15T12:32:22.047Z",
  "modifiedAt": "2026-10-15T12:51:16.162Z",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Free to use and cite under CC BY 4.0. Credit Clikiti with a link.",
  "citation": "Clikiti. (2026, October 15). The state of independent physical therapy websites 2026 (Q4 2026) [Report]. https://clikiti.com/research/physio/2026-q4",
  "audience": "Web agencies and freelancers selling to independent physical therapy, chiropractic, sports rehab and specialty clinics",
  "sampleSize": 148,
  "marginOfErrorPts": 8.1,
  "medianScore": 76,
  "meanScore": 77,
  "meanQuestionsAnswered": 4.5,
  "questionCount": 9,
  "findings": [
    "Only 18% of the 148 independent physical therapy and chiropractic clinic websites we scanned show a self-pay price for a visit or session.",
    "A typical site answers five of the nine questions patients ask before choosing (mean 4.5).",
    "The median overall score is 76 out of 100 (mean 77).",
    "The least-answered questions are \"What if I pay myself?\" (18%), \"Do I need a referral?\" (27%) and \"What happens at the first visit?\" (32%).",
    "The best-answered are \"Do you treat my problem?\" (84%) and \"Can I book without calling?\" (75%).",
    "By kind of business, the highest median score is 78 (outpatient physical therapy), against 77 for sports and orthopedic rehab, 76 for massage, wellness and pelvic health and 74 for chiropractic.",
    "91% fail \"Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone\" (Core Web Vitals · LCP).",
    "80% fail \"Text contrast passes 4.5:1\" (WCAG 1.4.3).",
    "78% fail \"Physiotherapy, MedicalBusiness or health-business structured data\" (Schema.org · MedicalBusiness)."
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "selfpay",
      "question": "What if I pay myself?",
      "label": "A self-pay price shown for a visit or session",
      "standard": "Patient question 8",
      "passPct": 18,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 8,
        "chiro": 13,
        "sports": 4,
        "spec": 41
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "direct",
      "question": "Do I need a referral?",
      "label": "No referral needed (direct access) stated",
      "standard": "Patient question 7",
      "passPct": 27,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 28,
        "chiro": 13,
        "sports": 50,
        "spec": 28
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "firstvisit",
      "question": "What happens at the first visit?",
      "label": "First visit described: length or what happens",
      "standard": "Patient question 6",
      "passPct": 32,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 22,
        "chiro": 36,
        "sports": 42,
        "spec": 31
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "insurance",
      "question": "Do you take my insurance?",
      "label": "Insurance plans named, or out of network stated",
      "standard": "Patient question 5",
      "passPct": 39,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 36,
        "chiro": 49,
        "sports": 42,
        "spec": 28
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reviews",
      "question": "Do other patients vouch for you?",
      "label": "Reviews marked up, in a widget or quoted",
      "standard": "Patient question 9",
      "passPct": 45,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 36,
        "chiro": 51,
        "sports": 42,
        "spec": 46
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "contact",
      "question": "Where are you, and when are you open?",
      "label": "Street address plus opening hours",
      "standard": "Patient question 1",
      "passPct": 63,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 67,
        "chiro": 74,
        "sports": 65,
        "spec": 44
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "credentials",
      "question": "Who will treat me?",
      "label": "Clinicians named with credentials (DPT, DC, OCS, LMT)",
      "standard": "Patient question 4",
      "passPct": 67,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 83,
        "chiro": 55,
        "sports": 65,
        "spec": 67
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "book",
      "question": "Can I book without calling?",
      "label": "Book or request a visit online",
      "standard": "Patient question 3",
      "passPct": 75,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 61,
        "chiro": 83,
        "sports": 73,
        "spec": 79
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "conditions",
      "question": "Do you treat my problem?",
      "label": "Three or more conditions named",
      "standard": "Patient question 2",
      "passPct": 84,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 83,
        "chiro": 87,
        "sports": 81,
        "spec": 82
      }
    }
  ],
  "technical": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 91,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 92,
        "chiro": 94,
        "sports": 92,
        "spec": 87
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 80,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 72,
        "chiro": 79,
        "sports": 88,
        "spec": 82
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "Physiotherapy, MedicalBusiness or health-business structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · MedicalBusiness",
      "failPct": 78,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 78,
        "chiro": 70,
        "sports": 69,
        "spec": 92
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "alt",
      "label": "Images have text descriptions",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.1.1",
      "failPct": 14,
      "bySegment": {
        "pt": 19,
        "chiro": 11,
        "sports": 8,
        "spec": 15
      }
    }
  ],
  "segments": [
    {
      "id": "pt",
      "name": "Outpatient physical therapy",
      "sites": 36,
      "median": 78,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "chiro",
      "name": "Chiropractic",
      "sites": 47,
      "median": 74,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "sports",
      "name": "Sports and orthopedic rehab",
      "sites": 26,
      "median": 77,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "spec",
      "name": "Massage, wellness and pelvic health",
      "sites": 39,
      "median": 76,
      "weakPct": 0
    }
  ],
  "agencyProblems": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 91,
      "fix": "Resize and compress the hero image or video, defer booking and chat scripts, aim for under 2.5 s on a phone.",
      "pitch": "Your home page takes several seconds to appear on the phone of someone in pain.",
      "effort": "Build"
    },
    {
      "id": "selfpay",
      "label": "A self-pay price shown for a visit or session",
      "standard": "Patient question 8",
      "failPct": 82,
      "question": "What if I pay myself?",
      "fix": "Publish the self-pay rate the front desk already quotes: the first evaluation and a follow-up visit, or a package price.",
      "pitch": "Patients with high deductibles want to know what a visit costs. Your site gives them no number at all.",
      "effort": "Content"
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 80,
      "fix": "Raise text contrast to at least 4.5:1 in the theme: white text on photographs and pale grey body text are the usual failures.",
      "pitch": "Parts of the site are hard to read, and it is a WCAG failure.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "Physiotherapy, MedicalBusiness or health-business structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · MedicalBusiness",
      "failPct": 78,
      "fix": "Add Physiotherapy or MedicalBusiness structured data (Chiropractic for chiropractors) with the address, phone and hours.",
      "pitch": "Search engines and assistants have to guess what kind of clinic you are and when you are open.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "direct",
      "label": "No referral needed (direct access) stated",
      "standard": "Patient question 7",
      "failPct": 73,
      "question": "Do I need a referral?",
      "fix": "Say on the home page and the new-patient page whether a patient can come in without a doctor's referral, and any limits the state or the plan sets.",
      "pitch": "Many patients think they need a doctor first. Your site never tells them they can book you directly.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    }
  ]
}