Boost Business by Revamping Your Website

by Valerie Applebaum, MPH, CHES

In today’s growing fitness industry, where new facilities are popping up constantly, how can you add value to your memberships? One answer: merge technology with fitness. From your website to software to interactive workouts, technology that helps facilities manage their business, assess members and plan exercise programs increases retention and revenue. Make the most out of current technology, but not at the expense of the personal touch.

Whip Your Website Into Shape
Your website should target potential clients as well as existing members. The ultimate goal is to attract as many viewers as possible, reaching out to prospective clients and providing current members with another connection to your facility.

Potential Members. Your site is an opportunity to make a positive first impression on would-be members. By the same token, it is an opportunity to lose them if the site is not done right. How can your site attract new members? Use it to generate leads. Capture contact information by implementing an opt-in feature where visitors enter their names and e-mail addresses for your mailing list. Of course, you must provide an incentive for people. Offer valuable discounts on products and services when visitors opt in. Then, when they redeem their discounts, you get trackable marketing results (Eason 2007). Additionally, remind visitors that you don’t sell or give out personal information.

Existing Members. What about your present members? Make your site a place where they go to find current health information and to register for activities. “Company websites have come a long way, but on 7 out of every 10 that I visit, people can’t register for classes online or get complimentary passes or buy a membership online,” notes industry leader Michael Scott Scudder, whose eponymous company is based in Taos, New Mexico. Don’t let your club fall into this trap—keep your members connected to your facility through your site.

Improving Your Website. When creating or revamping your website, you can design and host it yourself or hire an outside firm, such as Health Club Sites or Ultravision Technologies Inc. On the most basic level, your site must be easy to navigate and well organized, with attractive graphics and intuitive formatting (Scanlin 2006).

7 Tips for Designing Your Website

Keep your message short and to the point.
Keep your content up-to-date.
Ensure that your site is well placed on search engines by utilizing a search engine optimization firm.
Consider the demographics of your target audience, and tailor your message accordingly. For example, when catering to a younger and more tech-savvy crowd, use more bells and whistles.
Always include the following information: your contact information, the programs and services you offer, your hours of operation and your class schedules.
Consider personalizing your site by including staff bios, photos of past activities and a calendar of upcoming events.
Include disclaimers when making health claims, and have a lawyer review your content.

Technology will never take the place of in-person interaction with members, but it can serve an important purpose in streamlining aspects of facility and fitness management and can ultimately increase membership and retention over time. Embracing technology can help your clients meet their fitness goals while you meet your financial ones.

For more ideas of how technology (including revenue-tracking and fitness assessment software) can expand and improve your business, see the full article in the March issue of IDEA Fitness Manager IDEA Article Archive.