Marketing for Gyms shares advice on key features for gym websites

Online marketing solutions experts Marketing for Gyms have shared their experience on the seven key features that fitness clubs and personal trainers need to include on their websites.

Marketing for Gyms Director Sean Bridger explains “in this modern age almost every business has a website but for gyms, fitness clubs and personal trainers the question is, how effective is your website at generating leads and attracting new clients?”

To answer this question, Bridger has shared what he believes to be the top seven features that are essential to maximise the return from your website:

1. First Impression

When someone lands on your website you have about six seconds to capture their attention and create a great first impression. First impression is everything, especially when it comes to the fitness industry.

Within those six seconds your prospect will make a judgment about your business, either positive or negative. If it is negative then they will close the site, keep searching and you will never see them again. If it is positive they will stay on your site a little longer to see what you can offer them.

A website needs to be vibrant, full of energy, clean and modern. It needs to be easy to navigate and images must be used throughout the website to create an emotional response with your visitors.

90% of people will check out your website prior to making the first contact. If your website is old and outdated then people will make an assumption that your business is also old and outdated. People are judging your business every single day based on the impression that it creates. How would you rate the first impression of your website on a scale of one to 10?

2. Welcome Video

The majority of business owners don’t have a welcome video on their websites. They are missing out on one of the most powerful strategies for connecting with their visitors. A welcome video should be one of the first things people see when they land on your website.

The video should be no longer than 60 to 90 seconds. Introduce yourself, tell people what you are passionate about and then summarise the feelings and emotions that people may be experiencing (Eg: are you feeling tired, stressed and lacking energy?). Provide a solution to these negative experiences by giving a brief overview of the services you provide. Finish the video by giving a call to action to enter details in an opt-in form to receive something of value (see point number 3). The key is to show some passion and personality! Make the video fun, light hearted and connect with your visitors. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there as the face behind your business!

3. Opt In Form

An opt-in form is simply a form embedded in the website to capture name, email and phone number. We recommend adding this to the right hand side of the welcome video. The key is providing something of value as an incentive for the visitor to enter their details in the form. Eg: A Free 7 Day Trial at your gym or a Free PT or group training session.

As soon as the visitor submits their details they are sent an automated thank you email saying a staff member will be in touch shortly to organise their free session. An automated email is also sent to you with the prospects details for immediate follow up. You must have a lead conversion strategy in place so you can then convert them to a member after the trial finishes!

4. Blog

A Blog is simply a section of your website where you can post articles, embed videos, upload images and the like. A Blog gives you the opportunity to add value to your visitors by providing great content.

Write articles on workout tips, recipe ideas, mindset, motivation, social events, etc. Aim for a minimum of two Blog posts per month.

Another major benefit of Blog posts is to increase your search engine rankings on Google. Google always looks for the most relevant, up to date, content rich websites. The majority of websites are simply static ads online and never change. Google ranks these websites very poorly. Use your blog to keep your website up to date and add value to your visitors at the same time!

5. Social Media Integration

Social media is a huge part of everyday life for millions of people. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to name a few. There are many different sites and it can be quite overwhelming at first. If you don’t have any social media sites set up for your business then you need to sign up for a Facebook page and a YouTube channel as the absolute minimum.

Make sure you have the social media icons displayed in the top right section of your website. Also embed a Facebook Like Box on the home page so people can see the faces of the people that have liked your page. This also allows visitors to like your page directly from the website.

If your website doesn’t have any social media integration then once again, people will make a negative judgment about your business and assume that it is old and outdated.

6. Success Stories

Social proof is huge when it comes to online marketing. People want to see that you have achieved proven results with your clients. Videos are the best format for success stories and they are very easy to create. Just record a short 30 second video on your smart phone and upload directly to YouTube. After you have the YouTube link you can then embed the video directly into the Success Story page of your website.

Before and After images along with a short story are also very powerful as people can relate to the journey and also get an instant visual of the amazing results.

Aim for at least two video testimonials and two before and after testimonials on your website and keep adding to them every month. All you have to do is ask and most people are more than happy to share their story!

7. Contact Us Page

This may seem obvious but it is amazing how many people don’t have a contact page on their website! The contact page should include your business name, email, phone, address and opening hours. You should also have an enquiry form where they can ask you a quick question and submit as well.

Also on the Contact us page itis a great idea to add a Google map showing the location of your facility. I recommend adding your phone number to the top right header section of your website. The key is to make it as easy as possible for people to contact you!

Open up your website now and make an honest assessment about where it stands. Maybe it is time for an upgrade?

Marketing for Gyms provide complete online marketing solutions including website design, custom Facebook page, Gym and PT mobile applications and marketing strategies.

For more information visit www.marketingforgyms.com

31st August 2012 - MARKETING FOR GYMS RELEASE ONLINE VIDEO COURSE ON USING SOCIAL MEDIA