Your gym or fitness center’s brand is the image that all potential and active customers have of your business in their mind. It is not just your logo and tag-line. It is everything that sets you apart from the competition. Essentially, it is your fitness business’ complete personality, core values, and how well you meet customer needs and help achieve their goals. Consequently, a strong brand is, more often than not, the difference between success and failure.  One of the best tools to display your brand is your website.

Many gyms and fitness center owners believe an eye-catching website is enough. It is not. In fact, your website could be hurting your fitness business, making it difficult to attract customers and new members. If you have not thought long and hard about your website, how it aligns with your mission and core principles, and how it adds value to your customers, you are better off not even having a site.

Everyone has heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” Repeated studies have shown that the majority of consumers are using the internet as part of their shopping process, for both goods and services. It is not just for online shopping. Consumers are going online to research virtually every company that they plan to do business with, and they are starting their research very early in their decision-making process. So, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, consumers are looking at your website and determining whether you are trustworthy and if you can meet their needs. With this in mind, Here are several ways that your website can hurt your gym or fitness center.

Mistakes Harming Your Fitness Website 

1. Does Not Target Your Ideal Member

Take a moment to visualize your ideal gym or fitness center member. Who do you see? Is it an older person trying to lose weight and get back into shape after years of television watching? Is it a young woman who wants to look great for her wedding? Is it a college-aged individual who is using your gym as their second home? Trying to build a website that will appeal to every type of person will only work against you. You want to identify those customers who either share your values or your values compliment theirs.

2. Copy Is Generic and Lifeless

Your employees and trainers are likely very friendly, engaging, and interesting people. Is that reflected on your website? Is your verbiage pompous and arrogant? Is the content filled with a ton of fitness jargon and slang? You are the ultimate face of your brand. Consequently, they should hear your voice when they read your website copy and content. Inauthentic, generic, and poor writing will give your website visitors the wrong idea. Your website should reflect the face of the people who customers will meet when they visit your gym or fitness center.

3. Provides a Poor User Experience

Many gyms and fitness centers have visually stunning websites that ultimately fail due to poor user experience. A good website design will be uncluttered with easy navigation. Visitors should be able to find the information they are looking for within just 2 or 3 clicks. Moreover, your website must adapt to any mobile device. Today, more people are using mobile search than a desktop. If your website is not usable on a potential customer’s chosen device, they will find one that is.

4. Does Not Align Your Core Values with Customers

How do your core values help members achieve their needs, goals, and desires? Take as an example Planet Fitness. There are many within the fitness industry that don’t even consider Planet Fitness as a real fitness center. Yet, it is one of the largest franchises with one of the largest membership bases. This happened because of effective messaging that aligned their values with their target customers.

Do you have questions? What haven’t we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk about how your website can hurt your gym or fitness center, or a related topic, please contact us.