When businesses first take off it is normal for you to struggle a little but when this progresses for months on end you may need to rethink your current strategies.
We all know a health and fitness based business takes your heart and soul, but what happens when that is just not enough? Well here are my top 10 tips to take your fitness business from good to great, no matter what stage you are at.
1. Super charge your website
First let’s start with the easier solutions. Having a great website is a good way to boost the sales of your fitness business and have greater interactions with your online presence. The vast majority of people look online to begin searching for a fitness business that suits their needs.
There are a few ways in which you can make your web site user friendly so that you will in turn attract more clients. The three main points are:
- Make your website easy to navigate.
- Make it informative so it gives your potential clients all the information they need such as your location, classes, prices, promotions and hours open in the one place.
- Use keywords so you are high up in the Google listings.
Each of these will entice more people to your door.
2. Add SEO content
Now you can look specifically at the local SEOs for the search engines. As mentioned before, having your website and social media profiles ranked high in Google listings will in turn bring more people to your site. Look into the keywords that are highly searched in your area in regards to your business. This is guaranteed to bring more site traffic and the more people who interact with your platforms, the more likely you are to increase business in real life.
3. My Business
Create a Google My Business page. Being the top search engine, having a Google My Business page will give clients immediate access to your business hours, address and contact details when they look at fitness businesses in the local area. This is your target market and being readily accessible to those looking to make a healthy change is crucial.
4. Keywords
This has been mentioned before but I cannot stress how important this is.
More than half of people who search a business online will visit within the following 24 hours. That is a huge chunk of potential customers you may be missing out just because your business pages does not include highly searched terms and phrases.
The way to do this is to be specific about what you offer. If they are looking for something that you can provide, they will likely Google phrases that link to your business and are present on your site.
5. Track your campaigns
Make sure you track your marketing campaigns online. See what marketing profiles are working for your business and take note of ones which could do better. A lot of this is trial and error, but eventually you will get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.
Google Analytics is a one great tool to do this and most social media sites, such as Facebook, have similar ways to track the site traffic for your business pages.
6. Blog away
Blogging is an underrated method of getting people’s attention. It is yet another way that you can bring additional business from the online platforms.
An extra tip is to include your city or suburb name in the title of your written content as this is more likely to bring local business to your site. For example, ‘how to do a sit up’ is so broad and will likely bring people in from around the world (most of who would never join up). But if you release a blog such as ‘best outdoor workouts in Newtown’ you will be likely to draw in more people who are more likely to enquire about your business.
7. Visually aesthetic
Video content is such a great marketing tool. Showing what you offer and what you can achieve visibly is the best way to showcase your facilities, classes and trainers. People will be a lot more engaged when they can see what you do instead of just reading about you.
8. Use your loyal members
A referral program is one of the best ways to get more people to check you out. Giving incentives (such as free gear, membership discounts or added value) will entice your current members to bring in their friends and family. They are usually the best ambassadors for your business!
9. Promotions
Promotions work well in the same way. Advertising promotions (such as on Facebook) are likely to get more people contacting you and hopefully signing up.
A free membership period or discounted membership could get those who are on the fence to take the leap of faith and join up. Once they experience what you have to offer and see the quality of your training, they are more likely to sign up for more.
10. Keep everyone up to date
Finally, a regular newsletter or using Facebook Messenger can keep your lapsed members and leads up to date with your promotions, new trainers and workouts you offer. Most importantly, it will remind them of your business and keep you top of mind.
Many people are looking to start a healthier lifestyle but just need that push in the right direction. Sometimes it is all about timing – by keeping in regular communication, you are more likely to get your message out at the right time when people are ready to take action!
If you do as many of the tips above as you can, you will more than likely see a difference within a few months. Your business will benefit greatly from having a better online presence and making changes for the better. Keeping track of your businesses marketing campaigns will also show you how well you are performing.