If you are reading this article, you are probably a fitness professional who is considering investing your money into a new website for your business. But what do you stand to benefit from having one built for you?
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I'll start off this article by explaining my background in this field- I have spent over a decade working closely with professionals in the fitness industry and have developed websites & branding for Personal Trainers, Coaches, Gyms, Sports Clubs & other Fitness Businesses. I know the industry inside and out, and I understand the problems often faced by many professionals in this sector.
Traditionally speaking, website design is often sold to customers on the concept that "a website serves as the centre of all your marketing efforts", and as a consequence, it becomes very easy for digital agencies to upsell functionalities and ongoing marketing services that clients might not massively benefit from.
Most Personal Trainers and Coaches are self-employed and as such, they need to keep costs to an absolute minimum and often don't have the budget to spend on expensive marketing services.
For this reason, I believe that you, as a fitness professional, are better off spending the majority of your time, effort, and money learning to market correctly on relevant social platforms. It's cheap to do (often free), and with a solid marketing strategy and upload diary, you will see a return on your investment fairly quickly. This logic flies in the face of lucrative website sales convention, but I would rather have you spend your energy building reach on your social channels, especially if you are just starting your fitness business.
However, just because a website might not necessarily be your main focal point for the majority of your marketing efforts, there is definitely still value in getting one made! Here are a few benefits you might want to consider...
Your website can act as a valuable tool in a well-optimised sales funnel.
A sales funnel helps to visualise how your prospective clients think at different stages of their purchasing journey. The 4 main stages are Awareness, Evaluation, Decision & Action.
See the following infographic for an example Personal Trainer Sales Funnel using Social Media Marketing and an accompanying website to generate new client leads:
Picture the following scenario- you are a potential PT client, and you have narrowed your choices down to 2 different Personal Trainers that you have discovered on Instagram.
PT #1's bio contains- a link to a well-built, on-brand website full of helpful information on the PT's offerings.
PT #2's bio contains- "dm me for workout programming".
Which PT do you think you'd contact first? I know who I'm picking!
Social media accounts are very limited in overall control of the flow and presentation of content. Your most important posts will often get lost in a sea of unrelated content, even on your own profile. With a website, it is very simple to control the layout and order of information.
A website also gives you lots of scope for styling customization that you wouldn't receive on a social media account alone. This allows you to custom-build a website specifically for your branding which creates a more cohesive brand image.
A website can act as a central resource point for your clients. Just as a few examples, you might choose to implement:
However you choose to move forwards with your marketing for your business, it is always a good idea to have a professional, well-built website form part of your strategy. Websites can be useful tools in increasing leads, controlling the content narrative, and boosting your professional presence while acting as a valuable resource for your clients.
If you have any more questions about this topic, please feel free to get in touch!
