A couple of months ago I decided to join a gym after years of working out at home. When I was deciding which one to join, the range of quality in the gym websites I was visiting surprised me.

Some were good, offering plenty of information and making it easy to join. Some were terrible. They all had a lot of room for improvement.

So, I decided to do something about it. I wrote this guide to show gym owners exactly what to include on their websites. But I didn't stop here. I also created a fully built demo gym website that you can navigate and see for yourself.

Every website needs a strong hero area.

This is the section at the top of the page that the visitor sees right away.

A good hero area should include:

The Homepage

Now that you've got the visitors attention and clearly explained what you do, it's time to provide more information.

Your homepage should provide everything a visitor needs to know about your gym, whilst linking to other areas of the website if they want to know more.

I like the add a section below the hero area with a brief introduction to the gym. This is your chance to show why you are different to the other gyms they might be considering. Make sure you spend plenty of time considering what truly makes you different. It could be the range of classes you provide, the supportive atmosphere, the qualifications of the coaches, the wide range of equipment.

Whatever it is, make sure it stands out.

This is how this section would look:

Next up, we want to provide some brief information about other key sections of the website. For example, your coaches page or your facilities page. A block of text with a button and a high-quality image for each section works very well. If you can - get your images professionally created. This will really help you stand out.

This is how this section could look: 

Now that visitors can see what you offer, it's time to tell them about the benefits of joining your gym. Your list of benefits could be unique things you offer, your amazing facilities, your highly qualified coaches, the fact you have more positive reviews than anyone else, your family-like culture etc.

Aim for at least three benefits here, but you can add as many as you like. Finish this section off with another call to action and a social proof widget to give visitors a nudge to sign up if they're ready.

It goes without saying that you need to show client results and/or show some testimonials on your website. These client results/testimonials prove that you can actually provide what the visitor wants. 

Pick some of your best clients results or testimonials that match the demographic of the people you are trying to attract. If you're a body building gym, use testimonials from some of your most jacked members. If you're a general fitness gym aimed at people of all ages and fitness levels - make sure your testimonials represent a wider range of people.

Try to choose very high-quality images. If you can, bring a photographer in and arrange a photoshoot in the gym. You'll get amazing images of the gym you can use on your website and make your members feel special.

You can also choose videos to use in this section. If you do, make sure they look professional with high quality sound and slick animations.

Again, finish this section off with a call to action a review widget.

For many gyms, their social channels are very important. Many gyms already use social media very well. Social media can be a great way to showcase the culture of your gym, attract members and direct them to your website where they can sign up.

So if you do make use of social media and post regularly, show a social media section on your homepage. If you don't use social media or your social media pages are stagnant and neglected, just leave this section out.

I like to keep footers nice and simple. Put your logo in there along with your address so people can easily be reminded of where you are without clicking around your website.

Then add all the typical bits a website needs - terms, cookie policy, privacy policy etc.

Any potential member of your gym will want to know about the various things your gym offers. This should include a list of the equipment you provide (even more important if you're a bodybuilding gym).

To showcase your facilities you can use high quality images displayed under a section title with a brief introduction about that section.

This page can be simple. If someone is looking at this, they are definitely interested in your gym so make it look amazing with high quality images (as well as videos if you have) them of all the key things your gym offers.

Underneath your images, you can show the benefit section again to remind the reader of what they will get once they join, along with a call to action.

Here's how it could look:

If you have coaches at your gym, you'll need a page to talk about them. This is a great opportunity to show the people behind your gym. We all like to buy from, and deal with real people and this page will give you a chance to showcase these people.

Use brief sections to show a high-quality image of the coach along with a short bio. Make everything easy to scan and easy to read. Try to show their personality by adding a quote and writing about their personal life, not just their gym life.

You'll also repeat the benefits of joining your gym here and provide a call to action.

Here's how this page could look:

If you offer different programs at your gym, this is where you would show them.
Many potential members will be looking for specific things from the gym they choose. Maybe they're looking for HIIT training, maybe they want yoga or Olympic lifting coaching.

Make sure you show everything you do by providing a high-quality image of members in action during a workout from that specific program. This will help the visitor imagine themselves in their place, training in your gym and getting the results they want.

Alongside the image, provide a brief description of the program and a call to action. The call to action could be to book a taster session which could either go to your contact form or, or even better - go to a system where they can book online.

Like the other pages, we would repeat the benefits of joining below the rest of the content and have a call to action which would allow them to become members.

Here's how this page could look:

If you offer classes at your gym, you need to make it easy to find the class schedule. This will be an important page for both existing members and potential members.

This page should have a simple introduction with your classes listed next to it. I like to use an accordion to keep the page neat and tidy.

On this page, you could also link to your other key pages so they can learn more about the things offered in your timetable.

Like the other pages, you should show the benefits of becoming a member and have your call to action under the main content.

Here's how this page could look:

Your contact page is very important.

If somebody has a question or wants to join, it needs to be very easy for them to do so. I like to use a simple, clear contact form as the main contact method, but visitors should be able to contact you on the phone too.

Make your phone number easy to spot using an icon next to it. Make your form no longer than its needs to be and have a big bold call to action button on it.

You should also have your address on the contact page so people can find out where you are easily. Location will be an important consideration for many of the people interested in joining you. Next to your address, you should have a Google map to help visitors see exactly where you're based.

Overall, this page should be simple. The goal is to reduce friction as much as possible and make it clear how to get in touch with you via phone, contact form or visiting you in person.

This page is very important, but I haven't done a sample design for you here.

Why? Because the design will vary depending on what you currently have in place to accept new members. Ideally you should be running some type of gym management software. 

There are lots of good gym management software solutions on the market (such as legitfit.com). Having a system like this in place will make your life much easier and help the business side of your gym run much more smoothly.

Some of the features of a good gym management platform are:

I've included this as a bonus section as this is something that generally take a bit of time to set up and get right - but it's well worth the effort.

Hardly anyone does this, so if you do it, you'll really stand out from your competitors and hoover up all the local people in your area looking for a gym.

So, what is it?

A lead magnet is something of high value that you're giving away in return for the visitors email address.

Once they sign up for the free thing you're offering, you'll send them various emails with helpful tips and advice from time to time (as well as the odd reminder that they should join your gym).

Doing this helps to establish you as the authority in your industry and keep you top of the potential customer’s mind.

If they're not ready to join a gym yet but will in the future, guess who they will think of first and trust the most. Will it be some random gym in their local area or you - the one with the well put together, conversion optimised website along with helpful, free advice that you have provided?

To set this up you'll first need to create something valuable. When I say valuable, I mean it. It needs to be something so good they would happily pay for it. It should blow their mind that you're giving this away for free.

Think of workout plans, diet plans, online courses, free assessments etc. Of course, all of this is already available somewhere on the Internet so try to put your unique spin on it.

Once that is done, you'll need a page on your website with an opt-in form on it. I've already written a guide about creating a perfect opt-in page.

Once that is done, you'll need a thankyou page and an email sequence.

I understand that this will take work, and you might be daunted by this if you're not tech savvy. Trust me though, it is worth the effort. When you're ready to tackle this, just let me know and I'll be able to help.

Find out how to make your website convert with my 5-day email course for solopreneurs, coaches, consultants and online business owners.

Privacy Policy         Cookie Policy

© 2024. All rights reserved.