Your fitness center’s website is the home base for your members and prospects to access important information as well as to inquire about membership and even purchases services and memberships. Given the variety of information and service your website will be facilitating, it’s extremely important to make sure your site is easily navigable and user friendly. A regular website audit every 6-12 months can help you maintain and improve your digital footprint. Here are 5 tips to focus on during your next website audit:
1. Mobile and Desktop Experience
More than 50% of web searches are made from a smartphone or hand-held device, so even if your workday is mostly lap-top based, you’ll want to complete a web audit on mobile devices as well as a desktop. Be sure to check from multiple devices, including an iPhone, Android and multiple operating systems as the user experience may vary across platforms. Review the navigation, pages, and functionality on both the mobile and desktop experience.
2. Clear Top-Page Contact Information
Users should be able to spot your basic contact information within the first few seconds of visiting your website. Remember that web searches may bring users to different landing pages than your homepage, so the contact information should be above the fold and static throughout your site. Be sure basic information like your hours, class schedule and contact form are easy to find as well.
3. Website Loading Speed Optimization
Speed, speed, speed. In today’s world, anything less than instantaneous is too slow. When visiting a website, whether on mobile or desktop, users want that site to load immediately. Otherwise, they’ll likely pop over to another tab or get distracted, unlikely to return again.
There are simple and effective resources to test your website’s speed, like the ones here and here. If your website is slow, often a few quick fixes can enhance your performance. Perhaps a page on your site has large formatted media (videos or images) that are slowing your pages from loading. A simple reformatting or consolidation of that media can create a faster and more smooth user experience.
4. Map Out Customer Journey
One of the most important aspects of your website is the ease of the user’s journey to find key information for them to make informed decisions, as well as answer basic questions regarding your fitness center and its offerings. It may be helpful to review scenarios in which a customer may be coming to your site. Are they looking to review your membership options and potentially purchase? Are they wanting to inquire about Personal Training or virtual at-home options? Maybe they just simply want to find your phone number or address. Creating these scenarios is called journey mapping, and it will help you see your site through the customer’s point of view. Look for ways to improve the user experience and navigability of your website, with the ultimate goal to drive lead conversion through your call to action.
5. Clear Call-to-Actions
Your website has to balance providing the information your current members need with the ability to generate new traffic and leads. Your website should be a lead-generating machine, with the primary purpose of driving new visitors to the website where they are converted to become prospective members of the club.
To accomplish this, offer something of value on your website that can only be received via a quick web form. We suggest a 1-day guest pass but other examples include a free fitness orientation, club tour, or discounts on a personal service. Make sure to clarify that the offer must be redeemed via email to ensure that you receive a primary and accurate address.
Different offerings will appeal to users, so place your offer and web form throughout your website. For example, a 1-day guest pass would be on the main page as well as a landing page about your Pilates offerings, so somebody interested in that program has an easy opportunity to sign up.
Does your website need work? Let us do the heavy lifting. The Active Marketing Team offers web auditing services and can deliver a comprehensive report complete with recommendations to enhance your page speed, drive leads and improve the overall branding and user experience of your website.
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