5 Ways to Pump Up Your Fitness Website

If you’re in the fitness industry, one thing should be very clear to you: you have LOTS of competition. Not to worry though! You can make it clear that your business is special by enhancing your website using these 5 techniques.

Fitness professionals are some of the most passionate workers… they not only sell their products and services, they literally love the process of helping people improve their health. For that reason, they share more pictures, videos, articles, and infographics than most other industries.

More than that, you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to enjoy the content created by fitness professionals. On top of all of the gyms, trainers, coaches, athletes, supplement companies, and apparel companies, you’re also competing with weekend-warrior bloggers who aren’t even in the business!

You need to stand out, and that means more than just a good looking website. Here are 5 ways to take your fitness website to the next level.

#1: User Portals

A user portal is a section of a website that is restricted behind a login. If you add a user section to your website, you can share restricted content and applications, allow for downloads, sell access through subscriptions, and much more.

You know all of those super-secret training techniques that you want to hide from your competitors? It’s all going to waste if you don’t put it online! Worse than that, you can’t share it with people who are willing to pay for it.

We’ve built quite a few portals for our clients. Here are some of my favorites:

http://MillerMethod.com
http://LevisHardertoKillTraining.com
http://SilverWolfNutrition.com
http://Rockfit.co
http://TampaStrengthOnline.com
http://HardstyleKettlebellPro.com

#2: Integrated Ads

I know what you’re thinking, “I hate popup ads!” Well, too bad. Banner advertising is still a very effective way to generate conversions. While banner ads have gotten some hate in recent years, there is one consistent truth in website design:

If you don’t ask for business, don’t expect to get business.

Banner ads can be subtle and unobtrusive, like the ones you put on the side of a blog post, or they can be obnoxious, like the ad you saw when you landed on this page (sorry).

After building hundreds of websites, we’ve found that the pop-up banners (called “interrupters” for obvious reasons) are BY FAR the most effective. Just make sure they’re relevant and they are set up to only bother your visitor every so often. We typically have interrupters occur on each visitor once a week.

You should be using banner ads to inform customers of hot-offers or simply ask them to sign up for an email list. Remember, if you don’t get them to act now, you may lose them forever, so make those banners good!

#3: Professional Photography

Can you fill your entire website with stock photography? Of course! We have techniques for finding and selecting the best photography to make your website SEEM custom, even if our clients don’t supply us with good photography. However, the best photography should feature you, your business, your customers, and your products.

More than that, while you may have a really nice cell-phone, you’ll never be as good as someone who shoots pictures for a living. Good photography can take almost any website from looking “okay” to looking like the next Nike.

So, how do you manage your own professional photoshoot? Easy! Just read this article:

10 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR FIRST FITNESS PHOTOSHOOT

#4: Downloadable Ebooks

You ever wonder why so many people have free ebooks? They’re trying to get your email so they can follow up with additional information and offers, eventually converting a website visitor into a customer.

Unlike banner ads (which are still effective but losing popularity), email marketing is amazing and continues to be one of the most effective ways to generate business online. Here are just a few interesting stats (Source):

• Consumers who purchase products through email spend 138% more than those that don’t receive email offers.
• Email subscribers are 3x more likely to share content on social media than leads who came through another channel, according to QuickSprout.
• 80% of retail professionals indicate that email marketing is their greatest driver of customer retention.

We’ve created over 50 ebooks for our clients, and not all of them required a ton of writing. In fact, we even created one with only 300 words. Here are just a few we’ve made in the past:

#5: Integrated Videos

You’ve heard it. You know it. Videos are the future. You need to get them going and drop any fear you have of being on camera. If you’re not providing your customers with video, chances are they’re finding someone who will.

The great thing about fitness is that you can easily demonstrate information on video without a ton of editing. Whether it’s an exercise, recipe, or simply some motivational words, you can quickly shoot a video and share it on your website.

Further, good website videos will help you explain the difference between your programs and your competitors’. Further further, you need to personally connect with your potential clients to get them to sign up.

If those points aren’t enough to convince you, here are some cool video stats (Source):

• 87% of online marketers use video content.
• One-third of online activity is spent watching video.
• 85% of the US internet audience watches videos online.
• 51% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI.
• Marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users.

So, bust out that cell phone and start recording! We recommend uploading to youtube, then simply embedding the video on your website. This will allow you to grow your social media presence while also enhancing your website.

How Do You Get Going With These Upgrades?

Fortunealty, we can help you with any (or all) of these upgrades! Schedule a consultation and we’ll get going on your awesome new project:

Schedule a Free Consultation