A strong fitness business needs a strong fitness website, and there’s just no clearer way to put it.
In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is essential, and that presence needs a powerful website as its anchor.
A well-designed website not only attracts potential clients but also serves as a vital tool for managing bookings, showcasing your facilities, and engaging with your community.
But, as you might know already, there are SO MANY fitness website designers and options out there. It can be overwhelming knowing how to choose the best path for your business.
Well, we’re here with this blog post to make the whole thing much simpler and less daunting.
We also happen to have a couple of fitness website design partners we can’t recommend highly enough. We’ll get to them a bit lower in this article.
First: What Do You Need?
The first thing to think about regarding your fitness website is this: What do you need from it? Think about things like this:
- What is your budget? If you’re just starting your fitness business, you might not want to spend a ton of money right away, and that’s OK. There are other options, which we’ll get to later.
- What functionalities do you need? (e.g., online booking, virtual tours, class schedules, etc). Again, if your gym is new, you could get by with a one-pager that provides the basic information about your services and a lead magnet – something of value in exchange for email addresses, so you can grow your email list.
- What is your brand’s style? It should be an embodiment of your goals and business values. Your visual representation should include the “personality” you want to give your gym, but also include the type of clients you want to attract.
- Do you need e-commerce capabilities?
Read “Powerful Gym Website Design Tips That Convert”
Having clear answers to these questions will help you communicate your requirements effectively to potential designers and narrow down your options.
Remember that some features which seemed “extra” not too long ago are now “must haves.” These include “mobile responsiveness,” which means your website looks and acts right on smartphones and tablets, not just computers.
Talk to the designer about which fitness website features are coming up like that now. You’ll be amazed at what you don’t know. But remember that a shiny, new feature might look like fun – but that doesn’t mean you really need it.
Keep your business interests top of mind, and make sure your designer does, too.
Options from DIY to Specialized Agencies
If you’re just starting out and you have some website-building proficiency, you might consider a “do it yourself” option, like Wix or Squarespace. Many small businesses have launched using “out of the box” designs, and you can always upgrade later if you like.
These are generally cheaper and might have enough customization for you.
But they can be deceptively difficult to set up, maintain, and customize. It’s a little like home renovations. For some people, it’s a piece of cake; for others, a never-ending headache.
Proceed with caution and consider whether it’s worth it to just pay someone to do it. As a business owner, you will need to “let go” of the compulsion to do everything yourself, and you will learn the value of paying professionals for their expertise at certain tasks. Maybe this is one of them.
You can also find plenty of freelance designers to offer more personalized service. You might know someone in your network, and you can find low-cost work on sites like Upwork and Fiverr.
But there’s no guarantee of what you’re getting, and it might end up costing more in frustration than is worth it.
Again: Things that seem “too easy to be true” probably are.
Our Preferred Fitness Website Agencies
Depending on the level of your fitness business, your needs, and your comfort with tech wizardly, there’s another options.
It might be best to go with a full-fledged design agency, which will offer professional, comprehensive services including branding, SEO, and help with marketing.
Yes, it might be more expensive, but probably not prohibitively so – especially when you compare it to how you could best be spending your time.
Also, some designers might want to give you more whiz-bang than you need, so stay true to your needs and business plan.
Going even deeper, there are specialized fitness website builders with specific experience tailoring user experiences for gyms. We frequently work with two and recommend you consider them.
321Go and 97Display
The first of the two is 321Go, which proudly states: “Running a business is hard. Your website should make it easier.”
321Go builds powerful fitness websites for gyms, CrossFits, studios and more.
“From affordable templates to premium custom sites, 321Go offers creative solutions for every price point,” the company says. “Elevate your online presence without compromising on style or quality.”
321Go integrates with all your current tools, plus with whatever new thing is coming along.
Designers can start with templates or build something just for you from the start.
The second is 97Display, a leading software company for martial arts and fitness gyms.
The company says, “The 97Display all-in-one marketing solution combines a proven lead generating website design, digital marketing, billing software, with our powerful CRM. Transform your gym or martial arts studio today.”
97Display says it takes less than 30 days to build a karate school or fitness website. It also works with other fitness businesses, like dance schools, yoga studios and boutique gyms.
It has tools to help with social media, brand cultivation, and conversion tools, like texting prospects.
It integrates with various software, including Wodify and Zapier.
What to Consider
Think about how easy you want your website to be for you, your staff, and your clients and prospects.
Will you want to expand its capabilities frequently or only once in a while?
Will you need a lot of customer support, or not so much?
Remember your budget – and resist that urge to chase every squirrel that darts in front of you!
Whether you go with an independent designer or an agency, ask to see work samples, client testimonials, and pricing plans. Evaluate their communications skills; do they make you feel like you’re asking stupid questions, or like they’re excited to be working with you?
Conclusion
Choosing the right designer for your fitness website is a critical decision, so be clear on your needs, objectives and options before you start looking for someone.
You want someone who will bring your vision to life, appreciating your business goals and values – while also suggesting capabilities and concerns that you probably haven’t even thought about yet.
Think of your fitness website as the engine of your train of business communications channels. Facebook and other social media, email newsletters, and the rest can flow from it logically and cohesively.
And many newcomers will first see your business via your fitness website, so make sure you’re happy with how it represents you.
It’s not the only part of your business that needs your attention, of course. And with Naamly’s tools and training, you can stay on top of your operations. It doesn’t have to be complicated to manage your prospects, clients, and your team. See details on our Premiere Package here.