By now, most health club owners understand the importance of having an online presence for the purpose of advertising their facility in a nonintimidating way, any time of the day or night. After all, males and females alike between the ages of 35 and 54 with Internet access rank over 80 percent within the United States. The total number of Americans logging on to the Internet daily is more than 136,000,000. Not having a website is no longer an option. But have you ever thought of how the Internet and your website could benefit you even more by streamlining many of your current internal processes at almost no cost?
MARKETING
Currently, you probably advertise in the local paper, send out flyers, and offer member referral programs in order to get more leads through your door. If you take your Internet strategy seriously, you can multiply the number of leads coming through your door. Simple changes in your website can yield big results when it comes to search engine placement.
According to Click Z Network Solutions for Marketers, “As Web surfers endeavor to grow thin, the hit counters of health, fitness and nutrition sites get fat, with over 11 million home surfer visits during the week ending Jan. 4, 2004, according to online audience measurement firm Nielsen//Net Ratings.”
The question then becomes, do you want to be one of the websites these individuals view and visit? Of course you want to be one of the first ones individuals in your area see on the results page. And, by spending an hour researching the ranking alternatives at no cost whatsoever, you can increase your ranking ten-fold. Simply type in “search engine placement” in the Google search box for a multitude of ideas as well as companies that can help for very little investment.
Listing your health club on online health club information banks can increase traffic to your website, and ultimately, your club as well.
LEAD MANAGEMENT
While the Internet can help you increase the number of leads you receive, it can also help you manage your entire lead process all the way to closing. Depending on the website service you choose, you can not only manage the sales process but you can also aid in sales communication through email marketing.
Look for companies that offer complete lead management services as part of their website package at no additional cost. Such tools have the added advantage of 24/7 access from anywhere there is an Internet connection available.
MEMBER RETENTION
Member retention is by far one of the most important aspects of your success, so anything you can do to improve it, is well worth the effort. Utilizing the information highway to communicate with your members can be a no-brainer. With auto-response email marketing, it is hands-free, once set up, with no out-ofpocket expenses.
As a health club owner, you need to stay on the cutting-edge when it comes to equipment, classes, and training. The same holds true for member retention. By sending out monthly newsletters, taking advantage of email marketing campaigns, and offering online services, you not only save time and money, you present your club as forward thinking.
FEEDBACK
One area that clubs seem to fall short is feedback-member and lead alike. The reasons for this are as varied as health clubs themselves. And for those clubs that see the value in feedback, the response rate of a survey leaves something to be desired. Once again, the Internet and your website can satisfy both problems.
By providing a small incentive, you can get your members to go home and give you their opinion on almost anything from your locker room cleanliness to your trainers’ hygiene!
It all comes down to comfort level. From the intimacy of their own home, most people feel more open to really telling you how they feel. And because the Internet offers a more anonymous venue than dropping your comment card in a box, that may be read immediately after you leave, the percent of participants increases.
For finding out the positive aspects as well as downfalls of your sales staff, online surveys are king! Offer potential members a chance to win a wonderful membership package at a reduced rate for just sharing their opinion! It’s a win-win. You not only get another point of contact, but you also receive invaluable information about your staff’s performance.
What is amazing about the Internet and many website services is that the list goes on and on in terms of the ways your club can benefit. In fact, really the biggest limitation is your own creativity. If you are trying to keep your health club progressive or at least current with your membership base, you owe it to yourself to invest a bit of time, effort, and imagination into the Internet and your website.
Michaleen McGarry is the Executive Vice President of FitnessInsite. She can be contacted at 800.787.3955, or by email atMichaleen@fitnessventuregroup.com.
