Running a gym or studio can be quite the workout. Between class programming, member services, employee management and facility maintenance, it can often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to manage it all. If you haven’t given much thought to whether your software is doing everything it should to help, take two minutes for a quick audit of five essential features.
1. Multi-channel booking and communication.
Does your software allow for online and mobile-app bookings? This feature is a must to meet members and clients where they already are – online and on their smartphones. You can also drive class and appointment bookings from your brand’s social media presence and chatbot.
If your current software isn’t equipped to send automated booking reminders via text message and email, you’ll want that feature as well.
2. Customizable digital forms.
Intake forms and liability waivers are non-negotiable for fitness businesses, but the paperwork can get unwieldy. A cloud-based solution for document management stores your forms digitally and securely, and avoids costly errors and risks associated with paper record-keeping.
Plus, digital forms can be customized, with pre-fills and built-in logic making them easy to navigate. Clients can fill out forms ahead of time, streamlining the consent process.
3. Multi-location management.
With a single, centralized software platform, gyms and studios can add and manage new locations from one place. Look for scalable software that makes it easy to adjust or make changes at the corporate and center level. You should also be able to generate and compare performance reports by location or region with just a few clicks.
4. Employee mobile app.
Give staff control of their schedule through a mobile app. You’ll save time for everyone by allowing qualified instructors to submit and accept substitution requests with or without manager approval.
An employee-friendly software platform is good for retention, too. Give employees mobile access to payroll and performance information to help them stay motivated.
5. Automated marketing.
You can activate personalized promotions and discounts when members complete class packages or achieve fitness milestones, for instance.
Through email, mobile app push notifications, and SMS marketing campaigns, you can customize offers based on client demographics, behavior, and purchase history, with your software doing the work once you set the criteria. Keep members engaged with the brand, and boost spend per member through cross-sells and upsells.
Trying to cobble these features together with multiple software applications results in a costly and often incomplete solution. It’s more efficient to use a single platform with the features listed above.
The benefits of all-in-one software include smoother operations, a single point of access to manage everything and comprehensive, integrated reporting.
