According to Charlie Graff, the owner of CrossTown Fitness in Chicago, a gym’s website is just as important as its storefront. “Our website is just as important as our storefront, if not more,” he said. “So we invested a lot of time, energy, resources and cash into that website to have it jump out at people, to work really as a sales tool for us.”
In today’s digital age, many gyms fail to realize how important it is to have an interactive and eye-catching website attached to their URL. “Their first interaction with CrossTown is likely on their phone or computer,” said Graff.
When CrossTown’s members or prospects visit the website, Graff wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to speak with a person. The club’s web developer had the idea to implement a Live Chat tool that would allow web visitors to message staff instantly. “We put it on the website, and the very first day we started to get activity,” he said.
According to Graff, the club gets 15 to 20 messages a day through the website, with inquiries ranging from pricing to hours of operation. The messages feed directly to multiple staff, that way if one employee is busy, another can answer questions. “It allows us to multi-task,” he said. “It makes it more efficient on our end as well.”
In November 2015, CrossTown Fitness opened its second location in Chicago. In that location, members and prospects can also expect instant communication with staff through Live Chat, and in person as well.
“Members can communicate through phone, email, social media and Live Chat too,” said Graff. “It’s a super cool, easy, useful tool that’s another line in the water.”
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
