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Most fitness professionals understand the importance of a website, digital marketing and strong online presence when it comes to growing their membership base. With that, advancements in technology and rapid changes in customer behavior are directing these concepts to become even more advanced and cohesive. In fact, 52.2% of all web traffic is on a mobile device, making it even more important to design a website with the end user in mind. To address this, gym owners need a modern, lead-generating website that's easily searchable and designed to convert visitors into prospects.

A website designed to generate more leads and multiply a gym’s growth has a few key pillars of success: responsive design, lead optimization and an integration with business management software.

Responsive design

Responsive design isn’t a new concept, but it has gone from being a differentiator to a must-have. This goes beyond simply making sure a website is “mobile-friendly;” the images need to look beautiful and the site needs to be easy to navigate on all modern devices. In addition to appearance and navigation, having a responsive design will help the website rank better in search engines, specifically on Google due to mobile-first indexing.

Lead optimization

While having a beautiful, responsive website is important, it's only as good as its ability to convert leads into paying members. The most effective way to turn a website visitor into a lead is through a call-to-action (CTA) and embedded lead form offering a promotional incentive, such as a free trial. To encourage website visitors to redeem the promotional incentive, it’s important to use effective CTAs throughout the website. High-performing CTAs include “Schedule Your Free Trial” or “Try a Free Week.” Embedded lead forms are also massively important for a website aiming to convert visitors into prospects. Lead forms allow visitors to request more information or sign-up for a specific offer by submitting their basic contact information like name, email and phone number. By optimizing a website for lead generation through a CTA, promotional incentive and embedded lead form, a clear path is set for a website visitor to become a prospect.

Integration with business management software

Integrating a gym’s website with business management software is essential to a gym’s growth strategy. The integration codifies the branding, lead generation, marketing and sales processes of a gym - streamlining processes and ensuring no prospects fall through the cracks. If the software includes tools like embedded calendars, marketing automation and a prospecting funnel, it's important to leverage those additional features to engage leads and convert prospects to help multiply the gym's growth.