If youve been in the industry beyond this past decade, then you will recall operating before we had access to the web. Back in those days, yellow page ads reigned number one as the best marketing for health clubs. So why is it so important today to have a website, when only a decade ago, health club memberships were being sold by the dozens each day without needing the web? The world is constantly shifting; in this case for the better. If you arent keeping with the newest technology and always trying to improve or be different from your competitors, you wont last long in the health club industry.
If youre a slow adopter, and dont have a health club website yet, its time to take that step. A website for your health club is like having your very own health club marketing team working for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And it costs next to nothing! The Internet is everywhere; every country, in both urban and rural areas. Everyone these days uses the Internet, and everyone expects YOU to have a website. Prospective members are much smarter than they were in the past, and will conduct most of their research online at your health clubs website, long before they make the decision to visit your health club.
A website for your health club allows you to start the membership sales process long before the potential member visits your gym. Your health club website allows them to tour your facility, allows them to see all of the amenities you have to offer, and helps them envision themselves as part of your health club already. A website for your health club is also a great way to offer them a printable coupon for a starter membership to your health club…which definitely makes the actual visit to your fitness center less stressing.
You might have the most wonderful yellow page ad of all of the fitness center competitors in your market, and it might have worked for you for a long time. But the average prospect looks up phone numbers and contact information on the Internet more than they look in the yellow pages. Also remember that yellow pages dont give you the opportunity to tell your members how awesome your facility really is! For just about the same cost of a yellow page ad for an entire year, you can have a high quality, membership generating, informative and remarkable fitness website for close to the same amount.
Thats not to say you should not also utilize a yellow page ad campaign…you certainly should. You need to make sure your health clubs yellow page ad stands out from all of your competition. All of your competitors most likely have the basics listed, loften containing their name and phone number. Some of the health clubs in your market who are a bit more proactive will have a bulleted list of amenities. Your yellow page ad needs to be different! Offer a free online summary, How 90 minutes per week will get you in the best shape of your life or To download your free 14 day trial membership, go to our website today! The ad can direct a page on your website where they have a chance to get your starter membership. You need to also consider adding a bolded guarantee on your yellow page ad: We guarantee you will lose weight or you get your money back! When a prospect looking to join a gym runs across these ads, they will most likely choose yours.
So the conclusion to the question is that you need to have both a quality fitness center website as well as a yellow page ad for your health club. If your budget is restricted and you can only choose one, the health club website is your better option these days. Both forms of health club marketing are very affordable, very effective, and very important to help more prospective members join your health club.
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