When a new boutique fitness studio is about to open their doors, you will find them spending their time worrying about the color of the carpet, investing in the size of the front desk and the texture of the lockers. They invest in the best experience possible for their clients—and rightfully so. But herein lies the greatest tragedy: the part of the experience most often overlooked is the first impression clients have with their brand—the website.
First Impressions Matter
In an increasingly competitive world of choice in boutique fitness, first impressions matter more than ever. A high-end customer who walks into a studio only to find a less-than-pleasant ambience will probably never return again.
Yet, many studios miss out on potential clients who visit their website because they don’t give their brand a chance to positively stick with them. If the in-studio experience is the home of a boutique fitness business, then a studio’s digital experience is the doorstep.
So why do studios stop investing in their brand when it comes to their website? Why do they strive for elegant but settle on a clunky website? What’s the point of trying to embody trendy but accept an outdated web experience? Whether its oversight or lack of resources, one thing is for sure—getting this right is worth the investment because these problems result in never-seen clients and never-seen revenue.
Are YOU Falling Short?
If so, it makes us angry because you deserve better. You put everything into your studio, yet your website never gave you a chance with potentially loyal clients. In a cycling studio, you push clients to go that one extra mile. In bootcamp, you push for that one extra rep. Not investing in the digital experience is the extra mile you didn’t pedal, the extra rep you didn’t lift.
Don’t Worry, It’s Not Too Late to Fix It
Think of the online booking process as if a client is physically walking through the studio and looking around. If this mindset is adopted, digital branding becomes a real path to client engagement and growth.
How many licks to the center of a tootsie roll pop—how many clicks to a booked-class confirmation page? Here are some questions to ask yourself about customer digital experience:
- Will clients find treats along the way to purchase? Perhaps a refreshing smoothie, beautifully-laced cycling shoes, shiny new boxing gloves, the tank top they’ve always wanted to sweat in.
- Will they be delighted by how easy it is to navigate the class schedule?
- Will their eyes light up at your room design layout? Will they be thankful to know exactly where the ceiling fan and annoying pillars are?
- Will they stay on your website and not be weighed down by the horrific pop-up window or the brand-killing website redirect?
- Will everything be done without leaving your domain, with your logo in front of their eyes at all times?
- Will the colors and fonts wrap them in the comforting blanket of your warm brand, encouraging them to stay a while?
- Will they exit your digital realm overjoyed to enter your physical realm? Will they walk out of your digital door sprinting to your lobby?
So Who Are You Going Be?
You are in boutique fitness because you hold dear the relationship business. Does your digital brand say you value relationships? Does your website experience create and sustain relationships?
You are in boutique fitness because you are passionate about health & wellness—does your website contain a healthy booking process that leaves clients feeling well?
You are in boutique fitness because you strive to build a community—does your online presence leave people feeling embraced by your brand?
Think on these things, look around inside your studio, then look around on your website. Who are you really? What is the underlying truth inside your brand story?
To learn more about highly-branded scheduling & studio management, beautiful marketing and a smart approach to e-commerce and retail, check out our diverse product suite, custom-tailored for boutique fitness.
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