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I started my personal training career while I was still in college. I put in some time at a local gym but I was eager to start my own business. I come from a family of entrepreneurs so it only felt natural to open my own fitness business.
Naturally, having a fitness business meant having a website. That was my first priority as a business owner. I had experience with web design and marketing and was excited to build my first fitness website.
Keep in mind, back then the thought of designing a website for mobile phones didn’t exist. People were still carrying around flip phones and the idea of texting was still new. Fun fact to all my younger fitness trainer friends… phones didn’t always have keyboards or touchscreens.
Mobile Is No Longer The Afterthought
Smarphones were introduced in 2007 an It wasn’t until roughly 2012 that users really started using their phones for online browsing. Even then, the majority of website traffic was still coming from desktop computers. Only 10% of traffic was from a mobile device. It was the norm to design a website and hardly consider what it would look like on a smartphone.
Well, mobile design is no longer an afterthought. At the time of writing this (March 2023), mobile traffic is responsible for 60% of internet traffic. That’s huge! More people will be viewing your fitness site and offers on a mobile device than on a desktop computer.
What Does That Mean To You?
As technology continues to advance, mobile will continue to grow and become the go-to for accessing the internet. This shift in consumer behavior has created a shift in how marketers design web sites.
Today, fitness trainers must prioritize mobile design to ensure that their websites are accessible and optimized for mobile users. Not only does your fitness website need to look good on mobile browsers, but it needs to engage and convert your visitors into paying fitness clients.
If your website is not optimized for readability and conversions, you’re basically sending potential clients directly to your competition.
In addition to creating a positive user experience, a mobile-friendly website can also impact your business’s search engine rankings. Google and other search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results, so having an optimized website for your fitness or personal training business can potentially help you find new prospective clients searching for a local fitness solution.
A Mobile Audience Has A Different Mindset
We all know how distracting a mobile phone can be. It’s too easy to hop from one app to another, skim through notifications and text messages, check our social media accounts and occasionally actually make phone calls.
With all these distractions literally in the palm of your visitors hands, you have to make sure your site is designed to get their attention, make a clear offer and provide a simple navigational process with an easy to follow call to action.
Here’s What You Need To Do
First impressions matter, and your website is often the first point of contact that potential clients have with your business. If your website is difficult to navigate or doesn’t look good on a mobile device, then you’ve just lost a potential client. Mobile-friendly web design ensures that your fitness website is optimized for smaller screens and touch-based navigation. If your visitors don’t have a positive interaction with your site, they’re leaving and you might not have a second chance to with their business.
Think about how your favorite apps look and function on your phone. Simplicity is usually best. You want to avoid unnecessary scrolling, complicated navigational structures, hard to find links and long forms.
When it comes to your mobile friendly fitness site, keep it simple. Make a clear offer and make it as easy as possible for your visitor to contact you, get more information, or take you up on you special offer.
Final Thoughts About Your Mobile Site
Yes, mobile traffic has surpassed desktop traffic but don’t miss the importance of having a well thought out web site that performs well on both platforms. There is something to be said about the quality of visitors. Desktop users tend to be more engaged and ultimately convert better than mobile visitors.
Finally, a mobile-friendly website can help you stand out from the competition. Your website is a reflection of your business and can make a lasting first impression. In the fitness industry, there are often many trainers in a given area, and it can be difficult to differentiate yourself from others. A well-designed, mobile-friendly website can make a positive impression on potential clients and set you apart from other trainers who may not have invested in their online presence.
In conclusion, a mobile-friendly website is essential for fitness trainers who want to grow their business in today’s digital landscape. It provides a positive user experience, improves search engine rankings, helps you stand out from the competition, and ultimately improves overall conversion rates. The bottom line, a well optimized site can help your fitness business reach its financial goals faster than a site not yet optimized.
If you’re a fitness trainer looking to invest in web design, be sure to include mobile-friendliness. Here at Gym Site Solutions, we understands the importance of optimizing your website for all devices and are here to help you turn your website into a fitness marketing machine.
Action Steps: What Can You Do Right Now To Get More Gym Leads From Your Website
Don’t miss out on a possible fitness client because your website is not fully optimized for mobile. Remember, you gym website needs to be optimized to look great but more importantly… convert visitors into gym members.
Key Points:
- Your gym’s website needs to be desinged with easy to find (app like) buttons
- Focus on your offer and make forms easy to use
- Include a mobile friendly booking system
