If you're in the personal training business, you know that you need a great website.
But what makes an amazing personal trainer website stand apart from the mediocre ones? Let's finish up our reps, put down the free weights and grab a towel as we explore the 9 steps to creating a personal trainer website.
Step #1 Understand Why You Need A Website
Your website is the face of your business. While in-person networking is important for a personal trainer, your phenomenal website is the first thing potential clients will see. They'll use your website to make quick and easy judgements about you and your business.
To compete, it must be:
To compete, it must be:
- Professional
- Motivating
- Interesting
- Persuasive
- Genuine
- User-friendly
- A lead magnet
Step #2 Find a Domain Name
This is tougher than it seems. The name you really want may be taken. You may need to get creative, but follow these guidelines to succeed. Make sure your domain name is:
Additionally, make sure you research thoroughly. Even if it isn't a website address that's taken, it could be an existing business's name. Best to be original to avoid confusion.
Use ".com" when possible. This is because it's the most common ending for a web address. Plus, if you decide to go in to online training you've got a global domain.
If you leave the ".com" out there for someone else to buy, a competitor could buy the domain and siphon off traffic that should have been yours. Domain names are cheap, so it may be worth your while to buy the ".com" even if your primary is another address.
Be sure to make your website local. If you serve a select area and don't see yourself branching out soon, you can put the city in the address (i.e., getfitboston.com)
Check out some of the best PT website and SEO tools from our Academy.
- Easy to Spell
- Easy to Remember
- Contains no special characters
Additionally, make sure you research thoroughly. Even if it isn't a website address that's taken, it could be an existing business's name. Best to be original to avoid confusion.
Use ".com" when possible. This is because it's the most common ending for a web address. Plus, if you decide to go in to online training you've got a global domain.
If you leave the ".com" out there for someone else to buy, a competitor could buy the domain and siphon off traffic that should have been yours. Domain names are cheap, so it may be worth your while to buy the ".com" even if your primary is another address.
Be sure to make your website local. If you serve a select area and don't see yourself branching out soon, you can put the city in the address (i.e., getfitboston.com)
Check out some of the best PT website and SEO tools from our Academy.
Step #3 Choose a Web Host for Your Personal Trainer Website
Your web host is like a landlord. They give your website a great place to live on the Internet. This includes:
When you're looking for a web host seek out the following type of web host. You want one with:
- Storage space for your website files
- A place online to link your domain name to
When you're looking for a web host seek out the following type of web host. You want one with:
- A built-in content management system (CMS)
- High up time
- Fast load speed
- Full service, making your life easier so you can focus on what you do best
- Looks great on mobile. 77% of searches are now on mobile. You can't afford not to be mobile-friendly.
Step #4 Develop A Style Guide
Based upon who your target client is, you'll develop a theme that speaks to them. You'll then use this style guide consistently across your site. This will help visitors know that they're on your site.
It includes the following:
It includes the following:
- Website theme
- Colors
- Fonts and Font Sizes
- Types of Photos Used
- How you address the client
- Type of language you use (formal, casual, very casual, niche jargon, etc.)
- Navigation
- User-interface
Step #5 Create A Logo
Never start a business without a logo. Humans are very visual.
When clients and prospects have a logo to associate with your brand, they'll remember you when they see you. This helps create brand recognition.
Your logo should be:
When clients and prospects have a logo to associate with your brand, they'll remember you when they see you. This helps create brand recognition.
Your logo should be:
- Prominently placed on every page on your website
- Unique
- Not overly complex
- Representative of what you do
- Professionally done... It's worth it to have a professional logo designed.
Step #6 Professional Photos & Videos
You may use some high-quality stock photos for your blog. But whenever possible, use professionally taken photos of you and your clients (with permission).
Using too many stock photos will give people a sense that you aren't authentic. Do you really have any clients? Or are you just pretending?
Schedule a day with a professional photographer. Invite several of your loyal clients. Provide healthy snacks and a free training session. Have the photographer walk around getting pictures of you with clients as well as shots of clients doing various activities.
Take this a step further buy hiring a videographer who will take short video testimonials for your site during the same event.
Create a free video training session video for clients to get an idea of your style.
This kind of authentic client-centered promotional content is what sets the best personal trainer website apart from the mediocre ones.
Using too many stock photos will give people a sense that you aren't authentic. Do you really have any clients? Or are you just pretending?
Schedule a day with a professional photographer. Invite several of your loyal clients. Provide healthy snacks and a free training session. Have the photographer walk around getting pictures of you with clients as well as shots of clients doing various activities.
Take this a step further buy hiring a videographer who will take short video testimonials for your site during the same event.
Create a free video training session video for clients to get an idea of your style.
This kind of authentic client-centered promotional content is what sets the best personal trainer website apart from the mediocre ones.
Step #7 Hire a copywriter
Your copywriter should be skilled in writing both sales content and blog content.
While the goal of blogs is to generate leads on your personal trainer website, effective blog writing is a much more client-centered, covertly promotional kind of writing.
Sale writing, on the other hand, should be highly succinct and persuasive. A sales writer can write headlines and social media posts that visitors can't help but click.
You need both for your site to be the best.
While the goal of blogs is to generate leads on your personal trainer website, effective blog writing is a much more client-centered, covertly promotional kind of writing.
Sale writing, on the other hand, should be highly succinct and persuasive. A sales writer can write headlines and social media posts that visitors can't help but click.
You need both for your site to be the best.
Step #8 Add Features
Add tools to your site that your prospective clients might be looking for like a BMI calculator and health quizzes.
Add features that make your job easier like scheduling tools, easy contact forms and client questionnaires.
Add features that make your job easier like scheduling tools, easy contact forms and client questionnaires.
Step #9 Keep It User-Friendly & SEO'd
One of the most important features of your site is its user-friendliness. You can add some amazing features to your personal trained website. But always balance it with website speed and friendliness.
Your clients will expect your site to load in 2 seconds or less. Make sure you're loading speed is up to snuff. If it's not, consider using a Content Delivery Network like Cloudflare.
SEO is the ultimate form of user-friendliness. When a site is optimized for SEO, visitors can find the content they're looking for. This is because:
As a bonus, you'll get more traffic that becomes leads that you can convert to clients
Your clients will expect your site to load in 2 seconds or less. Make sure you're loading speed is up to snuff. If it's not, consider using a Content Delivery Network like Cloudflare.
SEO is the ultimate form of user-friendliness. When a site is optimized for SEO, visitors can find the content they're looking for. This is because:
- You include keywords that tell people what your site is about
- Your site is easy to navigate
- It's fast
- It's clear what your site is about when someone pulls you up in a search engine.
As a bonus, you'll get more traffic that becomes leads that you can convert to clients
*Bonus* Work With The Right Partner
Your personal training business can thrive with the right website. But creating and managing a website yourself may be more than you have time for.
If you'd like to learn more about how to have the best personal trainer website with full-service website management, contact us today.
If you'd like to learn more about how to have the best personal trainer website with full-service website management, contact us today.
