How to Get More Reviews For Your Personal Training Business

When searching to buy a product or service, what would you rely on more to make your purchase decision – an ad or a customer review of the product?
 
If you picked a customer review, you’re not alone. Nearly 76% of consumers trust online reviews and regularly read them when looking for a local business to buy from. This shows how powerful good reviews are for companies. 
 
Honest client reviews are even more powerful for personal training businesses like yours, where the results of your work can speak for themselves.
 
Below, we discuss why online reviews are essential for fitness businesses and give you a few tips you can use to get the best business reviews that will help you flourish. 

​1. Building Trust With Existing And Potential Clients

Positive customer reviews help you establish credibility and build a reputation people can trust. They’re the social proof you need to showcase the impact of your work. 

When happy clients leave reviews demonstrating how your training services transform their lives, other clients trust you more. At the same time, potential clients become inspired and more willing to try out your services. 

​2. Driving Sales 

​About 88% of consumers trust online reviews like they do personal recommendations from close family and friends. As a result, most shoppers visit review websites to help them with buying decisions.
If your brand receives excellent reviews, more prospects will choose you, driving more sales to your business.

It's important to note that great reviews don’t necessarily mean positive customer reviews. But more of a balance between positive reviews and the occasional constructive customer feedback, which might appear negative.
 
Potential customers appreciate honest opinions they can use to weigh the pros and cons of working with you during their decision-making process. In fact, 82% of consumers seek out negative reviews to help them determine the worst-case scenario they could have with a product or service before purchase. So it’s okay to have a balance of glowing, positive reviews as well as some with constructive feedback. 

3. Enhancing SEO 

Reviews boost your search engine optimization efforts, especially local SEO. They provide content that search engines can use to rank your personal training business high for several local searches.
 
Specifically, reviews written on multiple review sites may contain similar keywords, including your brand name. 

For example, several customers may mention you as the best personal trainer in a particular city when sharing their experience on various review sites. Since Google collects data from different sites for its rankings, your business will likely appear as the top result on the SERPs, including Google’s local pack, for the mentioned keyword.
 
Essentially, Google recognizes that positive reviews mean that your business provides value to people. When you gain more reviews online and on your Google Business Profile, it can boost your rankings and visibility. 

4. Understanding Your Target Audience 

Analyzing customer reviews helps you to understand your target audience better. You can gauge their satisfaction levels and find ways to improve their experience with your personal training services.
 
You also get enough insight you can use as a business owner to create new services or products and expand your venture. A poor review, for instance, can highlight pain points you were unaware of. With this revelation, you might need to introduce a new training package to address the issue.

​5. Promoting Brand Image

​Engaging with your clients by responding to online reviews on different platforms, including third-party sites, promotes your brand’s image and earns customer loyalty.  
 
It allows you to reinforce positive reviews with personalized responses to make clients feel valued and cared for. They’ll become more loyal and continue to recommend your services to others. Simple customized thank-you messages work well for this purpose.

You can also reply to negative reviews positively to rectify negative feedback. It's best to approach the negativity with understanding to create a positive experience for your reviewers.

You want to accommodate the client’s sentiments while offering an opportunity to mend the situation. It shows prospects you care about your client’s needs and are willing to make the necessary adjustments to help them meet their goals.

6. Marketing

Online reviews, particularly those on established platforms like Google reviews, are one of the few ways you can market your services without spending a dime. They work like micro-marketing campaigns, helping you increase your visibility online and reach a wider audience.

5 Tips To Get More Clients To Review Your Personal Trainer Business 

Not all reviews are the same. Some are more reliable than others. The most reliable reviews or client testimonials are honest, relatable, and specific. Here are a few tips to help you get more high-quality reviews from clients:

1. Ask 

Asking customers to leave feedback on your website or any other review site is the most straightforward way to get good-quality reviews. There are a few ways you can do this:

• Bring it up naturally during your regular conversations with clients. If you’re discussing your business with clients and they mention how they feel about your services, you can ask whether they are okay with writing a review. Try not to be too pushy about it and let them choose where to post their review if they agree.
• Request for a Google review in response to praise. When happy customers tell you how much they appreciate your services, you can ask them to write an online review to share their thoughts and experiences. 
• Request for a review post-purchase. If you sell products alongside your personal training services, ask customers to leave feedback after purchasing. Consider using pop-ups or a form on your check-out page so customers rate you before leaving your site. This automates the task of asking, making it easy for you to get more customer reviews.

2. Email Clients After Purchase 

Depending on your product and service offering as a personal trainer, you can also send follow-up emails to check your clients’ progress after purchasing different products, say workout video programs or meal plans. This helps you maintain a positive relationship with them. To get reviews, include a link your clients can follow to provide genuine feedback in these emails. 

Just make sure you get the timing right. You want to give each client enough time to use the products or services and form an opinion before emailing them for a review. For example, it might take clients a few weeks to see results from a new workout routine.

3. Offer Incentives 

Offering incentives is another reliable way to get good reviews. You may give clients discounts in exchange for their honest feedback. The keyword here is honesty. 
 
Avoid pushing for a positive review only by tying the incentive to positive feedback, as you may get fake reviews. Any fake review is a red flag that can significantly lower your credibility.

4. Simplify The Review Process 

Simplify your review process so clients find it easy to share their experiences. You’ll get more reviews this way. 

Consider adding direct links to a straightforward feedback submission form on different sections of your website, product pages, and other platforms, including social media pages.

5. Leverage Social Media Channels

Encourage happy clients to share their experiences on their personal social media platforms. Then repost them to celebrate their progress. This motivates more clients to share their reviews, increasing your online visibility. 
 
Also, let reviewers share photos or videos while on your business premises to make their reviews or testimonials more personal and real.

Final Thoughts 

Online reviews from a reliable source are one of the most effective marketing strategies for personal trainers. They’re a great avenue for gaining new clients, increasing sales, and stamping your authority as the go-to personal training expert in a particular niche. 

Client reviews are also helpful for identifying areas for improvement and growth opportunities you can work on to scale your business.
 
With all of this in mind, it’s clear that reviews and customer testimonials are very important. They can have a significant impact on your personal training business, so don’t be afraid to ask your happy clients to give your business a review and share their thoughts on your service.