The importance of having a personal training website today cannot be ignored. After all, when we search for a product or service, we tend to begin this search online. So, you need to make sure that you are front and center when anyone searches the Internet for services like yours.
However, it is not just about having a website, but it is about making sure that your website ticks all of the boxes and encourages people to book your service. Considering that, we will look at some of the most common mistakes personal trainers make with their websites today.
Mistake #1. Not Having a Website
There is only one place to begin, and this is with not having a website altogether! If you do not have a website, you're going to be missing out on a whole host of potential customers.
Market research shows quite clearly that after social media, Google is the platform people are using to find to services online. How do you get on Google? You need a website.
Market research shows quite clearly that after social media, Google is the platform people are using to find to services online. How do you get on Google? You need a website.
After all, the overwhelming majority of searches for new services are done online today, so having an SEO-optimized website is critical in ensuring you are in the running for new clients. Particularly if you offer online fitness services.
HOW TO FIX IT:
A professional website is critical in terms of legitimacy. If you want people to take you seriously and view you as an established, organized, and experienced personal trainer, you need a website that communicates this.
Mistake #2. Not Using Your Website...
Back in the good old days of My PT Website, we used to build fitness websites then wish the personal trainer a good day. A month or so later they'd get back to us and ask "why aren't I getting any leads from my website?".
"Are you promoting it?", I'd ask. Turns out most people who get a site don't realise that's just the beginning. Getting website visitors is the next step. Now we have a whole series of educational emails for our clients on how to get more traffic for their website.
HOW TO FIX IT:
So, if you have a website, but you don't have time or money to pay someone to make it work for your fitness business by publishing content on your blogs consistently, updating it with the latest info, or even just using it as part of your marketing funnels, you're better not to have one.
"Are you promoting it?", I'd ask. Turns out most people who get a site don't realise that's just the beginning. Getting website visitors is the next step. Now we have a whole series of educational emails for our clients on how to get more traffic for their website.
HOW TO FIX IT:
So, if you have a website, but you don't have time or money to pay someone to make it work for your fitness business by publishing content on your blogs consistently, updating it with the latest info, or even just using it as part of your marketing funnels, you're better not to have one.
Mistake #3. The "Me, Me, Me" Approach
Yes, your story is compelling, and it is an essential point in attracting visitors and, ultimately, clients. You do need to include information about yourself, as it is vital that customers relate to you and your story.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that the client's journey is the most vital thing to them. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are not too self-indulgent in your approach.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that the client's journey is the most vital thing to them. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are not too self-indulgent in your approach.
HOW TO FIX IT:
You can earn trust in various ways. Incorporating testimonials from past and current clients, for example, is one of the best ways of doing so. Rather than listing your qualifications, talk about how each of those certificates can help solve your clients' problems.
Mistake #4. A Slow Website
A lot of personal trainers want to incorporate cool and fancy graphics into their websites. However, they forget about how critical performance is. The more "jazz hands" your site has, the slower the speed and the higher the chance of someone leaving your site before it gets a chance to load. This is called bounce rate.
Every second that people have to wait for your site to load increases the chances that they are simply going to hit the back button and look elsewhere. After all, the Internet is all about convenience.
HOW TO FIX:
The best way you can ensure that the loading speed of your website is as fast as possible is that you keep the size and resolution of your visuals at the smallest yet best-looking level and not use animations that take a long time to load.
Mistake #5. Overloading Visitors with Text
People do not like to read a lot online! Long-windedness is not the way to go if you want to keep people's attention. You will rarely sell your services to a potential client after they simply read about you on your website. It will still require some form of communication, such as an assessment or consultation, before they will trust you with their fitness journey.
HOW TO FIX:
You need to make sure you provide sufficient information so that people want to engage with you, yet your site also needs to be visually appealing. Viewers should be able to skim through your site should they wish to do so. To do this, make use of headers to label what each paragraph of text will be about, and images to break up the text.
Mistake #6. A Lack of SEO
You can have the best personal training website out there today visually, but if no one sees it, what's the point? This is where SEO, otherwise known as search engine optimization, comes in. SEO involves using a range of different techniques to move up the search engine result pages and gain more visibility and higher traffic levels.
HOW TO FIX:
Optimizing your fitness website for SEO includes specifying your meta descriptions and title tags, as well as incorporating links into your website content. From running a blog to adding image tags, there are so many elements that come together to create the perfect SEO strategy, which no personal trainer can afford to overlook.
Mistake #7. No Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Competition is fierce in today's fitness market, so you need to figure out what makes you unique as a trainer. Why should people use your service over the other personal training services in your area or niche?
You may think that you do not have anything that makes you unique. However, everyone does! Think about your own story. Perhaps you got into fitness after having your first child. Therefore, you could have a unique appeal to mothers who have lost confidence after having children themselves?
HOW TO FIX:
Many people feel that this sort of stance is going to make them seem unavailable to other segments of the community. However, this is not the case. With so many personal trainers offering their service, it is much better to have a USP than simply coming across as generic.
You may think that you do not have anything that makes you unique. However, everyone does! Think about your own story. Perhaps you got into fitness after having your first child. Therefore, you could have a unique appeal to mothers who have lost confidence after having children themselves?
HOW TO FIX:
Many people feel that this sort of stance is going to make them seem unavailable to other segments of the community. However, this is not the case. With so many personal trainers offering their service, it is much better to have a USP than simply coming across as generic.
Mistake #8. A Lack of or Ineffective Call to Action
Of course, the ultimate goal is to get people to come to your website and then convert, whether this means booking a consultation or signing up for your newsletter. You need to make sure that you include CTAs in all of the appropriate places on your pages and after any blogs and videos that you publish.
HOW TO FIX:
Make sure your CTA evokes the action you want people to take. Whether you go for something playful or direct, make sure it is evident what you want people to do. There should not be any guesswork when it comes to Call to Actions.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, personal trainers commonly make some mistakes when it comes to their websites. If you want your website optimized for better conversion rates or simply to attract more clients to your business, check out other website marketing articles on our blog. If you need a professionally designed website, feel free to check out how My PT Website can help.
