Guest post by Jaime Slutzky
The one place online that is yours – truly yours is what sits at your domain. This is the only place that you can be 100% confident that the content, imagery and expertise will stand on its own, so make it a place that you can be proud of and worth the time for others to invest in.
True your website needs to host information on how people can find your Pilates classes, one-on-one instruction and so on, but what will keep them going back, and recommending you to your friends is everything else that your website encompasses. The list below will give you a great start!
Pilates businesses, along with other fitness instruction businesses, are all about service and connecting with the client. Being the best instructor is not the whole picture, and your website contains a key component to creating a lasting and meaningful relationship. Having, and maintaining, a website which is as inviting as your classes is a surefire way to make an impression and encourage the online visitors to become in-person clients.
Your website should be much more than a business card or list of information. It needs to reflect the same vision you have for your Pilates business. Here are 5 tips for making the most of your online space:
- Images. A slideshow or rotating gallery of instructor or student photographs invites the website visitor into your teaching space and helps them form a relationship with you. Images of equipment, merchandise and other elements of the studio are also great visuals. Changing your images at least once a month allows for re-engagement on each new visit!
- Quotes and Testimonials. Client testimonials are true and authentic voices that can provide insight into the philosophy of the practitioner or studio. I recommend that short quotes from current and past clients be randomly placed throughout the site – not too many in one place and frequently changed.
- Fonts. While too much is always too much, adding a small amount of decorative script to the site helps to create balance. There are plenty of free-to-use and inexpensive fonts available online; two popular options are the Google font library, and cufon. Just like the first two tips, when used correctly, fonts can enhance the personality of the website.
- Blogging. Blogging is a huge component to attracting people off social media sites to actually look at your site. Setting a good tone and expectation for your blog will keep clients coming back. You’ll want to balance the teaching-style posts, with the kudos posts and the philosophical ones. Fortunately, there are very few rules when it comes to blogging. In fact, I would say the only rule is to blog consistently.
- Sharing and community. Encourage your readers and clients to share your website content as well as your blog content through appropriately positioned sharing buttons. One of my favorite places to include sharing options is on the “Thank you for registering” page. That is, after the registration (& payment) is processed, provide the new client with a tweet box prefilled with the message “I just signed up for an unlimited membership at @FitwithFlair Pilates studio in #Redmond WA.”
When you make your website fun and interesting to visit and re-visit, your clients will grow more attached to your business and become more loyal. Conversely, when a prospective client is consistently wooed back to your website through promotions, blog posts and friend referrals and they see something new – it will make an impact – and you will more likely convert them to a client!
Remember, your website is the only place that you can guarantee your online reputation to be what you want it to be! Creating a big impact in social media circles is beneficial, but your website must always be the focal point of your marketing efforts and accurately reflect the Pilates business it was built for.
One more thing – knowing how to use and change your website around will position you to make the most of the always changing online climate. Learn what you can, and ask for help when you need it. I love to help, so please feel free to ask me questions on my Facebook page; many times the questions posed to me there result in blog posts!
Jaime is a mom and website developer specializing in websites for fitness professionals. She merged her passion for fitness with her love of technology in order to help others in the fitness industry extend their reach online! Check out her website at http://www.fitwithflair.com
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