Do you need one?
Does a gym need a website?
A fair question in a social-media world. But the honest answer turns on the member: people compare local gyms online on facilities and price, and join the one that appeals.
From £297, live in 7 days, on your own domain.
Does a gym need a website?
The honest answer
Does a gym need a website? If you are always full and never need new members, then perhaps not. But the honest answer turns on how people choose a gym. A gym is a recurring commitment, so people do not join blindly; they compare local gyms on what each offers, the facilities, the classes, the atmosphere, the price, and how easy it is to join, and they do that online, before they sign up. A gym with no presence cannot be compared, so it is passed over for one a searcher can see and join. The real question, then, is whether you want to win members, because without a website you are missing from the comparison where members decide, and the person looking for a gym joins one they could see what they were getting from, and sign up to easily.
People compare gyms online before joining
Choosing a gym is a considered decision, because a member is committing to a recurring payment and wants to know what they are getting for it. So they compare: they look at the facilities each gym offers, the range of classes, the atmosphere, the price, and how easy it is to join, and they weigh it all online before signing up. A gym that does not show its offering clearly cannot be part of that comparison, because there is nothing for the searcher to weigh, so they join a gym that let them see what they were getting. And the comparison is where the member is won or lost, so a gym absent from it, or present only as a thin listing, loses to one that shows its facilities, conveys its atmosphere, and makes joining simple. Being chosen means being visible and appealing where people compare gyms, which is online, so a site that shows your offering clearly is how a searcher becomes a member.
A site does what a feed and a listing cannot
The natural objection is that a social media page or a listing might cover it, and they help, but neither is a substitute for your own site. A social page scatters your offering down a feed, where a comparing member cannot easily see your facilities, classes and prices together, and a listing shows you thinly among rivals, whereas your own site presents everything a member is weighing, the facilities, the classes, the atmosphere, the price, and the way to join, clearly in one place. Someone comparing gyms wants exactly that, to see what you offer and how to sign up, and your own site gives it to them better than a busy feed or a bare listing can. So a site does the thing those tools do not: it presents your gym fully to a comparing member and makes joining easy, which is how you win the member rather than lose them to a gym that showed more. Passing trade and social media bring some awareness, but the join happens where a member can compare and sign up, which is your site.
So the real answer to does a gym need a website is: yes, if you want to win members, because people compare local gyms online on facilities and price and join the one that appeals and is easy to join, so being absent means being overlooked. And finding out costs just £99 up front: I build the site on spec, from £297, and you see it finished before you pay the rest, so you can look at your actual site, ready to show your gym and take the join, and decide from there, knowing a single member paying monthly covers the cost.
How it works
From message to live in four steps.
- 01
Message me
Tell me your trade and your town on WhatsApp. No forms to wade through, no call to book.
- 02
£99 to start
A £99 deposit gets your build going and comes off your quote. It covers some of the build time.
- 03
I build it, you see it
I build the whole site, framed around your work, and send it to you finished to look at.
- 04
Pay the rest, go live
Happy with it? You pay the balance, it goes live on your own domain, and it is yours to keep.
What you get
What a gym site from me includes.
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Built on spec
I build it first and send it finished. You see the real thing before you decide, not a mock-up.
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Live in 7 days
From the go-ahead, your site is live within a week. No months of back and forth.
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On your own domain
It goes live in your name. You own the site and everything on it, with no lock-in.
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Genuinely fast
Static pages, no WordPress. Fast pages rank better and turn more visitors into calls.
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Found on Google
Built to be found in local search, with the plumbing done properly from day one.
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Looked after
Someone looks after it and changes it when you need. Two small edits a month, your listing kept current.
What it costs
A straight price.
From £297 to build it, first three months of Care included, then £49 a month.
You own the site outright and can stop the monthly plan whenever you like. Hosting is part of Care and Grow, so one of those keeps it online after the first three months, or you host it yourself. See the full pricing.
Common questions
Questions I get asked.
Does a gym really need a website?
If you want to win members, yes, because people compare local gyms online on facilities, classes and price. Someone looking for a gym searches, weighs what each offers and how easy it is to join, and joins the one that appeals, so a gym with no presence is easy to overlook. Without a site, you lose the member to a gym they could see and join.
Isn't a gym found by passing trade and social media?
Those help, but most people looking for a gym search online to compare facilities, classes and prices before joining, even ones who have passed your door. So a gym with no website is missing from the comparison where members decide, and social media scatters your offering rather than presenting it clearly. A site is where a searcher sees what you offer and joins.
Why do people compare gyms online before joining?
Because a gym is a recurring commitment, so people want to know what they will get, the facilities, classes, atmosphere and price, before signing up. They compare local gyms online on all of that, so a gym that does not show its offering clearly cannot be compared and is passed over for one that lets a member see what they are joining.
Can't I just use a social media page or a listing?
They help, but a social page scatters your offering down a feed and a listing shows you thinly among rivals, whereas your own site presents your facilities, classes and joining clearly in one place. Someone comparing gyms wants to see what you offer and how to join, which your own site shows better than a busy feed or a bare listing.
When could a gym skip a website?
Realistically, only if you are always full and never need new members. Because people compare gyms online before joining, most gyms without a site lose members to those people can see and join. For any gym wanting to win or replace members, the case for a site is strong.
Is a website worth it for a small or independent gym?
Often especially so, because your facilities and atmosphere, not being a big chain, win a member, and a good site lets a small gym show what makes it appealing as well as any national name. A well-presented site can win an independent gym members who would otherwise default to a chain they found online. A single member, paying monthly, covers the cost.
How much does it cost to find out if a website is worth it?
Just £99 to start with me, and it comes off your quote. I build the whole site first and you see the finished thing before you pay the rest, from £297. So you are not gambling on a maybe, you are looking at the actual site for your gym and deciding then. Given a single member paying monthly, the risk of finding out is very low.
Tell me your town and I'll build you a gym site on spec, so you can see it before you pay. Or read A Checkatrade alternative, see the full pricing, or get in touch.