What Is Fitness Website Design?
Your gym needs a website — it’s as simple as that. Not just any website will do, though. By definition, web design is the process of planning, conceptualizing, and arranging content on the internet to be seen by online readers. You’ll want to pay special attention to visual elements like written content, layout, font, colors, shapes, spacing, and images. Don’t forget about videos!
However, today’s top fitness website design goes well beyond aesthetics. If you really want to surpass your competition, it’s crucial that you include the website’s overall functionality in the design process. Functional elements like your navigation are a big piece of the puzzle. This means also including things like web apps, mobile apps, and user interface design. If that seems overwhelming, don't worry — on this page, you'll find actionable advice to help guide you through every aspect of fitness website design.
Why Is a Fitness Website Important?
Before we go any further, it’s important to point out why you should care so much. You may be thinking, “I have a gym to run! I’m too busy for this. Plus, if my gym members need to get a hold of me, they know where to find me.” However, your website isn’t only for current members; it’s also how you’ll attract new customers to your gym.
A business’s online presence, even in a non-tech industry like yours, can have a massive impact on your short- and long-term success. How do those interested in finding a new place to work out know what their local options are? In many cases, they pull out their smartphone and search online. When they’re looking for you, you want to be found. Consider the following:
Having a strong online presence can make or break your ability to generate more revenue. Remember, it isn’t solely about having a website — but having one of the best gym websites! Did you know that well-done web design can have a huge impact on your performance in search engines like Google? It’s true, and it’s something we will take a deeper dive into next.
What Is the Purpose of a Gym Website?
Websites have become essential to businesses today, regardless of industry. Some mistakenly believe that websites are only needed for ecommerce stores or for brands in the tech space. Nothing could be further from the truth! Consider the purposes and benefits of a gym website that you could be missing out on without a well-designed and high-performing website:
You Can Generate More Members
First and foremost — your gym is only as successful as the number of members you have on retainer. That is why your number one goal in a gym website design should be to attract new people to the fitness center. How is this done? Well-written gym website content is a big part of it, as this will attract potential members organically as they search online. Once they arrive on your website, you want it to be easy to navigate and find the information they’re looking for.
Your Website Will Rank Well on Search Engines
You can’t understand the benefits of having one of the best gym websites without also understanding search engine optimization (SEO). People out there want to find a new gym. You want them to find your gym. How do you do it? Google, or another search engine, connects the two! You tell the search engine what your website is about through written content, as well as text, tags, and coding on the back-end of the website. Google then understands who you are and what you offer.
Once you're online and have an SEO-optimized website, you have a chance of showing up in the search engine results page (SERP) for any given term. This means that when people are searching for a product or service, there is a chance your website will show up in the results. This could be anything from “Crossfit Gyms in Miami” to “Fitness Center Near Me,” or whatever else you offer your local community. SEO gives you the opportunity to drastically increase your customer base.
You’re Better Able to Fulfill Customer Expectations
That isn’t to say new people are the only ones who matter. Your current members should be able to go to your website for things like sales, hours of operation, contact information, class schedules, and more. If someone needs to call or email you, your website should make this simple to do. This is more than just a nice thing to do; it’s what customers expect.
Websites Fuel Member Engagement and Retention
A good fitness website keeps your current members coming back, again and again. Since your website is on 24/7, it's easy to post updates and announcements to your members. When something is particularly relevant to a website visitor, it increases the chance of you being able to upsell them, at best, and keeping them on as a member, at the very least. This could be anything from promoting an exciting sale on protein bars at the front counter to alerting them of a change in hours for the holiday.
It Enhances Your User Experience
Let’s say someone is interested in joining your gym. They want to know if you have any classes available before they go to work, how much a membership costs, whether you offer childcare, and who your staff is. They could call you and ask these questions, but that’s inconvenient for them. Plus, you may not even answer. You’re busy after all! This leads to a poor customer experience.
Now, let’s consider someone finding your website through Google because they searched a term that is mentioned within your gym website content. Not only did your content attract them to your website in the first place, but it also preemptively answers their question! Your homepage tells them a lot about your fitness center, and the navigation menu at the top easily points them to your class offering, team member’s staff profiles, and more. They didn’t need to call to learn everything they needed to know. They’re ready to sign up, without any effort from you at all!
The Cost of a Poorly Designed Fitness Business Website
As a fitness business owner, your website is an essential tool to attract and retain clients. However, a poorly designed website can have detrimental consequences for your business, resulting in lost revenue, missed opportunities, and damage to your reputation. Here's why:
Lost Revenue
A poorly designed website not only looks unprofessional but also makes it difficult for potential clients to find the information they need to make informed decisions. This can lead them to choose your competitors instead, resulting in lost revenue for your business.
Missed Opportunities
Your website should provide a seamless user experience, allowing potential clients to easily find the information they need, such as class schedules, pricing, and services offered. A poorly designed website can hinder this process, causing potential clients to give up and look elsewhere, resulting in missed opportunities for your business.
Damage to Reputation
In today's digital age, your website is often the first impression potential clients have of your fitness business. A poorly designed website can leave a negative impression, damaging your brand's reputation and making potential clients hesitant to consider your services.
Investing in a professionally designed website is crucial to the success of your fitness business. It not only attracts and retains clients but also reflects your brand's personality and professionalism. Don't let website mistakes hinder your business's growth potential!
How to Build a Great Fitness Business Website
If you're starting a fitness business, building a great website can be a key component of your online marketing strategy. Here are some tips to help you create a website that engages potential clients and helps your business stand out:
Invest in Fitness Website Design Templates
Investing in professional web design templates can help your fitness business make a great first impression. There are many options available online, including templates specifically designed for fitness businesses. Using a platform like Squarespace or Wix can make building a great-looking website as easy as point and click, without requiring any coding skills.
Optimize for User Experience and Fitness Website Marketing
An effective fitness website design should be optimized for user experience and marketing. Ensure that your website is easy to navigate and that all information is readily accessible. A user-friendly website is essential to keeping clients engaged and coming back.
Ensure Your Fitness Website is Mobile-Friendly
With an increasing number of people using mobile devices to access the internet, it is crucial that your fitness website is mobile-friendly. If your website isn't optimized for mobile devices, potential clients may get frustrated and leave your site.
Regularly Update and Maintain Your Website
Regularly updating and maintaining your fitness website is important to ensure that it continues to meet your clients' needs and expectations. This can include updating your content, adding new features, and fixing any issues or errors. Keeping your website up-to-date and well-maintained can help ensure that it continues to be an effective marketing tool for your fitness business.
How Do I Create a Gym Website?
Now that you know a website is so important, it’s time to learn how to make a gym website. You have a few main options. These include:
#1 Creating It Yourself From Scratch
The basics of practically any website you’ll find online today include HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP coding. Most people aren’t natural-born programmers. Maybe you’ve gone to school for web development or have taken a few classes and earned a certification. If you’re a dual threat — great at running a business and experienced at website building — then have at it!
#2 Building One on Your Own With a Template or Tool
Most people won’t fit into the category above. That doesn’t mean you’re totally out of luck. Even if you aren’t very familiar with the technical side of things, you can build a website by using a website builder. If you choose this option, you’ll go through these seven steps:
- Make a plan for your website’s structure
- Write stellar gym website content
- Register a domain name
- Find a website builder
- Select which modules or template you like
- Optimize it for search engines
- Launch your website
If this sounds like a lot of work, you’re right! The website development for a CrossFit gym or other kind of fitness center can take weeks, if not longer. Do you have that kind of time? Beyond that, do you have the writing, design, and technical skills needed? There’s no shame in saying no; most people don't possess all three!
#3 Bringing In Professional Help
In order to carry out this process properly, it's best to seek out expert help. The best gym website design is only possible when the website is built by industry experts who have the knowledge, expertise, and tools necessary for the job. By hiring a team, you’ll have access to not just one expert but an expert in each of the important areas. You can rest assured that your website building project is in good hands while you go back to doing what you do best — running your gym!
What Should a Gym Website Include?
Whether you’re managing it on your own or have pulled in expert help, you need to know what your new website should include. If you take a look at a few fitness website examples, you’ll notice a few similarities. A great website should have all of the following:
- Location
- Contact Information
- Reviews and Testimonials
- Headline and Subheadings
- Member Success Stories
- Content Resources for Additional Education
- A Mobile-Friendly and Intuitive User Experience
- A Member Management Portal
- Fitness Class Schedules
- The Ability to Book Online
- Live Streaming or On-Demand Classes
- Primary Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
- High-Quality Visuals
- E-commerce Purchasing Options
- Search-Optimized Pages
- Eye-Catching and Professional Web Design
- Good Security, Hosting, and Privacy Features
Essential Elements of a Successful Fitness Business Website
Building a successful fitness business website requires more than just good design. To truly engage potential clients and drive conversions, your website needs to incorporate a range of key elements. Here are five of the essential elements of a successful fitness website and how to incorporate them:
Clear Navigation
Clear and easy-to-use navigation is essential for any successful fitness business website. Ensure your website menu is easy to find, easy to use, and clearly labeled to help visitors find the information they need quickly and easily. This will help to keep them engaged with your website and more likely to convert to clients.
Strong Visuals
Strong visuals, such as high-quality images and videos, can help to capture visitors' attention and create a lasting impression. Make sure that your website visuals are consistent with your branding and messaging and help to tell your unique story. Consider using professional photography and video to showcase your business and offerings.
Engaging Content
Engaging and informative content can help to establish your fitness business as an authority in the industry and encourage visitors to learn more about your offerings. Use your website's blog to share tips and advice, highlight success stories, and promote events and promotions. This will help to keep visitors coming back to your website and increase the chances of converting them into clients.
Social Proof
Social proof, such as customer reviews and testimonials, can help to build trust and credibility with potential clients. Consider incorporating social proof on your website through customer reviews, success stories, and social media feeds. This will help to establish your fitness business as a reputable and trustworthy brand.
Strong Calls-to-Action
Strong calls-to-action (CTAs) are critical for converting visitors into clients. Use clear and concise language that communicates exactly what action you want visitors to take, such as "Book a Free Consultation" or "Join Today." Place your CTAs prominently on your website, such as in the header, footer, or a pop-up, to draw attention to them and encourage action.
How to Craft Better Gym Website Content
There’s a saying in the digital marketing world: “Content is king.” This is so often said and held to be true because your content can be the deciding factor in how well your website does and therefore how much benefit you ultimately see from your fitness site design.
Remember, without well-written content, search engines won’t know what service you offer and new visitors will never find you. Additionally, your current members won’t find the information they’re looking for. Both of these spell disaster for your bottom line. For this reason, you’ll want to ensure your content includes the following:
Strong Brand Messaging
Brand messaging refers to the underlying value proposition conveyed as well as the actual language used in your website’s content. It's the way you tell your story and what makes readers relate to your brand. The brand messaging for a CrossFit gym, a yoga studio, and a martial arts school are going to be vastly different. Your fitness website description is going to play a big part in this. Ultimately, your message is what makes people want to become and stay members.
A Call-to-Action
You may have seen a CTA briefly mentioned in the list above and wondered what it is. You don’t want your website visitor to just read something. You want them to take the next step, an action. According to HubSpot, CTAs should be visually striking, ideally in a color that contrasts with the color scheme of your homepage, while still fitting in with the overall design. Be sure to keep the copy brief and action-oriented. You want to craft no more than five words that compel visitors to click whatever you're offering. Examples of great CTA copy are "Become a Member," "Make an Appointment," or "Sign Up"
Supporting Calls-to-Action
Particularly on a long web page like a homepage, one CTA isn’t going to be enough. Plus, all website visitors aren’t on the same journey. While a current member comes to your homepage to see if there are any sales in the retail portion of your gym, a brand new visitor is looking for a list of class schedules. Make sure everyone can find and go where they desire to go next.
Above-the-Fold Clarity
The less work a website visitor has to do in order to find what they are looking for, the better. Yes, this even refers to forcing them to scroll down! The term “above the fold” goes back to the days of reading a newspaper. Editors wanted the most important content to be on the top part of the page, so people could see it without unfolding the entire paper. Today, we use it to mean information easily readable on a webpage before you scroll, move, or click in any way.
How to Write Effective CTAs
A call-to-action (CTA) is a critical element of any fitness business website. It's what encourages potential clients to act, whether that's signing up for a class, scheduling a consultation, or making a purchase. Learning how to write effective CTAs for your website is a smart move that will help you convert more visitors into clients.
Here are a few characteristics of effective CTAs:
- Clear and concise: Your CTA should be easy to understand and communicate exactly what action you want the visitor to take.
- Action-oriented: Use action-oriented language that encourages the visitor to act, such as "Schedule a consultation.”
- Visually obvious: Your CTA should be visually distinct from the rest of your website content to draw attention to it.
- In the right location: Place your CTA in a prominent location on your website, such as in the header, footer, or a pop-up.
More Tips for Creating Compelling CTAs
Crafting a compelling call-to-action (CTA) is a key factor in driving conversions on your fitness business website. Here are some tips to help you write effective CTAs that will motivate visitors to take action and become clients:
- Be specific: Use language that clearly communicates the benefits that the visitor will get by clicking on the CTA. For example, "Book your first personal training session today and receive a complimentary nutrition consultation."
- Create urgency: Encourage visitors to act immediately by creating a sense of urgency with phrases like "limited time offer," "only a few spots left," or "act now to claim your discount."
- Use social proof: Incorporate social proof elements, such as testimonials, reviews, or success stories, to build trust and credibility with visitors.
- A/B test your CTAs: Test different variations of your CTAs to determine which ones are most effective in driving conversions. Make adjustments based on the results to optimize your CTA strategy.
Learning how to write effective CTAs for your fitness business website is one of the best things you can do for your digital marketing efforts.
Fitness Website Design Best Practices
Now that we’ve covered your website’s content in great detail, it is time to turn our attention to the design elements. It would be impossible to mention every single design element of a successful fitness website outside of an encyclopedia, but we are able to give you a few best practices to keep in mind. These include:
Best Practice #1: Intuitive Navigation
An intuitive navigation simply means that your gym’s website is ultimately designed in a way such that traffic flows from web page to web page. You want to keep people engaged and on your website. When they come to a dead end, they hop off and you’ve lost them. Doing this requires great content, CTAs, and design.
We recommend the “Two Click to Convert” concept. From any page on your website, a prospect should never be more than two clicks away from booking an appointment. This ensures that you can help guide them towards the doors of your gym.
Best Practice #2: High-Quality Photos Of Your Fitness Center
No one wants to open a web page and see thousands of words staring back at them. Even if a web page is quite long (like this one!), the text should be broken up with visuals and images. We encourage you to show high-quality photos of your gym on your website. This way, people will see what they’re signing up for. You can show pictures of your facility, machines, staff, members exercising, and even you! People love success stories, so why not include images of people “before and after” they started working out with you?
Best Practice #3: Responsive Design
Today’s internet users are coming to your website from a variety of devices. One person may be on their smartphone, another on a tablet, another on a laptop, and yet another on their desktop computer. You don’t want one person’s experience to be severely lacking because the page doesn’t fit right on their screen. Your website must be designed and developed in a way that it adapts to the screen it is being viewed on.
If you keep these top three best practices in mind while brainstorming a CrossFit web design, you’re well on your way to a good-looking and fully functioning website!
How Much Does It Cost to Make a Fitness Website?
What does it all cost? We know you want a hard set of numbers here, but this is just as impossible to answer as “What is the quickest way to lose 10 pounds?” You may answer this question with, “What do you currently weigh? How tall are you? Are you male or female? How old are you? Do you do cardio? What is your current muscle mass?” Just the same, the question of cost leads to a whole host of other questions because no two websites are the same.
Fitness websites come in all shapes and sizes, and the costs associated with building yours will ultimately depend on how sophisticated and complex it is. A consultation call with your website developers is a great time to discuss scope and personal preferences regarding the website. After this initial conversation, you’ll have a better sense of the price you can expect to pay.
A simple website for a small fitness center can cost you around $500 to build. That being said, this cost could increase depending on your goals and how robust you want your final website to be. A good rule of thumb is to add about $100/page for each page over and above what's included in the standard website package.
Don’t forget the cost associated with keeping your website up to date and error free. A website isn’t something you can go live with and forget about. You’ll need a monthly retainer as well.
Fitness Website Designs for Different Verticals
We recognize that even in the fitness industry, there are a number of variables, variations, and verticals. What are different considerations for each vertical? We’re glad you asked!
CrossFit Gym Website Design: CrossFit is all about being strong, and your CrossFit gym website design should reflect this. You want to educate your audience on your gym's value proposition — to help them achieve strength they never thought possible! You will also want to provide clarity on your location and membership requirements. Many people have heard of CrossFit, but aren’t quite sure what it is. Be sure to show exactly what a CrossFit workout entails as well as evidence of success.
Yoga Website Design: The language used for a yoga studio’s website will be flowy, calm, and soothing. You may want to include some Sanskrit and create a resource center that explains what certain yoga terms mean. Be sure to boost your credibility by showing any certification and licensing in order to demonstrate you know what you’re talking about.
Martial Arts Website Design: Many martial arts schools want their website to reflect the principles and cultural foundations of their martial art. The colors, tone of voice, images, and other design elements you choose should reflect this. Often, but not always, these are bold colors like black and red. You may find it helpful to include how-to videos on certain moves.
Boutique Fitness Website Design: Your fitness center is unique and your website should be too! You’re no cookie cutter, and your online presence should be more than templates pasted together. Be sure your content and design encapsulate who you are, what you provide, and why you’re so special.
Fitness Websites Examples
We know that this information is a lot to keep straight. With so many steps and best practices to remember, it can be tough to even get started. With this in mind, we put together a few of our favorite gym website design inspirations to get your creative juices flowing:
Example #1
https://crossfitroots.com/
One aspect of this fitness website design that makes it so great to imitate is that it shows a clear CTA directing leads to "Schedule My Intro," taking all of the guesswork out of navigating the website.
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Example #2
https://odysseymartialartsspring.com/
Odyssey Martial Arts Spring’s killer website clearly outlines what website visitors can expect when they visit the dojo, as well as what sets them apart from the competition– all done in bold colors and attention-grabbing language.
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Example #3
https://crossfitbarboursville.com/
We mentioned above that including high-quality photos as part of your fitness website design is a great way to show off your location and your staff, and this Crossfit gym did an excellent job following this advice!
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Fitness Website Challenges
We wish we could say it will all be smooth sailing from here, but the truth is that any project this big is going to have its share of challenges. Don’t worry! By planning and preparing for them ahead of time, you’ll be ready to overcome them should they arise. During your website project, be on the lookout for these challenges:
Challenge #1: Making It Look Good
Designing the layout is incredibly important, yet tough to do. This is only the beginning! What font makes your content stand out? Which images are the best? Is everything spaced out correctly? Do the design elements flow nicely, or do they lead the reader to think the page has stopped?
Challenge #2: Ensuring It Has All the Pieces It Needs
As you saw above, a website requires many pieces to come together to create the final product. A website without CTAs or with poor-quality images isn’t going to cut it. If this is your first website, the chances of you forgetting something are huge!
Challenge #3: Launching Live With an Error-Free Website
This isn’t just a pretty picture. This website has to work! Do all of your links actually go somewhere? Do the buttons work? Do the images load? Making a change to your website’s layout can sometimes break the page, requiring exhausting hours of troubleshooting to find out which button or module has thrown everything off. Fixing broken features is something entirely different than picking out colors for your background.
Fitness Website Design Solutions
Building a website is a daunting process full of potential pitfalls. While there are do-it-yourself website builders, these services don’t actually help you build a site that your potential and current members will like to visit over and over again. The best advice we can give you is not to try and tackle this on your own!
You’ll need to target the right athletes, in the right place, at the right time. A website makes this possible. Our team here at UpLaunch can guide you through the different steps of effective website creation. We will help you build your empire with world-class fitness business solutions. While this may be your first website project, it certainly isn’t ours!
Now that you’ve heard about everything that goes into a website project and learned the skills needed to make yours a success, the next step is to reach out for a demo of our platform and services. From a quick, templated website to a fully custom solution, the UpLaunch Agency websites team will build you a high-converting and beautiful website.
All of our websites include unlimited content revisions and direct integration with UpLaunch’s marketing automation software. Simply contact us, tell us what you need, and we'll take it from there. This is just one way we show you that your goal is our goal too: the ultimate success of both your website and your fitness center!
Build a Fitness Business Website with UpLaunch
UpLaunch ASAP offers an easy and hassle-free solution for fitness businesses looking to create a professional website. With UpLaunch, you can set up a website for your fitness business in minutes without needing any coding skills, graphic design abilities, or web building experience.
UpLaunch's website builder provides seamless integration with Zenplanner for a client experience like no other. Additionally, UpLaunch offers powerful marketing automation features like email marketing and SMS messaging so that you can stay in contact with your members and grow your business by reaching prospective members.
The range of benefits UpLaunch offers simply make it the ideal choice for anyone building a fitness business website. It's fast, it’s easy, it won’t break the bank, and it has all the features and functionality that the other guys are charging your competitors a lot more money for. UpLaunch is all upside and no downside:
Easy Website Setup and Customization
With UpLaunch, you can create a professional-looking website for your fitness business in minutes, without any coding skills required.
Seamless Integration With Zenplanner
UpLaunch integrates with our Zenplanner. Scheduling, payment processing — that and more are all covered so you can offer a seamless experience to your clients.
And It Integrates With UpLaunch Marketing Automation!
Upping your marketing game with UpLaunch Marketing Automation? Good news — ASAP works with the marketing platform to provide powerful, built-in marketing automation features to help you grow your business. Email marketing, SMS messaging, staff tasks, and more are all a click away when you’ve got ASAP and UpLaunch Marketing Automation!
Still Not Sure If ASAP From UpLaunch Is the Right Tool to Build a Successful Fitness Business Website?
Are you a fitness business owner looking for an easy and affordable way to create a professional website? UpLaunch ASAP is all you need! Our website builder is designed specifically for fitness businesses and offers a range of features to help you build a website that stands out.
Easy to Use
We understand that you don't have the time or technical skills to build a website from scratch. That's why UpLaunch ASAP is designed with ease of use in mind. With our intuitive interface, you can create a professional-looking website in just a few simple steps.
Fully Customizable
Your website should reflect your unique brand and personality. With UpLaunch ASAP, you can choose from a range of templates and color schemes to create a website that matches your branding and messaging.
Mobile-Friendly
More and more people are accessing websites on their mobile devices. That's why all websites created with UpLaunch ASAP are fully responsive and mobile-friendly. Your website will look great on any device, from desktops to smartphones.
Affordable
We know that budgets can be tight for fitness business owners. That's why we offer a range of pricing options to fit your budget. With UpLaunch ASAP, you can create a professional website without breaking the bank.
Great Support
We're here to help you every step of the way. Our customer support team is available to assist you with design, content, or technical issues. We're committed to helping you create a website that drives results for your fitness business.
With UpLaunch ASAP, building a professional website for your fitness business has never been easier or more affordable. Try it out today and see for yourself how UpLaunch ASAP can help you build a successful fitness business website.
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