Let’s face it, competition for any business is fierce, and that’s no different for fitness establishments. CrossFit gyms, like any business, need a professionally designed and executed website to maximize their potential for success. Unfortunately, many CrossFit gyms have websites that totally miss out on the basics, and that means those sites are ineffective marketing tools. With that problem in mind, we’ve evaluated what factors help differentiate those gyms that thrive from those that starve for business. Here are 10 CrossFit website design tips that will help you maximize the usefulness of your website in promoting your gym.

1. Maintain a good balance of content and design

A “wall of text,” or too much content, can overwhelm your audience. First-time visitors looking for a new gym don’t want to see a bunch of text on the page, but they do want to be able to read up on what your facility has to offer. At the same time, an overly compelx design can distract from the important content.

Find a balance between form and function, between design and content. While many CrossFit gyms might emphasize a really “hardcore” lifestyle, you can turn off a large portion of potential customers by going overboard with the flames, skulls, and other graphics of that nature.

Make sure your design is well-balanced and encourages people from all walks of life to join, rather than catering to just one demographic.

2. Make your website responsive

More and more internet users are searching from their mobile devices these days. In fact, Google recently reported that mobile searches had overtaken desktop and tablet queries altogether. Make sure your website utilizes a responsive, mobile-friendly design, or you could leave a large number of potential clients out in the cold forever.

3. Don’t forget the “Getting Started” section

Remember that most of your prospective members have only seen CrossFit in action before, but never done it. Committing to that first CrossFit class is going to be the most difficult part of their adventure towards better physical fitness. Make sure your “Getting Started” section is easy to find, and clearly describes the process and steps involved in joining your CrossFit gym.

4. Don’t try to explain CrossFit; explain what you can provide

Don’t go overboard with that “Getting Started” section, though. Remember that customers visiting your website have probably done their research into what CrossFit is, and have some idea of what’s involved in the workout. Yes, you can include a Web page on “What is CrossFit,” but don’t make this information appear on your home page or as the first tab on your top-level navigation bar.

Instead, explain what your gym can provide to potential members. Highlight what you can offer in the way of community, fitness, and coaching, since these factors are almost universally valued by CrossFit members.

5. Make it easy for prospective members to contact you

What good is your website if it doesn’t provide potential customers with a way to contact you? The answer is, not very. Sure, they can read up on what you have to offer, but if they don’t know how to find you or call you on the phone, you won’t get their business. Make your contact information easy to locate, not hidden away in your “About Us” section or missing altogether.

One major mistake that many gyms make is to only provide a contact form. I get it; you don’t want spam or robo-calls, but you do want business. Include multiple ways for your customers to reach you, making the most of forms while also providing your email address, phone number, and social media channels.

Whatever you do, make sure your email address, social media links, and phone number are all active and consistent throughout all channels. You don’t want the email address on your Web page to be different from what’s listed on your Facebook page, for example.

6. Leverage social media and your online presence for local search visibility

Speaking of social media, you do use Twitter and Facebook, don’t you? If you don’t, you should, because a strong social media presence is crucial for the sense of community you want to instill. Even better, an active and engaging presence in social media can help boost your local search rankings.

7. Make use of online scheduling software

To make your life easier, and more importantly, your customer’s experience more efficient and seamless, make sure you utilize online scheduling software like MINDBODY. Using this software, your customers can track how many classes they have left just by logging in, and coaches can get an estimate of how many participants will show up for their classes.

A quality gym pays attention to the athlete-to-coach ratio, and online scheduling software lets you limit the number of people who can register for a class. Even more importantly, your members can save a drive to the gym by looking online to see that classes are full.

8. Make membership and pricing options easy to find

Nothing is more frustrating for a potential gym member than having to hunt for membership and pricing information. In fact, how readily available this information is tends to be one of the main factors a client considers when deciding whether or not they want to join your gym. If you don’t provide a good breakdown of membership costs, somebody else will, and your potential members will go there instead.

Make sure you go into detail about the pricing, explaining that even though it’s more expensive than a traditional gym (if it is), it’s more cost-efficient than a personal trainer.

9. Don’t forget member testimonials

Make sure you include high quality photos and the full names of members, along with engaging testimonial quotes. Most gym members will be proud of their CrossFit accomplishments and thrilled to be featured on your Web page, so include them. A boring, traditional testimonial quote will look fake and drive people away, but an engaging quip can make the difference between someone joining your gym or not.

10. Encourage membership with a good Call to Action (CTA)

Finally, make sure you clearly explain what’s necessary to join, including what steps are involved and whether or not potential members can “try before they buy.” If you have several CTAs spread throughout your page, you generate more opportunities for people to sign up as they read the information that’s important to them.

Summary

There you have it, 10 easy tips you can follow to make the most out of your CrossFit website. If you are past the startup phase and you are looking for a professional website to spice up your site and get to the next level, we can help. Feel free to ask us any questions and we would be glad to provide any info you need.