Having a “join gym online” option for your members is one of the simplest ways that you can instantly grow your fitness business by earning more income and severely reducing your admin and staff costs.

Those sound like big promises, but in our 20 years managing gyms and health clubs, nothing shifts the performance of a health club more than the introduction of online gym sign up.

A “join gym online” option is simply the most efficient, convenient and fastest way to turn prospects into paying members. But you’re a business owner and you want better reasons than “it’s convenient” before you invest in an online sign up system.

So stick with us and we’ll give you 4 practical, honest, tried and tested reasons why providing a “join gym online” option for your customers will help grow your fitness business.

 

The Only 4 Things You’ll Ever Need To Know About Online Gym Sign Up

 

1. Online Gym Sign Up Is Perfect For New Gym Goers

Gym membership spend in the UK is up 44% in the last year and with so many gym rookies taking their first steps into the gym, there’s no better time to make your gym as accessible to them as possible.

As you can imagine, customers who are new to the gym life aren’t the most confident. One of the best ways to combat those initial nerves, is to make their sign up process as simple as possible.

Online gym sign up is one of the best ways to achieve this. By offering an “online gym join” option to your gym, it means that new customers can sign up in the comfort of their own home, without feeling awkward about going into a gym and having to ask someone to set up their account.

It’s a small thing, but the more comfortable you can make your members, the more likely they are to take that initial plunge into the mysterious world of the gym and sign up with you.

 

2. Online Gym Sign Up Allows For Immediate Purchases & Up-sells

There’s a reason why online shopping has grown exponentially and overtaken high street shopping since it’s inception.

It’s not only convenient, but it also allows customers to make instant decisions on signing up.

That magical moment that a prospective member has the inspiration that they want to change their life, get healthier and sign up for a gym, is your most powerful point of sale.

And being able to do an online gym sign up is the perfect method to convert customers at this point. A member can decide they want to get healthy, discover your gym and sign up there and then.

Now think of the alternative.

You member decides they want to get healthy. They excitedly go online and discover your gym. It’s perfect. But there’s no online sign up, so they’ll head in tomorrow after work to join. They have a tough day at work and end up heading straight home. They’re too tired tonight. Maybe they’ll go tomorrow. Rinse and repeat.

However, if your member had signed up there and then, they’d be more likely to actually turn up because now they’re a member. They’re paying for that gym membership and now they’re compelled to use it and actually start improving their health.

In short, online gym sign up is the quickest way to not only secure a member, but make sure that they actually use and enjoy the service that they’re paying for.

 

3. Online Gym Sign Up Saves Your Staff Time

This point should be relatively self explanatory, but if you remove your staff from the membership sign up process, then you immediately free up your staffs’ time.

And this means that your staff have more time in the day to get on with more important things. That means they have more time to focus on customer service, training and gym maintenance – which in turn means your customers will have a better service and are more likely to stay with your gym for longer.

If you’ve ever felt like there aren’t enough hours in the day, then automating your membership sign up process with a “join gym online” option is a cheap, quick and reliable way to achieve just that.

 

4. Joining A Gym Online Makes It Easier To Set Up Direct Debits

Every gym is different and there are many things that work for some health clubs which doesn’t translate to success for others.

But a universal fact across all businesses in the fitness industry is that direct debits increase your member retention, plain and simple.

We’ve got lots to say about direct debits, in fact it was the first service that Ashbourne Membership Management offered to gyms and health clubs over 20 years ago. But the simple reason is that direct debits simply just work!

If you implement a direct debit payment as your default method of payment when members sign up online, then it’s the perfect entry point to get members on the direct debit service.

It’s becoming something of an industry norm at this point, so members are happy to sign up for a direct debit online, which in turn means they’re likely to pay their membership, stay with you for longer and save you from a world of admin keeping track of any rogue payments.

 

Don’t Miss Out On The Potential of Online Gym Sign Up

While we’ve only given you 4 top reasons why an online gym sign up option is key to a successful modern health club, there are dozens more reasons why it’s a terrible idea to not have an “online gym join” option for your new members.

With over 20 years in the fitness industry, managing memberships and the day-to-day admin for gyms and health clubs, Ashbourne have seen online gym sign up totally revolutionise the fitness industry and the potential that it has to make a fitness business successful.

Don’t miss out on your chance to take your gym or leisure club to the next level. You can get in touch with us today and we’ll offer you a completely free demo of how you can set up online gym sign up at your own gym and start discovering the potential in your fitness business.