5 Website Updates to Seamlessly Incorporate Your New Virtual Offers

Times have changed and there’s no going (all the way) back to business as usual before social distancing. You’ve shifted your business model to include revenue streams like virtual classes, pre-recorded workouts, and online memberships—giving you new ways to serve your community and bring money into your studio or gym.

Restrictions are starting to lift, so it’s time to think about updating your website to reflect the studio you will be in the future. New live stream classes do not have to be just a pandemic stop-gap. They can be a valuable addition to your revenue streams and the overall strength of your brand, even after you open your doors back up for regular in-person classes and workouts (and we’ve got a reboot kit to help with reopening). In fact, 48% of Mindbody app users plan on keeping up with their virtual fitness even after shelter-at-home orders lift.

As you look toward resuming normal studio classes while still taking advantage of your new digital assets, you can anticipate the continued growth of video in Mindbody and the flexibility you can provide your community. But you can also make a few simple adjustments to your website now that will set you up for success—right away and in the ever-shifting future.

NOW is the time to prepare for a strong comeback and ensure that your studio comes through these challenging times more resilient and successful than ever before!

1. Consider your value proposition and messaging

You’ve already done some significant thought and strategy work to get your fitness studio or gym’s website messaging to where it is today. There’s really no need to make any drastic changes if that messaging still reflects who you are as a brand and fitness business. You can keep things consistent with just a few shifts.

You’ve likely spent the past several weeks adding a TON of value to your digital presence—from online content to digital memberships and community support. A few small tweaks can reestablish your brand and give your members the ongoing added value of being able to take your virtual studio anywhere. Your messaging should reflect this added value and incorporate your new offers.

If you already have website text optimized for search engines, there’s no need to completely revamp your messaging. But consider these strategic tweaks to make your offers flow together to support your larger brand message:

• Update headlines to promote your new, virtual studio
• Shift your text to create a positive, uplifting tone
• Create text that highlights the benefits of community—both online and in person
• Incorporate language that speaks to personal strength, resilience, and flexibility—in both your classes and during the current crisis

Your community wants to hear from you as they begin to venture out of their homes. They want you to connect with them both now and into the future. As your local area progresses through phased reopenings, review your website messaging again and make sure that you’re offering encouragement to your members, while also sharing all the new (virtual) ways you can help them feel stronger and more resilient.

2. Re-evaluate your intro offer and update your pricing page

Don’t let those great new video assets you’ve created go to waste once people are back in your studio! Spend some time now thinking about how you’ll incorporate your new material into your pricing structure, how you want to offer access, and who you want to invite to this virtual space.

• An on demand video library makes a great membership perk, acting as an incentive for new membership and improving retention
• Consider selling online-only memberships at a lower monthly price
• If you have an on demand library and an offer for only video access, you may also want to offer a free trial for new members or incorporate it into your intro offer

Whatever you decide, you’ll want to give your pricing page a refresh to include the added member benefits and any new or revised offers. Make sure the other messaging on your website reflects these options too. You want to make sure you're consistently promoting your virtual studio within the context of your in-studio classes throughout your site.

3. Add an online classes page to your website

There’s something different about an online fitness class. That’s why you’ll want to have a page on your website dedicated to explaining how online fitness classes work. People have questions about anything that seems unique, so think of this as a type of FAQ page.

Your goal with this page is to give people the details they need to purchase, sign up, and feel prepared to workout with you online.

Consider including the following:

• Do you live stream, or is it on demand? Make sure people know how they’ll be able to access the material
• How can I buy access? Provide clear explanations of ways they can purchase access to pre-recorded workouts and classes online, including pricing structure and links to purchase
• Include sample content. Consider adding a screenshot of your on demand library or a live stream schedule so people get a good idea of what they’re purchasing
• Add online-specific client FAQ. Remember to mention any equipment that’s required and how the purchase process works

Share all the information about your online resources in one place so your students have everything they need to get started. Remember—virtual classes are a big value-add, not a compromise to get us through a crisis. Keep your energy and excitement high!

4. Sync up your button text

 A few months ago, you probably had buttons and links to your intro offer all over your website. But since then, you may have (appropriately!) replaced those with clear paths to your virtual offerings...or even replaced pages entirely. As you approach reopening, you’ll want a more integrated website that incorporates both your intro offers and your new online material.

Take a look at key locations on your site—your home page, new client page, and others—to make sure your buttons make sense. Don’t give in to the temptation to add extra buttons and share all the options in one place. This is overwhelming. The best practice is to focus each page on a single desired action and make the best next-step action really clear.

Open up your website and pretend you are a new prospective client. Give your messaging a logical look. Are the paths clear? Are you guiding new people through a logical journey? Think about what makes sense for your specific target market and revised offers and adjust your button text as needed.

5. Freshen up your thank you page

Are you using Branded Web tools for your website checkout? If so, you can create a custom thank you page on your website and direct people there once they book a class or buy a package or membership. This page contains valuable “next step” information you’ll want to revise to include instructions for in-studio classes and a section for what to expect when attending a virtual class or accessing your on demand library.

(Hint: Now’s also a good time to update your default welcome email with the same info!)

Since you’ve already crafted and curated a lot of this info for your new online classes page, this should be fairly easy. Take what you’ve written and modify it so that it’s short and sweet...and be sure to include specific instructions for how to actually access the online material. Make it easy for your customers, and remind them that even though they’re accessing live stream classes and videos online, they’re still part of your amazing community.

You’ve made some incredible changes to your studio through this challenging time. Take a moment to realize how far you’ve come! With video, Mindbody is ready to help YOU create your studio of the future!