7 Ways to Increase Gym Memberships Post-Lockdown
Success in the fitness industry will depend on adapting to the new expectations of customers. Learn how to increase gym membership, post-lockdown.
Success in the fitness industry will depend on adapting to the new expectations of customers. Learn how to increase gym membership, post-lockdown.
It’s time to return to normal — but for some industries, the post-lockdown transition will be harder than for others.
It’s an up and down story for the fitness industry. People may be hesitant to return to the gym, while the need for hygiene and the spectre of lockdowns are still hanging over all our heads. Having said that, it’s more apparent than ever that health is a fundamental part of how we live, something we need to protect and work on — and it can even save lives.
The world has changed, and your success within the fitness industry will depend on how you adapt to the new expectations and needs of your customers. Learn more about how to increase gym membership, post-lockdown.
Hygiene is going to be at the front of everyone’s minds when they’re considering going back to the gym. Have a strict deep-cleaning and sterilisation regimen, every day, and make that known to your gym-goers.
Update your website to reflect the fact of your new and improved cleaning schedule. If you are running ad campaigns, whether it’s on the radio or on social media feeds, you can even mention your hygiene credentials there. Post-pandemic, people will want to know that you’re keeping it clean.
People won’t be returning to working out until they know it’s safe — and that the chances of viral transmission has been reduced as much as possible.
The key things they’ll be looking out for will be physical distancing between gym machines as well as ventilation inside the workout space. Taking these steps will give people the confidence that it’s safe to return to the gym.
As the gyms start to open up again after the lockdown, it’ll take some time for numbers to build back up to pre-pandemic levels. This gives you some breathing space, to remove some of the machines from your gym floor, open up more room, and allow more space between machines.
Your gym may already have plenty of ventilation, such as fans. However, you won’t be judged on what you have, but what people can see that you have. Make sure it’s obvious how well-ventilated the workout space is, and if you know how frequently the air is being refreshed inside the space, don’t be afraid to put up some signs to advertise that.
You can start the social distancing before anyone even arrives at the doors of your gym. Give customers the opportunity to sign up to your services as well as enter the physical building while avoiding direct contact with the staff. This includes signing up for gym classes and training sessions.
While everyone is craving social contact after the months of lockdown, the public will see your gym as a much safer venue if you’ve taken steps to reduce the points of contact.
It’s not just the gym that needs to change, but the pricing model. You can expect to see more price-sensitivity in the fitness industry after the pandemic. To help entice customers back into their workouts, it’ll pay to offer a tiered structure for payments.
Think about what different types of memberships your gym could cater to, and create custom subscription plans to suit. While the revenue per person may be reduced, you’ll make this back and more if you can encourage larger numbers of people.
The pandemic bites sharper for some people, so for any customers who want to come back to the gym but need to cut their costs, you could offer a reduced price for reduced levels of access — perhaps only for a limited time. For other people who’re uncertain about dipping their toes in, a lower barrier to entry may also help move larger volumes of people into your gym.
Another option to consider is offering your open-ended membership plans at a more attractive price point. With open-ended or flexible plans, people can exit the plan any time they like, rather than being locked into a fixed period of time. Again, you could offer a cheaper open-ended plan for only a limited time. Flexibility will ease the mind for anyone who feels their back is against the wall in the climate of economic uncertainty. Reducing anxiety will be key to get people to step into the gym again.
Don’t want to reduce the fees for your gym? Fair enough — the pandemic hasn’t been easy for the fitness industry, either. However, what you can do is make the price of each payment lower, by offering the option for customers to pay more frequently. Paying $25 each week may seem more palatable than paying $50 every fortnight.
What action can you take today to make returning to the gym easier? How about setting up your payment system to be as effortless as possible for your customers?
If people are feeling cold feet about coming back to the gym, you should focus on removing any obstacles in their way, including the small frustrations that may cause frictions in the customer experience. With Payleadr‘s seamless payment system, it takes no effort at all for your customers to set up direct debits for gyms.
As flexible as they come, you can also create any custom subscription plan in Payleadr. Get started with Payleadr today.
