5 Ways to Increase Gym Revenue for Your Fitness Business
Reading Time: 5 minutes 33 seconds
BY: ISSA
DATE: 2022-03-30
The amount of revenue your fitness business brings in determines how long you can provide personal training services. If your gym business is thriving, you can stay open as long as you wish. You may even decide to expand your business plan and open new locations. Conversely, if it doesn’t make enough, you might be forced to close your doors before you’re ready.
Providing a good customer experience is one way to draw more people in. The more gym members you have, the higher your membership sales. Gym membership sales do account for a large portion of fitness business revenue. They also keep monies coming into your small business regularly. But there are other ways to boost revenue as a gym owner without bringing in more clients.
5 Strategies to Increase Gym Revenue for Your Fitness Business (Without Adding Clients)
Instead of focusing solely on increasing gym membership, here are five ways to increase revenue with your current customers.
Offer Personal Training Package Add-Ons
When someone signs up to work with a personal trainer, what do they get? Typically, a fitness package includes a certain number of training sessions. Or it might involve working with a trainer for a specific length of time.
One way to increase revenue is to offer add-ons for your personal training services. Provide health coaching, for example, at an additional cost. Offer extra nutrition services for clients interested in also improving their diet. People are willing to pay more if they get added value.
You might even offer access to a group class if they choose a higher-cost membership. A group fitness class offers more ways to get in shape. It also enables them to meet other gym customers. If they make friends at your gym, it increases their desire to want to come back. This aids in customer retention.
Provide Digital Fitness Tools for an Added Cost
People today rely on digital applications more than ever. We use apps for our banking, apps to drive someplace new, and apps to check the day’s weather forecast. So, why not offer a fitness app for your members? Charge a monthly fee to increase revenue while providing them another tool to hit their fitness goal.
Decide what you want the app to do, then hire someone to develop it. Maybe the app tracks how many times they work out each month. It could even track their weight and measurements. This helps them see their progress. (If clients aren’t seeing the results they want, it can also motivate them to turn things around.)
You might even decide to open up the app to non-members. This provides an additional revenue stream outside the gym. It also provides a competitive advantage. If a non-customer uses your app, then decides to join a gym, they’re likely to want to go with you first. You get priority over another fitness center or health club in the area.
Sell Branded Gear and Apparel
The stronger your fitness brand, the stronger your fitness business. How do you strengthen your brand and increase revenue at the same time? By selling branded products.
The more products out there with your logo, the more attention you’re bringing to your business. People start to recognize you just by seeing your name, icon, or tagline.
Branded items that can increase your gym revenue include:
Shirts (t-shirts, tanks, sweatshirts, and hoodies)
Shorts and workout pants
Hats and caps
Shower flip flops
Workout bags
Water bottles
Gym equipment (resistance bands, hand weights, etc.)
Padlocks
Gym hygiene kits
If you’re not sure which products to offer, ask your current clients. What would they like to see in your gym store? Take their feedback and apply it. Look for items that will boost their customer experience.
Utilize Affiliate Marketing
You can also increase your gym revenue by selling other company’s goods. This is referred to as affiliate marketing. You sell for them and get a certain amount of the sale in return.
Partner with local companies that sell goods that would appeal to a fitness enthusiast. This might include a company that sells nutritional supplements or healthy foods. Or maybe you don’t offer yoga but there is a yoga studio in your area. Ask if they’d offer a commission if you sell yoga class packs at your gym.
You might even ask for a discount for your customers. This adds more value to your business while giving the other company more sales. Potential members may even be more enticed to join your gym because of the connections that you have. They see you as a one-stop-shop, meeting all of their fitness needs.
Some online retailers also offer affiliate marketing programs. Amazon is one. Just sign up, recommend the fitness products you like, and earn up to 10% in commissions. The benefit of this option is that you don’t have to purchase and store these products. You just give your customers the link and collect your commission.
Build a Fitness Blog, Then Monetize It
Do you currently have a fitness blog? If not, you might want to start one. First, blogging helps establish your expertise. Readers start to trust your advice, looking to you for guidance. This strengthens your relationship with existing members. It also tells a potential client that you have the knowledge and experience to help them out. This makes them more likely to sign up for your fitness services.
But there is another reason to keep a fitness blog. Get enough followers and you can monetize your blog. Other companies will pay you to talk about their products and services. In short, you get paid to promote the fitness brands that you like most.
Not sure what to blog about? Check out the blogs of other gyms and fitness professionals. Here are a few that might spark some blog-worthy ideas:
Track and Monitor Your Gym Revenue
No matter what strategies you try to boost revenue, it’s important to track your results. Gym management software can assist with this. It can tell you which products and services are bringing in the most revenue. Maybe you notice that one fitness class brings in twice the revenue of the others. That would be a good class to promote in your fitness marketing plan.
Your gym management software can also tell you what expenses might be eating into your revenue most. Finding a way to reduce them increases your bottom line.
Capterra shares that some of the best gym management software is provided by:
Gymdesk
GymFlow
Gym Insight
Paramount Acceptance
ABC Fitness Solutions
It’s also helpful to track how people are getting to your website. This gives insight into which marketing strategies are working best. Focus your energies there to increase your revenue even more.
Some website platforms offer access to this data. If yours doesn’t, you can sign up for Google Analytics. This site tells you who is visiting your site, where they’re from, and more. Use this information to learn more about them. Then tailor your marketing campaign to that demographic.
It’s also possible that the data will tell you that you’re hitting the wrong target. In that case, you may need to rework your marketing plan. If it doesn’t tell you much of anything, it’s a potential that you’re not being seen as credible or knowledgeable. People aren’t interacting with you because they don’t see the value that you offer.
One way to rectify this, and increase your revenue, is to make sure your education and experience are known. Share before and after pictures on your website and social media to prove that you get results. Provide testimonials from happy clients who had a great customer experience.
If credibility is the issue, becoming certified can help. ISSA offers Personal Trainer Certification. This certification tells a new member that you have the knowledge and skills to help them achieve their fitness goal. It establishes you as a credible member of the fitness industry.
With this certification, you’re not just someone who calls yourself a personal trainer. You have the designation required to back this claim up.