Website for a gym or yoga studio

A website for a gym or yoga studio has to answer four questions fast: when are the classes, who teaches them, what does it cost and how do I come for the first time. Someone thinking about starting to train rarely phones to ask. They open your site on their phone, look for the timetable and prices, and if they cannot find them within a minute, they leave. Here is what to include and how to arrange it, so curious visitors become regulars.

The timetable: your most important page

For a gym, yoga, pilates or dance studio, the timetable is often the first thing people open, usually on a phone. So:

• Build it as a real table, not a photo or a PDF. A photo of the timetable is hard to read on a small screen, cannot be found in Google and has to be redone every time something changes. The W3C guide to accessible tables explains that a properly built table (with clearly marked header cells) lets screen readers tell people which time belongs to which day and which trainer [1].
• Think phone first. Seven days in seven columns almost never fits on a phone. It is easier to show the timetable day by day, or to let people filter by type of class. Nielsen Norman Group recommends that tables on mobile keep their headers visible and let users choose what they see [2].
• Label the level. "Beginners", "all levels", "advanced": that is the first thing a newcomer checks.
• Keep it current. A cancelled class still showing on the site means a disappointed client in front of a locked door. If your timetable changes often, it has to be easy to update.

Trainers and instructors

People come back because of the person who teaches the class. Give each trainer a short page or section: a real photo, their name, what they teach, their approach and their qualifications. List only qualifications the person really has. Link from each trainer's profile to their classes in the timetable, and from the timetable back to the trainer.

The same goes for photos as for any business: your real studio, your real people and a real class build far more trust than stock photos of models. See what photos to use on your website.

Prices, passes and a trial class

Many studios hide prices behind "call us for more information". That loses exactly the people comparing a few places on the sofa in the evening. Show clearly:

1. the price of a single visit;
2. passes for 4, 8 or more visits and monthly memberships, with what each one includes;
3. discounts for students, couples or morning classes, if you offer them;
4. the rules: how long a pass is valid, whether it can be paused, how to cancel a booked class.

For a new client the hardest step is the first one. A trial class (free or at a lower price) makes it easy, so put it where people see it, right on the home page.

Under the trial class button, say what to expect: what to bring, how early to arrive, whether there are changing rooms and showers, whether they need their own mat. These small details take away a beginner's nerves. For more on turning a visit into an enquiry, read how to turn website visitors into customers.

Booking a class

The fewer the steps, the more people book. The options, from the simplest:

• a call or message button, visible on every page on a phone;
• a short "book me a trial class" form with name, phone and preferred time;
• an online system where clients see the free spots in each class and book themselves.

Online booking pays off when classes have limited spots and you take many bookings every week. If you are just starting, a form is often enough. There is a fuller comparison in online bookings: when are they worth it?

Whatever you choose, connect it to your Google Business Profile too: you can add your own booking link there, or use a booking provider that works with Google [3]. Apple Business offers something similar: you can manage how your business appears on Apple Maps, with hours and photos, and add an action for booking appointments [4].

How people nearby find you

Many people look for a gym or studio close to home or work: "yoga near me", "gym in [your area]", "pilates for beginners in [your city]". So:

• fill in your Google profile completely, with address, hours, photos and a link to the timetable: how to set up your Google Business Profile;
• say on the site which neighbourhood you are in, how to get there and whether there is parking or a stop nearby;
• if you offer different kinds of training (yoga, pilates, functional, kickboxing), give each one its own page with a description, the level and a link to its classes;
• ask happy clients for a review after their first month: how to get more Google reviews.

Content that helps without promising miracles

Short articles such as "What to expect at your first yoga class" or "How to start training again after a long break" answer real questions and bring new people to the site. Be careful with health claims, though: do not promise a certain weight loss in a certain time and do not give medical advice. When you write about the benefits of exercise, rely on official sources. The World Health Organization, for example, recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week [5]. For people with health conditions, always add the advice to check with a doctor first.

A quick checklist for your studio's website

• The timetable is a table that reads well on a phone, with the level of each class
• Every trainer has a photo, a short introduction and a link to their classes
• Prices and passes are visible, with their rules
• The trial class is on the home page with a clear button
• Booking takes less than a minute
• Address, map, parking and hours are on every page
• Your Google profile points to the site and the timetable

If you want a website someone looks after for you, including when the timetable changes, see how we work and our monthly plan: about €50 a month for design, build, hosting, maintenance and minor updates, with a real person to talk to. The first month starts the build, and the site is live within 7 business days. If you are wondering what such a site costs in general, read how much a small business website costs. Much of this advice also applies to other businesses that take bookings, such as beauty salons and hairdressers.

References

1. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. "Tables Tutorial." w3.org/WAI/tutorials/tables
2. Nielsen Norman Group. "Mobile Tables: Comparisons and Other Data Tables." nngroup.com
3. Google Business Profile Help. "Set up bookings through a provider." support.google.com
4. Apple. "Apple Business." business.apple.com
5. World Health Organization. "Physical activity." who.int