Leading the Way

Leading the Way
To Better Email Campaigns

By Michaleen McGarry
Published in Club Solutions Magazine / November 2005

You created an eye-catching, motivating online marketing campaign aimed at increasing visitors to your site, and ultimately increasing leads for your sales team. You spent hours with the art work, tweaked the fonts, photos and copy until it was perfect. You bought the best, most targeted email list from a trusted source. And then, at the last minute, you slapped up an online lead form on your website. Sound familiar? If it does, you may also find a poor response rate to your email campaign familiar, as well.

It’s a bit like promoting a grand opening celebration for your club, but failing to staff it correctly. It lacks follow-through. And that’s why more than 75% of prospects who actually want more information from your email campaign, click to find out more, but leave without ever completing your prospect lead form. That’s right; more than 75% take one look at your online lead form and bail as fast as they can.

For starters, you might want to consider these quick fixes:

• Get rid of every question that you don’t desperately need right away. If you plan on calling your prospects, don’t ask for an address. You know you don’t need a fax, so why do you ask for it?
  
• Add a reassuring line of copy immediately next to the box asking for the email address, explaining that you won’t abuse the email address. AND THEN DON’T. Don’t rely on the privacy link at the very bottom of the originating web page to be reassuring.
  
• Include information regarding your campaign special. Just because you described the offer on the marketing piece they clicked from, doesn’t mean they remember. They need to see it again.

Let’s delve a bit deeper to understand how your lead form can help or hinder your email marketing campaign.

THE PROBLEM
Simply put, most of us really don't like filling out forms, especially not while we are online. Most forms are daunting and complicated and require users to make more effort than they want to. It doesn't matter if we're talking about an online survey, a lead-generation form, or a sign-up form; all require crucial but tedious elements, and all must motivate users to complete the task.

THE AUDIENCE
Forms face a “Veruca Salt” audience: Internet surfers want things NOW—instantaneously. If end-users feel something will take too much time, they won't complete it. And because there is undoubtedly a health club down the street or a few clicks away on the internet, the end-user can easily find out information about some other club rather easily. And what is worse is that you gave them the idea to look at a health club in the area through your email campaign!

THE PERCEPTION
Potential members to your facility will scan the page of your lead form, and decide whether or not it is going to take a long time to fill out. Peripherally, their eyes will scan that scrollbar and tell them if the page is potentially long. What can hurt the page is the perception of the time it will take to complete. If you look at the account sign-up on BestBuy.com, it does a nice job of making you feel like this form will not be overwhelming. But if you look at the account sign-up page on HomeDepot.com, you might unfairly decide it is too arduous to fill out. Both forms actually ask for a similar amount of information, but are laid out differently. And that layout can affect the results of your email campaign efforts. Let’s face it, first impressions count.

THE SOLUTION
If your lead form has multiple pages, be sure to specify how many pages or steps there are. If someone fills out the first and second page of your form and sees no end in sight, the odds of them leaving your site increase significantly.

If your lead form requires the end-user to do something, be obvious. For example, if the end-user needs to click “SAVE” to continue and receive your 7-day trial offer—let them know. This is not the time for cute and creative; it is the time for a blunt call to action.

If your lead form is long, cut it down. It is just not worth your time or money to create an email campaign, purchase an email list, and send it out—only to end with a lead form that is too long, and results in a poor response rate.

Website Dos & Don’ts

By Michaleen McGarry

Published in Club Solutions Magazine / September 2005

This article concentrates on the things you should do when designing a website to add to the experience of the visitor and make your site easier for him or her to use. This is important because each visitor to your site is a potential customer and the more they enjoy their visit to your site the more likely they are to buy from it. As with the don'ts of webdesign I have put these do's of webdesign in a point by point format so they can be easily read.

Do tell your visitors what your site is about on the main page. This saves them time if they're not interested in what your site offers and gives you the chance to use some keywords when describing your site.

Do optimize every page for the search engines by including keyword rich titles, keyword rich meta tags, a keyword rich introduction to each page and by using heading tags around your most important keywords wherever possible.

Do have a constant style and navigation system on your website. If your style and navigation is not constant then visitors will find it difficult to know if they're still on your website and may just leave.

Do have an email address or at least a "Contact us" link on every page. Make it easy for people to contact you, if they've to search for an email address they'll become frustrated and probably leave altogether.

Do link home on every page. Not all users will enter your site via the home page, many will come through other pages via the search engines and when they get there they will be stuck unless you direct them back to the home page.

Do make navigation as easy a possible, every page should be accessible via two links from the home page and no more than three from any other page. This enables people to find what they want quickly.

Do use alt text to provide people with images turned off an idea of what your images are, also some search engines index keywords inside the alt tag so including alt text may actually help your rankings.

Do define height and width in all tables and graphics as this aids download time. Nobody wants to wait an eternity for a page to load so this is a must.

Do use space to break up long pages of text as long paragraphs look unprofessional and are hard to read. If something's hard to read people just won't bother reading it.

Using all or most of the above when designing your website will surely enhance a persons visit making them more inclined to buy from you.

Your website is the life and soul of your Internet presence, if your website appears and acts unprofessional your company will seem unprofessional and people won't feel confident buying from you.

With that said webdesign is a complex issue and I could discuss it for days with you but for this article and for the moment anyway I'll concentrate on sharing the things you shouldn't do when it comes to designing your site as ultimately bad webdesign affects people more than good webdesign. These don'ts of webdesign are in point by point format.

Don't use frames. Frames are a thing of the past and are out of fashion, they mostly confuse visitors and they basically destroy your chances of getting good search engine traffic, not to mention the problems associated with bookmarking and printing pages that use frames.
Don't limit access to your site by requiring visitors to already have or download a certain plug-in, this is the same as increasing download time and most people won't bother to wait for the download, they'll just visit your competition instead.

Don't have scrolling pages which require the visitor to scroll sideways to see the whole page. This is so annoying to most visitors that they'll leave straight away. This happens when you design your site at a certain resolution and someone visits with a resolution lower than that. Design for a resolution of 640x480 if you want to be sure that your pages avoid having scroll bars. You're pretty safe however designing and maximizing your pages for an 800x600 resolution because most people nowadays surf in that resolution.

Don't annoy your visitors with blinking text, pages full of banners, continuous background music that slows down everything, pop-up windows, text that's hard to read because it's a similar color to the background etc. If you do annoy them you can bet they won't return.
Don't use under construction pages, you're only wasting peoples time if you direct them to a page that's not ready so never link to pages unless they're finished.

Don't make visitors wait, if people have to wait for a page to download because it's bogged down with too much graphics and other media they'll just leave.

Avoiding the above don'ts of web design will at least give you a chance of retaining visitors and maybe even have a few of them return.

Basic Building Blocks of a Successful Web-Based

By: Michaleen McGarry

Published in Club Solutions / August 2005

The foundation of your Web-based marketing strategy sets your online price point, maps out your online position, and determines how you promote your club on the Web. But, it is always important to realize that cyberspace is just another means through which you can market your health club.

In no way does online marketing replace the existing advertising channels you are currently using and that you have found to be successful. Nor is Webbased marketing an optional extra to your existing business strategy. Rather, marketing your business on the Web must be part of a tightly coupled actionoriented marketing and advertising plan - one that leverages the individual benefits of off-line branding concepts with interactive media.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION
Deciding to get a website and utilize online tools to market your health club should not be taken lightly - and finding the right Web company to work with is even more important. Before you even decide on either, you should decide what it is that you want to get out of your online marketing initiatives. There are a variety of benefits, which the Web can provide to you and your company:

• Detailed information regarding your fitness facility
• Access to segments of populations previously inaccessible
• Reduction in printing and associated distribution costs
• Projection of a favorable corporate image
• Local exposure for your health club
• Member involvement through member intranet
• Interaction with members while building a database of client information.

A sound Web-based marketing strategy effectively transfers more efficient communication to the potential or current member while facilitating the sales process by providing mutual benefits to both parties in terms of improved lead and customer satisfaction and increased likelihood of member loyalty to your club.

INFLUENCES ON PRICING & PROFITS
While there are a few direct costs involved with "setting up shop" online, they are recouped rather quickly with qualified leads that are easily converted, and up-sell opportunities to current members. In addition:

• Direct interaction with potential members may mean the "cost of sale" may cost less to convert, and
• Ongoing interaction with current members may reduce postage, and onstaff resources currently eating away at your budget.

POSITIONING YOUR FITNESS CENTER ON THE WEB
A Web presence that does not attract customers is relatively worthless. In addition to putting your website address on all of your offline marketing efforts, you need to utilize online interactive capabilities such as:

• Reciprocal links with other local businesses
• Email marketing to potential members
• Free search engine submissions to major indexes and directories. Your website itself must facilitate user interaction. The "must haves" for your website include:
• Virtual tour of your facility with engaging images
• Ability for members and potential members to leave feedback
• Prominently displayed trial offers and member specials
• Easily accessible account information.

ENHANCING YOUR MEMBERSHIP OFFER ONLINE
Your website needs to offer comprehensive information regarding your club without going overboard. While the website can help bring qualified leads in the door, it is still your sales staff that will ultimately sell the membership. It is important to understand the ways in which you can facilitate this:

• Display welcoming images on your Web pages
• Offer information that helps the individual feel comfortable with your club
• Add personal touches such as testimonials, staff bios, and thoughts from the staff
• Do not expect a Web-surfer to act on their own accord; include a call-to-action while avoiding a demand-to-action.

The way in which your club communicates with potential members and current clientele can be enhanced by the use of your website and your entire Web strategy. It can also be over-used. Mapping out your entire marketing strategy on a calendar that includes all of your online efforts infused with your print and off-line ad campaigns will prove helpful in ensuring a well thought-out plan that does not go so far that it turns potential members off. When you build a successful online marketing strategy, not only will you augment your sales and prospecting, but you will also free up time to deal with what is really important - your members and their health.

Shine In the Summertime

By Michaleen McGarry

Published in Club Solutions Magazine / July 2005

The dog days of summer may be upon us, but that is no reason to slow down on your marketing efforts. In fact it is the perfect time to reexamine your fall marketing plan, and if you’re lucky even bring in a few new clients now! Ask yourself the following:

• How much can we afford to spend in advertising, even if it doesn’t immediately bring in more funds?


• Why would anyone choose to do business with us? What need do we fill? And do we convey that in our advertising?


• What is the best use of our ad dollars?

While you are mulling over these questions, consider infusing one or several of the following marketing ideas into your plan.

Direct Mail
Once you have decided on marketing message, it is time to get the word out. You have two options when it comes to direct marketing. If you have the marketing dollars to support it, you can enlist the help of an ad agency and produce a beautiful campaign including postcards, door hangers, and ads for local newspapers and magazines. If not, consider using a direct marketing house that focuses on this industry such as Get Members. Such companies offer a cost-effective, almost effortless option with palatable results. Either way, you must first decide on a focused campaign that allows you to stand out from the crowd.

Search Engine Advertising
Advertising your club on major search engines such as Google and Yahoo! can further increase the exposure of your club to new clients. And you can actually target this advertising more than you might think allowing you to bring continuity to your overall advertising message. And if you are currently asking how potential members have found you, you already know that the Internet has become one of—if not—the most popular medium among consumers who are interested in joining health clubs!

Joint Promotions
While you are relaxing some summer evening, take some time to look outside the box. Jot down several non-competing businesses in the area that you consider to be successful. Ask yourself, “How can we partner on a unique promotion that will benefit all parties.” This proven strategy produces dramatic results—for very little expense. It can also solidify your place within the community.

Niche Markets
Summertime is no time to rest on your laurels. Take the opportunity to research emerging trends and niche markets. Between trade publications, member surveys, and the Internet, you have the opportunity to cross the threshold of Autumn armed with the knowledge to set yourself apart from your competition. But don’t stop there; develop customized versions of your advertising appealing to the prospects in each niche. Offer specific solutions to their unique needs and you'll uncover new groups of customers eager to buy from you. And if you spot a new trend within your community before your competitors—and take action—you will most likely become the market leader in your area.

Opt-In Email Marketing
Depending on your locality, your members may be out in the great outdoors or retreating from the heat at home. Either way, you can still reach out to them with a gentle reminder to stay in shape or bring a friend to your refreshing pool. You might even want to organize a member appreciation event that allows your members to enjoy your facility with friends and family. Whatever you decide to convey, sending email blasts to current and potential members in your area who have chosen to receive fitness oriented emails from you is a great way to drum up business now as well as the coming months. The key is to engage your audience without annoying them. As a rule of thumb, do not email market to your members more often then every 20 days, or you will find your opt-out list growing faster than your member base.

Adventurous Ideas
If you can’t beat them, join them. If you members aren’t coming in the club right now, maybe you should consider taking your club to them. Simply organize a few summer outings to popular spots in your state. Sign up members and potential members for group activities with a healthy edge. Each adventure allows participants to enjoy healthy activities with like-minded individuals. The buzz you create around these mini adventures is the perfect plan to end the summer doldrums and increase activity in the club.

While many of your members and potential members may be on vacation this summer, your marketing efforts need not be. Summertime is a great time of year to revisit your marketing plan and experiment with creative new ideas. The end result will be a summer sprinkled with new members and a cornucopia of new memberships by Thanksgiving.

What Makes You So Special?

Some straight talk on how your club should promote itself on the web

By Michaleen McGarry

Published in Club Solutions Magazine / June 2005

When asked to describe his club, Joe Club Owner quickly quips, “We provide an atmosphere that promotes active, healthy lifestyles for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. We are proud to serve you with state-of-the-art equipment, a friendly, caring staff, the most knowledgeable personal trainers, and a great selection of group fitness classes— all within the cleanest facility in the area.”

Sound familiar? It does to me. After spending more than five years helping fitness facilities develop and launch websites to promote their club, I have heard everything. But what is even more important, is how many times I hear the same thing.

While every fitness facility is trying to show how unique it is…it ends up sounding just like the club down the street. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are creative ways to help you show your individuality on the web, to help promote how unique your club really is, and without too much extra effort on your part.

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING
You have heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” right? There are very few places that exemplify that adage more than on the web—at least when it comes to marketing a fitness facility. When you put images of your club on the Internet, you really give prospective members a feel for what your facility is like. The trick is to actually take pictures that represent the true feel of the club.

There are two ways to display these pictorial gems. First you can sprinkle them throughout the web site within pages and verbiage. This gives your web visitors the opportunity to see all you have to offer without the stress of the sale. It also provides qualified leads in your inbox. It’s a win-win for prospect and club owner alike.

The second way to show off your club is with a virtual tour. This gives you the opportunity to take prospective members on a tour of your club in the exact environment you desire. Even an in-facility tour cannot compare to that. After all, when you give a tour of the facility, there is always the off chance that someone or something happening at the club might turn the visitor off.

For the most bang for your buck…apply both concepts to your web site!

FIND YOUR VOICE
While using “template” copy for your web site provides tried and true content, it doesn’t exactly help you stand out in the crowd. There are several ways that you can instill the tone of your club into your website’s copy.

• Not the writer? Simply massage the text to sound more like it is coming from you. Subtle changes can make a world of difference.


• Novice writer? While using your “template” copy as a guide, give writing your website copy a try. But just be sure to run it by a few of your close friends or staff members. Be open to their comments and suggestions.


• Creative writer? This is your chance to shine. Be bold and adventurous with your website content. This is your opportunity to show the world exactly why they should visit your one-of-a-kind club.

Always remember, when it comes to content on the web, less is almost always more. Individuals researching health clubs in your area on the web are quick to get bored. Lots of copy can be just that. Evaluate exactly what points you want to get across and stick to those topics.

FROM THE MOUTHS OF MEMBERS
Member testimonials that present your club’s unique attributes offer something you cannot…reassurance that what you are saying is true. Sprinkled throughout your site, client words of praise regarding what makes your club so special may give prospects the push they need to give your club a try.

Make positive feedback a regular part of your customer service. Send or give each of your happy customers a satisfaction form with ample room for comments. Use the best responses you get on your web site. Keep in mind that potential clients are most likely to believe testimonials from trustworthy individuals that appear real.

The benefit of real members discussing the unique qualities of your club is that it is like work of mouth advertising. The audience can relate and connect with the person giving the testimonial…almost like they are hearing it from a friend.

THE LAST WORD
It wasn’t that long ago that many health club owners did not even understand the importance of a web presence, but I believe those dark ages are behind us. It is now the age of web site enlightenment, and with that comes the freedom to be yourself. It is time for you to show your potential members what makes you so special, and reap your just rewards!

Members Only: The Shape of Things to Come

By: Michaleen McGarry

Published in Club Solutions Magazine / March 2005

A satisfied member is a loyal member. But with the influx of new members that come through the door each January and a staff not that different in size since last June – how exactly can you satisfy these "green" exercisers? The answer may be as close as your nearest computer.

As a club owner, you already know that members who are supported, encouraged and truly experience a personal connection are most likely to become lifelong members. As that same club owner, you may also view the computer as not very supportive or encouraging, and definitely lacking a personal touch. But that is simply not the case -- at least when you are speaking about online member intranets.

Member intranets that are available on the Internet can bridge the gap between you and your new, and current, members in a multitude of ways. In addition, member intranets offer a way to increase participation in personal training, market profit centers, and improve communication.

On average, the dropout rate during the first year of membership is double that of other memberships. The key to retaining new members is to support them through this period successfully. By providing a "Roadmap to Success," you can actually tip the scales in favor of members who truly change their lifestyles. With a member intranet, you help support your member without having to increase your staff by providing:

• Fitness Programs
• Nutrition Plans
• Education
• Personalized Content

FITNESS PROGRAMS
Through a member intranet, you can provide increased communication between your personal trainers and their clients and printable programs for clients to take to the club. But what is even more powerful is the fact that the over 90 percent of your member base, that is currently stumbling through how to reach their goals, suddenly has a virtual trainer to support them.

NUTRITION PLANS
One area that seems to always be overlooked by new members is the importance of their food intake, which can actually make or break reaching their goals. Many clubs rely on personal trainers to dole out nutritional advice when in all actuality, their expertise lies elsewhere. Finding a member intranet with a comprehensive nutrition component will increase your members' support and success ten-fold.

EDUCATION
Member intranets, whether they are for the health club community or the business sector, all provide a reason for continued patronage. In the case of a health club member intranet, education offers a way to encourage and motivate members thereby increasing their success, and ultimately yours! Up-to-date heath and fitness information, wellness tips, exercise video demonstrations, and more, keep your members on the cutting edge of fitness.

PERSONALIZED CONTENT
When it comes to retaining members, "feeling part of a community, or lack thereof," has been stated as one of the top reasons members: cancel memberships; stop going to the club, or worse, change clubs. By utilizing a members-only intranet, you can provide a place for members to visit 24/7 that keeps them connected. In addition, if you shop for a member intranet that offers personalized content, your members can truly experience a personal connection with you, and your facility.

Member intranets come in all shapes and sizes, but for about the price of two memberships per month, you can reach out to a membership base that comes in just as many shapes and sizes. A properly marketed member intranet can help you reshape your bottom line by increasing member satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.

Thinking Outside the Club

By Michaleen McGarry

Published in Club Solutions Magazine / February 2005

By now, most health clubs understand the importance of having an online presence for the purpose of advertising their facility in a non-intimidating way any time of the day or night. But have you ever thought of how the Internet and your website could streamline many of your current processes at almost no cost?

MARKETING
Currently, you probably advertise in the local paper, send out flyers, and offer member referral programs in order to get more leads through your door. If you take your Internet strategy seriously, you can multiply the number of leads coming through your door. Simple changes in your website can yield big results when it comes to search engine placement.
According to Click Z Network Solutions for Marketers, “As Web surfers endeavor to grow thin, the hit counters of health, fitness and nutrition sites get fat, with over 11 million home surfer visits during the week ending Jan. 4, 2004, according to online audience measurement firm Nielsen//Net Ratings.”

The question then becomes, do you what to be one of the websites these individuals view and visit? Of course you want to be one of the first ones individuals in your area see on the results page. And by spending an hour researching the ranking alternatives at no cost whatsoever, you can increase your ranking ten-fold. Simply type in “search engine placement” in the Google search box for a multitude of ideas as well as companies that can help for very little investment.

LEAD MANAGEMENT
While the Internet can help you increase the number of leads you receive, it can also help you manage your entire lead process all the way to closing. Depending on the website service you choose, you can not only manage the sales process but you can also aid in sales communication through email marketing.

Companies such as FitnessInsite offer complete lead management services as part of their website package at no additional cost. Such tools have the added advantage of 24/7 access from anywhere there is an Internet connection available.

MEMBER RETENTION
Member retention is by far one of the most important aspects of your success, so anything you can do to improve it, it well worth the effort. By utilizing the information highway to communication with your members should be a no-brainer. Its cost is minimal, and in some cases free.

As a health club, you need to stay on the cutting-edge when it comes to equipment, classes, and training. The same holds true for member retention. By sending out monthly newsletters, taking advantage of email marketing campaigns, and offering online services, you not only safe time and money, you present your club as forward thinking.

FEEDBACK
One area that clubs seem to fall short is feedback—member and lead alike. The reasons for this are as varied as health clubs themselves. And for those clubs that see the value in feedback, the response rate of a survey leaves something to be desired. Once again, the Internet and your website can satisfy both problems.

By providing a small incentive, you can get your members to go home and give you their opinion almost anything—from your locker room cleanliness to your trainers’ hygiene!

It all comes down to comfort level. From the intimacy of their own home, most people feel more open to really telling you how they feel. And because the Internet offers a more anonymous venue then dropping your comment card in a box that may be read immediately after you leave, the percent of participants increases.

For finding out the positive aspects as well as downfalls of your sales staff, online surveys are king! Offer potential members a chance to win a wonderful membership package at a reduced rate—for just sharing their opinion! It’s a win-win. You not only get another point of contact, but you also receive invaluable information about your staff.

What is amazing about the Internet and many website services is that the list goes on and on in terms of the ways your club can benefit. In fact, really the biggest limitation is your own creativity. If you are trying to keep your health club on the cutting edge and current with your membership base, you owe it to yourself to invest a bit of time, effort, and imagination into the Internet and your website.