Whether your studio is successful or business has waned, the question you need to regularly ask yourself as a business owner is, “Is my studio website working?” In many cases, the answer is a resounding “no!” Right off the bat, you need to consider the “59 Second Rule.” According to the Nielsen Norman Group, most users stick around less than 59 seconds if they are not engaged by a studio’s website. This means that if you don’t capture the user’s attention in less than a minute, you’ve lost them…potentially to your competition.
The good news is website analytics make it fairly easy to regularly rate your website’s performance. By simply taking a closer look and making a few easy changes you can make it function efficiently and ultimately drive sales.
1. How New is Your Site?
As you may know, the digital marketplace is a pretty big beast, so don’t be surprised if it takes your new website some time to gain momentum. Be patient and set benchma
rks to gauge your progress. Google Analytics can help you measure how quickly you get there. While it may be tempting to set lofty goals, try to stay reasonable. For example, if you have a big sale in May, your visitor count may be much higher than in say June or July. Keeping track of your analytics will help you keep it all in perspective.
Similarly, if you’ve had your website for a while and it now has too many tabs, information and excess copy, the clutter can turn people away. It’s important to keep in mind that initially your visitors are looking for basic information. It should be front and center, easy to spot, and not tangled up amongst unnecessary information. These days it seems like everyone is in a hurry, make it easy for them to be in a hurry to get to your studio!
2. Have a Main Purpose for Your Site with Clear CTAs
The Call to Action(s) on your site should be clear and consistently visible. After all, people came to your site and you don’t want to lose them because your site doesn’t have a main purpose. As a rule, the purpose of your site should be to sign up members to your studio and get potential members’ information.
Don’t hesitate to have actions such as “Sign up here!” and “Get more info now!” on more than one page of your site. Unfortunately, some studios pack their websites with the clutter I mentioned earlier, and the Call to Action gets hidden and buried. If the CTA is not big, bold and on the main page of your studio’s site, it will simply be looked over by users and prospects. Adding images will help draw attention to it and lead users to the immediate Call to Action.
3. Use Healcode or a Similar Widget
This new MINDBODY product is a set of branded web tools in the Pro, Accelerate and Ultimate software levels that help studios like yours make booking easy while giving your studio schedule a look and feel that is uniquely yours. The widget not only simplifies the booking process, but it also keeps prospects on your site and makes purchasing a breeze!
4. Begin the Sales Funnel System from Your Site
The sales process begins from the CTA on your site, so be sure that each time a new client clicks your CTA they are beginning the journey leading them to a long-term membership at your studio. Having a few options such as an intro period and a variety of packages to meet their needs is key. Also, be sure they are contacted immediately and informed and/or welcomed upon signing up. That type of customer service makes a huge difference. You may also consider newsletters and progress emails as they hit various milestones in their membership.
It’s up to you, but your main goal as a studio owner is to keep the communication open with these valued members. By doing so, you increase accountability and, eventual sales. As we know, a happy customer tells their friends, and word-of-mouth advertising is priceless.
5. Get Members and Prospects Alike Aware of Your Site
Be sure your members are aware of the website and encourage them to use it to book sessions and even buy products like apparel. Additionally, marketing strategies such as paid search and SEO can work wonders to improve the visibility of your site and help you gain more visitors. Brand awareness plays a big role here too.
Name recognition will bring more consumers to your site and, in turn, increase sales. If you invest in these marketing strategies, you are more likely to see significant results.
So, how satisfied are you with the way your website is working for your business? Let’s chat about how you can drive traffic and increase revenue through your studio website. Give me a call to schedule a consult with me. Let’s make your site stand out among your competition!