Everyone recognizes that business reviews have value (NYT link or some contested business review story). However, it’s been a challenge to tangibly measure their true value. Most recently, new companies have made significant progress in showing how this value can be looked at from 2 different angles, one of which can definitely be measured! (more on that later!).

The Basis

Let’s start with something that has been demonstrated, proven and measured – the value of customer retention.

According to MethodCRM:

• 80% of small business revenue comes from 20% of customers
• 5% higher customer retention can increase profit by 25%
• Repeat customers spend 67% more than new ones

Since the dawn of time, Word of Mouth (WOM) has been a driving force of business growth. Numerous studies show that WOM clients provide more value than walk-ins and other kinds of customers because they stay longer and spend more money. There is a definite correlation between WOM and Customer Retention.

In today’s internet era, online reviews are the new word-of-mouth, especially Google reviews. Official studies show that 84% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and 91% of customers read online reviews before deciding to purchase.

Why? Because the opinions of others are crucial in creating trust about a product or service, or a business in general. We rely on other people’s experiences, hoping to get the same good experience and – avoid the bad ones.

That means that good reviews will definitely help you organically get the people through the door. Coming in with the element of trust – they will be more likely to stick and become loyal as well.

Measuring Impact of Reviews

Remember the first sentence where we stated it’s been “a challenge to tangibly measure” the value of reviews? That’s changed. Companies have been looking at it for years, and at least one – ClubReady Partner Referrizer – has managed to crack the code.

How it Works

Google’s algorithm takes into account both the quantity and freshness of reviews (how recently it was posted), comprising approximately 15-20% of its decision-making process regarding the visibility of a business.

Looking at the data collected over the years, they’ve discovered a direct correlation between the growth of reviews and the subsequent increase in website traffic—specifically, in terms of website visit rates, click-through rates and impressions.

This example shows the rapid growth in website clicks, especially with the important mobile traffic tracks, after the addition of a focused review program with Referrizer.

To increase the trust factor of your business with google reviews and start gathering more positive reviews, consider a second party solution such as Referrizer’s Reputation Management.

Ready to Get Started?

Get a Referrizer Demo

Learn More About Our Partners

Note: This article was written by Elena Spasojevic, Co-Owner & Corporate Accounts, Referrizer

The post Unlocking Growth: The Impact of Google Reviews on Business ROI appeared first on ClubReady.

Your business success depends on member attendance and full schedules. But your classes can’t be full if they’re canceled because there wasn’t an instructor to lead the class … 

 Last-minute changes are aggravating for members trying to reach their goals. And can lead to churn. But you can’t personally be everywhere or lead every class. At the same time, you can’t afford to spend hours texting, calling, and emailing subs to fill open slots, all the while thinking it shouldn’t be this hard. 

What’s needed is transparency, visibility into systems, and honest communication. Fortunately, there is technology available today that delivers all of that and more, helping to improve employee engagement and streamline customer service processes. Here are seven reasons why you should consider class subbing and communication software.

1) Increased Employee Engagement

No matter how much effort you put into communicating with your employees, it’s not always easy to get everyone on the same page. Subbing and communication software helps you keep your team engaged by providing a platform for real-time conversations and collaboration. This makes it easier for everyone to stay informed and connected.

2) Improved Team Efficiency

Once you have implemented subbing and communication software, you will find that your instructors are able to find class coverage and receive critical studio updates more efficiently. By having access to all the necessary information at their fingertips, employees can move quickly between tasks without wasting time searching for documents or files. 

3) Enhanced Member Experience

Subbing and communication software can also improve your member experience by ensuring the schedule is accurate and you never have a substitute no-show in a class because he or she forgot.   

4) Improved Team Collaboration

With subbing and communication software, teams can easily collaborate on sub-requests, new movements, class plans, playlists, and more regardless of their location or time zone differences. This makes it much simpler for your part-time instructors and teachers to work together as if they were all in the same room – something that was impossible before these tools were available.   

5) Streamlined Decision-Making Processes

By having access to real-time data at their fingertips, studio owners and operators can make better decisions faster than ever before. With this type of technology, leaders can quickly access the information they need in order to make informed scheduling decisions quickly without having to wait for reports or other data points.  

6) Automated Workflows

Subbing and communication software also allows businesses to automate certain workflows and processes such as instructor sub-policies, team availability, file sharing, and personalized messaging. This automation means that studio owners or operations don’t have to conduct each task every step of the way manually – saving precious time & money. 

7) Increased Productivity

When teams are connected via subbing and communication tools, they can work smarter instead of harder which leads to increased productivity throughout the organization and better employee experiences. Furthermore, when teams are able to communicate quickly and effectively, there is less chance for mistakes due to miscommunication which leads to higher success rates overall. Implementing subbing technology has been  proven to save hours a week for their customers. “’ Absolute game changer’ is what we hear from our clients,’” says Danny Orlick, CEO of NetGym, a class subbing and employee communication solution, on the hours that studios save. 

Subbing and communication software is an incredible investment to take your team and your business to the next level. Now is the time to invest subbing technology and reap its many benefits. Check out NetGym , a ClubReady partner that provides subbing solution, and other ClubReady partners.  

The post Where the @#$% is Steve?!  appeared first on ClubReady.

One of the things that multi-franchise owner Jana Rivers learned in the military was to ask “am I going to work harder or am I going to work smarter?” When she was imagining retirement from a career in law enforcement in California and got the “crazy notion” to open a studio, she faced a number of hurdles that caused her to recall that advice.

Know Your Strengths

While Jana had lot of experience in law enforcement, her background was not as a seller, or as a computer techie. But she did have a passion for fitness. From the beginning, knowing her strengths and location (she was in California while her new clubs were in Texas) she realized that to make the businesses work she’d have to tap into the strengths of others. That started with the first push for memberships. “I originally hired Aurora (now ClubReady Concierge Services) to do my pre-sale. And they did a good job,” she says. “They got us memberships.” At that point, with a new GM hired and onboard, she didn’t see the further need for ClubReady services and moved on.

Opening … and Adjusting

With new members signed up, the studio was off to great start. “We had new employees coming in. We had new prospects coming in. We had a grand opening and everything as well,” says Rivers. Then she lost her GM. “Things were really slow and my sales just basically flatlined,” she remembers. The one thing they did still have were tons and tons of prospects in the system – just not the resources to work them properly.

At about the same time, Rivers was talking to the owner of a CycleBar studio. They were having ClubReady work their old leads. “I called the ClubReady team and asked if they offered those services. They said yes – but Club Pilates doesn’t offer that yet,” says Rivers. That didn’t stop her. “I’m going to make an executive decision,” she recalls. “I’m going to do it.” So she did — and she’s more than pleased with the results. While she has increased sales, it’s also helped her business and staff grow in a collaborative approach.

Pushing the Accelerator

Right away, the ClubReady team started working any prospect older than 30 days. “They called our prospects, reconnected with them, booked them into intro classes. And once they were booked into intro classes, my sales staff took over and picked up where they left off. And we just killed the sale,” says Rivers excitedly. Within one month coming out of the grand opening they had sold 85 new memberships. “It was insane,” recalls Rivers. “I mean we were doing well before, but we just did phenomenal after we brought in ClubReady. There was no way we could have done that on our own.”

Collective Eyes, Ears, and Brains

One of the continued advantages she has seen long after the presale stage is the access to the ClubReady team’s experience. “My GM had big box gym experience but not boutique experience,” explains Jana. “The ClubReady team has general manager experience.” That, coupled with what the ClubReady team heard while calling prospects, has enabled Jana’s team to make market adjustments they wouldn’t have considered otherwise. From changing intro class times to talking points in the sales process they were able to overcome many objections and get prospects booked.

One of those suggestions was adding Sunday classes. “We are in Texas. We were not having classes on Sunday because we didn’t think anybody wanted to go.” Prospects were telling the ClubReady team otherwise. That was just one change that kickstarted the success spiral. “Now we’re not only booking intro classes, but we started selling private training. Not only did we start selling private training, but we also started being able to do grassroots events. There was no way we could have managed those prospects like that,” according to Jana. “There was no way we would’ve known how to look at the data — and we didn’t.”

That education has spanned both the market and how to leverage their ClubReady technology. For example, in one of her conversations with the ClubReady team, she mentioned that her team had sent literally more than 800 text messages in two days. There was no way they could keep up that pace and follow up properly. The ClubReady experts pointed out the mass texting features in the ClubReady system. That enabled the team to better utilize their system, staying better connected to members without neglecting other tasks in the gym or sacrificing their personal time.

The Right Tools for the Job

When asked if she would recommend ClubReady Concierge Services, Jana has a quick answer: “100%” she says. Her perspective calls back to the question, ‘are you going to work smarter or are you going to work harder?’ Part of working smarter means investing now to get a larger return later. “One of the things about me is I have no problem spending money if it’s going to make it easier for my staff, lighten their load, and pay off in the long run. There was no way my staff could have gone back and managed over 2000 prospects. With the help of ClubReady, we did. I think you have to realize that sometimes you may be able to do it, but if another person or entity can do it better you may need to utilize their expertise.” In her experience, tapping into the knowledge of ClubRead helped point her and her GM in the right direction. That in turn enabled them to point their staff in the right direction for long-term success and why they continued to use ClubReady Concierge Service well after their initial launch.

From Start-Up to Scale-Up

ClubReady is committed to helping fitness business owners everywhere achieve their dreams, whatever they are. With the leading integrated solution in the industry, paired with expert knowledge and services, ClubReady provides the foundation and tools businesses need to succeed. Learn more about ClubReady Concierge Services or hear other customer stories.

Customer Spotlight Stats

Name: Jana Rivers
Studio(s):

• • ClubPilates – Weatherford, TX
  • CycleBar –  North Fort Worth, TX

Solution: ClubReady Concierge Services
Post Launch Success: 2,000 + old leads worked, 85 New Members in 30 days

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• Use your existing studio number! You’ve spent time and resources building familiarity and your brand with members. You don’t want to jerk the rug out from that unnecessarily.
• Your conversation history will be preserved.  Being able to look back can help determine what worked, what didn’t, and even help revive inactive members.
• Data can be transferrable. Staying compliant and recognizing how people want to be communicated with is critical – and required.
• Pricing is competitive. While having a solution might be seen as the “cost of doing business,” it shouldn’t break the business. Do they have the features, plans, and options that meet both your needs and budget.
• Training and support are provided. If you can’t use and operate the solution, everything listed above really doesn’t matter. Make sure they have experience and the resources to ensure your success.

With all of those questions answered there is still one thing to understand about migrating MMS services. While sending text messages is quick, the process of changing providers is not. There is an in-depth onboarding process that requires time and validation. By completing this, it ensures that messages sent, aren’t listed as spam, and protects consumers from unsolicited messages. Working with the customer and the carriers, this can take up to 8 weeks for approval. Listed below is the step-by-step process and timeline that ClubReady will use to onboard customers to ClubReady Connect.

1. Sign JotForm & LOA by agreed upon date.
2. Compliance and account provisioning started – Up to 6 weeks
3. Receive port date/time xxx days
4. Onboard to CR Connect for set up and training – 2-5 days
5. Go Live/start messaging – next business day after the day of port
6. First payment runs on go live date

These are critical steps necessary for the success of your business and investment. Registering your business and the types of messaging you plan to send ensures your ability to reach clients and prospects without being flagged or rejected by carriers. Planning ahead also enables you to avoid last-minute bottlenecks with onboarding or any other issues.

To learn more or get started with your migration, contact a ClubReady expert today.

The post Steps to Upgrading Your MMS Services  appeared first on ClubReady.

The post Smart Texting Tips to Connect Leads and Goals appeared first on ClubReady.

“We were able to come out of that and we’ve started working on growing and getting the systems in place to make sure that we’re servicing the volume of members that we need to be profitable and sustainable.”
Rachel Hilton, Owner

Staying Alive

With business models built on class capacity, times were clearly tough. “There was a lot of just grin and bear it,” says Hilton. “There was nothing we could do, so we just had to figure out how to be creative about selling memberships. We tried to do as many in-person things as we could that were outside, like, ‘Hey, we’re going to pop up a table outside in a park, come meet us.’” Sometimes those efforts were successful. Other times not. But they kept soldiering on and came out the other side stronger. 

“We were able to come out of that and we’ve started working on growing and getting the systems in place to make sure that we’re servicing the volume of members that we need to be profitable and sustainable,” she says.  

Building Tech Connections

When you have one studio sometimes the choice of platforms can be almost inconsequential if it does what you need. But as you add more studios, standardizing on one solution becomes critical. That is also when additional functionality becomes important. That’s what Rachel found with their texting provider. “Originally, we were using our studio phones to text, which was fine, but it wasn’t integrated obviously into Club Ready. It was really hard to keep track of everything.” That’s when a program that’s built to scale such as ClubReady  and ClubReady Connect come into play. “I like the integration into ClubReady,” said Hilton. That saves time and provides clarity for the sales team because they can do everything in one platform – send it, call people, call the leads, do what they need to do and then move on to the next person within one platform. “I’m excited for that to be seamless and real-time,” says Hilton, “when a lead can come into the system, we’re already working it to call them and then we can go straight to texting them. That’ll be really nice.” 

Measuring and reporting are critical to successfully grow any business. You have to know where you are to know where you need to go. That’s where Hilton takes a very disciplined approach. “I like the reporting side of it,” she says. “I have goal sheets with each of our studios that we update daily based on reports we pull from ClubReady. We know how many memberships we’ve sold, our revenue per unit, how many first-time visits we have coming, all of those critical things. I compile all of those important reports into one interface for our team so they know exactly how they’re tracking for the month.” 

“I like the integration into ClubReady.”
Rachel Hilton, Owner 

Creating Connections

Because fitness studios are continuously working to balance new members with those that leave, communications are critical. That means having the right message at the right time. “I like that we can schedule text messages because we do that a lot,” says Hilton. “We schedule our messages for people who are new to the studio like, ‘Hey reminder you have this class coming up, here’s your waiver.’” 

Getting people into the habit of going to the studio in those first months after they sign up is critical. If they don’t build that habit, they are much more likely to churn. To overcome that, they’ve built in challenges for the first month to make sure that members utilize their classes. Through a combination of automated text messages, hand-written notes, and personal letters at different points in their fitness journey, they work to build strong lines of communication.  Add in the other methods of milestone recognition for member achievements – signed bars, decorated bikes and other swag – and they’re creating personal relationships and loyalty that lead to member fitness and business success.  

Grow Your Fitness Business

Having the right technology in place isn’t just critical for businesses to scale as quickly as Rachel has, it’s part of the reason they’re able to scale. Check out more examples of businesses using ClubReady to scale their operations or get a consultation to learn what it can do for your operations.  

The post Midwest Owner Growing with Strength and Resiliency  appeared first on ClubReady.

Table of Contents

Jump directly to specific sections of interest

• Understanding Studio Owners
• Chris’ Journey in The Fitness Industry and Tech – 2:40
• The Evolution of Studio Management Through Time – 9:05
• Overcoming The Operational Challenges of Studios – 12:12
• How Studio Owners Can Embrace Technology – 17:11
• How Software Can Help With Leads And Growth – 22:05
• Why ClubReady Is Built For Business Growth – 33:21
• ClubReady Is Not Only For Franchises – 38:00

Want to learn more? Get an expert consultation tailored to your business.

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