It’s important to have a great website for new clients to explore. In our technology driven world, this is your new front desk and receptionist. Your website is the “first face” people see when they virtually visit your business. It’s important to make a good first impression. 

People expect a great website. Face to face sales are dwindling while online sales climb. Don’t worry about the change. This is a good thing! Your website saves you time, because potential clients can view it on their schedule any time of the day. Outreach possibilities are better than ever. 

Navigating your website should be easy. With so many websites out there, new clients will quickly lose interest if it’s difficult to navigate. Websites that are challenging to use result in fewer sales and lower customer satisfaction. Don’t let this be your website—perform an audit to ensure you’re generating sales with a top notch website.

How to audit your studio’s website

Visit your website as if you’re a potential client. Browse around and put yourself in their shoes. Be unbiased—what’s your gut feeling about it? Is there a clear path for a new client to follow? Ask yourself the following 7 questions and then revamp it to turn more clicks into clients.

#1 Who Is Your Business?

The first step of your website audit is analyzing the “who” of your business. Who are you and who are your clients? Then make sure your website reflects that. 

Let's start with your logo. It should be:

• Identifiable and Unique (Make it stand out)
• Standalone (If it’s in the top left corner, nothing else is in that corner)
• Large (large enough, don’t overdo it)
• Readable (Clear font, nothing too crazy)
  

Once it’s clear who you are, think about your clients. Make it clear what community you serve. New members need to know they’re in the right place to buy from you. 

Take your homepage visuals into consideration: 

• Represent your clients well
• Represent your business atmosphere 
• Avoid stock photos 
• Keep aesthetics and color scheme in mind
  

Be authentic in who the business is and who it serves. An effective homepage visual should transport the visitor into your studio. The vibe and environment should translate. 

#2 What is Your Business?

Within seconds it should be obvious what you offer. Use straightforward language—this doesn’t call for creativity. If your core service is yoga class, the words “yoga classes” should be present on your homepage. This will ensure there’s SEO (search engine optimization) to land people on your page. 

Try adding your core service in the subheading under your main headline (we will get to headlines soon). Clarity is key!

#3 Where is Your Business?

This may seem simple but it’s worth pointing out. Make sure your location is obvious. It needs to be on your homepage and known within seconds of landing on the page. This, again, will act as local SEO. 

Google will suggest your business to those looking for similar services in your area. Try adding your location next to your plainly stated core service. Don’t leave someone guessing where you are. Make yourself easy to find. 

#4 Why Your Business?

You need a great headline to hook the reader. It tells the potential client why they should choose you. Make it client focused—put yourself into their shoes. If you're a fitness studio that mainly services middle aged women you could point out their busy life. Your headline should paint your business as an oasis away from it all, or a place to recharge and reset. Whatever your unique hook is—call it out in your headline.

Don’t forget to align with your studio's true atmosphere (i.e if you’re a CrossFit gym, you probably shouldn’t describe it as a relaxing oasis). Scan through your homepage. Is it engaging or flat? Does it encourage the browser to start a relationship with you? If not, revisit your wording.

#5 How do I Book?

Booking a service should be easy. It should be clear to the user how to do it. It would be a shame to lose a client who is ready to purchase because of a difficult booking process. 

Try this to make the journey user friendly:

• Add a clear button on the home page
• Add a pop of color (within your color scheme, it should pop not scream) to catch the eye
• Use concise wording - i.e “book now”, “schedule a session”, or “attend a class”
  

If you offer private instruction or personal training, this should be obvious too. Try adding it as an optional page/underlying link at the top of your home page. Both paths should be clear for the navigator. Go through the website yourself and make sure it’s easy to book classes and one-on-one services. 

#6 How do I Buy?

Think of a service you offer and try to buy it. Was the process simple? How many clicks did it take to buy your service? Can you reduce the number? The harder it is to purchase, the fewer people will make the effort. 

Keep these buying factors in mind when performing your audit:

• Pricing should be clear, people need to evaluate their budget
• Services of various price points should all have their own button
• Make it clear how the prospect makes a purchase—don’t be button shy on your services page
• Try it yourself. Were there any issues when purchasing? Eliminate any annoying friction. 
• Limit the process to 3 clicks max if possible

#7 How do I Begin?

New clients are difficult to get. People are weary of where they spend their money. An intro offer can stifle the hesitation that comes with trying something new. It takes some of the risk and overwhelm out of the decision. This intro offer becomes the only big decision new clients will contemplate as they browse. 

The offer button should be present on the home page and the services page. Take this one step further and add a “Start Here” or “New Client” page. This could be an opportunity to add testimonials, FAQs, and deal sweeteners to make their decision easier. Do not over clutter this process—clarity is key! Keep up the clear, clickable buttons.

Bonus: Design check 

After your full website audit, make sure the aesthetics are in order. Clarity is key. Stick to your color scheme, use a clear font, and make sure your text is readable (dark text on light background or light text on dark background). Remember to keep everything purposeful—blank space is ok! 

Here are tips to an aesthetically pleasing website:

• Cohesive throughout pages; same fonts and colors
• 1-2 Fonts 
• 2-4 colors
• No big paragraphs of text
• Use bullets, headlines, and formatting
• Concise wording
• Remember: people are probably on their phone not a computer

An effective website should be inviting, not overwhelming

Using the 7 questions above as guidelines, give your website an honest look. Then work to create a clear path for website browsers to become clients. By eliminating roadblocks and making essential information easy to find, you’ll not only increase conversions, but will also show your audience that you value their time.