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Today’s most successful businesses are driven by data. Consumers readily hand over their data with nearly every internet activity in which they partake. With search engine algorithms, social media, and e-commerce collecting data at every turn, there is no escaping how useful it is to businesses.
Every business in every industry should be jumping at the chance to collect this information from consumers. Many people in the fitness industry overlook how important this information is and fail to see where it can be used to drive growth. However, it just takes a little bit of digging to see what incredible value fitness data analytics offers and why every gym needs it.
The Case for a Data-Driven Approach
Fitness technology has made just as many advancements as any other tech-driven industry, and fitness professionals have leaned into the changes with gusto. However, despite their readiness to adapt to technological changes, fitness professionals often lag when it comes to using data analytics to improve their businesses. In fact, it is estimated that over 30% of senior business executives in the industry are uncomfortable accessing and using consumer data as part of their business-building tool kit.
Despite their hesitation, these same professionals expect data analytics to become business pillars that will operate their gyms in the future. The future is right now. Below are some key reasons why fitness professionals should be adapting a data-driven approach today.
Better Understand Your Customers
The biggest source of information for data analytics in any industry is consumer behavior. For the fitness industry this means identifying and recording patterns in the business such as times of the year that people book certain classes, types of workouts they choose, whether the workouts chosen are related to the classes they book, and other consumable purchasing habits.
Insights like these help gym owners get a sense of what their customers want. Not only can they rise to meet these needs, but they can change marketing campaigns, club offerings, and other sales strategies to drive member acquisition and retention.
Make Informed Decisions
Making strong business decisions is best done using hard data. These decisions can include what services to offer, how to price these services, and what is the best area to market the business. Unfortunately, it is common for gym owners to make these decisions based on what they think would work best or their own intuitions. Decisions made this way end up costing them in the long run, whereas data-driven decisions end up boosting business.
One of the key ways that fitness professionals can make better decisions about their businesses is to use data to predict future trends. These trends can be anywhere from when memberships naturally spike to what classes are most popular at what time of year. Customer data can show what strategies work best and help save time and resources by developing more effective marketing campaigns and business solutions.
Improve the Customer Experience
Not only does collecting and using consumer data help expand the business, but it provides value for the consumer as well. Using this information helps gym owners get to know their customers on a more personal level and provide them with services that meet their needs. The result is an overall improved customer experience that raises the reputation of the gym and fosters member retention and gym loyalty.
Increase Member Acquisition with an Expanded Reach
Hard consumer data helps fitness club owners identify important information about consumer habits, especially when they interact with the club’s website or social media channels. Gym owners can gather vital information about who engages with the club’s content, the channel on which consumers are engaging, what type of content has higher engagement rates, and who signs up for a membership. This information offers incredible insights into the personas of those who sign up and helps gym owners tailor their message, content, and delivery according to what consumers want most.
Offer Targeted Fitness Programs
One of the biggest technological advancements to hit the fitness industry is the popularity of fitness wearables, such as the Apple Watch. Gyms that create apps that are compatible with these wearables can have key members connect and share their fitness metrics through their wearable devices.
This is a mutually beneficial arrangement where members can have their workout information logged on their devices and fitness clubs can use the information to tailor the member’s experience of the facility. For example, fitness professionals can monitor where members are in their journey and offer the classes, services, or products that will improve their experience and results based on that information.
Use Marketing and Sales Resources More Efficiently
Gym data analytics gives gym owners deep insights into how members find out about the gym, how they sign up for a membership, where they go to sign up, and more. This information helps owners identify where their marketing money is being best spent, as well as what marketing efforts turn up sub-par results. This way, the gym’s marketing dollars are being used in the most efficient and results-driven manner possible.
Outperform the Competition
Member data helps gym owners fully understand the habits, desires, preferences, and goals of the people who hold memberships at their facilities. This information allows them to offer personalized content, experiences, classes, discounts and offers that the competition does not provide. Identifying patterns in what members love and hate about a gym can help gym owners understand where their business shines versus where it could use improvement.
The result of this is an experience that is continually optimized to meet the needs of a gym’s members. Gyms that use a data-driven approach to make decisions and improve member experience have a significant advantage over the competition.
Fitness Analytics Will Boost Sales and Grow the Business
Understanding gym data analytics and reporting is an essential tool that is often overlooked by fitness professionals. This information gives powerful insights into a gym’s performance that can be used to generate more business and improve member retention.
