This year has shown many fitness customers that working out from home is a great option especially when they have other factors to consider. Maybe your customer has to hire a babysitter when they want to go to the gym. Maybe the studio is a farther commute from home than it was from the office. We have heard many cases from our customers' customers on why they love working out from home. Especially now that so many of our customers offer classes online. Here's what they said:
- It's convenient and does not take extra time out of the day
- A safe distance from other class attendees
- Having their own materials or equipment which prevents from using shared equipment
- Flexibility to work out whenever you want
- Fewer distractions from other customers
However, according to a recent case study done by one of our Pilates customers, many customers are just as ready to get back into the gym as they are to continue taking online classes. There are also just as many benefits to working out in-person at a gym or studio. To name a few:
- Personal training and in-person attention and assistance from coaches
- State of the art equipment
- A reprieve from being home
- A chance to connect with other members in the class and enjoy human interaction
- Time to discuss your fitness needs and goals with your instructor in person
- Less of an opportunity to talk yourself out of working out
- Fewer distractions from things happening at home
So as a fitness owner who has now re-opened their gym, yet still has customers that want to stick to some online classes, what do you do? Create a package that includes both!
Offer your customers in-person + online memberships
Just as you create any other type of membership package, you can create one that includes both online and in-person classes. This could include offering a set number of online classes a month plus a set number of in-person classes a month. You could offer unlimited classes and give your customers the option to come to either. You could even give them the choice to come to specific classes online and specific classes in-person. All of this can be done in the membership section of your TeamUp dashboard.
If you are new to creating memberships within your dashboard these steps will also help you learn how to offer them to your customers. Let's get started.
How to create an in-person + online membership in TeamUp
To add a new membership package head to your dashboard and select the option to "Add a Membership." In this section, you will see the other packages you have available for purchase.
Once you have selected "add a new membership" you can select from the following plans and packs. Each of these selections can be customised to offer both in-person and online classes as long as you offer both.
After you have selected a package plan, fill out the fields to name and describe your class. Don't forget to mark the "for sale" option which means that this membership will be available for purchase by your customers.
In the description, you can let your customers know what the membership includes. For example,
- 10 online + 10 in-person classes
- Unlimited online + in-person classes
- 2 online classes + 2 in-person classes a week
Make sure your membership package will be visible to your customers to purchase and select for which types of customers it will be available for. Simplify the process by allowing your customer to purchase the membership themselves. Or select "contact us to purchase" if you require more information from them beforehand.
Here's where the fun part comes in! To make the membership package include both online and in-person classes all you have to do is select the class types which will be included in the membership option.
Once you select the class types you can choose to restrict the number of uses based on the length of the membership. As this membership includes 10 classes in an in-person class and 10 classes in an online class, there is the option to choose 10 of each within a 20 class limit.
Your next step is to choose the price and length of the membership package, and when your customers will be billed. You can also choose how far in advance they can cancel or whether their membership has a commitment length. If this is something you would like to decide later simply edit these fields in the future.
It's now time to hit "create plan" and get your online + in-person membership plan live. Once it is live your customers will be able to purchase. They will then be able to find it listed under their memberships in their member app.
TeamUp membership package tips
As this membership package can be different from your others, due to the in-person + online combination, we have a few tips to help make it stand out to your customers:
A clear name and description
Having a clear name and description, for example, "Online + in-person yoga membership" will let your customers know that the classes offered with this membership include both types. This will help avoid confusion between selecting either an in-person only membership or an online-only membership. You can also differentiate this option if you offer several different styles and types of classes at your gym or studio.
Customer emails
Once your membership package is available for purchase, let your customers know about it by sending them an email or message through your TeamUp dashboard. Whether it is a direct message or a mention in your newsletter, your customers will want to know this is now an option, so make sure they see it. Even better if they refer their friends and family, too!
Attractive pricing
What really gets customers' attention? Pricing. They want to know how much your classes cost and use that information to help make their decisions. Give this membership an attractive price that customers will see as affordable, reasonable, and beneficial. You can find the best tips for this in our gym pricing guide.
Why you should offer this type of membership
As laws and regulations are constantly changing with the evolving situation, it's normal that both you and your customers may have some concerns or hesitations regarding in-person commitments. Giving your customers the option to attend a combination of in-person classes and online classes, or one or the other, will help them feel comfortable coming to class. It will also help you ensure that you are connecting with as many of your customers as possible and meeting their needs in the gym or from their homes. No matter where they are you can still help them make their fitness journey a priority.
Looking for tips on connecting with your customers both online and in-person? Check out our guides to motivating your customers to come to class online and encouraging your customers to come to in-person classes. Find even more resources on running your fitness business, here.
Thanks for reading!