Struggling to earn recurring revenue as an online fitness trainer? We’ll share a list of the top five online membership software options to help you solve that problem.
If you’re a fitness trainer who has decided to transition your business to an online entity, you probably know that the industry is booming right now.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have changed their lifestyles (work and wellness) to be more flexible, convenient, and rewarding for them. This includes changing their gym routines from in-studio to virtual sessions. And people love them!
Here’s the proof: Did you know that the online fitness industry is projected to reach $59.23 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 33.1% (2020-2027)? It’s one of the fastest-growing industries globally, and it’s expected to keep growing.
But why hasn’t it slowed down since the (dare we say) end of the pandemic?
Well, the answer to that is quite simple. People want to focus more on wellness and see the value in working out online. So, naturally, fitness instructors have transitioned to working online. But some trainers struggle to get recurring revenue from their students.
Online membership software can help with this. In this article, we’ll discuss exactly what your fitness training management software should be providing you and the top five platforms which can help you attain recurring income without fuss or frustration.
What is Fitness Training Management Software?
Fitness training management software is a cloud-based technology that is used to manage fitness sessions and facilities efficiently online.
A premium membership site software for trainers should be able to take care of all operational matters for the business, including administration, memberships, payments, customer data, marketing, and content management.
These features allow fitness business owners to keep in touch with their members, and find leads via promotional campaigns, cross-selling, and upselling to members. Website membership management software also helps you manage referral campaigns and retain members through constant communication via the platform.
Gym owners can also view bookings and class schedules at any time, allowing them to be on top of what’s coming next. Members can also easily register and check in for yoga or spin class with you via a member portal.
In a nutshell, membership site software helps you with every operational element of your business – giving you the time to do what you best – train others!
What are the Essential Features of the Best Fitness Management Software?
Depending on which one of the best membership website software you choose to go with, you’ll be privy to specific features. Each fitness membership program software is designed differently, and its core features must be taken into account before signing up with one.
It’s also important to look at what type of features will suit your specific gym or fitness business. Remember that not all gyms need the same type of marketing features or online class management style. By analyzing what you need and adding a few more essential features to your list, you’ll quickly be able to see which platform is the right one for you.
Here are five essential features your online membership software should offer you:
1. Member management
You should be able to view all your member information in one spot. This page within the platform should be able to show you a member’s personal data as well as information about their membership;
- When did they sign up?
- What type of membership plan are they on?
- Have they renewed before?
- What type of classes do they attend?
- Have they upgraded previously?
- Do they purchase any apparel or other products?
The online gym membership software should allow you to upload additional member information from a spreadsheet. But free membership site software may not allow you to do this as it is considered a premium feature.
2. Class scheduling and gym bookings
The best membership site software options allow you to schedule your classes within the platform. You can simply view a calendar to see your present and future classes. The bookings should be able to be viewed on a calendar, as a session list, or via appointment.
This is a vital part of your online membership software because it’s the area that will help you manage your time wisely and not double-book yourself or your team. You can also update or delete sessions as you wish.
Each class should have the following information:
- Date and time
- Customer information
- Class name
- Class type
- Trainer information
- Duration
- Recurring event information (if applicable)
3. Billing management
Your billing dashboard should provide you with all your gym’s financials which are processed through the online membership software. With reporting features, you should be able to view graphs or tables showcasing your revenue over a specific period.
A transaction list is also handy and is extremely valuable when trying to track your revenue versus expenses. It’s also a good tool to help you understand when you make the most money, when you retrieve new members, and when members drop off.
The billing section should also inform you of all the recent payments, outstanding payments, and payment history.
4. Online sales and eCommerce
This feature is often one that gets forgotten, but it shouldn’t be because eCommerce can be one of the most rewarding features for fitness trainers. Why? Well, the answer is quite simple – it’s an additional revenue stream! And who doesn’t want to broaden the areas of revenue when it comes to business?
By offering merchandise to members, you’re enticing them and equipping them to train better. Some of the best membership website software options allow you to sell physical and digital products. In contrast, most platforms don’t offer eCommerce, or if they do, they only provide digital products as an option.
Your membership program software should allow you to:
- Have an online store
- Fulfill orders
- Manage your taxation
- Manage shipping and dispatching
- Provide shipping updates to members
- Manage stock count
5 Best Fitness Training Management Software in 2022
We’ve collated the best gym management software there is out there today. These five options each have their own unique selling points and features. But they all do a great job of managing your fitness business needs, boosting overall membership, and consequently increasing recurring revenue.
1. PushPress
PushPress is known to be one of the most popular free membership software options out there. You can, of course, upgrade to a paid version of the platform to unlock advanced features if you wish to. The platform works well for fitness owners because it allows them to manage clients and staff. You can customize PushPress with integrations and add-ons too.
PushPress is one of the top online membership software choices because it actively works to get more members signed up. It does this with the use of online registration forms and accessible payment processing features.
The mobile app allows you to plan and manage your schedule and allows clients to check in whenever needed. PushPress is used among personal trainers and is a credible platform, even if you choose to use only the free version.
Key feature: Offers a free plan to clients, unlike other fitness management software.
Pricing:
Free option
Pro: $159/mo.
Max: $229/mo.
2. Zenplanner
Zen Planner is slightly different from PushPress in that it acts as a website manager and a fitness business management software all in one. The software is designed for scalability and works for smaller entrepreneurial fitness businesses as well as full-scale and larger gyms.
You can do many things on Zen Planner, which helps remove the mundane tasks in a typical day. These include automating billing cycles, allowing members to use self-service features, letting clients reserve their classes, and checking in on their own. This saves you time and will enable you to prep for lessons instead of being bogged down with administrative tasks.
Zen Planner also offers clients an online workout tracker, which acts as great motivation for members. You can handle marketing and CRM efforts from the platform too.
Key feature: Offers self-check-in services to members.
Pricing:
Software usage: $121/mo.
Pricing is based on the number of active members you have.
3. Mastera
Mastera is a modern video experience platform that is designed with affordability and agility in mind. The founders of Mastera have vast years of experience in the fitness and wellness industry, so the platform is geared toward working impeccably for fitness trainers and the like.
Firstly, the platform is much more affordable than other premium fitness management software. But Mastera really comes to life in a few key areas. One of those is the effortless booking system. Administrators and teachers can schedule sessions, live classes, and appointments from their dashboard. The calendar view allows you to see upcoming schedules and plan your week ahead of time.
Mastera also has real-time customer messaging available. You can chat with clients via SMS or email and create individual or group chats. This is a great way of building a community within your member base. The platform is also eCommerce-friendly, where you can sell, track, ship, and manage physical and digital merchandise.
Email and SMS marketing is available and can be done quickly with the use of ready-made templates. You can also track and monitor billing and payments via your dashboard. Best of all, Mastera is a premium platform when it comes to video streaming – it’s seamless!
Key feature: Offers real-time communication with clients, seamless live streaming, and advanced eCommerce features for an affordable price.
Pricing:
14-day free trial
Starter: $39/mo.
Premium: $99/mo.
Elite: $199/mo.
Enterprise: Get a consultation for an in-depth price
4. TeamUp
TeamUp is designed to help fitness trainers streamline their fitness management processes. This is done by providing trainers with a specific set of features.
TeamUp lets customers create and edit fitness bookings directly from your website.
While this occurs, business owners can make bookings for multiple instructors doing multiple classes across various class types. The booking system is really quite advanced in this membership site software.
The platform also allows you to have unlimited instructors, which is extremely valuable if you’re a larger online fitness studio. TeamUp also offers eCommerce capabilities should you wish to add that to your site. The platform’s integration with Mailchimp and other mailing systems is also handy for email marketing capabilities. You can also have peace of mind that all your payments and recurring billing gets done via the software.
Key feature: Offers advanced multiple booking functionality.
Pricing:
Pay for active customers only, starting at $69/mo.
5. GloFox
Glofox is one of the most popular fitness management platforms out there today. This solution has some excellent sales and marketing features and works well for gyms of any size, although they do work with many larger gym franchises.
You can do advanced membership management on Glofox while planning your class schedules and managing your plans and billing. Like all the others on this list, the platform allows you to accept payments through it and analyze your performance via reporting features.
But where Glofox really shines is within the sales and marketing realm. You can automate notifications and create targeted leads through the platform. These sales tools are effective if you want to carefully track each lead and be sure to interact with prospects at precisely the appropriate time.
Key feature: Offers advanced automated sales and marketing capabilities.
Pricing:
Get pricing after a consultation.
Online Membership Software: Enabling You to Train More Members and Earn More Revenue While Saving Time
As fitness trainers, we understand that you have very little time to worry about mundane administrative tasks like following up on payments, tracking customer information and whether your live stream will glitch.
We’re also here to tell you that with premium fitness membership software, you don’t have to worry about these things. Just think about it – you can focus on your training schedules, programs, and marketing content while your reliable membership site software helps you do the rest. It’s a no-brainer. And for just a few dollars a month, your fitness business can turn into a well-oiled machine.
All you have to do is ensure that you focus on your clients, create unique and valuable fitness content, and market your business using the right digital channels.
So, if you’re ready to start using the right online membership software for your fitness business, reach out to us. Our Mastera team members will be more than happy to schedule a demo with you and show you just what a premium online gym membership software should be doing for you.
Co-Founder, Gleantap & Mastera