web
design
s u r fi n g
lessons
Nicholas Mann reviews a selection of
health and leisure operator websites
and offers his thoughts on best practice
© IST
WEBSITES REVIEWED
OCKPHO
LA FITNESS – www.lafi
tness.co.uk
VIRGIN ACTIVE –
www.virginactive.co.uk
T
O
.COM/MAMMAMAAR
DAVID LLOYD LEISURE –
www.davidlloyd.co.uk
ESPORTA –
www.esporta.com
FITNESS FIRST –
www.fitnessfirst.co.uk
HARPERS FITNESS –
www.harpersfitness.co.uk
BANNATYNE –
www.bannatyne.co.uk/fitness/
T
CHAMPNEYS –
www.champneys.co.uk
H
ealth club websites vary Here, we review a selection of health Make life simple Easy navigation of
widely, but the needs of and leisure club websites to identify a website is vital, yet it’s surprising
their audiences tend to some best practice examples and how many health clubs make
be consistent throughout provide suggestions as to how clubs and information diffi cult to access
the sector: visitors to these websites leisure centres might better shape their
are likely to be looking for information online presence. Additionally, and rather cleverly,
about the facilities and classes offered at the LA Fitness website has a menu
the club or leisure centre, the opening identifying with users that seeks to directly target the
times, costs and terms of membership, LA Fitness and Harpers Fitness more prominent needs/motivations
and online joining and bookings. demonstrate how effective a health found among a typical health club’s
It’s therefore essential that these club’s online presence can be, with each membership – ‘More Energy’, ‘Lose
details are very easy to fi nd, especially of their websites featuring easy to find, Weight’, ‘More Muscle Tone’ and so on
for new users and prospects – yet it’s clearly labelled navigation menus that are – which encourages visitors to associate
surprising how many of the websites of reinforced by big, bold buttons in the LA Fitness with their own personal
popular health club brands make it quite centre of their home pages that clearly goals. In so doing, not only will they feel
diffi cult to access this information. indicate where to find the information. as though this particular health club
empathises with and understands them,
© IST
but they’re also likely to be drawn into
OCKPHO the website to find more information
about achieving their ambitions – and
the more time they spend interacting
T
O
.COM/BEA with the brand, the more likely they are
to go on and join the club.
Image selection can also assist in
TIA BECIA
this sense of identification with the
club: operators should ensure that
the photos used on their websites
reflect their member demographics
while simultaneously delivering an
encouraging and approachable, yet
dynamic and inspiring, vision.
Operators will also want to present
their facility as an accessible, welcoming
club to any and all other potential
members – this could encompass the
Lifestyle info David Lloyd Leisure offers website visitors recipes and diet information grey market, families, ethnic minorities
58 Read Health Club Management online november/december 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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