BOOKING SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY EDITION
BE ’APPY “I
n some ways the physical activity industry is forward- thinking and advanced, and in other ways it’s a long
way behind enabling the consumer to consume its product in the way they like to consume, which is to look online,” says John Tucker, director of strategy and partnerships at ukactive. “If people are changing how they buy,
then we need to change how we sell,” adds Neil Harmsworth, co-founder of
payasUgym.com. “Increasingly people are buying online, and even if they don’t buy, they go online to do their research.” However, 2011 research by
communications agency McCann showed that, while most other industries were rated eight out of 10 for booking online, sport only managed three out of 10.
Consumer demand As an extension of this need to tap into online buying processes, the fitness industry also needs to get more app-savvy. According to Luxury Institute 2012, 64 per cent of affluent app users say they view brands with mobile apps more favourably. Not only that, but time spent using mobile apps is starting to challenge TV viewing, with consumers spending 127 minutes a day on them. And it’s not just about fi tting in
with customer demand: apps and booking websites offer great marketing opportunities for clubs and help ensure classes run at capacity, as well as
For years it’s been possible to book hotels and trains online from
smartphones, but not fitness classes. Now the tide is turning.
Kath Hudson looks at some of the booking sites and apps on offer
cutting queues and freeing up reception staff to do other tasks. And with a proliferation of apps and booking websites to which clubs can subscribe for a reasonable fee, it’s easier than ever to offer customers the ability to book into classes online. Pure Gym is one of the early adopters
of an app: it has already launched an app for the iPhone, with an Android version to follow later this year. The app enables users to locate the nearest Pure Gym, book and cancel classes, refer friends and access fi tness tips from personal trainers, as well as view instructional videos and other information. The experience of Huntingdonshire District Council’s One Leisure also
refl ects the growing appetite for booking online. Three months after the soft launch of online booking at one of its fi ve sites – a pilot that was carried out three years ago – 60 per cent of all class transactions were carried out and paid for online; online booking has now been rolled out to the rest of its sites. “As a business, online booking has helped us become more effi cient, as well as reducing unpaid use,” says leisure systems co-ordinator Michelle Schwick. “For customers, it saves time as they can see at a glance what’s available and swap between sites if classes are full.” Meanwhile online booking
has enabled Sport Sheffi eld, the university’s sports offering, to re- allocate resources on-site. With bookings moving online, it was able to convert the now under-used reception area into a café, creating a secondary revenue stream. When the centre started receiving a growing number of complaints about busy reception desks and telephones not being answered, it introduced an additional 50p fee for booking in person, while freezing online prices. The result was a rise in online reservations to now account for 78 per cent of all bookings – and no more queues. Facilitating class bookings online or
via an app is something clubs need to consider to stay ahead of the curve. We take a look at some of the options.
It’s currently free for venues to join spogo, with around 90,000 sport and fi tness facilities now listed 50 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital April 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
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