Creating an omni-channel experience in fitness can make all the difference for your members.

From increased satisfaction to enhanced loyalty and reduced churn, building an effective blend of in-person and digital touchpoints both meets current member expectations and sets up your business for long-term success.

But what does this look like in practice? It’s one thing to recognize the increasing impact of omnichannel approaches — it’s another endeavor entirely to deliver experiences that resonate with members. Miss the mark, and your efforts may have the opposite effect. In this piece, we’ll explore the impact of well-crafted omni-channel experiences, offer actionable insight for technology integration, and speak to the critical role of the human touch in omni-channel efforts.

That’s our warm-up done — let’s hit the heavy lifting.

More than 70 million Americans are members of fitness facilities. This represents 23.7% of the population ages six and older, and these numbers have seen steady growth over the past few years.

The top challenge for fitness organizations? Retention.  Data from the Health and Fitness Association shows that 33% of members quit in the first 12 months. While companies may recoup at least some of this lost revenue through year-long plans or fees for early cancellation, they lose out on the continuous revenue streams tied to loyal customers that return year after year.

In part, these retention issues are tied to how members interact with fitness facilities. Gone are the days of in-person gyms as the primary location for fitness experiences. Today, fitness consumers use a combination of mobile applications, open gyms, scheduled classes, and wearable technologies to get the most from their memberships.

Creating an omni-channel experience helps fitness facilities meet consumers where they are, rather than asking members to make the first move. Not only is this good for retention, but it also boosts total revenue. According to research from Deloitte, omni-channel customers spend 1.5 times more per month than their single-channel counterparts. For fitness companies, this could mean extra classes or one-on-one training sessions booked. It could mean members are willing to pay monthly for personalized mobile apps that track their progress and help them better navigate their fitness journey.

Put simply, integrating omni-channel experiences is a competitive advantage — if gyms get it right. Learn how you can build these for your organization with the help of SogoCX, our customer experience platform that drives retention and growth.

Why Omni-Channel Matters in Fitness

Nearly 1/3 of American adults use a wearable device to track and manage their fitness. What’s more, 80% of these adults would be willing to share information from their device with their doctor if it could help support their health goals.

For fitness organizations, this speaks to the changing preferences of members. Single-track fitness is no longer enough. Instead, members want the ability to get fit anywhere, anytime, and capture data that shows their progress over time. This is the first big “why” of omni-channel fitness — it helps companies better connect with members at every stage of their fitness journey.

Improved engagement comes next. Survey data found that 20% of members who quit the gym said it was because they were too tired or stressed to continue, while 15% said they didn’t have time to go anymore, and 7% said they simply didn’t like the experience. Creating and supporting omni-channel touchpoints helps companies connect with members at home, on the road, or in the gym, in turn improving engagement and reducing the risk of churn.

Finally, omni-channel approaches can negate common pain points. Consider an old-school gym that takes bookings for workout classes in person and by phone. If members sign up but class times or locations change, some participants may not be notified, resulting in them wasting time and effort to show up and be turned away. Using a central booking app, meanwhile, makes it easy for members to sign up at any time, and lets management quickly push out any updates to times, dates, or instructors.

Mapping the Member Journey Across Touchpoints

While every member is different, they often share similar paths from initial interest to engagement to sign-up and retention. Creating a seamless customer journey starts by identifying key physical and digital touchpoints, such as:

• Signup

Member signups should be available in person, online, or via mobile applications.

• Onboarding

Schedule new member onboarding via online portals to streamline the process.

• Class scheduling

Let members sign up for classes using in-gym kiosks, mobile apps, or by visiting the front desk in person.

• Trainer interactions

Facilitate trainer interactions with automated email responses, built-in chat platforms, and push notifications.

• Mobile applications

Create custom mobile applications that let members track their progress over time, in and out of the gym.

• Account management

Build account portals that make it easy for members to manage their membership status and renew their enrollment.

Next, businesses need to recognize the role of consistency in keeping members interested. Key areas of consistency include:

• Marketing tone

Is your tone funny? Serious? Authoritative? Whatever your choice, make sure it’s consistent.

• User experience elements

Your website, mobile application, and any other digital experiences should share key elements such as color, font, and layout.

• Brand messaging

Your brand should be immediately identifiable, no matter how members connect. This means consistent messaging across social media sites, search results, websites, and applications,

This sets the stage for a streamlined member journey from initial search to sign-up. Here’s what this might look like in practice:

Step 1: Prospective members looking for a new fitness facility search for options in their area. Because you’ve invested in creating a consistent brand tone and using SEO best practices, your business shows up near the top of the search engine results page.

Step 2: Potential members visit your website to learn more about your brand. They see consistent visual and text elements that are easy to read and understand, letting them find what they’re looking for quickly.

Step 3: Visitors fill out and submit your contact form. This information is sent to your outreach team, who connect with customers using their preferred contact method. This could be email, text, phone call, or an in-person meeting.

Step 4: New members sign their contract and begin their journey. They’re directed to your member portal, where they create a digital account that lets them access gym news, schedules, and sign up for classes.

Step 5: Members download your mobile app to sign up for classes wherever, whenever. They also use in-gym kiosks to check upcoming schedules or sign up for training sessions.

Step 6: Using their personalized account platform, members renew or extend their membership.

Integrating Tech for a Frictionless Experience

Fitness technology integration is critical in creating a frictionless experience. Must-have tools include:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions

CRM tools track data such as member interactions, account status, and use of gym facilities, classes, and training sessions over time.

• Fitness applications

Fitness apps that work with mobile and wearable devices help members track their progress while staying connected to your gym.

• Email automations

Using email automation, teams can send out reminders of upcoming classes, sessions, or membership promotions.

• In-gym kiosks

In-gym kiosks let members sign up for classes and stay informed about gym news, such as machines under repair, upcoming competitions, or changes to operating hours.

• AI tools

AI tools can help answer member questions 24/7/365, freeing up staff to complete other tasks. Research firm Gartner predicts that by 2028, 70% of customer service journeys will both begin and end with conversational AI.

The goal of these tools is to work in tandem. For example, businesses can use mobile applications to let members check in digitally rather than using the front desk. Members and trainers then receive notifications of upcoming training sessions via purpose-built CRM tools, and can communicate in real time using centralized chat platforms.

In practice, this approach helps drive key performance indicators (KPIs) such as reduced member complaints, improved class and session attendance, and enhanced fitness member retention.

Personalization and the Human Touch in Omni-Channel

Technology sets the stage for success in digital fitness engagement. Personalization and the human touch help seal the deal. Why? Because fitness is inherently personal. Every member is different — they have different goals, different needs, and take different paths to achieve their goals.

As a result, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to member satisfaction. Instead, gyms need to take a personalized approach to interactions that combines automation with the human touch. For example, this could include personalized push notifications after a workout to show support for members or highlight personal best achievements. It could also take the form of AI-driven class recommendations based on member history and personal data (used with permission), or one-on-one trainer messages that keep members engaged.

When in doubt, remember E-E-A-T: Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Experience and expertise come from your trainers and other staff members. Authoritativeness is demonstrated both by knowledge and your ability to communicate that knowledge, such as through the use of apps, websites, kiosks, and member accounts. Finally, trustworthiness is tied to personalized, human interactions — experiences that make members feel seen and valued.

From Strength to Strength: Making the Most of Omni-Channel Experiences

Omni-channel experiences help gyms connect with prospective members, retain current members, and improve overall customer satisfaction. As a result, these experiences are now a key part of any fitness business strategy.

But going from strength training to strong engagement doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a concerted effort to connect with members in person, facilitate in-gym digital interactions, and create mobile experiences that keep members coming back.

FAQs

What is an omni-channel experience in fitness?

In fitness, an omni-channel experience means creating multiple connected touchpoints that members can use to connect with your business to receive updates, schedule classes, and manage their memberships.

How can fitness businesses improve member retention?

Businesses can improve member retention by ensuring that omni-channel touchpoints provide consistent messaging and are always available.

Which technologies help build seamless fitness journeys?

Technologies such as mobile applications, in-gym kiosks, personalized account portals, and mobile applications all contribute to seamless fitness journeys.

Why is personalization important in fitness experiences?

Personalization is important in fitness experiences because the act of exercise and self-improvement is inherently personal. By ensuring interactions are inherently human, companies can enhance member satisfaction and improve retention.

How do digital and in-person touchpoints work together?

In-person and digital touchpoints are complementary. For example, members might sign up for a class using in-gym kiosks, then modify their booking using a mobile app. They may connect with staff using on-site chat portals, then schedule in-person training sessions.