How To Make A Sales Funnel For Gyms
Fitness businesses face unique challenges in converting interested prospects into committed members who stay long-term. A well-designed sales funnel can help gym owners attract ideal clients, showcase their unique training approach, and convert free trials into monthly memberships. This guide will show you how to build, market, and implement a sales funnel specifically for your gym or fitness business.
If you're a gym owner or fitness entrepreneur looking to increase memberships and streamline your client acquisition process, there are several excellent platforms that can help you build effective fitness-focused sales funnels without requiring extensive technical knowledge.
The first step to making your gym sales funnel is choosing the right platform. However, selecting from numerous options can be overwhelming, especially when you're focused on training clients and managing your facility. Keep reading this guide to see our suggested picks and a step-by-step guide to making a sales funnel for your gym.
The Best Platforms For Gym Sales Funnels
When choosing a platform for your gym sales funnel, you need specific features that address the unique needs of fitness marketing. The ideal platform should include before/after showcasing capabilities, fitness assessment tools, trial offer promotion, and membership signup integration. It should also help you nurture leads who aren't ready to commit immediately. Based on these requirements, we've ranked the top 5 platforms for gym sales funnels:
1. ClickFunnels
Get started with ClickFunnels (Free Trial) ๐
ClickFunnels offers fitness businesses a comprehensive solution with templates specifically designed for gym lead generation and member acquisition. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create multi-step funnels that showcase transformation stories, promote free trials, and convert prospects into members. ClickFunnels integrates with popular gym management software and payment processors while offering powerful follow-up capabilities. It provides a 14-day free trial to test all features.
2. Unbounce
Get started with Unbounce (Free Trial) ๐
Unbounce provides gyms with highly customizable landing pages perfect for promoting specific fitness programs like weight loss challenges, strength training, or group classes. Its Smart Traffic feature automatically directs potential members to the landing page variant where they're most likely to convert based on their fitness goals. Unbounce excels at A/B testing different offers and messaging to optimize conversion rates.
3. Leadpages
Get Started with Leadpages (Free Trial) ๐
Leadpages offers user-friendly templates ideal for gym lead generation. Its alert bars and pop-ups are effective for promoting limited-time offers like free trials or fitness challenges. Leadpages makes it easy to create lead magnets such as “Beginner's Workout Guides” or “Nutrition Plans” that provide value while capturing prospect information for follow-up.
4. Instapage
Get started with Instapage (Free Trial) ๐
Instapage allows fitness businesses to create personalized landing pages for different workout programs or member segments. Its collaboration features make it easy for fitness teams to work together on campaign creation. Instapage's heatmap analytics help identify which fitness offers or transformations attract the most attention from potential members.
5. Optimizepress
Get started with Optimizepress (Subscription) ๐
Optimizepress is a WordPress-based solution that offers gyms a versatile platform for creating fitness-focused sales funnels. Its integration with WordPress makes it ideal for gyms that already have WordPress websites. Optimizepress includes templates specifically designed for fitness professionals and membership sites.
Conclusion
After evaluating multiple platforms, ClickFunnels stands out as the best choice for gym owners due to its fitness-specific templates, member acquisition focus, and powerful follow-up capabilities. While it requires a monthly investment, the potential return through converted memberships makes it worthwhile for growth-focused fitness businesses.
However, if you're working with a limited budget, Leadpages provides an excellent alternative with many essential features at a lower price point.
Now that we have identified our top choice, let's show you how to make a gym sales funnel using ClickFunnels.
How to Make a Sales Funnel for Gyms Using ClickFunnels
Building an effective gym sales funnel involves showcasing transformation results, addressing common fitness concerns, and providing a clear path to getting started. The following steps will guide you through making a funnel that converts fitness-curious prospects into committed members.
Step 1: Sign Up for ClickFunnels
Create your account and take advantage of the 14-day free trial to explore all features before committing.
Step 2: Define Your Gym's Unique Positioning
Before building your funnel:
- Clarify your gym's unique training methodology or approach
- Identify your ideal client demographic and fitness goals
- Understand their primary fitness challenges and objections
- Determine what motivates them to start (and continue) exercising
- Compile your best client transformation stories and results
- This clarity will guide your funnel messaging and offers
Step 3: Make Your Lead Generation Landing Page
- Add a compelling headline addressing a specific fitness desire (e.g., “Lose 20 Pounds Without Giving Up Your Favorite Foods”)
- Include a brief video showcasing your gym atmosphere and training style
- Add before/after photos of real members with permission
- Feature testimonials highlighting specific results and experiences
- Offer a valuable lead magnet (workout guide, meal plan, or assessment)
- Create a simple form to capture basic information and fitness goals
- Include social proof elements like member counts, years in business, or certification badges
Step 4: Design Your Lead Magnet Delivery Page
After prospects submit their information:
- Thank them for their interest in improving their fitness
- Provide immediate access to your promised resource
- Include a brief video expanding on their fitness goals and common obstacles
- Add educational content showing your expertise and approach
- Feature a limited-time trial offer (free week, discounted assessment, etc.)
- Make it easy to claim the offer directly from this page
- Add urgency elements like countdown timers or limited spots
Step 5: Build Your Fitness Assessment Funnel
Create an interactive experience that:
- Asks about current fitness level, goals, and experience
- Collects information about schedule availability and commitment level
- Identifies potential limitations or special considerations
- Provides immediate value through personalized recommendations
- Sets expectations about the assessment process
- Creates a clear path to scheduling their first visit
- Captures additional contact information for follow-up
Step 6: Make Your Trial Offer Booking Page
Design a page that:
- Outlines exactly what the trial includes (classes, coaching, etc.)
- Shows the regular value compared to the special offer price
- Explains what makes your gym different from competitors
- Addresses common concerns (intimidation, not knowing what to do, etc.)
- Includes FAQs about getting started
- Features a simple scheduling calendar for their first visit
- Adds testimonials specifically from beginners who were once hesitant
Step 7: Develop Your New Member Onboarding Sequence
Create a structured system for first-time visitors:
- Pre-visit email with preparation instructions and what to expect
- Warm welcome process for their first visit
- Initial assessment and goal-setting procedure
- Introductory session with minimal overwhelm
- Immediate win experience to build confidence
- Clear explanation of membership options
- Smooth transition from trial to membership
Step 8: Implement Follow-up Email Sequences
Set up automated email campaigns for:
- Trial users who haven't converted yet
- Prospects who downloaded resources but didn't book trials
- New members in their first 30 days (critical for retention)
- Milestone celebrations and progress check-ins
- Reengagement for members with declining attendance
- Nutrition and lifestyle tips to support fitness goals
- Community events and challenge announcements
Step 9: Make Segmented Program Funnels
Develop separate funnel paths for different fitness offerings:
- Weight loss/body transformation programs
- Strength and performance training
- Group fitness classes
- Personal training packages
- Specialty programs (seniors, youth, pre/post-natal, etc.)
- Each with tailored content, testimonials, and specific fitness outcomes
Step 10: Build Your Membership Conversion System
Design a streamlined process for converting trials to memberships:
- Success session to review trial experience and results
- Clear presentation of membership options and benefits
- Handling of common objections with prepared responses
- Easy sign-up process with digital contracts
- Payment processing with secure autopay setup
- New member welcome kit and orientation
- Goal-setting session for long-term success
Step 11: Develop Referral Generation Funnels
Create systems for member referrals:
- Success milestone celebrations that prompt referral conversations
- Transformation recognition that increases member sharing
- Structured referral programs with clear incentives
- “Bring a friend” events and buddy workout opportunities
- Social media sharing campaigns for member achievements
- Testimonial collection and permission workflows
- Community building activities that naturally increase referrals
Step 12: Measure, Test, and Optimize
Track key metrics to continuously improve performance:
- Lead magnet download rates by type
- Trial offer conversion percentages
- Show rate for scheduled assessments
- Trial-to-membership conversion rates
- Member retention at 30, 60, and 90 days
- Average member lifetime value
- Cost per acquisition by marketing channel
By following these steps with ClickFunnels, gym owners can make an effective sales funnel that attracts qualified prospects, showcases transformation possibilities, converts trials into memberships, and maximizes retention through proper onboarding. This systematic approach not only increases member acquisition efficiency but also improves the quality of members through better targeting and expectation setting.