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How to Sell Fitness Programs Online [2024]

Last updated: January 23, 2024

In today’s digital age, more and more people are turning to online platforms to buy products and services. The fitness industry is no exception, and selling fitness programs online has become an increasingly popular way for fitness professionals to reach a larger audience and grow their businesses. In fact, revenue from digital fitness and well-being in the United States alone is expected to show continuous growth with a projected market volume of US$24.79bn by 2027

In this blog post, we will discuss some tips on how to sell fitness programs, as well as tips to create online fitness programs that sell.

Here’s a quick list of things we’ll cover:

Why Sell Fitness Plans Online

 how to sell fitness programs online

There are several reasons why selling fitness programs online can be a smart decision for your business:

  • Wider Reach: By selling fitness programs online, you can reach a larger audience than you would be able to with a physical location. Your potential customers are not limited to those in your immediate geographic area, which means you can potentially sell to people all over the world.
  • Lower Overhead Costs: Running an online business generally has lower overhead costs than running a gym or brick-and-mortar business. You don’t need to rent a physical space or hire as many staff members, which means you can save on expenses.
  • Convenience: Offering fitness programs online is convenient for both you and your customers. Your customers can access your programs anytime, anywhere, and you can run your business from anywhere with an internet connection. According to 72% of consumers, they prefer online fitness as it is more flexible as they can join a class whenever they want, rather than working around a gym’s hours and busiest times.
  • Scalability: Selling fitness programs online allows you to scale your business more easily. You can create digital products, such as e-books or videos, and sell them to a large number of people without needing to physically produce more inventory.
  • Personalization: With the use of online tools, you can personalize your workout programs to better meet the needs of your customers. You can collect data on their preferences and behaviors, and use that information to tailor your programs to their specific needs.

7 Tips to Create a Fitness Program That Sells

create a fitness program

It’s important to follow some form of strategies when creating fitness programs because they can help ensure that your program provides real value to your customers. Providing value is essential for building a loyal customer base and growing your business.

  • Focus on a specific niche. Understand your target audience’s goals, fitness level, and preferences. Conduct market research to determine what your audience is looking for in a fitness program. This can help you stand out from the competition and attract customers who are specifically interested in your area of expertise.
  • Focus on value. It’s easy to be swayed by the get-rich-quick scheme of deceptive fitness programs that promises “unhealthy” or even borderline unattainable goals (think “lose 10 pounds in 7 days” type of marketing). But be an empowering voice in the fitness industry. Use evidence-based practices and techniques to create a fitness program that’s effective and safe. This can help you build trust with your customers and ensure that your program provides real value.
  • Set clear goals. Set clear goals for your fitness program and communicate them to your customers. This helps your customers understand what they can expect from the program and how it can help them achieve their fitness goals.
  • Set clear expectations. You should also be extra clear about whether your workout programs are intended for beginners or advanced fitness enthusiasts. You’d also want to specify specific equipment that they need e.g. 5-pound weights, before they purchase your workout programs to ensure that they know exactly what to expect.
  • Choose the right format. Decide on what format works best for your fitness programs. This can range from a PDF sheet, videos, online courses, bundles, live classes, one-on-one training, and more. At this point, you should also think about how often you’d be able to produce new workout programs on a regular basis to ensure that you keep your content fresh and relevant, as well as to keep your customers coming back for more.
  • Invest in high quality equipment and production quality. The right equipment such as a high quality camera, good lighting, and your expertise in video editing software might be crucial to produce workout programs that will sell well. If you’re selling fitness program PDFs or eBooks, you might want to consider using Adobe InDesign or Canva to make your final product look more professional.
  • Bonus Tip: Boost your customers’ motivation. Motivation is essential for your clients to break their inactivity patterns, change their habits, and continue training with you. A few tips to boost their workout motivation can include coming up with fitness challenges on social media, and giving fitness rewards (e.g. free resources or a printable workout calendar after you complete my 7-day fitness program).

How to Sell Fitness Programs Online

Sell Fitness Programs Online

1. Determine your revenue model/monetization strategy

At this point, you should already have a better idea of what formats of fitness programs you’ll be selling (e.g. PDFs, eBooks, online courses, etc).

You can sell your online fitness programs on a per-purchase basis or as a subscription service. Here are some pros and cons for you to consider.

Selling Fitness Programs as a One-time Purchase

PRO:

  • Simplicity: Selling fitness programs as a one-time purchase is a simple and straightforward business model. Customers know exactly what they’re getting and can make a one-time payment to access the program.
  • Flexibility: Customers have the flexibility to complete the program at their own pace, without the pressure of meeting subscription or membership deadlines. This can lead to a more relaxed and enjoyable experience for customers.
  • Cost-effectiveness: A one-time purchase can be more cost-effective for customers, as they only pay for what they need. This can make the program more accessible to a wider range of customers.
  • Easier to market: Customers don’t have to worry about recurring fees or being locked into a long-term commitment. This can make the program more appealing to customers who prefer a low-commitment option.

CON:

  • Limited revenue stream: Selling a one-time purchase program provides a limited revenue stream for your business. Once the customer has completed the program, they may not make another purchase, resulting in a loss of revenue.
  • Limited customer engagement: A one-time purchase program may not encourage ongoing customer engagement or interaction with the business. This can make it harder to build a loyal customer base and retain customers.
  • Lack of commitment: Because there is no ongoing subscription or membership fee, customers may not feel as committed to completing the program. This can lead to lower completion rates and fewer success stories, which could impact the program’s reputation and future sales.
  • Limited upselling opportunities: Without a subscription or membership model, it can be harder to upsell customers on additional products or services, which can impact the business’s overall revenue.
  • Reduced motivation: Customers may not feel as motivated to complete the program if they have already paid for it and there is no ongoing financial incentive. This can impact their progress and results, which could impact the program’s reputation and future sales.

Selling Fitness Programs as a Membership or Subscription

PRO:

  • Ongoing revenue and more stable income stream: Selling a subscription-based fitness program provides an ongoing revenue stream for the business. Customers pay a recurring fee to access the program, which can provide a more stable income stream over time.
  • Increased customer engagement: A subscription-based model can encourage ongoing customer engagement and interaction with the business. This can lead to a stronger relationship with customers and a more loyal customer base. This can also create a sense of belonging for customers and increase their motivation to continue using the program.
  • Greater commitment: Customers who subscribe to a fitness program are more committed to completing the program and achieving their fitness goals. The ongoing financial commitment can motivate customers to stay on track and continue using the program. It’s also recommended to establish multiple membership levels to cater to various customers’ financial backgrounds.
  • Upselling opportunities: A subscription model provides opportunities to upsell customers on additional products or services, such as coaching or personal training. This can increase the business’s overall revenue and provide more value to customers.

CON:

  • Customers’ barrier to purchase: A subscription-based model may not appeal to all customers, particularly those who prefer a low-commitment option or those who are just starting their fitness journey.
  • Cancellation and refund policies: Customers may be wary of signing up for a subscription program due to the cancellation and refund policies. If these policies are unclear or too restrictive, customers may be hesitant to commit.
  • Difficulty retaining customers: Retaining customers can be challenging in a subscription-based model, as customers may be more likely to cancel their subscription if they don’t see results or feel that the program is no longer meeting their needs.
  • Pressure for regular content updates: In order to keep customers engaged and subscribed, a subscription-based fitness program must regularly update and refresh its content. This can be time-consuming and costly for you as the creator. If the business is unable to consistently provide high-quality content, customers may become dissatisfied and cancel their membership

TLDR: Which one should you choose?

Well, thankfully you don’t have to choose! If you’re torn between the two, you can very well offer both of those options using Payhip (more on that below).

2. Create an online fitness store or website

payhip

If you’re planning to sell your fitness programs as digital products (e.g. eBooks, PDFs, online courses) or start a membership site to monetize your fitness programs, Payhip is the best and most affordable platform to do so.

Amongst other benefits, Payhip comes with tons of notable features for fitness experts including:

  • Generous free plan: You’ll get unlimited access to the entire platform’s features for free! There’s a 5% fee for every order
  • Simple drag and drop website builder and free website themes
  • Free hosting and free domain (you can also connect a custom domain)
  • Ability to sell various product types such as digital downloads (e.g. PDFs, ebooks, videos, etc), online courses, coaching services, memberships, also physical products
  • Instant and secure payout via Paypal and Stripe
  • Optimized checkout process for maximum purchase conversion
  • Marketing tools such as discount code, affiliate marketing, referral system, cross-sell, upsell, and more

Sign up on Payhip.com to create your own website or online shop for free. Once you’ve created an account, remember to set up your payout information so you can get paid once orders start rolling in!

3. Upload your fitness classes or programs

Start uploading your fitness programs as digital products. If you want to publish a membership, Payhip provides a comprehensive guide to help you with the entire process.

There should be a short description of the product, a price, and your product photos. Once you’ve published your products, they are ready to be purchased through your Payhip store!

Here are some additional tips to make your product listing more converting:

  • Include customer reviews as social proof
  • Add a detailed description of what your clients will get
  • List all the required equipment and fitness expertise levels, etc

4. Promote your online fitness programs

promote online fitness programs

Unfortunately, fitness programs do not just sell themselves (we wish!). You’ll need to do some marketing efforts to promote your fitness programs. Thankfully there are tons of marketing strategies that you can execute with little to no budget:

  • Social media: Use social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter to promote your fitness programs. Post engaging content, including photos and videos, to showcase your fitness expertise and encourage potential customers to follow along with your fitness programs. Read our guide on How to Grow a Fitness Instagram to learn more about how to successfully increase your social media presence.
  • Content marketing: Create and share high-quality content such as blog posts, videos, and podcasts related to fitness and health to build your brand and attract potential customers. A blog can help you establish yourself as an expert in the fitness industry and attract more visitors to your website.  Using tools such as Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner will help you to discover not just the keywords people use, but when those keywords are most popular too. If you’re a little savvier on SEO, you can also use tools such as AHREF for keyword research and SurferSEO for on-page optimization.
  • Influencer partnerships: Partner with fitness influencers who have a decent-sized following and cross-promote your fitness programs. Alternatively, you can also reward the influencer or partner with an affiliate commission. You can establish your own affiliate program for free using Payhip’s free affiliate marketing tool.
  • Email marketing: Build an email list of interested customers and send regular newsletters highlighting your programs and any promotions or discounts. You may also want to offer free workout programs on your website to entice website visitors to sign up on your email list.
  • Use video marketing: Video marketing is a great way to showcase your fitness programs and services. Create short videos to highlight your workouts, share client success stories, and provide helpful tips. You can display the videos on your website and social media.
  • Host live classes or webinars: Host live fitness classes where you can workout with other people online (ideally by following your own fitness programs), or you can also host webinars to educate potential clients on the benefits of your fitness programs and services. This can help you build trust and credibility with your audience.
  • Free trials: Offer free trials of your fitness programs to encourage potential customers to sign up and try your programs before committing to a purchase. Free trials are great to entice your customers to subscribe to your fitness memberships.
  • Referral programs: Implement a referral program where customers can earn discounts or other rewards for referring friends and family to your fitness programs. This can help you grow your client base and increase your revenue as customers who come from referrals have a 30% higher purchase conversion rate than other marketing channels.
SELL FITNESS PROGRAMS ONLINEJoin over 130,000 sellers who have launched their online businesses with Payhip

FAQ

How Much Should I Sell Workout Programs for?

Note that a pre-made workout plan that is not personalized to an individual’s specific needs may be priced lower than a personalized program created by a certified personal trainer. Additionally, a workout program offered by a well-known and reputable fitness brand or trainer may be priced higher than a program offered by a lesser-known brand or trainer.

That said, here are a few tips how you can figure out on how much to charge for your workout programs:

  • Naturally, you will need to start by calculating your cost of production and distribution. Gather all your expenses including the time taken to create your workout programs, the cost of distributing your workout programs, and more.
  • Research competitors within your niche. You can then determine whether your workout programs have unique value propositions as well as other price-determining factors such as length of workout programs, compliance with recent fitness trends, and more. You’ll also be able to determine approximate target sales and purchase conversion rates.
  • Use data analytics to make an educated decision based on your target audience’s price sensitivity. Here are some data analytics to consider when pricing your workout programs:

Where to sell workout plans?

You can create a website for free using Payhip and sell workout programs directly to your audience. Once you’ve created an account, all you have to do is upload your workout plans as product listings, set the prices, and start promoting your online store through social media and various other channels.

Can you sell workout plans without being certified?

Technically, it is possible to sell workout programs online without being certified. However, it is important to note that certification and credentials can help establish credibility and expertise in the field of online fitness, especially if you want to eventually venture into how to sell personal training online.

Without certification or credentials, it may be difficult to establish trust and attract clients when selling workout programs online, particularly those who are looking for expert guidance and personalized programming. Furthermore, it is important to ensure that any workout plans being offered are safe and effective, and a lack of knowledge or expertise in exercise science and physiology could potentially lead to injury or harm to online fitness clients.

What are the most popular online training or fitness classes?

An online fitness study by RunRepeat analyzes virtual bookings from MindBody users and found that these are the most popular classes:

  • Yoga – 32%
  • HIIT – 15.6%
  • Pilates – 8.3%
  • Barre – 7.9%

Final Thoughts

As the world becomes increasingly digital, the fitness industry is embracing new ways of reaching clients and customers. Selling fitness programs online is a dynamic and exciting opportunity to help people achieve their health and wellness goals while building a profitable business that allows you to work on your own terms.

With so many platforms available to host and sell fitness programs online, the possibilities are endless. Whether you choose to focus on a specific niche, create personalized programs online, or use innovative marketing strategies, the key to success is delivering value and building relationships with your clients. So take the leap and turn your passion for fitness into a fulfilling career that has the potential to change lives and make a real impact in the world.

When you’re ready to start selling your fitness programs, sign up for a free account on Payhip to start your dream online fitness business within less than 5 minutes.

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