Member Reviews: Why They Matter and How Zen Planner Can Help

Most of us turn to the Internet before we make just about any purchase decision. From an Amazon deal to a new restaurant or hotel, we want to know how other people have experienced a business, product, or service before we take the leap.

The same is true for your fitness business.

Before someone joins a new gym, they’re probably going to check online reviews and opinions. In fact —according to a study conducted by PowerReviews — nearly all consumers (97%) read reviews, and 86% allow those opinions to influence their buying behavior. Reviews are an important part of the decision-making process. Plus, they’re a free way to get the word out about your gym. In this article, we’ll explain why member reviews matter, how to collect them, and how Zen Planner can make the process easier.

Why Member Reviews Matter

Those coveted stars and the candid feedback provided in reviews influence purchasing decisions. Reviews from existing customers are a powerful tool to employ.

• Credibility. Member reviews serve as living testimonials of your fitness business. They validate your offerings and help you establish credibility as a fitness business.
• Trust. Trust is the bedrock of any thriving business. Positive reviews from existing members instill trust in potential members; people are more reliable than advertisements.
• Visibility. Reviews work wonders for your search engine optimization (SEO). A consistent stream of positive feedback tells search engines you’re a reliable choice, boosting your ranking in search results.
• Feedback. Reviews, both positive and constructive, offer insights. They pinpoint areas for growth and showcase your commitment to excellence and member satisfaction.
• Connection. Reviews often narrate personal stories and experiences, which humanizes your business and forges emotional connections with potential members who seek a sense of community and belonging.

If you don’t have reviews, you’re missing out on business. But don’t worry, this is an easy fix.

How to Collect Reviews

Google

If you haven’t already created a Google business profile, you’ll need to do that first. With your Google business profile, you’ll get a personalized URL to collect reviews for your business. BrightLocal found 87% of consumers used Google to evaluate local businesses, making this a very effective means of collecting reviews.

Google shows preference for businesses with more reviews, so collect as many as you can to appear in more search results and ultimately bring more traffic to your website (and through the front door). To find your short URL:

1. Go to your Google Business Profile Manager
2. Clik “Share My Review Form” on your homepage
3. Copy the URL and add it to email and SMS communications with your existing members

Facebook

Facebook is another easy place to collect reviews. If you haven’t already created a Facebook business page, you’ll need to do that too. An optimized Facebook business page can increase your organic traffic, which means more leads. Rather than ask for reviews, Facebook collects “recommendations,” which tend to be more interactive and descriptive than the two-to-five-word reviews commonplace on the platform.

Because almost everyone has a Facebook account, it’s easy to accumulate lots of reviews with just a few simple clicks.

To enable Facebook recommendations:

1. Click settings from your Facebook business page
2. Make sure the toggle for reviews is on under “Templates and Tabs”
3. Find your URL on the “Reviews” tab
4. Copy the URL from the address bar
5. Share with members through email or SMS

Testimonials

Testimonials from real people are incredibly influential. Because testimonials are viewed as an honest representation of your services, displaying them on your website, social media, and advertising is a way to establish trust with your target audience. To get started, identify members of your gym who show appreciation or who have made significant progress in their fitness journeys since joining your community.

1. Conduct interviews to capture success stories. Be sure to ask questions about things like benchmarks, goals, and other examples of progress.
2. Use photos to add intrigue and personalization.
3. Highlight compelling quotes.
4. Make sure all participants are willing to sign a consent form allowing you to use their name and likeness in marketing materials.

Use the testimonials you collect on your website, social media, emails, ads, flyers… everywhere. Consider running a featured member of the month campaign to highlight these shining examples of success.

Incentives

Consider offering small incentives, such as discounts on future classes or merchandise, in exchange for honest reviews. This mutually beneficial arrangement will allow you to gather valuable insights while helping to promote and grow your community.

When to ask for Reviews

After deciding where you’d like to collect reviews, it’s time to figure out who to ask. Remember: one bad review won’t hurt you. But your reviews should be a positive reflection of your gym’s impact, ideally. In fact, taking time to consider — and respond to — negative reviews shows you care about your members and their overall satisfaction with your gym, which has positive implications.

Focus on gathering positive reviews from your members by targeting the right people and asking for their input strategically. Ask for member reviews during specific times, like when they reach a milestone, make a referral, are a few months into their membership, make an upgrade, or purchase.

Ask members for a review after they’ve had a recent, positive experience with your business to increase the likelihood of receiving positive feedback. Ask loyal members who have been members for at least a few months. These members tend to be more knowledgeable about your gym and capable of providing helpful feedback.

How Zen Planner Simplifies the Process

Member reviews bolster credibility, trust, and a sense of community. They’re a smart, free way to grow your business. One study found that 90% of buyers are more likely to visit a business with at least four stars.

With Zen Planner, you can build personable — automated — review requests within the software and aggregate reviews from sources like your Google business profile to assess, analyze, and manage your reputation. Review data like the number of reviews collected, average rating — including whether the sentiment was positive or negative.

You can even schedule custom follow-up review requests through text or email to remind your members to provide their feedback, making the review process both impactful and effortless in equal measure.

For more information about how Zen Planner can help you manage your gym’s reputation, book a demo.