How to Pick Tech that Enhances Fitness Experiences
By Christine Schmidt on
In today’s day and age, there is A LOT of technology out there. Within the Fitness Industry alone, you have what feels like a million different booking platforms competing for your attention and your business. You see conversations about “building the best tech stack,” and promising the ability to do 1000 things simultaneously for clients but you’re not even sure if you want to do those things based on your business model. Then there’s the money aspect and prices are all over the place. Some technology is billed monthly, some is billed annually, some are contract based, and some billing operates on monthly credits. Which immediate next question, “What the heck counts as 1 credit?”
Wow… Let’s pause for a deep breath.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of these thoughts and options for your Fitness Business, then this article is for you.
Let’s dive into our top three questions to ask so you can pick tech that ultimately enhances your fitness experiences.
1 - “What problem does this actually solve?”
Do you know what issues you’re trying to overcome? In all honesty, with so many tech options out there it’s easy to get lost and knowing what problems you’re trying to solve for your business will really help keep you on track.
As an example, let’s talk about how you pick your almighty booking platform. It’s a scary choice but make sure you jump on demo calls, ask questions, and try to see how your business model fits into their current capabilities. One of the biggest things to try and avoid from day one is signing on with a company and you know you need to implement a lot of “workarounds” to get what you want.
DISCLAIMER: We are slightly biased towards the booking platforms we integrate with but that’s honestly for one really great reason… the companies we work with prioritize the uniqueness that comes from running a fitness business and the diverse needs of your clients.
What does that mean? Well, they understand the fitness industry intimately and understand what data needs to be measured for both the business and the client. They have platforms that are both attractive to the admin, user-friendly for the client, and provides information that actually means something to gym or studio owners.
FUN FACT: We’re also really excited to share our NEWEST integration with another fantastic booking platform - Mariana Tek! So, if you're working with Mariana Tek and have been itching to join the #1 Sales CRM for Fitness Brands, now you can!
Ok, but in real life, how can you make sure the tech you’re interested in solves a problem? Don’t be shy and ask that direct question on your next demo. You and your team need to be able to explain your value to clients face-to-face, and frankly, so do tech companies.
2 - “Can I use it?”
As silly as that question may seem, trust us, there are no stupid questions here. If you are interested in any technology, it’s only going to add value if you can use it.
PERSPECTIVE CHECK: Keep in mind, the more advanced any platform is, it is likely there is more training you would want to do or invest in to master your skills. But, that’s the trade-off with more complex tools.
Ever heard the saying ‘knowledge is power’? Well it’s only true to a certain extent with technology. If you don’t know how to use the power you have, you can’t successfully utilize the platform in question. Bottom line, also be realistic with yourself on how much you can commit to learning a platform so you can realistically analyze your utilization of any platform’s feature list.
3 - “How does this technology grow with my business?”
Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of technology come and go. We’ve seen a lot of tech companies grow and we’ve also seen a lot of companies stay the same. So, what you need to think about when picking a platform is the long-term growth of your business.
Does the platform you’re interested in have a roadmap for future features? If they do, that tends to be a positive sign that they are looking to grow and keep up with the status quo as tech constantly evolves.
Does the platform have a little more than what you need right now? When I was a growing teenager, my Mom used to make sure we bought tennis shoes with a little bit of “wiggle room.” Why? Because we didn’t need to be wasting time or money coming to get new shoes every month. This is sort of the same principle with tech. We encourage you to be open to platforms that meet your needs now but also give you just a little more power than you know what to do with - it gives you something to “grow into,” as my Mom used to say.
What’s the take-home message?
Picking the best technology for your fitness business is hard but not impossible. Utilize the questions outlined above so you can start to look at the practicality of working with that certain platform and think about how your business aligns with what they offer from a feature perspective. Once you’re able to take a look at your specific business’ needs and identify the problems you are personally facing, you’ll be laser focused and able to pick the best options for you, your business, and your clients.