A Fitness Internet Marketing Post by Chris McCombs
Hey there, hope all is good in your little neck of the world… my wife Sarah and assistant Del have this game they play everyday… it’s called “Worst Personal Training Site of The Day”… where they search the web for fitness sites that just ain’t cutting it if you know what I mean
Here’s a few of the most common offending websites…
Site loaded with photos of JUST the trainer … and in every shot the dude is always all posed out…
Obnoxiously bright colors and text
Site with free web hosting… these look HORRIBLE – and are usually loaded with ads
Adsense ads running down both sides of the site – like the 3 cents a click the guy’s getting on his 14 unique visitors a month is worth it
Sites listing the trainers 17 certifications… and not one before and after picture.
NO LOCATIONS listed on the site. Can’t figure out what city, let alone what State the trainer’s in.
The boot camp instructors site for middle aged women, where in all the pics the trainer looks pissed, like he’s ready to kick some ass… that’s great if you’re niche is MMA fighters, but if it’s middle aged housewives… DEFINITELY smile… believe it or not most women are scared of serial killers
NO testimonials… not one… got those 17 certifications listed up there though
Crazy fonts and text that’s hard to read
Black backgrounds with white text… or black background with neon green text or bright pink text… you get the picture ( T-nation can pull it off, you can’t)
No pictures on site… none
Site looks like it was slapped together using a free design template.
Site uses a free web design template and the trainer FORGOT to delete the suggested text ie: “Put information about your business here” “place your contact information here” “Put the title of your page here” “Insert photo here” … Or site includes stock photos that came with the design that are totally unrelated to the message or business… like pictures of real estate, city lights and farm animals. Or the mac.com default which is a bunch of Latin paragraphs to show you where your paragraph text should go. No bueno.
Site is PLASTERED with pictures of the trainer winning Mr. Hickory Town USA Body Building competition … when their target audience is middle aged women.
WAY too much stuff going on on the site… flashing images, videos, and blaring techno… Every headline is in a different color so you barely know what to read first.
Sites with a pic of the trainer looking as though he was just featured on Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator…( hint… if you look like a serial killer or the missing link in the evolutionary chain please don’t crop in a close up of your snaggle toothed grin as the image of yourself on your site. Find the most non-intimidating photo you have, or hire a photographer to make you look good. A little photo shop never hurt anybody.) This offender closely resembles his cousin mentioned above… The Pissed Off Boot Camp Instructor to Middle Aged Women
A site targeting a broad audience with only one type of client represented on the site… Nothing gets someone less pumped up to go try a workout than a picture of grandma pumping 5 pounds of iron on a swiss ball. Try to keep your testimonials across the board if you’re reaching out to everybody, or targeted towards your audience if you have a niche.
Sites with headlines that are all off centered and jumbled. Really throws your eyes off trying to figure out what you’re supposed to be reading. Especially when you have a couple headlines close together and all aligned to different sides of the page.
Running Gillian Michael’s ads and lapband ads on the site.
Personal training sites claiming “celebrity trainer”… without one picture of a f*cking celebrity
Personal training sites that sell make money products
Personal training sites pushing MLM products
Plain text sites that basically look like they were tossed together by some highschool kid who was learning html ( If that’s the web guy you’re bartering your training with… get a new one)
The site isn’t centered….it’s all squished over on the right or left side of the page in the browser.
The site looks like it has a personality disorder. Half of it is bare bones minimalist and the other half looks like some hello kitty chick blog.
Site that use stock photos of people training at the beach … yet the trainers studio is in the middle of Idaho.
Trainer trying to impress the reader with WAY too much technical lingo and words … people just wanna know if you can help them lose fat, tone up, look good and feel good… they could give a shit about their piriformis… or f*ckin core stability for that matter… sell em’ what they want and THEN give em’ what they need.
Trainer sites that look like medical insurance sales sites… boring, plain, overly corporate and professional looking.
Trainers in banana hammocks - save it for the beach Borat… uh, ya know what, don’t even wear that damn thing at the beach dude.
Sites with photos of dudes relaxing on exercise equipment.
Sites with photos of said trainer bent over barely covered females clients… and he’s smiling like a mofo
Sites with photos that are clearly faded and from the 80′s… mullet-do included.
The training site that says ” The Worlds Best Trainer” or “#1 Trainer Around” or “Workout with the Best” ( Dude, they know YOU THINK you’re the best… so that means nothing)
The guy who specializes in helping women lose fat, helping men bulk up, golfers improve their game, knee injuries, power lifting, senior citizens, kids 8 -12… f*ck it… people of ALL ages and fitness levels, pro athletes, celebrities, postnatal women, pregnant teenagers, core stability, functional strength, kettlebell workouts, jazzercise, bosu workouts, powerlifting and general overall health, fitness and all that bullsh*t… basically they f*ckin’ specialize in EVERYTHING… which pretty much mean they ain’t good at nothing.
Hope you enjoyed these
I’d love to here some of your comments below
And if your website is in need of some serious help, I HIGHLY recommend the boys over at Fitness Website Formula … Plus, they just came out with a new blog building service for fitness pros, it’s called… Fitness Website Formula Express
They’ll put a bad ass blog up for you within 72 hours… and for a helluva good price too… the new Express service is FAST and EXTREMELY affordable – Check It Out Fitness Website Formula Express Here
The pic of female working out on beach was provided by my friends Katrina Hodgson and Karena Dawn of ToneItUp.com
Like I said… I’d love to here some of your comments below
Sweet post dude! Glad i got a hold of you and Fitness website formula before i built my site lol. Load it up with before and afters and your set!
Fucking awesome pictures. Great post.
The absolute best part of this post is that every single example are things Del and I HAVE seen. But it was still pretty fun coming up with the list of don'ts for a personal trainer site.
Damnit!
Now I have to go and reshoot all the sexy photos of me posing and being all greased up in my speedo.
By the way where did u get the pic of my brother? You know the one where hes on the bed with the guns and guitars?
I'm going to go through my website tomorrow right now and systematically make sure I haven't missed anything on this list. I am still coming out of the 8 million certification's mindset, and the interviews on the fitness profit's blueprint have really helped.
Thanks for an entertaining post!
Oh god! what a post! what's up with that dude in the extreme yoga class putting his hands on ………? very informative site. i am redoing my website & will def look up the link you have given.
cheers
Classic – will be going over my site to make sure it does not do any of this!
Bwahahaha! Awesome post!
I bet you had fun writing that one Chris!
LOL brilliant post. I feel the same way about these sites
Marc Knight
Consultant Personal Trainer
http//:twitter.com/marcknightpt
help my website is all of the above!
but thats wot certs. do for u
make u wrapped up in what you know and showing it off to other trainers and forgetting the clients pay the bills
but when u write like ur talkn to a client u feel that ur cheapening wot u offer
cos we're supposed to be so damn clever these days and not just trainers counting reps
thurs the sites getting a re-write cos of what iv been reading in fitness blueprints and will use this post also to add even more focus
tnx lots
and it was funny so that helps!
Great post Chris,
Very funny and true.
Damn good post and love watch the trainers around me make the same mistakes on all their marketing materials not just their websites… Flyers, business cards you name it it does not speak to their audience!
Wow!! You hit the nail on the head with precision! What should my website look like? Thats interesting info.
Thanks for the laugh, brother. Great post, as usual.
Hysterical.
lmao! Good post. I've been guilty of 1 or 2 of these in the past.
Chris I don't know what was better, the post or the pictures.
Great post…Very funny and very true…I emailed the guys from FWF to get going
Joseph,
Great website info about the different populations you service. This is where we are taking http://www.lifemoves.ca 's website. Thanks for the sample.
Best Wishes from Canada.
Hey Chris
Thanks for such entertaining post. It's so true that most personal trainer websites show how many certifications they have and how hot the trainers looked but no before and after shots of clients shown. I'm glad I got some.
Cheers!
I picked up a biz card from a competitor. He had on his bikinni and all oiled up doing a most muscular. Target market is women 30-50. Oh Full color and he weighs 150. I love this industry. Can't make this shit up!!!
BTW Chris. The 6 figure group is changing my life!! You'll be getting a testimonial from me!!
JJ
Glad to see my site wasn't on that list! Haha!
I am gladd I found this as I am starting to work on my site now. This was right on time for me so now I know what not to do.
awesome post chris… it's true about alot of the personal training sites online now days. keep up the awesome work
Thats hilarious man. I can't look at pt sites without seeing these mistakes now. Much love from South Africa
great info, funny too!
If you're a personal trainer reading this, you should probably just spend most of your time blogging. Way better time investment.
Ben
Awesome post, Chris! The pics are rock! Keep up the good work.
Hey Chris,
Great seeing you at FBS.
This is exactly what I needed to read, right after a long weekend of brain busting ideas and strategies from the world famous Bedros Keuillian.
I am laughing my ass off right now just reading your blog post today. That was funny as hell.
See ya soon,
Keep the awesome information coming bro!!!!
Great post Chris. Funny stuff, but it's all true. (I think that's what makes it funny)
Pretty funny stuff. Mostly true but there are always exceptions and my site is one of them! HA!