Fitness businesses sell a feeling as much as a service: will I fit in here, will this work for me, and can I afford it. A fitness business website has to answer all three for a nervous beginner as well as a regular gym-goer comparing options. The ones that do it well show prices, show real people and make the first step easy. The ones that fail hide the price behind a form and fill the homepage with stock photos of athletes.
This guide covers gyms, boutique studios, yoga and Pilates studios, CrossFit boxes, martial arts clubs and personal trainers. The details differ, but the website needs are close.
Publish the price
The fitness industry has a habit of hiding membership prices so that the sales team can have a conversation. It loses more people than it wins, especially online, where the alternative is one tap away. Publish your membership options, class packs, drop-in prices and personal training rates, along with what is included and the contract terms: minimum term, notice period, joining fee, freezing and cancellation.
For personal trainers, packages are fine, but show the price per session or per month. A beginner who cannot see a number will not message to ask; they will book with the trainer whose price is on the page.
If you sell memberships online, the Consumer Contracts Regulations generally give consumers a 14-day right to cancel a service bought at a distance, with rules about services that start within that period. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 also introduced new rules for subscription contracts, including reminders and easier cancellation, which the government has said will be brought in by secondary legislation. Check GOV.UK for the current position before you design your sign-up flow.
Pages a fitness business website needs
| Page | What it must do |
|---|---|
| Home | Who it is for, where, prices from, and a “try it” button: free trial, day pass or consultation. |
| Memberships and prices | Every option with price, contract terms and what is included, without an enquiry form in the way. |
| Timetable | A live, current class timetable that can be booked, not a PDF or an image. |
| Classes or services | A short page for each class type or service: what happens, who it suits, level, what to bring. |
| Trainers | Each trainer with photo, qualifications, specialisms and a way to book them. |
| First visit | What happens on your first day: where to go, what to bring, induction, how nervous beginners are looked after. |
| Find us | Opening hours, staffed hours, parking, access, changing facilities. |
The timetable is the busiest page
For studios and class-based gyms, the timetable gets visited more than any other page. A PDF or a screenshot cannot be read on a phone, cannot show cancellations, and is out of date the moment an instructor is off sick. Use your booking system’s live timetable embedded in the page, or a timetable the team can edit, and link each class to its description.
Show the level and the intensity of each class. “Suitable for complete beginners” and “Fast-paced, some experience helpful” help people choose and reduce the number who drop out after one class that was not right for them.
Photography: show the real place and real members
Stock photos of models with visible abs tell most potential members that this is not a place for them. Real photos of your gym, including during quiet times, and of members who look like your market, answer the actual question: will I feel comfortable here.
Ask permission before you use photos of members, and respect anyone who says no. For personal trainers, photos of you working with real clients (with consent) are far more persuasive than photos of you on your own.
Qualifications, safety and results claims
Personal training is not a protected title in the UK, which is exactly why credentials matter on the website. Show your qualifications, such as a Level 3 personal training certificate, any specialist qualifications (pre- and post-natal, exercise referral, strength and conditioning), membership of a body such as CIMSPA if you hold it, first aid, and insurance. For studios, show each instructor’s relevant qualification for the classes they teach.
If you work with people with medical conditions, explain your process for pre-exercise screening and when you would ask someone to check with their GP first.
Weight-loss, health and body transformation claims are covered by the CAP Code, which applies to your own website and social media. Claims need to be substantiated and must not be misleading. The CAP Code sets out that marketing should not suggest that a specific amount of weight can be lost in a specific time, and it has rules about claims made for weight-reduction regimes.
Before-and-after photos should be genuine and representative, not the best result from five years of clients presented as typical. Testimonials must be real. It is safer and more convincing to describe the work: “We build a plan around your schedule and review it every four weeks” rather than “Lose a stone in a month”.
Mistakes fitness websites make
- Membership prices hidden behind a form or a phone call.
- Timetables as PDFs or images.
- Stock athletes instead of your space and your members.
- No clear first step for a beginner.
- Contract terms and cancellation rules that only appear at the point of payment.
- Results promises that break the CAP Code.
- A link-in-bio page as the only website for a personal trainer who wants local clients from search.
What good looks like
A good studio site opens with a single line on who it is for (“Small group strength classes for adults who have never lifted before”), a price from, and a “book your free first class” button. The timetable is live and bookable. Each instructor has a short profile. The first-visit page tells a nervous beginner exactly what will happen, down to where to leave their bag.
A good personal trainer site says who you specialise in, shows your prices, shows you with real clients, and offers a free consultation booked through a calendar, not a form that waits for a reply.
What a fitness website costs
Gym and studio management software typically costs somewhere between £50 and £300 a month depending on members and features, and most include a timetable and booking widget. Personal trainers often start on a DIY builder for £10 to £40 a month. Freelance builds usually cost £800 to £3,500; agencies working with multi-site gyms can quote £5,000 to £20,000.
We design fitness websites from scratch, write every word, and connect the booking or membership system you already use. A PT or single studio fits Monthly at £299 plus £99/month (12 months minimum) or Own It at £1,795 plus £49/month. Class booking, memberships and payments built into your own site can be added to any plan, quoted on your call; if you run several gyms, Pro at £6,950 plus £299/month includes them as standard. Nerdsharks builds for independent trainers and gym groups alike.