What should a gym website say besides the timetable?

A gym website needs to answer the questions a stranger has before they'll walk through your door: where you are, how much it costs, whether they can try it, whether it's for them, and what happens on day one. The timetable only answers "when". Everything else is what gets someone from browsing to joining.

Think about the person on the other end. They've never been inside. They might be nervous, a bit embarrassed, or simply cautious about signing up for something they'll abandon by March.

So they scan. They look for five or six answers, and if they can't find them quickly, they close the tab.

Where is it? How much? Can I try it first? Is it for someone like me? What actually happens when I turn up?

A timetable answers "when". That's one question out of the lot. Google's SEO starter guide says that creating content people find compelling and useful will likely influence your website's presence in search results. It also asks you to think about the words a user might search for to find a piece of your content. Strangers don't search for your class grid. They search for the things they're worried about.

Write for the worried version of your customer. That's the whole job.

People hate hunting for prices. And to be fair, they have a point: hiding the cost reads as if there's something to hide.

Put your membership options on a page of their own. Say what each one includes, what it costs, how long it lasts, and how someone leaves. If there's a joining fee, say so. If there's a minimum term, say so. If you can cancel with a month's notice, say that too, in a sentence a tired person can follow at eleven at night.

Plain words win. "You can cancel any time after your first three months" beats a paragraph of terms nobody finishes. Link to the full small print if you need to, but lead with the human version.

Trial passes belong here as well. If a stranger can try one session or a week before committing, that's your strongest offer, so don't bury it in the footer. Seracu's gym guide lists eleven pages a gym's site can carry, including membership options, trial passes, facilities, classes and accessibility. You don't need all eleven on day one. You do need the money page and the trial page.

Here's where most gym sites go quiet. They list equipment and stop.

A stranger wants to know what the room feels like. Is it loud? Is it crowded at six in the evening? Are the changing rooms clean? Is there somewhere to park? Can they get in with a pushchair or a wheelchair?

Say it straight. Describe the space, the equipment, the changing rooms, the parking, the access. Accessibility deserves its own honest line, not a vague "all welcome". If there's a step at the front, say there's a step at the front.

Photos do heavy lifting here. Google's Business Profile help notes that photos and videos let you show customers what you offer, and the same logic holds on your website. Show the real floor, the real reception, the real changing area. Not a stock image of someone laughing at a salad. People can spot the difference in a second, and they trust the real thing.

This is the page that gets nervous people through the door.

Say who you're for. Complete beginners? Older members? Parents who need a morning slot? Regulars training for something specific? Pick the groups you genuinely serve and name them. A stranger reading "beginners welcome, nobody will watch you" relaxes in a way no equipment list can manage.

Then walk them through day one. Where do they go when they arrive? Who greets them? Do they get an induction? Do they need to bring a towel, a lock, a water bottle? How long does it take? What should they wear?

Keep it short and numbered if it helps. The goal is simple: take the unknown out of the first visit.

You've already got a second shop window. It's your Google listing, and it needs to match the site.

Google's Business Profile guidelines say the business name should reflect the real-world name used consistently on the storefront, and that unnecessary information in the name isn't permitted. So no stuffing "cheap gym near me" into it. Provide regular customer-facing hours, and use as few categories as possible to describe your core business, not as keywords.

The description is for useful information on your services. No links allowed in it, and no special promotions, prices or sales. Keep the offers on your website, where you can explain them properly.

Complete and accurate info makes a business more likely to show up in local search results, according to Google's help pages. So check the basics: name, address, hours, photos, category. Then check them against your site. If the hours differ, a stranger notices, and trust drops fast. For more on this, see getting found on Google and SEO for small business.

Less is more. Cut the clutter.

Don't stuff keywords into every sentence. Google's spam policies define keyword stuffing as filling a page with keywords or numbers in an attempt to manipulate ranking. It reads badly to humans too, and humans are who you're trying to convince.

Leave off vague boasts. "State of the art" and "world class" mean nothing to a stranger. Leave off walls of jargon, outdated news, and anything that no longer matches what's on your door.

If a line doesn't help someone decide to join, it can go. For a fuller picture of what to include, see the pages a gym's website should have.

1. Write down the six questions a nervous stranger would ask, and check your site answers each one.
2. Put your membership prices, terms and cancellation rules on one plain-worded page.
3. Add a "your first visit" page, step by step.
4. Replace stock photos with real ones of your floor, reception and changing rooms.
5. Compare your Google listing with your website: name, hours, categories, description.
6. Delete anything that's vague, stuffed or out of date.

That's a week's work, give or take. And at the end of the day, a stranger who knows what to expect is a stranger who turns up.