Goal: Increase Membership Sales
Membership sales can often be increased several percentage points simply by making certain small changes to your website and online membership offerings. Going from a 3% conversion to a 4% may not seem like a lot, but this ~33% increase could be all that it takes to get to a positive ROI on your pay-per-click campaigns.
Keep in mind that a single percent sales increase adds directly to your bottom line. Additionally, many of the online offering changes can help reduce checkout abandonment rates.
You’ve spent the effort targeting your audience and creating ads to attract new customers to click-through to your website, so why risk losing them in the final stages of the purchase process if it can be avoided with some minor changes?
Here are some ways to increase your membership sales and help improve your conversion rates:
1. Payment Methods
By providing a wider variety of payment methods and offerings, you can increase sales between 5-10%. Customers may have an interest in singing up for a membership, but may be unable to pay using the methods you provide. Offer customers a wide variety of payment methods that will appeal to a global audience.
Although it may be tempting to only offer EFT memberships to avoid credit card processing fees, allowing customers the ability to pay with a credit card may far surpass that of what is lost in those fees with an increased conversion rate.
Think of it this way… people are more likely to be more conscious of the monthly charge debited from their bank account monthly vs. the charge buried in their credit card statement. Also, the deferred payment aspect is enticing to some when making the purchase.
2. Search Engine Optimization
SEO can influence sales as much as 10-15%, sometimes more. Use search engine optimization techniques to increase your organic search traffic for important keywords and phrases. Investing in proper search engine optimization techniques can result in long-term targeted traffic to ensure continued growth and help offset customer churn.
3. Deal Site Submission
Coupon submissions to deal sites can increase sales more than 10%. Deal sites still generate membership sales, despite some claims to the contrary. Additionally, the deal sites will often provide links back to your website, which can also help with search engine rankings.
Remember, the audience on a deal site is different than your normal customer. Great things to offer are first-time in discounts or annual memberships at a substantial discount from the normal pricing.
Annual pricing can be your monthly membership dues x 10, without the initiation fee. For example, if you charge $50 initiation fee and $85/mo. for a membership… the annual membership would be $850.
4. Referral Programs
Referral programs can increase sales by 10% or more. Provide your current customers with decent compensation for marketing and promoting your facility. Additionally, make sure that customers have appropriate promotional materials and quality graphics that they can share/post on their social media accounts.
The best type of referral programs will incentivize both parties. For example, the current member could receive a $50 store credit while the joining member will receive no initiation fee. Those who join through referrals may have a greater customer lifetime value vs. those members that don’t. It’s important to do the math to see what makes sense for your business.
5. Free Trial Membership
Providing a trial membership to your facility can increase sales by 10% or more. Limit the length of time to no more than 7 days to encourage customers to purchase memberships. Consider offering free rentals and one free coaching session during their trial membership. During this time they should be encouraged to invite other friends to join them during their trial membership.
6. Website And Online Offerings Optimization (usability)
Optimizing a website, offer, and checkout process can increase close rates and sales by as much as 10%. Small changes, like having a clear and prominent call-to-action may be all that you need to see a significant increase in online membership sales.
For example, in any checkout process your navigation should be very limited and the button to continue should be the most prominent element on the page.
<style>
.btn{text-transform:uppercase;}
.book-now-button{width:100%;text-align: center; font-size:22px; padding: 20px 0 20px 0; }
</style>Growing your climbing community and increasing membership sales doesn’t need to be complicated. Remain consistent in improving the process by simply testing, making small measurable changes, analyzing the results, then start testing again.
