If you are a personal trainer moving online, building a website probably feels like the obvious first step. Before you open a template, there is a more important question to answer.
What problem are you trying to solve? A website will not get you clients on its own. If you do not already have a reliable way to generate leads, that needs your attention first.
Prioritise a clear offer and a working way to contact you before spending time on details that do not change the visitor journey.
As a personal trainer, your website needs to do three things:
In practical terms it works as a digital business card. It is somewhere to send people so that you can collect their email address and stay in touch.
To do that, the site needs to convey one message: I am someone who can solve your problem.
You do that by linking to your social profiles, your videos and your content, and by offering something valuable enough that a visitor will give you their email address to receive it.
In the video, Jonny and Yusef describe how their own fitness site collected opt-ins through a calorie calculator, and how measuring the gap between sign-up and sale led them to build a 14-day automated follow-up sequence. Measure your own gap before you copy the length.
Most business decisions come down to a trade between time and money. Websites are no different.
More technical tools tend to be cheaper and more flexible, but they take time to learn, and when something breaks you are on your own.
Out-of-the-box tools usually cost more but go live faster, with support when you need it.
Neither is automatically better. It depends on your budget for both time and money.
You pay a monthly fee and get templates, hosting and everything else in one place. Choose a tool that meets your actual requirements and that you can maintain. Compare total effort and current cost, not only the monthly fee.
You choose your own web host, install your own tools and build everything yourself. Maximum flexibility and lower cost, but any technical problem is yours to solve.
If you hire help, define the deliverables and agree a concrete scope before committing to a larger build.
The tools below are ones we have used ourselves. Features and prices change, so check current plans before you commit.
ClickFunnels handles payment processing, landing pages, a members area and email automation. It has a drag-and-drop editor and training focused on making sales. It can be expensive when you are starting out.
Podia is a more affordable option that looks clean and works well as a members site. It is less flexible than ClickFunnels, particularly if you run ads, but a reasonable choice for many coaches.
Some all-in-one tools also try to include email automation and a CRM. A tool that claims to do everything rarely does any one thing well.
ActiveCampaign is what we use. Email is a profitable part of the business, so it is worth a dedicated tool. It handles automations, tagging and delivery well.
WordPress is a widely used publishing platform. Check its current requirements and the hosting, maintenance and access responsibilities involved.
Ghost is fast, clean and modern, and suits coaches whose main medium is writing. It needs more technical knowledge to set up.
For hosting we have used SiteGround and DreamHost. Both were straightforward to set up with good support.
Squarespace and Wix are widely used and appear to improve every year. We have not used them ourselves, so we cannot recommend them from experience.
A simple page builder may suit a focused first site. Check current plan limits and form capabilities before choosing one.
AI-assisted site tools can produce a first draft. The offer, accuracy, access and final visitor journey still need your review.
A way for visitors to give you their email address so you can follow up. Every platform above supports this in some form.
Keep it simple: who you are, your background, the specific problem you help people solve and how to find out more.
If you want the site to host your writing, link to your YouTube channel or build a blog, factor this into your choice of platform.
Provide an easy, accurate way for an interested person to contact you or take the next step.
You now know:
All of these platforms aim to be user-friendly, with drag-and-drop editors, documentation and support. Pick the one that fits, and make it as easy for yourself as you can.
Related guide: How organic content supports an online coaching sales process.
For the wider process, read our guide to choosing software for online coaching.
See how Propane approaches building an online coaching business and decide whether the approach fits your next step.
Watch the Propane training *DISCLAIMER: The sales figures stated above and in this training are our personal sales figures or sales figures of our clients. Please understand our results are not typical. We're not implying you'll duplicate them (or do anything for that matter). The average person who buys any "how to" information gets little to no results. We're using these references for example purposes only. Your results will vary and depend on many factors including but not limited to your background, experience, and work ethic. All business entails risk as well as consistent effort and action. If you're not willing to accept that, please DO NOT register for this training.
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