By Nick Dennis

As a fitness studio owner, simultaneously managing multiple areas of your business is crucial for long-term success. Aside from the modalities you offer and your location, one of the most impactful decisions you make will be the booking software you choose. With multiple available options, selecting a software solution that aligns with your needs and meets your specific requirements is essential. There is no perfect, one-size-fits-all software. Instead, we’ll explore the key considerations and questions you should ask to choose the right booking software for your fitness studio.

For a high level view of the industry, head over to this page where we break down some of these factors mentioned.

To dive into each aspect of what to look for in a booking software, keep reading!

Location Availability

The first question you should ask when considering a booking software is whether it’s designed for your area. Are you in the United States? Australia? Canada? Before diving into features and customizations, ensure the software you’re considering is available and functions regularly with your country’s currency and business policies. Remember the exchange rate when considering your software budget if you are outside the United States.

Fitness Modality-Specific Design

Is your potential software specifically designed for your boutique fitness modality? Different fitness and wellness studios have unique requirements, such as class structures, scheduling, and pricing models. Verify that the software you choose caters to what you offer, whether privates, group classes, yoga, cycling, wellness, or any other specialty.

Key Features and Functionalities

Next, consider the key features and functionalities offered by the booking software. Look for essential capabilities such as online class scheduling, membership management, and client registration experience. The software should be user-friendly and simplify the scheduling process to make changes, like a last-minute cancellation, quickly. Additional features like waitlist control, recurring class setup, and automatic cancellation policies can significantly enhance your studio’s efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Depending on your specific business, you may need certain functionality that a neighboring studio down the street does not. Are you purely brick-and-mortar, virtual, or do you offer hybrid services, including on-demand classes? Check with your top software choices to ensure they support your business’s foundational requirements.

User-Friendliness and Ease of Use

The booking software should be intuitive and user-friendly for both you as the studio owner and your clients. A complex and difficult-to-navigate interface can lead to frustration and may deter clients from booking classes. Prioritize software solutions that offer a streamlined and straightforward user experience, allowing clients to easily browse class schedules, book classes, and manage their accounts.

Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics

Efficient data management and analysis are paramount to making informed business decisions. Ask the software representative to show you the available reports and walk you through their features so you can determine how intuitive the reporting is. Look for comprehensive analytics on sales, attendance, total members, retention rates, autopay, and intro offer conversions. Plus, use your demo time to ask yourself, is the dashboard easy to understand? Are the graphs or charts helpful? Does it show you all the metrics you need to operate without digging through pages and tabs? You cannot run your business with sub-par reports, so take your time and ask questions as you demo the report features.

Marketing and Promotional Features

If you’re like most studio owners, a large portion of your to-do list will involve marketing duties. There are two options for booking software marketing capabilities. Depending on your studio and preferences, you’ll either prefer an all-in-one booking and marketing platform or a software with a robust list of integrations and partners. Both options should include basic automated communication tools like class reminders, notifications, and personalized emails.

If you opt for a platform with a marketing component, look for SMS and branded customizable campaign capabilities. If your potential software does not include marketing, it should integrate with multiple expert third-party systems or tools, such as email marketing platforms or customer relationship management (CRM) software, to support your marketing efforts.

There are pros and cons to both comprehensive marketing software options and integrated options. Sometimes it’s best to choose the software that focuses exclusively on booking capabilities and outsources the marketing to companies specializing in it. Consider a separate trial with any integrations or partners before you commit to a software. Many studio owners appreciate the simplicity of a comprehensive platform but test-drive the marketing suite during your demo to ensure it fulfills its promises and fits your needs.

Pricing Structure and Associated Costs

Booking software can make up a large part of your operations budget. Before signing a contract, read carefully to understand all the costs you’re agreeing to. Inquire about any setup or transaction fees associated with the switching or startup. Some software providers charge a flat monthly fee, while others may have a tiered pricing structure based on the size of your studio or the features you choose. It’s not uncommon for a studio owner to settle on a platform’s top-tier option during the demo and later realize that version is out of their budget. Avoid surprises by asking about the merchant fees and credit card transaction costs, and try to negotiate your rate. What are the contract terms, and are you locked into your price? Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the software and consider the long-term implications on your business finances.

Reliable Customer Support and Training

Like most third-party programs, reliable customer support and training resources are invaluable to your business and peace of mind. Verify that the software offers dedicated customer support channels, including email, phone, or live chat, to address any technical issues or inquiries promptly. What are their average response times? Research other users’ experiences by looking up platform Facebook groups or online forums. Additionally, inquire about the availability of training resources, such as documentation, tutorials, or webinars, to ensure a smooth onboarding process and ongoing support for you and your staff.

Scalability and Future Growth

When choosing a booking software, consider your long-term goals and the platform’s scalability. Your fitness studio will grow, and you want software that can accommodate your expanding studio’s needs. Do you have plans to open multiple locations or franchise? Even if you’re currently a brand-new solopreneur, think about your five-year plan. If you plan to expand, ensure that the software can handle your future studio needs so you can grow without complicated software changes.

Mobile Accessibility

Most fitness and wellness clients who self-register do so on their phones, making mobile functionality crucial. Your budget and client needs will dictate whether you need to spring for a custom-branded phone app, but the software you choose should at least include an easy-to-use consumer app.

Customization Options

Every fitness studio has its own unique brand identity and requirements. Consider if the booking software offers customization options to align with your studio’s branding and needs. This may include adding your logo and branding, customizing the booking interface, or tailoring the software’s features to match your client flows. A customizable solution can enhance your studio’s professionalism and provide clients with a consistent, curated experience.

fitDEGREE CEO, Nick Dennis, designed fitDEGREE to solve a specific need within the fitness software space. Rather than attempt to serve every type of fitness and wellness business or underdeliver on too many promises, fitDEGREE is designed for studios that are:

• Geographically located in the United States and Canada
• Independently owned
• Brick and Mortar (including multiple locations)
• Group fitness-focused- especially yoga, Pilates, and barre studios
• Community centered

fitDEGREE believes that a boutique fitness studio’s success is directly correlated to the strength of its community. That’s why fitDEGREE focuses on bringing unique features to the industry that foster community in their client-facing app. Clients can make friends on the app, see which classes their workout buddies are going to, and invite others to sign up for the same class through fitDEGREE’s internal chat system. fitDEGREE’s innovative community-first approach helps studio owners build a solid membership base that will stay active for years, reducing attrition and improving the studio’s bottom line.