Your help would be greatly Appriciated in More ways Than i can explain

Josh,

Some initial thoughts on your very attractive site:

* I wonder if including the prices is part of your problem. A prospect sees those and thinks "too expensive" and moves on. Maybe it's better to present the prices in a one-on-one fashion over the phone or in person. Just a thought....

* "Free 30 minute consultation" is a bit stark. I might go with "speak live with a personal trainer and have all your questions answered!" or "Tell us about the body you dream of having and we'll help you get started! Just leave a phone number and a good time to call and a professional personal trainer will be in touch."

* Have someone proofread your site and fix typos. For example:

He's also an extremly well versed speed coach and has a long list of impressive performance success'. should be

He's also an extremely well-versed speed coach and has a long list of impressive performance successes.


Reason 2. It's as personal as personal training get's. take out that apostrophe....


There were a few others that I caught on a quick glance. Typos really hurt credibility. Go through the site with a fine toothed comb and check for spelling, punctuation and consistency of upper case and lower case.

and, very, very importantly:

* You've got some testimonials -- put them on the home page! That should be the first thing I see, IMHO. And sprinkle them throughout the whole site. you can't have too many of these.


You're pretty close, Josh. Looks like you've got a good product, you've got a nice web design (although the gray text could be a bit darker) and some nice testimonials. You're gonna make this work, I feel certain.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for the suggestions, all very good ideas and I will deffinetly fix all my typos!

as for the prices, belive it or not we have found over 6 different sites that the ones with rpice have gotten us more leads and more clients, im not sure why but its been tested over the last 4 months, although i do agree with your logic there 100%

absolutely, im going to work on that right now! i like the low risk offer better as well. one issue i think i may be having is that we are trying to kind of change the game in personal training. we dont just sell a pack of training sessions, you get nutrional plans and coaching, mental development sessions, lifestyle coaching sessions and alot more.

i have a sneaking suspision people are having a hard time wrapping there mind around the whole change you life idea as apposed to just "work out and burn fat guaranteed"

Josh, you said you're looking for leads - are you interested in approaching offline stores in your area?

Maybe you could print up some simple brochures and talk to health food store owners, chiropractors, naturopaths, massage therapists, etc. and see if they'd distribute them for you.

Health food stores are always looking for guest speakers (at least in my area of CO)...maybe set up a special deal for their customers, and give something free for referring friends.

If you don't have the $ to do brochures, you could put an ad on Craigslist for a printer and swap personal training for printing.

Let me know if those won't work and I'll see if I can pull some more ideas out of the hat.

And I agree about the testimonials - put at least one of those puppies on your home page. They're good.

Melody

Mate, it's a pretty site but it looks too commercial to me. Too slick. You need to put Your head shot at top left. Then you need to tell us about yourself and then your credentials. Then I want to see "before & after" shots of your clients. With their testimonials below. Get rid of the "guarantee" button - explain that in writing under "terms & conditions" or something.

Think about making a video (which you can host on YouTube say) of you training an ordinary-looking girl and guy. We need to be able to relate. If they look like professional models its not going to work.

You've buried the "Free Trial membership" down the bottom. Put it at Top Right.

"Before & After" is very powerful. Especially for something like this. Cheers.

I hardly suggest you trying hover ads with a squeeze form... a BIG squeeze form

With hover ads I always have over 10% of responses.

You should also use a bigger squeeze form in your home and preferably in the left (content) side as this is what visitors watch first.

Also don't use "give us 30 minutes"... in the form. That could seem a long time for most people.

I'll use "give us 2 minutes" instead or something alternative like a free video or instant report so you could use "get it instantly free". Remember that most people like instant satisfaction.

I hope this help.

Hi Joshua,

What I wonder is whether you could add additional streams of income. For example, could you sell training videos for people who want some advice, but at a lower cost than using a personal trainer? Could you add nutrition supplements or books? "Get strong today" is such a KILLER domain name that it seems a bit wasted on one niche in one geographic market. Do you have to make personal contact with all the trainers, or could you expand to other cities through phone calls and webcam conversations?

Since you have the web and database technology to schedule appointments with experts, could you use that in other niches? For example, could you clone the site to a new domain name where you can schedule appointments with car mechanics? With dentists? With tax preparers? The underlying technology could be a goldmine if you use it to add leads in a variety of fields. (Some of those other fields might prefer to do business with marketers who wear a shirt... hope you don't mind too much. :p )

Meanwhile you might be able to offer a $50 or $100 WSO to help others learn how to set up "schedule your consulting" type of web site.

Also I'd move all the light gray text - from the list of cities on down - to a new "About us" page and make it the normal text colors. The content is good but the near-white on white looks like the small print of a scammer who has something to hide.

I'd put a sentence from each of your five reasons as the new first paragraph on the home page. Sell the benefits, such as mental fitness and accountability, before pitching the features of how your offer works.

The guarantee is powerful. I'd reword it a bit, something like "If we can't give you an empowering transformation in your training in just 8 weeks, we'll buy you a year at the gym of your choice... so either way, you're guaranteed to get every opportunity to make your body the way you want to look and feel." And I'd put that guarantee on the home page, where the light gray text is now.

"How it works" page: I'm afraid that "unique multi-cycle approach" doesn't mean anything to me. Unless this is a common term in fitness training, I'd cut the jargon and just get right to the point of all the angles or perspectives included in your training sessions. And my question about "how it works" is still unanswered: does the trainer meet me at the gym? Do we have phone calls twice a day? Email once a week? Will I enter my data at a web site? How does this work?

Oh, "how it works" is explained in "our packages." But by that page I'm already confused.

"See success" should have before and after pix like the Body For Life challenge.

So, there are several ideas for you, I hope something in there is useful for building a rock-hard, impressing-the-ladies... bank account!

Regards,
Allen

I looked at your website from the point of view of a potential customer in Orlando and asked whether I would hire you and I wasn't sure. Here were some of the reasons I hesitated.

1) You talk a fair amount about goals and results. These sound like a lot of work and don't necessarily relate to what I might feel I need. I'm thinking that even if you left in those terms, but said...

whether your goals are a flatter stomach, better muscle tone, more energy level or fitting into the clothes in your closet -- We can help you make it happen.

And you talk about taking away my excuses and breaking the customer down before building them back up.... gosh.... this does NOT sound like fun. Oh... this headline You'll have real accountability -- yikes... I don't want accountability... that sounds like a job, a chore. Maybe something more like..

Have you ever struggled with motivation? Perhaps you started exercising regularly, but didn't keep it up. With your Iron Strong trainer we'll help keep you on track EVERY step of the way, so you don't get sidetracked. We provide all the encouragement, know-how and support to reach those goals you've dreamed of.

Ah... here is another one that sounds like more work than what I'd like...

need to instill healthy eating patterns into your daily life

I would use phrases more like, "we'll show you how to eat for optimum energy and maximum performance." You know something that sounds more like I'll be morphing into a super hero... rather than being told "lay off the candy, Fatty."

Hope some of this helps... Good luck!

Well.... aside from your website, since you are also just concerned with paying bills. I don't know if you are located where this would work, but I talked to a personal trainer who said that when he was new he went out on the sidewalk and lifted weights. This guy was built like... well let's just say he was impressive as hell... though you could tell he was probably in his 40's... so you knew he must have been doing something right to look that way. Anyway... he said he used to go work out on the sidewalk in front of his store and just smile and say hi to folks as they walked by and occasionally say, "Any questions, let me know. We just opened...." He said he got some business that way.

The other thought was... yes, I could see people thinking that the free trial offer would mean... gosh, here is this guy in my house and how the hell am I going to ever get rid of him if I don't want to purchase anything else.

So here is my suggestion... address this concern in your offer.

Tell them you are looking for feedback on your services. So you'd like to offer a free training session to anyone... maybe you even have to offer two free training sessions to hook people. I know a local gym used to do that. They gave two free training sessions when you signed up for the gym. Aside from the fact that it made more people join the gym, it also overall was a money-maker, because like my friend.... he's probably now purchased 100 sessions since he joined.

But, I digress slightly, whether it is one free session or two. Say.... you want feedback on your trainers, whether they explain exercises well.... what services that you offer appeal to people, which ones don't. So you are willing to give folks two free sessions at the end of which you are going to give them a feedback card that you'd like them to mail in (say you would like it, not require it) so that you can continue to improve your services. Tell them that while they can sign up for a 3rd session at the end of the two free sessions, you promise to NOT try to sell them on it. Say, you know they have to be enthusiastic or the whole process won't work.... so you would never browbeat someone to continue.

Also.... I expected for the 'pick a trainer' page that I'd get to see the trainers. Being able to see who is coming to my house would definitely make me more comfortable. I'd want that.

Oh wait... here is another reason I might not call (again... I'm trying to play your potential customer... which if I had more money and lived in Orlando... I could be)... on your pick a trainer page, you currently only have one man and one woman listed. That's okay, but... the guy, you say:

Josh is an elite performance trainer working primarily with to level athletes.

first.... I'm assuming the word 'to' shouldn't be there...

but.... I would not say that at all. I would say Josh has helped people at all levels of performance. He's worked with elite athletes and those just hoping to graduate from the coach potato class.

The way you have it... if I'm an out of shape blob and I wanted a male trainer. I'd never call. I'd be way too intimidated or even assume that Josh would not want ME as a client.

hey guys if you all could check the updated version of the site and tell me what you think, im having a hell of a time here, my bounce rate shot to 85% today from good traffic, and ill i did was bring that text that was on the bottom part of the page where you couldnt read it up above my three step sign up graphic... it seems once again simple and flashy is working out much better here..

Josh,

I like "Speak with a trainer who really cares" better than what was there before. One more suggestion -- change the button copy from "Contact Me ASAP" (which is kind of intimidating) to something like "Yes - I'm Ready to Change My Life!" I think that will help conversion.

Well guys, im on my last limb here, unfortunately if i cant start generating some leads, i'll ave to can the business and might be filing a chapter 13.

thank you all for your time and cinsideration i have implemented many of the suggestions here, if anyone could take a look and see what else you would add or completely change (please based on experience) i would greatly appriciate it.

thanks all

Josh

You need to change your call to action box. You have call right now to talk to Brittany or myself. It should read call now to talk to Brittany or me. You wouldn't say call now to talk to 'myself' - adding another person doesn't change the dynamics of the sentence.

Call now to talk to me. Call now to talk to Brittany or me. I'd imagine you'd want to target some high-end clientele, grammar is critical as it is a direct reflection of your overall intelligence.

Hi Josh!

Just a thought. Is it the sales letter or the whole business model that doesn't work. If the sales letter is performing poorly, then it might be the way you're approaching the business.

I have no idea, but how do professional trainers get business? I would think something like going to gyms and advertising there. Again, I have no idea, but if I were in your shoes, I would figure out who is a trainer making money in your area, pose as a customer and see what they do.

Just a few thoughts.

Lee

Hi there Joshua,

I just see your site with a new layout.

Some extra tips:

- Don't use the hidden text at the bottom. It could hurt your site with Google
- I like the fact that your form is bigger. Have you try put in it on the right side of the screen? That's the side most people see first.
- Also, try asking for less information in the form. As few as possible.

I would recommend to try asking just for the email and name and ask for extra information via an autoresponder.

Finally, why are your headlines in the bottom right?? They should be on top, instead of the "congratulations"

I my experience the most important factors to get leads are (in order of priority)

1 - Your offer (what are you going to give a what cost)
2 - Your Headline (Clear and bald, make them want to keep reading)
3 - Your "call to action"
4 - Your Form
5 - Testimonials and guarantees
6 - Copy and images.

The minimum leads I'll normally have for a squeeze page is around 10%. Good ones get about 30% or more.

thank you for your response bro alot of good information, however i have to get real quailified personal training leads, its for a in your face training sessions and consultation, and from the last sites i have tested longer forms work better for onsultation leads

Joshua, I can't help on your copy but......FYI I'm a CPA.....Just a thought as you're on your last limb. Although you didn't mention details, nor do I want to know, if your situation is a decent volume with efficient operations that has too great a debt load to service then you might have some hope. Make sure that your accountant or bankruptcy attorney has some reorg / workout experience and you might get the lender to take a sizeable writeoff of the loan amount instead of adding to the debt or deferring it. The key would be if you could bring in additional partner capital (of course that would dilute your interest). No partners would of course be interested unless the debt was written down. With the generally poor liquidation values for about everything, the lender (if this is a debt problem) could lose less than what they currently expect. It's amazing what you can get when you have the audacity to ask for it. Don't worry about the lender, just yourself. Good Luck.

Pat

Joshua,

Sorry about maybe leaving you hanging. If you don't have any trusted local advisors yet or want to ask me a question, email through my web site.

Good Luck,

Pat