What is the Best Website Builder for Personal Trainers?
WordPress.org is one of the most popular platforms for building fast, responsive, secure, and mobile-friendly websites. It works great for personal trainers and other fitness professionals who want to establish an online presence and promote their services.
Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, Site123, Web, and MyPTWebsite are good alternatives.
The 7 Best Website Builders for Personal Trainers
1. WordPress.org
WordPress.org is one of the oldest and most popular website builders used by countless people in hundreds of industries, including health and fitness. It’s the platform that comes to mind when people consider building a website, and for good reasons:
- It’s fast, reliable, and secure
- It’s free
- It supports many themes and plugins
Thanks to the many fantastic themes and countless plugins, users can create precisely the website they need for their business––whether that’s a blog to educate users and build an audience, an online store to sell goods locally, a platform to set appointments and deliver digital files, or something else.
The setup process is straightforward. Users can start with a hosting provider and pick from a list of approved options, including Bluehost. Folks looking for a free solution can check out WordPress.com. It differs from the .org version (despite sharing a name) and has limited features.
For instance, WordPress.com doesn’t allow users to upload themes or download plugins.
That said, using WordPress.org and paying for hosting is well worth it. For one, you could get hosting for as little as $2.95 monthly. Second, you get to use everything WordPress has to offer without restrictions.
You can access plenty of free themes through WordPress and third-party websites or purchase a theme that offers more security, ongoing updates, and better flexibility for designing your website exactly as you want.
Divi by Elegant Themes and Genesis Pro from StudioPress are excellent options.
Pros:
- Design the perfect website without writing a single line of code
- Explore various features from the many available themes and plugins
- Receive ongoing updates on your themes and plugins to get new features and stay safe
- Explore the rich resources library to educate yourself on everything WordPress-related
- Integrate with Google Analytics to track how many people visit your website, how long they spend on each page, what pages get the most traffic, and more advanced metrics
Cons:
- Sometimes plugins stop being supported, which could eventually lead to security issues; it’s crucial to monitor the plugins you install on your websites to avoid that
- It can be challenging to find the plugin you need for something specific, and you might have to do some research to find the right one
- Some of the good plugins are paid
- While straightforward to use, WordPress takes some time to figure out and might feel a bit overwhelming at first
Price: The platform itself is free, but you must pay for hosting (as low as $2.95/month) and purchase a domain (which is also cheap and paid for a year or longer)
Try Hevy Coach
Intuitive personal trainer software, with a world class experience for your clients.
30 day free trial, no credit card required
2. Squarespace
Squarespace is another popular option for personal trainers looking to create a professional website for their business.
During the sign-up process, you’re asked to share some information about your project––for example:
- What your site is about (music, gaming, fitness, or other)
- What your top goals are (like collecting donations, selling digital products, or promoting a physical business)
You can then decide how to build your fitness website. Do it yourself with drag-and-drop functions, or choose from one of the templates and adjust it to your business.
If you select one of the ready templates, you might need time to find one that works for fitness/personal training.
Once inside, choose your website name, go through the quick tutorial, and you’re ready to start designing your website. You can add or remove elements, move things around, decide what fonts to use (style and size), and add buttons (Subscribe, Check Prices, Book Appointment, and similar).
Squarespace has built-in analytics options, allowing you to track stats like page visitors, unique views, and page views.
You can also track the number of products you’ve sold, the revenue generated, the number of orders you’ve had, the conversion rate (the percentage of people who purchase something after checking out your offer), and other metrics.
To make things even better, you can always preview your website’s desktop and mobile versions to see how changes appear for the user.
Pros:
- Everything you need for your website in one place
- Any website on an annual billing plan comes with one free domain
- You could purchase your domain separately and connect it to your Squarespace website
- The platform offers a 14-day free trial, which is enough to test and decide if you like it
Cons:
- The cheapest plan is $11/month when paid annually ($132 before tax)
- The month-to-month plans don’t come with a free domain
- It still takes a while to figure out the platform and where all the features are
Price: there’s a 14-day free trial. Subscription options after that are:
- $11, $17, $24, or $36 per month when paid annually
- $15, $24, $28, or $42 on a month-to-month basis
3. Wix
Wix is our third pick for a professional-looking website. It feels somewhat similar to Squarespace because you’re first asked what website you’d like to build. Some of the options include:
- Online store
- Blog
- Service business
- Portfolio
Each of these can be valuable for personal training. For instance:
- An online store would allow you to sell courses, eBooks, and such
- A blog is fantastic for building an audience and expanding your reach
- A service business could simply be a way to promote your physical business
- A portfolio can be excellent for showcasing client successes and boost your credibility
From there, create your account (or log in through Google or Facebook) and assemble your website. Once inside, you’ll have more options for the type of website you want to create.
For instance, you could pick a niche by selecting the blog option. A health blog is the closest to personal training, but you can further customize it afterward.
Select your website name, choose your goals (sell products, offer services, share knowledge, or other), and modify the feed (the updates people see when visiting your website, such as new blog posts). Then, you’re good to go.
You can also add apps for extra features (similar to plugins on WordPress) and decide how to create your website: build it yourself or pick from the fitness templates.
Like with Squarespace, you can add or remove elements, change the font, add or remove images, and use many other drag-and-drop options to create a professional-looking website that represents your values. Modify any element you want and see how it displays for desktop and phone users.
There’s also an option to connect your Wix website to a domain you already own (e.g., www.mywebsite.com).
Pros:
- It has an intuitive interface and is easy to figure out
- It has most of the same features as Squarespace
- All annual plans come with a domain for one year
- There is a 14-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
- It’s impossible to change your template without losing all the settings you’ve previously set
- No third-party plugins are available; you can only use the apps Wix provides through the library
- There is a limit to the type of payments you can accept on the cheaper plans
Price:
- $17/month Light (2 collaborators, limited features)
- $29/month Core (5 collaborators, basic analytics, accept payments, and other options)
- $36/month Business (10 collaborators, standard analytics, more space, and even more features)
- $159/month Business Elite (15 collaborators, advanced analytics, advanced developer platform, and more)
*These prices apply when paid upfront for a year.
4. Weebly
Weebly is our next recommendation for the online portion of your personal training business.
The sign-up process starts by deciding the type of site you want (e.g., just a blog or a website with an online store), what kind of products you want to sell, and what category you’re in (e.g., Fitness and Wellness).
Once inside, you can design your website as you see fit. The platform has many of the same functions as other website builders like Squarespace and Wix. You can customize the font, add your logo, modify the footer, include buttons, and more.
The platform also allows you to easily change your website’s style by picking from the many available font and color combinations. Paid users can choose from the many Weebly themes categorized based on the type of website they’d like to have––online store, portfolio, blog, or other.
Easily switch from desktop to mobile view to see how your website looks for both types of users.
What’s neat about Weebly is that it allows users to add pre-designed elements to their website easily. Options include a section for an email newsletter, categories, donations, events, and an Instagram feed.
These work well for making quick changes to your website’s pages, especially when promoting something temporary. For example, you can easily add a section with information on a fitness challenge–where it will take place, how long it will last, what it will involve, and other details. You can also include a link to a landing page where people can learn more about the event.
The same goes for other types of promotional elements. Are you looking to grow your email list? Add a section where you offer something to people (say, an eBook or email course) in exchange for their email address.
Alternatively, link your Instagram feed to promote your social media and gain more followers. You can also add buttons, embedded code, videos, PDF files, images, and other elements.
Pros:
- Weebly websites are often rated to be quite fast, which is crucial for user experience and SEO
- The platform offers excellent flexibility in terms of website design and features
- You can design your website with the drag-and-drop options without needing code
- Easily change the website’s layout with the click of a button
- Pick from the many pre-designed font and color combinations to fit your style
Cons:
- The free version comes with limited features
- You cannot use a domain you own on a free plan; you still have to go on a paid plan
- The interface is perhaps slightly more complex than that of other website builders
- You might have to look to third-party payment processing platforms if you live outside the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, or Australia
Price:
- $15/month Professional plan
- $27/month Performance plan
*When paid annually.
5. Site123
Though less popular than WordPress, Wix, and other big players in the website-building space, Site123 is a good and affordable option for people who want to create a presence online, build an audience, and promote events, challenges, and similar.
The first thing that stands out about the platform is that it comes with good website templates. For instance, if you want to create an online store, you get instant access to a design that’s almost ready to go live.
You need only include your products, tweak the colors and fonts, connect a payment processing option, change the main photo on the homepage, and add your contact information.
You can also add or remove elements depending on your business type. For instance, if you’re trying to promote your in-person training services, you can include a Google Maps section that clearly shows visitors where your business is located.
Site123 also allows users to add or remove categories, including new arrivals (which mainly applies to clothing stores and such), a snippet of the About page, and contact forms.
This personal trainer website builder also has numerous pre-designed pages you can add to your website and tweak before publishing. Options include:
- Events
- Contact
- Testimonials
- Team (the other people who are part of your business)
- Features
- Blog
- Pricing table
- FAQs section
In other words, even if you select an Online Store, you can easily add all the pages you want to create a website where you can:
- Publish articles
- Promote events
- Sell digital products
- Let people know where your physical business is located
- Share more about yourself and your team
- Make it easy for people to contact you
- Direct people to an FAQ section to get the answers they need
The platform also allows users to search for domains and purchase one without using a third-party provider.
Now, while all of these things are excellent, it’s worth noting that Site123 doesn’t stand out for particularly unique or exciting design options. You could make plenty of tweaks and design an excellent website.
However, Squarespace and Wix have more interesting templates that could set your business apart.
WordPress is also better in this regard because users get access to millions of free and paid themes, as well as countless plugins.
Pros:
- It has plenty of built-in features
- Users can easily add all sorts of pages to their website
- Add or remove elements to any page with simple drag-and-drop functions
- Easily promote a physical business by embedding Google Maps and adding contact info
Cons:
- There aren’t that many personal trainer website templates available for fitness professionals
- There isn’t as much in terms of SEO tools and features, especially on the free plan
- The designs are a bit bland, and it might be difficult for your website to look unique
- There is a free version, but it’s pretty limited and not at all useful
Price: $12.80 per month (free domain for a year, remove the Site123 tag, get store capabilities, and more)
Try Hevy Coach
Intuitive personal trainer software, with a world class experience for your clients.
30 day free trial, no credit card required
6. Web
Web is a good option for people who don’t want to invest too much into their website but want to establish an online presence and promote their business. This website builder doesn’t have as many features as some competitors, but it can be enough to get started.
Unlike other options on our list, Web has no free version. Before building your website, You must choose a plan (ranging from $4.95 to $13.95 per month for the first year).
There is also a ‘Hire an Expert’ option, where you tell them what you want, and they handle the design, SEO, and content creation.
If you go with an expert, you must explain what you want during a consultation call. From there, the folks at Web will create the design, write the content, and optimize it for search engines. You will then have another call with them to review the finished website before launch.
For those who design the website independently, there are a decent number of options to tweak fonts, colors, images, and other design elements. Users can also ask Web’s Artificial Design Intelligence for help.
The list of templates is extensive, and most look professional. However, some industries have fewer options than others. Fitness professionals can pick from several good themes and tweak each to fit their needs.
Like other website builders, Web uses simple drag-and-drop functionality for people to build the website they want without writing a single line of code. It’s also easy to change fonts, tweak the colors, add or remove photos, and do other things with a few simple clicks.
Users can also select the number of pages for their website. It could be a single landing page or a large website with a contact page, an About page, and more.
Adding a blog section to the site can be difficult, given Web’s unique way of building websites and the limitations of certain themes. It is possible, but perhaps not efficient, if having a blog is particularly important for you.
Pros:
- Pricing is quite cheap at the start
- The available templates are good and allow you to quickly publish your website
- The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to design the website how you want it
- You can hire an expert to build your website
Cons:
- There is no free version; you must pay upfront, even if you only want to test it
- The customization options are somewhat limited, especially compared to other builders
- The platform lacks more advanced elements like pop-ups and a booking calendar
Price (first month offer on a month-to-month basis):
- $1.95 basic website or blog
- $3.95 website plus marketing features
- $9.95 online store (sell goods and accept payments)
Price (first year offer on an annual plan):
- $4.95/month ($59.40/year) basic website
- $7.95/month ($95.40/year) website and marketing
- $13.95/month ($167.40/year) online store
*Before tax.
7. MyPTWebsite
Last but not least, we have My Personal Training Website, which is slightly different from the other options we’ve reviewed. Unlike WordPress, Wix, and other website builders, this is a service. In other words, you pay someone to create and manage your website.
Their selling point is, “We’ll design a beautiful personal trainer website and take care of it for you for less than $2.50/day, so you can take care of your business.”
The idea is for you to focus on current and potential clients instead of worrying about SEO, design, and other website-related tasks. You can outsource your content creation to free up even more time without sacrificing your online presence, reach, or growth.
What’s great about the service is that it’s not just for creating the website and leaving it at that. MyPTWebsite provides ongoing support, and the team is available around the clock should a problem with your site arise or if you get an idea to do something.
The company also offers SEO services (locally and globally) to help your website rank higher on Google and other search engines. SEO services start at $500 monthly, and local marketing starts at $250 per month.
Pros:
- Everything, including design, SEO, and content creation, is done for you
- Expert guidance and ongoing support for your website
- Affordable and predictable monthly payments
- Email support around the clock
- Additional SEO services available for organic growth
Cons:
- It’s more expensive than most website builders
- SEO services cost a pretty penny, starting from $250/month (local marketing)
Price:
- $49 per month for the Started package
- $99 per month for the Pro package
- $199 per month for the Business package
Related article: How to Become an Online Personal Trainer: 9 Simple Steps
What to Look for in a Website Builder as a Personal Trainer
1. Customizability
The more options your website builder has, the easier it will be for you to create precisely what you need. However, that also means it won’t be as easy to use, and the learning curve might be longer than with a simple tool.
Ideally, the website builder you choose should have features like:
- Add/remove/tweak elements
- Pick from many templates
- Social media integration
- Change the fonts and colors
- Add images
- Embed Google Maps, sign-up and contact forms, and more
- Use plugins or add-ons
Even if you don’t need as many functions from the start, there should be room for growth if you decide to add things later.
2. Simplicity
Every good website builder is relatively easy to figure out and use. This is particularly important for trainers who lack experience with design and don’t have as much time.
After all, running a personal training business is difficult enough; there’s no need to make it even more challenging with a complicated website builder that takes forever to figure out.
On the same note, a personal training platform like Hevy Coach can make the coaching process far easier for you and your clients.
You can create training programs, assign them to clients with one click, and track their performance from the dashboard. Clients would gain access to their training plans on the Hevy app and log each session in just a few minutes.
3. E-Commerce Capabilities
Even if you primarily offer in-person training services, you should choose a website builder with e-commerce capabilities. You can start selling products on the Internet immediately and have room to expand your practice later if you decide to transition your business online.
4. Built-in Analytics
WordPress websites can integrate with Google Analytics, allowing users to track website visitors, unique page views, time spent on each page, bounce rate, and other vital metrics.
Most website builders don’t integrate with Google Analytics but have built-in tracking capabilities. However, it’s important to check if that’s the case before committing.
Lacking decent analytics capabilities would make it more difficult to keep track of your online presence, leaving you blind to potential issues like a downward trend in sales or website visits.
Why Your Fitness Business Needs a Website
In today’s competitive landscape, we must leverage every possible tactic to give ourselves an edge. This includes establishing an online presence through a professional-looking website and social media profiles.
A good website can serve as an all-in-one virtual checkpoint where prospective clients can learn about you, sign up for your email list, get information about upcoming events and challenges, educate themselves, and get in touch.
More importantly, a website ensures that your fitness business is accessible 24/7. People can visit it whenever they want to get information about your brand, ask questions, book a coaching session, or consume informative content.
For example, let’s say you own a fitness studio website. Your studio might be open from 9 AM to 5 PM, but your website works 24/7, generating leads and building awareness.
A website is also an effective way to appear more professional and credible. You can share information about yourself, list your credentials, include an FAQ section (e.g., the most common questions prospective clients ask), share client testimonials, and have case studies or client successes.
Plus, establishing a presence online makes client acquisition somewhat easier. You can generate traffic organically (such as with articles for Google traffic), through paid advertising, and from social media.
If someone lands on your website and likes what they see, they can send you a message, see where your gym is located, or book an online consultation. Existing clients can stay up to date on your availability and special offers.
Related article: How to Start a Personal Training Business in 7 Steps
Final Words
WordPress.org continues to be one of the most reliable, customizable, affordable, and secure platforms for building any website.
Whether you want to have an online store, a blog, or an all-in-one site for all your needs, you can’t go wrong with this content management system paired with a reliable host (for as little as $2.95 per month) and a quality theme, such as Divi by Elegant Themes.
That said, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, Site123, and Web are good options with hosting, customizability, built-in analytics, and more. These are typically easier to use, and everything is included in a single, predictable monthly payment.
Finally, there is MyPTWebsite for trainers who don’t mind paying a bit more so long as they don’t have to worry about design, content creation, marketing, and other obligations that come with owning a website. The service is professional, reliable, and designed with fitness professionals in mind.
While having a website is a fantastic first step to building a successful personal training business, you should consider other tactics for streamlining the coaching process and keeping your clients happy. To that end, we recommend Hevy Coach.
This all-in-one training platform allows trainers to create routines in minutes, assign them to clients, make adjustments when necessary, and keep track of everyone from the dashboard.
Try Hevy Coach
Intuitive personal trainer software, with a world class experience for your clients.
30 day free trial, no credit card required
FAQs
1. What is a website builder?
A website builder is an online platform that allows users to create, design, and maintain a website. Users can choose from pre-designed templates or themes and make changes without knowing how to code.
2. How to create a personal training website?
Choose a website builder, sign up, pick a theme or template, adjust elements to your liking, add an About page, and include a blog section if you want to publish articles to educate people and build an audience.
3. What should I look for in a website builder?
Consider the customizability options, how simple it is to use, its e-commerce capabilities (taking payments and such), whether it has built-in analytics and the monthly or annual cost.