Boost Your Personal Training Business: A Complete Guide to Selling Services with WordPress

Growing your personal training business online can greatly increase your client reach and enhance your operational efficiency.

Fortunately, WordPress allows you to create a straightforward payment form or even a full membership site to market your personal training services. This enables clients to inquire about your offerings and schedule training sessions directly on your website, facilitating business growth.

We have been utilizing WordPress for over 16 years to sell plugins, software, and online courses, and our experience has been exceptional. WordPress is highly scalable, flexible, and customizable, which is why we consistently recommend it for developing websites, including those for personal training services.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of selling personal training services with WordPress, step by step.

Why Should You Sell Personal Training Services Online?

Creating a website to sell your personal training services online serves as a platform to highlight your expertise and promote your training sessions. This increases your visibility, helping you attract more clients who may not be aware of your business through traditional means.

If you operate a gym website, incorporating a sign-up form for training services is highly beneficial. This feature simplifies the process for potential clients to enroll in your gym after reviewing your expertise and training philosophy showcased on your site.

Additionally, it provides your clients with a centralized platform for communication and scheduling, ensuring a seamless and convenient experience.

Moreover, you can gather essential client information such as fitness objectives, any injuries or limitations, and preferred training styles. This data enables you to design customized training programs tailored to each client’s needs.

Why Choose WordPress for Selling Personal Training Services?

Before you can implement a training services form and start generating income online, you need to establish a website to promote your offerings. We recommend using WordPress, as it is the leading website builder available, powering over 43% of all websites on the internet.

It’s important to understand that there are two versions of WordPress. WordPress.com serves as a blog hosting platform, while WordPress.org is an open-source, self-hosted software. For further information, please refer to our comparison of WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

To effectively sell personal training services, we suggest using WordPress.org because it is entirely free, highly customizable, and compatible with various plugins that can assist you in marketing your services.

For more details, check out our comprehensive review on WordPress.org.

After selecting a website builder, the next step is to purchase a hosting plan and a domain name to effectively market your training services. This is where your initial expenses will begin.

We highly recommend Bluehost, a hosting provider endorsed by WordPress.

They offer an exclusive discount for CanadaCreate readers, along with a complimentary SSL certificate and domain name. Click the button below to receive up to a 77% discount.

Once you have secured hosting, refer to our beginner’s guide on creating a WordPress website for further instructions.

Now, let’s explore how to effectively sell your personal training services using WordPress. You can use the links below to navigate to your preferred method:

Method 1: Sell Training Services Using WPForms (Simple)

Easily sell your personal training services using WordPress with WPForms, the leading contact form plugin featuring a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder, over 1900 pre-designed templates, and a ready-to-use personal training signup form.

Begin by installing and activating WPForms. For step-by-step instructions, refer to our beginner’s guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

To accept payments through PayPal, Stripe, Square, or Authorize.net on your online form, you’ll need to install a payment addon.

You can do this by navigating to the WPForms » Addons section in your WordPress dashboard and clicking the ‘Install Addon’ button for your chosen payment processor. In this example, we will install the PayPal standard addon.

Next, go to WPForms » Settings and select ‘Payments’ to configure your preferred payment processor.

For more information, check out our tutorial on creating a WordPress form with payment options.

After that, head to the WPForms » Add New section in your WordPress dashboard and give your form a name.

Next, locate the ‘Personal Trainer Sign-Up Form’ template and click the ‘Use Template’ button beneath it.

This action will launch the WPForms drag-and-drop builder, displaying a preview of the form on the right and the form fields on the left side of the screen.

Here, you can customize the form by adding, rearranging, or removing fields as you prefer.

Then, scroll down and click on the ‘Trainer Preference’ field in the left column to access its settings, where you can modify the preference options.

For example, if you want clients to choose trainers based on their experience instead of gender, you can include those options in the ‘Choices’ field.

You can also update the days and times you are available for personal training sessions.

After that, configure the Desired Packages field to include your personal training session offerings in the form.

For instance, you might provide options such as a fitness assessment, a single training session, a package of four training sessions, or a package of twelve training sessions.

Next, you need to add a payment field to your form, allowing users to pay for your training sessions directly.

Scroll down to the ‘Payment Fields’ section in the left column, then add the ‘Multiple Choice’ field to your form.

Next, click on the field again to access its settings in the sidebar.

Here, you can enter the names and prices for your personal training sessions.

Then, navigate to the Settings » Notifications tab in the left column and turn on the ‘Enable Notifications’ option. This way, users will receive an email notification after submitting the form on your website.

After that, scroll down to the ‘Email Message’ section, where you can compose the message that will be sent to prospective clients.

If you haven’t included a payment field in your form, you can use this message to inform customers about when they can expect payment details.

You can also modify the subject line and email address from this section.

Once you are happy with your changes, simply click the ‘Save’ button at the top to save your settings.

Now, go to the page or post where you want to include the training services form. Click the add block (+) button in the top left corner and insert the WPForms block.

Next, choose the form you just created from the dropdown menu in the block.

Finally, click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to save your changes.

You can now visit your WordPress site to see the personal training services form in action.

With WPForms, you can view all your form submissions directly from your dashboard.

To do this, navigate to the WPForms » All Forms page and click on the ‘Entries’ link under the personal training services form you created.

This will direct you to a new screen where you can see the details of all users who have submitted the form by clicking the ‘View’ link on the right.

You can also edit or delete the entries as needed.

Method 2: Offer Training Services Using WP Simple Pay (Free)

If you’re seeking a free solution to add a personal training services form to your website, this method is ideal for you.

WP Simple Pay is the top WordPress Stripe plugin that enables you to accept online payments without the need for a shopping cart. It features a payment form builder, straightforward setup, secure payment processing, recurring payments, and pre-designed templates.

Overall, it simplifies the process of creating a personal training services form with the plugin.

Begin by installing and activating the WP Simple Pay plugin. For comprehensive guidance, refer to our detailed step-by-step tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.

After activation, a setup wizard will appear on your screen. Click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button to proceed.

You will be directed to a new page where you need to enter your license key. This step is applicable only to users with a pro plan. You can find your license key in your account on the WP Simple Pay website.

Once you have entered your license key, click the ‘Activate and Continue’ button.

Next, you will need to connect your plugin to Stripe, a widely-used payment gateway that facilitates online payments.

To initiate this connection, click the ‘Connect with Stripe’ button.

This action will take you to a new screen where you must log in to your Stripe account to link it with WP Simple Pay. If you do not have an account, you can create one by visiting the Stripe website.

For further details, check out our tutorial on how to accept Stripe payments in WordPress.

After successful integration, the setup wizard will prompt you to configure your email settings.

Simply enable the options to receive email notifications for payment receipts, upcoming invoices, and payment alerts, and enter the email address where you want these notifications to be sent.

Once you’ve completed this step, click the ‘Save and Continue’ button.

Next, navigate to the WP Simple Pay » Add New page in your WordPress dashboard to begin creating a form for your personal training services.

This will bring you to the ‘Select a Template’ screen, showcasing a variety of pre-designed templates.

Since WP Simple Pay does not provide a specific template for personal training services, click the ‘Use Template’ button under the ‘Payment Form’ section.

This will direct you to the ‘Add New Payment Form’ page, where you can start by entering a name and description for your personal training services form.

Next, choose ‘On-site payment form’ as your form type.

Then, go to the ‘Payments’ tab and input a label and pricing for the training session you offer.

If you provide multiple training service packages, you can click the ‘Add Price’ button to include various pricing options for different packages.

Next, scroll down to the ‘Payment Methods’ section and select the payment gateways you wish to include in your form.

With WP Simple Pay, you can also integrate SEPA, Affirm, Klarna, and AfterPay as payment options, but these require a pro plan.

If you’re using the free plan, you will only have the option to add AliPay and debit/credit cards as payment methods.

Then, navigate to the ‘Form Fields’ page in the left column. The default fields in the payment form include email address, price selector, and payment methods.

If you would like users to provide their name, phone number, and address, you can select those fields from the dropdown menu.

To include a custom age or weight field in your form, choose the ‘Text’ form field from the dropdown options.

After that, expand the field settings and set ‘Age’ as both the label and placeholder text.

You can also choose the ‘Dropdown’ form field to add preferences for trainer, day, or time.

Simply expand the field tab, add a label, and enter all the options you want to provide to your clients in the ‘Options’ field.

For example, if you want users to select specific days for their personal training sessions, you can enter the available days in the designated field.

Remember to separate each option with a comma.

After that, navigate to the ‘Payment Page’ tab and check the box for ‘Enable a dedicated payment page.’

WP Simple Pay will then generate a customized payment page for your personal training services.

You can easily input a URL for the form page in the ‘Permalink’ field, and then select a color scheme, image, and footer text.

Finally, click the ‘Publish’ button on the right to save your settings.

You can then visit your WordPress site to see the personal training services form.

Alternatively, if you want to add the form to an existing page, make sure to click the ‘Publish’ button after adding the form fields.

Next, go to the page or post where you want to include the form and click the add block (+) button.

Once the block menu appears, simply add the WP Simple Pay block and select the form from the dropdown list.

Then, click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to save your settings.

Now, you can visit the existing page on your WordPress site to see the personal training services form in action.

Bonus: How to Market Your Training Courses and Videos for Download

In addition to offering services, you can sell training courses and videos on your WordPress site. This approach is an affordable way to generate income online and can encourage customers who purchase your courses to enroll in personal training sessions.

Selling training courses is simple with Easy Digital Downloads, the top WordPress plugin for selling digital products such as PDFs, videos, music, courses, eBooks, and more.

You can easily integrate the plugin with various payment gateways and create your first digital product by navigating to the Downloads » Add New section.

This will launch the block editor, allowing you to enter a name and description for your training video or course. After that, scroll down to the ‘Download Files’ section and upload the training video from your computer. Then, specify the price in the ‘Pricing Options’ field.

You can also categorize, tag, and set featured images for your product. Finally, click the ‘Publish’ button at the top to save your settings.

You have successfully added a training video for sale on your gym website. For further details, check out our tutorial on how to sell digital downloads on WordPress.

Bonus: A Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Coaching Business Using WordPress

In addition to offering personal training sessions, which are geographically restricted, you can expand your reach by starting an online coaching business through your website. This approach enables you to connect with clients worldwide and increase your conversion rates.

With online coaching, you can conduct sessions at any time by utilizing pre-recorded videos, live chats, or video conferencing. You can also host workshops and group coaching sessions to foster a sense of community among your diverse clientele.

Moreover, online coaching is significantly more affordable than maintaining a physical gym, making it an excellent choice for aspiring trainers.

You can effortlessly launch your coaching business with MemberPress, the top membership plugin for WordPress. It allows you to establish various subscription tiers for your clients and schedule content releases at specific intervals to keep users engaged.

Additionally, you can create an automated onboarding process, implement milestone tracking, and utilize automated reminders to encourage clients to complete their coaching programs.

MemberPress also enables you to develop exclusive coaching content that users must purchase to access, making it an ideal solution. For further information, check out our tutorial on how to start an online coaching business.

We trust this guide has provided you with valuable insights on effectively selling personal training services using WordPress. Additionally, you might find our beginner’s guide on crowdfunding in WordPress and our comprehensive eCommerce setup guide helpful.

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