Your Website Fitness - Theresa Smith of For Time Design

Hey, welcome back to the Future of Fitness podcast. I'm your host, Eric Malzone, and this is episode number 34. And I have the extreme pleasure of talking to Teresa Smith. She is the CEO, COO, and founder of Four Time Design. And she designs websites specifically for the fitness industry, and she does an amazing job of it. And she, in full disclosure, she actually did our website, and we work with her for a lot of clients, refer to a lot of people. So that obviously says how much we think of her. So there's a couple things that you can control with your digital presence, one of which being your website, the other one being your search engine optimization. And there's a few other things too, but those are the big ones. And they kind of tie in hand to hand. Now here's the great thing about Teresa and some of the topics that we'll cover in this is what's the biggest mistake that most fitness professionals make when designing their website? How to design quality landing pages and what a landing page actually is that a lot of people out there don't know, and why you need them for your digital marketing. Pixels, Facebook pixels, what exactly those are and how to set them up. I think there's a lot of confusion around that topic. And lead capture for your website and updating plugins, all kinds of stuff. So before I lose you in this intro, this is really, really important. You need to listen to this as a fitness professional. I know a lot of people don't like to do their websites, don't like to pay attention to them, but this is your digital storefront. This is where people go. So tune in, maybe listen to this twice because there's a lot of great input on here. And then if you want to reach out to Teresa, we highly suggest you do. So let's get on to it. Episode number 34 with Teresa Smith of Four Time Design. She does websites design. Welcome on the show.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

So I will give you a little bit of a plug up here up front and say that, you know, we've you've done our website, you've done a number of our clients' websites, and my friends too. So we've always been extremely happy. Um we're always it's it's a win-win for us because uh doing what we do on the agency side, uh, it's always nice working with a clean website that uh makes our jobs a lot easier. So thank you for everything you do up front. Um so give us a little history on um four-time design and and uh because I know you have a fitness background as as well. Um run us through quickly you know on what that story is.

Yeah, so um I owned a gym here in well, I live in Idaho and just across the border in Oregon. I own a gym there, uh Race Bar CrossFit. And um I still I've been doing website design for about 13 years uh in a variety of different jobs and as a freelancer and um had always done it on the side and uh sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time. So I opened up my gym and was doing websites off and on for different people, different businesses, and uh was a member of Two Brain Business with Chris Cooper. Um I was a mentoring client with him, and then um over time he started asking me questions about websites, and he said, you know, we might be looking for somebody that can we can maybe refer people to for websites. Would you be interested? I said, sure. And uh little did I know there was still a really big need in that uh space to fill. Um so he started uh referring some clients to me, some of my clients were referring people to me, and over time it grew to the point at which um my gym sort of started taking a back seat, and so I had to sort of step up and and decide which one I really wanted to do. And I'm the really cool thing is I'm passionate about fitness, and um, so it was a really great way to combine my love of fitness and my love of technology and website design and things like that.

Sounds great.

Doing it full time now.

That's good. And I know uh I know you're you're always really busy too, so it's always really good to see that. And I appreciate you coming, you know, taking the time to do this. So um, you know, with fitness professionals and and the the niche you found yourself in, and uh what what do you when people come in, like describe the before and after, right? When someone comes to you, what's what's the general case and then how do they how how does that evolve? How does that process work with you, and then what what's the end product?

Okay, so I see kind of two different paths. It's either people come to me with what I call a band-aid site, and it's sort of like you know, they've thrown things up and then patched up here and there. It's a really old site with a lot of old content, and um, it hasn't, it doesn't even have a cohesive design, um, and it doesn't have a cohesive path through the website. The other thing I have, the other uh way that I have people come to me is that they come to me and they have a website, but they don't know what it's supposed to do. It doesn't have calls to action, it doesn't guide people through what they need to do to get into the business in terms to get into your business and know what to do. So my primary goal whenever I design a website is it's always about the calls to action. So you really want to give people a clear call of what they need to do whenever they come to you. They don't you don't want people guessing. So, how do I get in touch with them? What's the next step? What do I do if I'm interested in this product or this service? Um, so my primary goal is always that. That actually comes before the design. And um I've talked about this to a lot of people. You can have an ugly website that's super effective. Um, you can have a really pretty website that does absolutely no good. My goal is always to kind of combine the two, make a beautiful website that attracts clients and sort of shows who you are, but also still does the job really, really well.

Oh, that's great. Yeah, it's you know, we are we were jabbing about this right before because um we started this recording that you know there's so many things that you can do now in the digital world, right? Um, that's where we come in into the space. And um, you know, everyone's fascinated with Facebook advertising. Um and it's they should, it's powerful, it's great, um, highly targetable. Um, you know, uh Google AdWords or other more dynamic marketing plays, but you know, there's only certain things that you can control, right? And as a business owner, most of us are control freaks. So, you know, a website being one of them because that that is one thing that you own, right? And the other thing is your email list and how you market to that.

Yeah, absolutely.

Um how how in your mind, like how obviously the the website's important, but where do you think people rely on it too much times? Or what's your take on that?

Yeah, I do. I think that the website is the tool to get people in your doors. One of many tools, actually, to get people in your doors. It could be through your Facebook marketing. But I think people, I often get people that come to me and say, I'm still not getting people through my doors, even with a great website. And I tell them, you know, it's about relationships, you know, you have to be using things like communicating with people through your blogs, um, talking to your clients through social media, and you need to actually be communicating with people, and when they walk in the door, you have to convey that friendliness and that, you know, sort of social atmosphere that's gonna get people coming in and staying. So I think that sometimes people expect a website to do everything, to be them, and there's only so much that it can do in terms of that. So while it can be a tool to get people in your doors, you got to take it from there, and you also have to be putting your voice to that website through your blog and through your podcast and things like that.

Awesome. What do you think? What's the biggest um mistake that most fitness professionals make when it comes to their website?

Um, probably the people that they put on their website, unless they're trying to attract a super, super fit individual, that shouldn't be all you have on your website. You should show people that when they walk through your doors that they're not going to be scared off by um people who look like they've been working out for their entire lives. Um, you know, most fitness professionals are not trying to attract um high-level athletes or high-level competitors, bodybuilders, anything like that. They're trying to attract, you know, the moms who just had a baby and are trying to get fit. They're trying to attract, you know, men who maybe have are looking to come back to their glory days from their athletic years. They're they're not trying to attract those high-level athletes. So why would you put that all over your website? I think it's relevant if it's maybe a before-after. Um, but also I can tell you as a former couch potato, I would be a little scared even with a before-after. Like, holy moly, I'm gonna have to really work hard to look like that after. I wonder if everybody gets to that point. And I'm just like, I just want to be fit. I don't need to look like I'm a high-level athlete. So I think that it's the real realness of it.

So that's a great point. And I uh, you know, I and I think consistency of message, right, is a big, big part of it too. We any business mentor or any business that's successful really knows who their ideal client is. And then the consistency of that message from the very first second that they find you, or even when they just search, right? Of what that, you know, what that uh header tag says or whatever it is, there has to be consistency throughout. Uh, you know, if you're if you're talking to general population, um, clientele, and then they go to your website and there's skulls and crossbones and you know and just these these really hardcore images, they're gonna leave like that. Yeah. Right?

Yeah. The first gym I ever walked into, their website was like that. It literally took me about six months to get the courage to walk through those doors.

Yeah. So it's great. I noticed a lot of themes too with yours, is you know, very much portraying the the happiness or the feeling uh that goes behind what the gym is all about. I think that's a great um point, and that's really what truly attracts people to the site. Um tell me about how you you put together your business model. Like you is it is it one-time fee, is it a membership fee? How does it how does it work?

So um at the beginning, it was just to design a website, hand it off to the client. But one of the things that was a constant thing that I recognized is that businesses always evolve. And so there's always need for new marketing landing pages and things that people can use in their marketing efforts, or maybe they you know want to update their website uh as a new clientele comes in or they grow or whatever. So I decided that a subscription model actually worked a little bit better. So, and the other thing is too, is there's not a huge upfront cost. Um, you're not coming and throwing thousands of dollars at this website and not knowing if it's gonna work or not. So, you know, we came up with a monthly subscription model to where people pay a startup fee that covers, you know, premium plugins and things like that, and then a monthly fee that kind of pays down that design, but also gets them an hour or plus even more time than that if they want it on top of that, so that every month they can come back to me. So they get an hour every month to come back to me and say, Hey, can you build up this landing page? Can you change out these pictures? You know, can you help me pretty up my blog? Things like that. So they have that option to come back. And the one thing I've noticed is that the people that really use it, um, they consistently tell me they get more people through the door than just a website that was built two years ago and just sits there static.

Yeah, oh, that's awesome. So landing pages, um, let's talk about tell people, you know, a lot of people may not even know what that is. What is a landing page and what makes a good one?

Sure. So a landing page is essentially something that you might use to draw attention to a specific program, like if you're starting a boot camp or something like that. So it would be a place where people you could use in your marketing efforts and social media, and people could land on that page to get information about it, and it's going to tell them everything that they need to know about that program. Um, the reason landing pages are as are important is if somebody just lands on your website and they see that you offered 10 different things, they may never get to that one thing that speaks to them. But if you're really targeting a specific audience with that landing page, you know, boot camp, um, maybe uh females who are not looking to work out with barbells and things like that, you can really hone that message in and just target that one thing. And a lot of times we'll even take off the headers and the footers of the page so that it's only about that one program and they're not overwhelmed with the message of the whole website.

Yeah, and that's that's smart. And uh, you know, I to to really hone in on why that's that's important too is um, you know, all of your your marketing or any kind of messaging that you're doing, whatever program it's gonna be unique to whoever that is, right? The the you know, the the mother who just had a kid and wants to get back in shape is gonna be much different than even you know me, a 41-year-old male. Um, it's just different. And uh getting people and once again that consistency of message, getting them through to the landing page and then getting them all the appropriate information and nothing more.

Right. Yep. Absolutely.

So um I think having someone like you in their corner where it's like you you've done that, you know how to build a landing page. Because if you're if you're a fitness profo and you're you're trying to manage your website and you're gonna try to build out your first landing page, it's gonna take you forever.

Yeah. Yeah. I know. It sure will.

It's gonna take you a while. Um so I mean, if if when people, when you develop someone's website, do they own that website after?

So with the subscription model, they don't own the design until they paid it down. Um the reason for that is is what happens is you know, if somebody came and they built a website and a month later they leave, they don't get to take that with them because you know they've only but they do own always their domain name and they can always buy out the design. So I have very clear terms on that on my website, as well as most design professionals too do. Um, but they they do own the design in as much as that they can take it with them anywhere they go. And after they paid it off or paid it down or paid the one time fee, then yes, they own that 100% and they can take that with them forever and ever. But the domain name remains theirs always.

That's extremely fair, I think. I think that's a really that's a really great value because I can tell you uh, you know, just from experience, so many times, um, and this is why this is important, listeners, is that you know, once you own your website, she'll develop and create a beautiful one, and then you know, as soon as it's paid off, it's yours. But I've seen too many times where we're trying to work with clients and they're essentially being held hostage by the company that didn't.

I don't believe in that at all. Yeah.

Yeah, it really irks me. Um because then they have this huge, you know, something happened like, well, then they're stuck without a website. And then what right?

Yeah, absolutely.

Uh so what what's new? What's kind of what do you what's the stuff that you're updating people with, or what are you educating yourself on with website development? What's what's the next thing that that because this is a future of fitness podcast, right? What are you coming up next?

You know, as far as um website design and technology goes, I see really specialists coming into the field that it's sort of like you and myself. A lot of times I'll get people who come to me and want me to do SEO and Facebook marketing and everything under the sun. And I say, I look, I feel like I do one thing really, really well, and that's design and uh communicate your message. But there are so many great professionals out there who can really hone in um on your SEO uh or your marketing or you know, even copywriting. If you really want some brilliant copywriting, there are amazing copywriters out there. So I think that that's really where it's going.

Yeah, I like that message too.

And I think it's Eric, I think I've lost you. There we go.

I think that's a really that's a great message and a great thing to be coming on because it's really important people stay in their lane, right? Um, you know, like our company, we could do website design, but we'd rather um refer out to someone like yourself who this is what they do all day, right? This is very much a specialist in what they do. Um, and I think because once you take a deep dive in anything digital, whether it be websites, whether it be SEO or whatever it is, you uh it's like the Dunning Kruger effect. At first you're like, oh, I can do everything, right? I I know a little bit, so I I started off there.

I can do it all.

This is like my uh 20th time I've been in that um scenario myself. So but you you start to learn a little bit, you get a little, you know enough to be dangerous, quote unquote, right? Um but you can really actually do some harm clients if you're if you're playing in that field and uh you're not taking a deep dive. So I would, you know, I think it's a great point is if if you are looking for whatever help it is um in the digital, because coaches want to coach, right? They don't want to website, they want to coach. Right. Absolutely. People like Yumi want them to be doing more of. Um yeah. That's that's cool. Um what else? What else is up and coming in in the world of websites? There are any um, you know, things that you're now adding in to websites that you're doing.

Yeah, so we're I'm really getting excited about surveys and forms and collections through lead lead capture forms and things like that. That really is helping give people information. I think the Facebook Pixel is working really well for people to give them information so that they know more about what to do on their website and their landing pages. And if they're using it appropriately, then they can communicate that to me and so that I can help them out with that. Um, there's plugins are growing like crazy, like plugins that do amazing things on websites. And and actually, as much as I think that it's okay if people use things like Squarespace and Wix, uh, you know, the plugins that are being developed, the majority of them are being developed for WordPress. And so those tools are more available. I think that over time it will grow in its Squarespace and Wix platform a little bit more. Um, but I think that really there's just so much technology rolling out the door all the time. Um, usually if somebody comes to me and says, Hey, can we do this? I can go and look and there's a plug-in for it, we can make it happen. So I think it's pretty cool all the things that people, the data they can track and you know the things that they can accomplish with their website.

Awesome. Can you give us an explanation of what a pixel is? I think there's still a lot of confusion with people on what that is.

It's kind of, I mean, it's hard to explain, but it's a it's um a communication tool between your website and how people get there, and that communicates with Facebook, and you can probably explain this a little bit better than me, where people are going, how they're converting, um, where they're landing when they get to your website, what they're clicking on, and all of that goes back to Facebook and communicates with Facebook, you know, what audience is actually clicking on that. You can really start to refine those messages and uh refine that audience that it's going to through this Facebook pixel. It does take some time to learn. Um, and I actually recommend that even everybody should understand it at a basic level, just so they can see what it's doing. But it it's just amazing how clearly you can hone your message in to your audience, to a specific audience with the use of that tool.

Yeah, it's it's the first time I caught wind of it, I was blown away. I actually felt a little uh I felt vulnerable, right? Because you're like, oh my god, I'm being pixeled. So people listen, it's just it's a tracking tool that you can you put a snippet of code on your website on particular pages that you want to track, and you can see the conversions as far as like who's going to the site. Um, you know, if you're doing a landing page, you can see who's going to your landing page and then who's going to a thank you page, which means that they're converting to either an appointment or something like that. On top of that, you can also do retargeting. So once you have that, you can start retargeting these people again. If maybe, you know, and the way we always explain is you know, someone may go to like your contact us form and then their baby starts crying, right?

Right.

They're like, oh god, exactly. Now you you can bring it back, you can actually retarget them um through AdWords and Facebook. So um that's a really important piece. I think if people, if you don't, if you haven't done that yet, contact Teresa and she can she can dial it up for you. Um well that's great. What what if people want to get a hold of you, they want to test out your services or they want to get a quote or something like that, how do they do that?

So they're gonna go to for time design, that's four time design. It's like a workout for time design.com. That's why. And then uh yeah, that's where it comes from. Apparently, I should have thought that through a little bit more because everybody wants to do F O U R, but it's F-O-R time Design. And uh there's a link on there to schedule a call. I always do recommend that we always start with a call. Um, it's a lot easier than going back and forth via email, and um we can just discuss sort of your needs. I always start the call off with tell me what's working for you on your website, what's not working for you, you know, what are your priorities, who are you trying to get through the door? And so usually we start with that call and then from there, uh, you know, deciding if they want to book, I give them time to think about it, and then we go from there. And then um after that, we start with a home page design and an internal page design. I always tell people they are not committed at that point, they get to see their entire website before you know they're committed any any at any level financially. So um we build out the whole site on a development site. Once they say they love it, um we launch it, and that's sort of how the whole process works.

Oh, it's great. I love how it's um you know, it's just so upfront and honest and and you work with the clients. That's I mean, that the service is is is great. So um yeah, that was excellent. I hope, you know, please look her up, guys. If if you're um even if you just have questions about if your website's working for you or not, or if it's you know appropriate to what you're trying to accomplish, uh get with Teresa because she does great work. So Teresa, thank you for your time. Thanks. Um, and I know you and I will be talking quite a bit. So this is a goodbye.

Okay, all right, thanks.

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