…written with Australian health fitness business owners in mind and fully referenced.

1. How is the Internet going to benefit my health fitness business?

Benefit in the fastest growing advertising/entertainment medium of all time.
The Internet is the fastest growing advertising/entertainment medium of all time. It has reached more people, in less time than television, radio, books, etc and despite what some are saying; it's here to stay.

Save your business thousands of dollars in printed advertising and postage costs.
Internet is a remarkably cost effective when compared with other mediums such as printed advertising, radio, TV, etc. We all know how high printing and postage costs can be.

Telling someone he or she needs to renew their membership can be a "$1" ordeal provided you send two letters. The more letters, the more money you need to spend. Do that to every member, each year and we could be talking thousands. Getting that same message across via email is pretty much FREE. Send one email or one thousand? It's still FREE.

What about printing leaflets about an upcoming event at your health fitness centre and discover that the offer is wrong or the date has changed. With the Internet, it's no problem. A few clicks and a couple of buttons, and you're back in business.

Increase effectiveness of all of your business advertising by including your Internet address.
This allows you to stay in touch with your potential clients and further service your members or potential members. The Internet makes it now possible for your business to have a non threatening salesman (website) sell for your business 24 hrs and 7 days per week. This can only lead to more sales or at the very least, help in your selling and marketing process.

Health and related topics are one of the hottest topics searched for on the Internet.
Already, 54% of American Internet users search for health and related topics. Since the US is an older market and also due to our close ties with the US, there's no reason why that number won't to be similar here in Australia1.

Strong and rapidly rising Internet coverage in Australian homes.
Already there is 50% Internet coverage in Australian households with even greater coverage when taking into consideration Internet in the workplace, Internet cafes, libraries etc. That's around four million individual Internet accounts.

During the 12 months to November 2000:
" 9.2 million Adults, or 66% of all adults in Australia, used a computer.
" 6.9 million Adults, or 50% of all adults in Australia, accessed the Internet.

In June 2001 Australian Bureau of Statistics found there were:

" 4.2 million Internet subscribers in Australia, there were 3.7 million Household subscribers and 508,000 Business and government subscribers.

And the growth continues:
" At the end of the June quarter 2001, there were 187,000 more Household Internet subscribers and 26,000 more Business and government Internet subscribers than at the end of the March quarter 2001.

In Victoria, Internet subscribers at the end of the June quarter 2001 there were 1,154,000 individual subscribers up by more than 100,000 subscribers since March 2001.

By 2002-2003, it is expected to 70% of all adults will use the Internet in Australia. The Internet shows no signs of slowing down and those that tell you otherwise will soon realize its importance. Think about why Time Warner merged with the much smaller internet company, AOL. Over 90% of 9-14 years olds already use a computer on a regular basis.

References:

1. Nua Internet Surveys 2001 (www.nua.com)

2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) www.abs.gov.au
AusStats 8147_0 Use of the Internet by Householders, Australia
AusStats 8153.0 Internet Activity, Australia (21/03/2001)
AusStats 8147.0 Use of the Internet by Householders, Australia16/02/2001
AusStats 8153.0 Internet Activity, June Quarter 2001, Australia 27/09/2001

2. How is a complete Internet solution such as healthfitness.com.au, going to benefit my business?

Extend your club's services by giving your members access to 24 hour online support that is run by health fitness experts.
Now your members are able to have access to certified professionals via the healthfitness.com.au Q&A Discussion Board. If your members have any questions on health fitness they can post their question on your discussion board.

Discussion boards are a popular way to inform people but also to create a club community feel. Users can not only post questions but also answer them, and contribute their knowledge to the topic. The board is monitored daily by our certified health fitness experts and they'll be there to dispel myths and offer sound health fitness knowledge. This service can be a powerful selling point to potential clients, giving your club a "24hr online health fitness support" service.

Improve the performance of your phone system (less busy tones) and customer management.
Since all the necessary information such as opening and closing times, fitness class times, services, etc, will be readily available on your website, this will cut unnecessary phone calls to your business. What this ultimately means is that you'll reduce the number of busy tones on your phone line, making a more efficient phone system.

Increase credibility and awareness of club trainers and staff which ultimately leads to greater club community.
By posting details on your fitness trainers and personal trainers at your club, you'll improve customer service. Your members will be informed on the trainer's name and details it will encourage conversation more readily, since the member feels like they already know the trainer. By posting the trainers education and strengths on your website your members could more effectively target their questions to the appropriate trainer.

Market your lacking services and boost your sales by selling more to your best customers. (…which in case you're wondering are your existing clients)
What service needs boosting in your business? Is it the pool, squash or the aerobics at 12:30? Whatever it is, all that service needs is a little promotion and marketing. Just imagine the costs of a printed mail-out to your members. I would imagine that could run into the thousands. With an effective website however, one that offers more than just a brochure, you could market that service, tell your members of its benefits and you've got yourself a winning service.

Build health fitness club loyalty and increase the community feel of your club.
By investing in a website that is much more than just a brochure, you will create on online community at your clubs Internet site. This can only be achieved with complete Internet solutions such as the ones that are offered by AHFA. Businesses with a brochure website will find that their site will be treated like one. (Seen once, but never again)

With an Internet site that is always expanding and has fun and informative tools, you can create club loyalty by forming an online community. With message boards, chat, email and other features, your members will get to know each other, and perhaps even help one another, in a way that's never been possible before.

Research shows that a typical business loses half of its customers in less than 5 years according to MAUS Research. This is because often business owners are too busy trying to gain new members that they lose focus on their best customers and are simply not investing time in that relationship, assuming that these customers are with them for life. And since it's between 7 and 10 times more expensive to gain a new customer than to retain an existing one, it is easy to see why building club loyalty is important and this is the first Internet package to focus on this.

3. How will a healthfitness.com.au Internet solution benefit my club's members?

Health fitness articles written by certified health fitness professionals.
The main reason people surf the Internet is to find information and the most popular way of delivering this is through articles. Our articles are written by certified health fitness experts and are highly relevant to your members and any of their friends interested in fitness. These articles are available for your club copyright free. Articles will be written monthly by our panel of experts which ensures your visitors stay glued to your website.

Interactive Fitness Class Timetable (AHFA has secured exclusive Australian rights)
If the fitness class timetable was not up to date due to a cancelled class or fitness instructor mishap, and the web board was not updated, your members aren't going to be happy. If you look on the fitness club's Internet site and see a class time you'd like to attend and turn up only to find out it was cancelled. You would certainly lose trust in the Internet site and think twice about using it again. But this is exactly how health clubs have unknowingly chosen to display their fitness class timetable. Until now...

With the AHFA network, a fitness instructor (or manager) can change his or her details from anywhere in the world with an Internet hookup. With the Internet literally being on every street corner, it is now possible to have a fully up to date fitness timetable.
Armed with a password and username, the instructor/manager can change classes and can even write a short description on the class he or she is running. In fact she may choose to have a different theme every week etc. Basically they can really interact with their students by providing short notes, inspiring qoutes, fitness tips, etc. The student can also interact by knowing the instructor's name and class before the session.

Award winning graphic design
The website's look has been designed by Megan Stone of Stone and Partners Design. This established graphic designer has won 4 Australian Graphic Design Awards in 2000 alone. This prestigious Prahran studio has multinational clients such as Bulla Dairy Foods, Carter Holt Harvey (Sorbent, etc) and Kraft Foods. But don't take our word for it, check it out for yourself.

An always expanding array of interactive health fitness tools designed to build your business an online community.

Online Resources
Vitamin Encyclopedia/Diet Reviews/Exercise Encyclopedia and more are on the drawing board. Building an online reference of health fitness knowledge is another great way to add value to your site which in turn educates your members and possibly attract new ones. A fully referenced vitamin encyclopedia has been established to inform and remind visitors of these and other powerful supplements.

Fitness calculators
Fitness Instructors often have to look up and calculate variable such as target heart rate for an individual. Now you can simply enter certain variables such as age, height, weight, etc and get personalized results. These calculator tests are a great way to find such things as target heart rate but also things like the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is one of the best and simplest measures of your risk of heart disease and your general body shape. So you can see how important calculators can be. Because they're so simple, by taking away the daunting mathematics, your clients will no doubt use them.

Fitness Diary
This interactive tool can keep track of your fitness progress. After an initial login, you are given the option to input calories consumed for the day through exercise and other physical activities. You should also specify the amount of calories consumed through food. Do that daily, and you can easily see whether you are losing weight or gaining weight via a chart. This uses the calories in vs. calories out formula which is currently the best scientific method for estimating body changes, ie. Results.

24hr online health fitness support (Question and Answer Discussion Board)

If any of your members need more information on a particular topic and/or have a question, they need just visit the online discussion forum. Simply login, ask a question and you'll receive an answer by a health fitness expert, by your personal training staff or by others members who are in the same situation. This question and answer support system allows your clubs members to get personalized health fitness care, that's now available 24 hours a day.

Message Boards
What a better way to create a community that by a message board. Message boards have become extremely popular because they offer an effective way to reach targeted people. Suppose someone wanted a gym partner, sell something or just have a positive message, they can post it up on this board. Suppose your business was holding a club party coming up. Why not post it here? When someone replies to the post, the person that posted it, will be notified by email of the response. So there's no need to constantly check the board for a response. Yet another great way to help create a community atmosphere and increase club loyalty. And all while providing a great service to your members that is absolutely free.

Chat
Chat is now sweeping the Internet with online dating services using them and other bigger community based websites such as Yahoo, Ebay, Amazon, have extremely large chat communities. There are more people chatting on than Internet than any other activity. Chat gives your members an unbelievable service in which your club's atmosphere and loyalty is greatly increased. A chat room allows your members to have real time discussions, gives you the option to hold online meetings, announcements, etc or just meet other people from your gym. Trying to strike up a conversation when sweating after a heavy set of squats may not be the best time. Your health fitness club website has the chat room facilities. You can even have your very own private chat room for your health fitness centre.

FREE Unlimited Email to your members:
A recent Gallup poll has found that 97 percent of email users say the application has improved the quality of their lives. Nine in 10 use email at home and over eight in 10 use it at work*. Your members can now get unlimited, free email right from your home page. By giving your member free email, they are now equipped with the tools to not only make their lives better but yours also. You can now begin saving enormous costs of post and paper by using the power of email.
*Nua Internet Surveys (Jul 24 2001) Gallup Poll

And the features are always expanding.
As we grow, we'll add more fun and educational things. Already on the drawing board are an exercise encyclopedia, diet encyclopedia, supplement encyclopedia, as well as other more technologically advanced features.

4. How will a healthfitness.com.au Internet solution drive new clients to my business?

Potential clients referred from our networked sites to your site are highly specific to your business, which greatly increases your marketing effectiveness.

It's always easier trying to sell health fitness services to health fitness enthusiasts. By linking your Internet site with an Australian health fitness site, you are reaching a highly specific market. In a newspaper ad while you may reach a lot of people, how many of them really care about improving their health fitness? How many of those care to join a health club? As you can see, while you are reaching a wide audience, this is not specific enough.

We are currently ranked the highest health and fitness site in Australia in terms of traffic and are inside the world's top 50,000 websites out of at least 20,000,000. Just to put it in perspective, the Citysearch Directory website, citysearch.com.au owned by Fairfax Network was ranked below healthfitness.com.au in user traffic*.

To see the independent third party research and traffic comparison as well as some of our statistics, click here.

At healthfitness.com.au we actively market our website to health fitness enthusiasts thereby effectively giving your business more qualified clients. And the more qualified they are, the more they'll be interested in what your business has to offer, and the more effective your campaign will be.

Directory listed in Australia's online health fitness directory, so your Internet site gets found.

The AHFA network is the premier Internet ideas provider to the health fitness industry in Australia. It has been designed by a group of health fitness experts and IT consultants, specifically for the health fitness field. The AHFA network currently spans two websites located at healthfitness.com.au and fitnessmail.net. Websites currently under construction are: ahfa.net and exercisehealth.com and many are on the drawing board. The AHFA network has established Australia's online health fitness directory to make it extremely profitable for businesses to get online. And more importantly, grow online. Through your health fitness website, you'll get preferential listing in Australia's online health fitness directory and are guaranteed to keep your high listing forever. At AHFA we know how to reward our earliest customers.

Directory listed the Internet's most popular search engines
You'll instantly be directory listed and linked to the Internet's most popular search engines such as Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and others. Your site will also be optimized and submitted to Yahoo.com.au and AltaVista.com.au.

Source: Alexa Internet Research (An amazon.com company) 26/03/2002

5. How will my clients know about the website and its address?

A web address is quickly becoming more important than the telephone so you need to do your bit and advertise it.

Your Internet site will benefit both potential clients as well as your existing members so it's in your best interest to advertise your Internet address wherever possible. You need to do your part and include web address on every printed matter that you send out (business cards, letterheads), on every ad you place and on every promotion you sponsor. Some people may be too shy or insecure to call your club but they will go and check out your Internet address. The more people know your web address the better off, both you and they will be.

Increase awareness of your Internet address by advertising it to your best customers. We provide full color posters including your club logo and Internet address.
AHFA commissioned Stone & Partners Design to design active posters in your club colors, advertising your Internet address and includes your club logo. These posters will range in size up to size A2, are laser color printed and laminated for longer use.

To make your website a success, your members need to know about it and not just on your business cards. We recognize the need for your Internet address to be well known to your members because that's the only way they'll actually use it.

Your members must not only use your website but develop a regular interaction with it. These action packed posters will always remind your members of the wealth of information, support and fun fitness tools that are available on your website. And that's exactly how an AHFA Internet package will design your Internet business.

6. Why choose a healthfitness.com.au Internet solution?

Run by enthusiastic, certified health fitness experts.
Our health fitness team is highly credentialed with the standard being universities degrees in Applied Science. Many of our team members have advanced university degrees and some have the prestigious Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential.

Designed specifically for health fitness businesses by certified health fitness experts.
Some of our team members currently work or have worked in health fitness clubs. Therefore, we understand the health fitness club industry and its services. We speak your language when it comes to health fitness and the Internet.

Government backed for limited funding through the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS)
Our managing director has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Medical Biophysics and also completed a Certificate in Small Business and came out with a rock solid business plan. The AHFA business plan was reviewed by a panel of three business analysts from the Department of Employment Workplace Relations and Small Business (DEWRSB) and was approved for funding.

Small Australian business that is empowered with rapid and professional service.
Where there's no red tape, no big company bureaucracy and imposed guidelines or rules. This is the company where you can help make the rules, and objections to the fine print are actually considered.

Your investment is highly cost effective when compared to market value.
Our Internet packages are designed as complete packages with more features and benefits than just about any website. But perhaps best of all is the fact that your total investment is designed to be kept to a minimum. This is possible because we specialize in the Internet health fitness area and have put together the best local and international Internet suppliers.

Winner of the Web Golden Globe Awards for our site healthfitness.com.au, for the year 2002-2003. This was received in January 2002 and awarded by the International Association of Webmasters and Designers which is currently the largest professional organization of its kind.

Number one health and fitness site in Australia in terms of traffic.
Already, we are the highest ranked, privately owned health and fitness site in Australia, according to Alexa Internet Research, in terms of traffic.

The Internet development package personally picked by the President of Fitness Victoria, David Jordan for his own health club. (Fitness Victoria is a non-profit, government initiated organization representing health and fitness centres in Vitoria.)

The only Internet development package guaranteed for 100 Days or your money back.

The only Internet development package with a price freeze guarantee, if you act now.

The only Internet development package for health clubs with no contracts or minimum contract term.

7. How does a healthfitness.com.au Internet package compare to others such as Citysearch, Yellowpages or a web designer?

Chart is comparing Internet solutions with an investment of around $100 per month and start up fees of at least $500.

If you have any other questions not answered here, please don't hesitate to contact us: business@healthfitness.com.au

Click here to order your health fitness club Internet package.

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