soOlis takes great care to explain the importance of page optimization for any business, and not just for large health club chains or fitness distributors. According to thought leaders at Search Engine Land, SEO alone cannot help you reach the highest marketing potential.

Social media, branding and other marketing strategies support and complement SEO and reinforce your marketing plan to grow stronger and align with your business goals.

Digital Assistants Search For You

Digital assistants like Siri have stepped in to become relevant search engines in their own right. Google at present hasn’t released any official news about when or if it plans to roll out more Artificial Intelligence learning over typical search channels.

That could change in a moment though. Reported in Forbes.com last year, smart speaker sales, like those for Amazon Echo and Google Home, also surged in 2017, and sales will probably grow even more as newer models roll out.

Because smart speakers are voice activated and provide spoken search results, users are getting even more used to interacting with search engine results with their voice.

Over 50% of web searches in 2020 will be voice activated

SEO is the master when it comes to hooking active prospects, and helps boost conversion rates. Best practices in SEO content may improve and nourish your website, your credibility and even the connection with your social media community.

It also plays an important role in your product’s buying cycle, says soOlis VP Tim Sebold. “You attract potential buyers to your website through relevant keywords and organic phrases ranked high where searchers are already looking for that exact answer,” he said.

SEO is Part of Design, Production, Content

Taking SEO into consideration even while pre-planning your website structure, content management system (CMS), URL syntax, and Web design gives the best results for your business. Start early on and keep up with those trends, says Sebold.

With proper SEO analysis up front on any digital project, you can stay on the front page of search results for years without spending too much money in the future. Even after you stop the foundation SEO work, your website can still rank high on your chosen keywords for a long time to come.

SEO is a group effort and literally demands you know how to talk to your target audiences. Call soOlis to find out how we’d analyze and implement SEO into your fitness or wellness business.

Beginning with your website – and fanning out from there to social media, ads and email campaigns – it’s vital to position yourself online with a strong, professional destination that gives customers the impression you mean business and the motivation to want to engage more with your business.

10 More Reasons to Blow Out Your Website

When we can co-produce and launch highly relevant, interesting content, then every single blog or email blast or Facebook posted on your site (and linked properly) is another huge opportunity to show up in search engines and drive traffic to your website in organic searches.

Smile for the Camera

Website content, landing page messaging and optimized product descriptions help you connect on social media, and beyond.  Consider:

– What kind of content attracts your specific audience?

– Who reads your site for accuracy and authentic voice?

– Are you adding video and photos to every message?

– Do you use each social platform properly? (Event posts optimize on Twitter, for example.)

– High-quality consistent content that resonates with your audiences strengthens your social reach and drives new business.

Conversion Rates

Not every reader of your blog – or fan of your website – will become a definite sales lead. But that OK – you should be making fast friends and other fans with whom you share interests – and post about your products.

– What is your email campaign marketing strategy?

– Do you know when and why to create email blasts on schedule?

Tips for Successful Email Marketing Campaigns

Build Credibility Every Day
If potential sales prospects find answers to their most common questions via blog posts, neatly written by people at your company they are much more likely to come into your sales funnels trusting what you have to say because you’ve helped them prior to purchase. Becoming a thought leader on the topics your customers come to you for takes consistency and strategy.

Hubspot’s Report on Website Advantages

There are literally one dozen more reasons why your company should establish a digital personality with the ability to convert sales leads, and build prosperity and credibility all year long. soOlis can show you how, every step of the way, and free you up to do the heavy lifting in your company.

We love a good challenge and always work quickly and within budget. Let us show you how underutilized your website is right now!

 
Residential property managers as well as fitness managers and university personnel are gearing up for pool season – because the risk of liability soars at the community (or university) aquatic center.

And according to the Insurance Information Institute III, any pool is what’s known as an “attractive nuisance,” meaning that it’s likely to draw people to your property, and at the same time can potentially create a dangerous safety and liability situation.

You can be held liable for any accident or injury that happens in or near your pool, even if the person injured used your pool without consent, and your homeowner insurance would likely cover that liability, according to our insurance experts.

Swimming Pool Safety from the American Red Cross 

For homeowners: Homeowners insurance may help pay to repair a pool if it’s damaged by one of the risks covered by your policy.

Covered risks:  This will likely include fire and falling objects in the pool area as well. Before you install a pool on your property, be sure to check your city laws to find out what is required of pool owners.

Most cities have requirements regarding fencing, pool covers, signage, diving boards, supervision, and other safety concerns.

Liability Insurance for a School Pool

Property management companies must consider potential emergency situations – especially in the aquatics center or residential pool area – and ensure that all departments are pro-active and fanatical about exercise equipment and fire safety at all times.

An insurance contract helps to “guarantee” the financial ability to deliver a competent defense at such a trial. A current certificate of insurance (“COI”) provides a written description of any contractor’s insurance (or sub-contractor) and should list the property as an additional insured.

An insurance certificate will not give the holder any rights beyond the contractor’s negligence, but you’ll be defended in the event of loss caused by contractors you hire.

Bacteria and Swimming Pool Water  

A massive 15-year study conducted by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that 493 disease outbreaks in that time were linked directly to treated recreational water. Of these 493 outbreaks, a whopping total of 27,219 known illnesses and eight deaths occurred due to these bacterial outbreaks.

Based on CDC findings, liability problems are still growing and require a more pro-active management approach. What more can you do to ensure the safety and wellness of your guests, students or residential tenants? After all, water safety should be everyone’s number one pool priority.

Water Safety Tips for Toddlers and Infants 

 
The survey finds half (50 percent) of Baby Boomers currently renting do not anticipate buying a home in the future, up eight points from 2016.

 
The latest “Profile of Today’s Renter” reveals that affordability remains the dominant factor driving renter behavior.

Multi-Family Rental Research:

50% Baby Boomers currently renting do not anticipate buying a home in the future

Of that 50 percent, 35 percent have no interest in owning

15 percent say they cannot afford to own but have some interest

19% of Gen Xers (aged 38-52) study respondents lacked interest in home homeownership

Read the whole Renters Report from Freddie Mac.

Rental satisfaction continues to run high across the country. A significant and growing majority of renters – 66 percent – are satisfied with the overall rental experience.

“America’s renters overwhelmingly see renting as more affordable and the right choice for them – right now,” said VP David Brickman, Executive Vice President and Head of Freddie Mac Multifamily Groups.

Renting becomes a much more attractive option when the top three apartment amenities are met:

1. Parking
2. Pool(s)
3. Residential gym

To retain tenants, attract high quality consumers and connect communities, provide your tenants, clients and customers with well-branded well-designed fitness centers with the perfect wide array of amenities.

Keep Up With Demands for Wellness

The National Multifamily Housing Council and Kingsley Associates last year surveyed approximately 120,000 renters at 3,280 apartment communities nationwide to gauge their interest in specific communal amenities. While on-site parking is everyone’s first request, these wellness and safety offerings are common demands:

83% want a pool on property

82% request a well-equipped fitness center

80% demand safe security access

67% want community Wi-Fi

47% look for a business center

If locations are more or less the same between competing properties, wellness and fitness amenities have a big impact in competitive rent pricing as well as tenant satisfaction.

The National Apartment Association (NAA) is the leading voice for the rental housing industry and a trusted partner and advocate committed to serving 160 affiliates, 75,000 member companies and the 9.25 million rental housing units globally.

The beautiful Bay Area’s new leader in health and wellness innovation, Well-Fit is inspired by the vibrant, forward-thinking regional community in Northern California – and the exceptional outdoor environment. The company specializes in creating unique and motivating exercise experiences where people live, work and play in a more natural, active community.

Specializing in Corporate Fitness

Our company boot camps, team building workshops and yoga classes energize employees. Our High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) programs kick it up a notch with a full-range of movement at a fast clip to accelerate goal achievement. Whether you’re improving strength, stamina, balance, flexibility, mobility, power or speed, you’ll see immediate, measurable results from these sessions.

Both Well-Fit and Opti-Fit offer an extensive portfolio of stimulating small-group group fitness and athletic training workouts that can be delivered onsite or offsite — anywhere the client wants to get people moving a includes a lecture and workshop series to help employees learn about and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Based on your custom fitness facility goals and programming needs, the fleet of Well-Fit experts and designers will present detailed conceptual renderings. These renderings will then be developed into full-scale, 2D or 3D layouts to provide you with a complete picture of your future commercial fitness center.

Entrepreneur and founder of Well-Fit, Warren Gendel brings experience and expertise to help clients build and operate successful exercise businesses and fitness facilities for corporate wellness, commercial health clubs and residential health clubs and fitness programming. He says, “We offer operations reviews, day-to-day personnel management and proprietary technology systems to deliver solid results and return on investment.”

Just as Opti-Fit has been doing for over 25 years, Well-Fit also collaborates with clients, architects and project managers to maximize facility infrastructure and ensure appropriate space for equipment, mix of exercise modalities and your desired fitness experience.

Read the whole article here and plan a visit to the Bay Area soon.

San Diego, California

March 21-23, 2018

Sidestep seasonal colds and flu in all the indoor spaces at the trade show this year by washing your hands frequently and adopting several other healthy habits as you present or roam the trade floor.

There’s a whole lot of sniffling going on within the giant trade show walls this year! Take control of your health and trim your time spent feeling under the weather. The more frequently you wash your hands, the lower your risk of becoming sick.

Colds and flu are caused by viruses — not bacteria — so banking on antibacterial soap as a safeguard against colds and flu won’t be effective.

What works however, is constantly supplying your healthy body with what it needs most, including adequate sleep and a constant supply of nutrients to help ensure your body can resist pathogens it encounters.

5 Ways to Avoid a Cold at IHRSA

Sneeze into your elbow. Mom was so right when she warned you to “cover your mouth!” Cold and flu germs are primarily spread via droplets released in the air when someone who is ill coughs, sneezes or talks. Avoid touching surfaces that already have major germs on them, like elliptical machine handles at the gym, or shaking hands at the show without washing them in between meetings.

Add honey. Tea or any warming and hydrating beverage can help soothe a sore throat, suppress a cough, and calm the overall commotion of a cold or flu. Honey coats the throat and relieves irritation while its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties go to work fighting viral infections.

Eat more garlic. But not on the trade show floor! Cushing or cutting garlic cloves generates a sulfur compound known as allicin, which has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties and is oft-credited as the star component that gives garlic its all-around stellar healing repertoire. Available only from raw garlic, choose a preparation where you add garlic at the end of cooking to tap its full medicinal power.

Stop touching your face! Thanks again, Mom. One study from the University of California, Berkeley, found that the typical person makes the hand-to-face connection an average of 16 times per hour. If you refrain from touching your eyes, nose and lips, you drastically reduce the likelihood of a virus entering your system.

Try ginseng. Canadian researchers gave 279 adults either a daily placebo or 400 milligrams a day of ginseng. Four months later, the ginseng group had contracted considerably fewer colds. University of Connecticut researchers repeated the study and arrived at the same conclusion, deeming ginseng “a safe, natural means for preventing acute respiratory illness.”

Stay-Healthy Tips 

soOlis and our sales and marketing teams hope to to see you washing your hands at IHRSA’s trade show this week in San Diego, CA. Learn about how to incorporate Artificial Intelligence into your health and fitness business, too.

AI applications for personal training programs are just the beginning: 

• Artificial intelligence-based athletic coaches now help college athletes build sports-specific skills

• “Smart running shoes” calculate your calorie burn and heart rate, while also improving your running form along your favorite routes

• A wearable sorts watch that monitors your sleep patterns and resting metabolic rate

Artificial Intelligence applications and robotics offer significant breakthroughs based on deep information channels within your data. What transforms the digital marketing world, though, is AI’s innate ability to better predict human consumer behaviors on a large scale – hand hand-tailored to suit your highly customized business.

Artificial Intelligence integrates machine learning, new algorithms and natural language processing in order to enhance communications. In larger healthcare circles, AI is already helping to uncover heart disease and diabetes at earlier stages.

AI is just one type of futuristic, automated technology that has officially arrived. We can’t wait for the next rounds of innovations. Are you attending the IHRSA Convention in San Diego in March? Chat!

This partnership allows Club Industry, the most trusted media source for fitness business professionals, to utilize soOlis’ detailed commercial product information for Club Industry’s new and improved Buyers’ Guide. Gym owners, managers and anyone else can visit Club Industry’s new and improved Buyers’ Guide to compare commercial fitness equipment while exploring the product information, images, specifications and videos that Club Industry’s Buyers’ Guide also offers on fitness products.
“By adding the compare option to our Buyers’ Guide, we have improved and simplified the buying experience for our audience,” said Marty McCallen, publisher of Club Industry. “Before club operators make any small or large purchasing decisions, they now can turn to Club Industry’s Buyers’ Guide to get a side-by-side comparison of the features of equipment, helping them narrow their search to the products that are most appropriate for their facilities. More people now turn to online resources before making purchasing decisions, so this was the next logical step in the evolution of our Buyers’ Guide.”

Brad Bishop, president of soOlis, said: “We have grown our business over the past four years by managing the fitness equipment dealers’ product information on their websites. Because of the years of experience, we have been able to improve our offerings each year. We’re excited about the strategic partnership with Club Industry, one of the keystones in the fitness industry. We look forward to working with them on their new Buyers’ Guide. It will be the only Buyers’ Guide to show all current products, images, specifications and videos (if available) and give users the ability to request a quote on multiple products. The new Buyers’ Guide will further support Club Industry’s mission of connecting buyers and sellers. We look forward to a long strategic partnership with Club Industry.”

soOlis & Club Industy Video (For best viewing go to full screen)

About soOlis
soOlis is an informational website and does not sell fitness equipment. Its purpose is to provide data, educate end users, provide them with comparisons of equipment, location of clubs, and browse WebMD TM articles and videos. For more information regarding partnership opportunities, visit www.soolis.com/contact.php or contact Tim Sebold at tsebold@soolis.com or 877-789-8773 ext. 705.

About Club Industry
Club Industry, a trusted media source and trade show, is a part of Penton. Club Industry connects buyers and sellers through a portfolio of products that includes a website, Buyers’ Guide, e-newsletters, a mobile app, and a conference and trade show. Club Industry builds communities by providing forums filled with high-quality content, relevant information, dynamic meetings and networking opportunities critical to industry decision-makers. For information about being listed in Club Industry’s Buyers’ Guide, contact Marty McCallen at marty.mccallen@clubindustry.com or Laurie Kerr at laurie.kerr@clubindustry.com

“We are thrilled to be partnering with “The Biggest Loser” to help introduce people to healthier habits,” explains Roy Xia, executive director of China-based Active Lifestyle Ltd. “We are even more pleased to be able to showcase the sleek, durable, and motivational Star Trac cardio and strength equipment to help contestants achieve their fitness goals. There is no better product to inspire new exercisers to stay on a fit and healthy path.”

Over the course of the 10-week season, participants and trainers will work out on Star Trac cardio, including the E Series treadmills and steppers that feature motivational workout programs, personal cooling fans, and iPod® integration; S Series bikes and ellipticals that provide comfort features like SoftTrac® foot pads (on the elliptical) and extra large pedals (on the bikes) to achieve maximum results; and Spinner® bikes for exhilarating indoor cycle classes. For the strength component, “The Biggest Loser” contestants will train on a full circuit of the aesthetically sophisticated and functionally superior

Inspiration Strength®, a comprehensive selection of Star Trac free weights, and the Max Rack®, which combines the variety of a Power Cage with the safety of a Smith Machine.

“Active Lifestyle is a premier fitness distributor in China and a true partner to Star Trac,” said Steven Jones, director of sales and marketing Asia Pacific for Star Trac. “When they presented us the opportunity to work together to provide equipment for “The Biggest Loser” fitness center, we knew it was a valuable chance to introduce a new audience to fitness through innovative products that motivate people to achieve their goals.”

Over the course of its 15 seasons on television, Star Trac products have been featured in the past as part of the US edition of “The Biggest Loser,” providing contestants with inspiring, approachable, and challenging workout options to help them begin to change sedentary ways.

“Our passion for providing products and programs to mold lifelong habits for health and fitness is parallel with the ultimate goal of “The Biggest Loser”, explains Star Trac senior marketing manager Vanessa Klapper. “As a company, we want to introduce as many people as possible to the benefits of fitness to help them achieve their wellness goals, so this partnership with Active Lifestyle and “The Biggest Loser” in China is a natural fit, and one that we are proud to support.”

The Biggest Loser premieres on Sunday, September 15 at 7:30PM on CC-TV2 and will run for 10 weeks, culminating with one person being named “The Biggest Loser” for the highest percentage of weight lost.

About Star Trac

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Since 1979, Star Trac has been a leader in developing advanced equipment for the fitness industry, focused on providing products and programs to mold lifelong habits for health and fitness. Its user- focused product innovations are reflected in the complete line of cardiovascular and strength equipment.

Star Trac’s cardio line includes a full range of offerings including treadmills, cross trainers, upright and recumbent bikes, steppers and group cycle bikes. The company is proud to offer one of a kind features like the revolutionary Star Trac Coach™, a personalized treadmill workout led by a professional coach and the groundbreaking eSpinner® and Spinner® Blade ION innovations resulting from the long running relationship between Star Trac and Mad Dogg Athletics. And this year Star Trac will enter yet into another cardio category with the introduction of its new StairMill™ and TreadClimber® manufactured by Star Trac.

Star Trac offers one of the largest strength training packages in the industry; three lines of selectorized strength including the Inspiration Strength® line that takes aesthetics, biomechanics, and features to the next level. A 6 piece dual-function, cable-based line that acts as 12 workout stations called
HumanSport®. The newest plate loaded line, Leverage®, that embodies the design and features that will redefine the plate loaded strength training category. And to round out the strength category Star Trac offers a full line of benches and racks to meet the needs of any facility. The many options available by Star Trac allow customers the ability to design their dream facility. The company looks forward to
introducing more innovative products in 2013.

The vision of the company is to increase the number of people who adopt a healthy and active lifestyle by lowering the barriers and improving the experience and results. Today more than four million people in over 75 countries use Star Trac exercise equipment daily, enjoying its unparalleled functionality and style. For more information about Star Trac contact sales@startrac.com or visit www.startrac.com.

Why is soOlis’ FEMP the most important marketing tool for the Fitness Equipment Dealers?  First, how many dealers have the time to keep their website up to date.  The fitness manufactures are and rightfully so updating products, images, features, and now provide outstanding videos on their equipment.  Most dealers are busy selling, managing service and installations, they just don’t have time to check and see what is new and then update their website.  As a client of soOlis.com, they would never have to update any products.  They would use their website product section as an online brochure for marketing and research for their clients.  In addition, when dealers change product line, soOlis handles the complete integration in minutes with no additional cost!  Second, is simply COST!  How much is your time worth and no one can hire someone for what soOlis.com charges?  Here is what Tim Littrell from Fitness Concepts says about soOlis.com “If you are not using soOlis as a way to manage your product offerings on your website you are wasting your money.  As a specialty retail store selling both high-end residential and commercial fitness products, soOlis has made it so much easier for me to list my offerings online  in a consistent format with uncompromised detail at a fraction of what it would have cost my if I kept the project in house.  Video, pricing, product description, pictures…it’s all there and it’s current.  Customers can even compare up to three products features side by side.  I don’t know of any specialty fitness website that allows you this option.  I have been looking for a way that allows me to present my items in an easy, searchable format and soOlis is the only company out there that can do it.  soOlis has eliminated a huge headache for me.  I don’t see our company using anyone else.  Ever.

According to Tim Sebold, VP of Marketing & Sales, “We are extremely pleased with the feedback from our clients.  In the short time we have offered this service, we have clients from Florida to California.

soOlis.com is a fitness and wellness information website.  soOlis.com does not sell any fitness equipment.  soOlis only educates the end users on fitness equipment, helps them find local gyms and ymcas, and finally allows them to browse Web MD articles and videos. soOlis.com – the Fitness and Wellness Authority.

For more information on the Fitness Equipment Management Portal  or if there is a product that you cannot find on soOlis, please contact Tim Sebold @ tsebold@soolis.com or call 877-789-8773 ext 705.