4 essentials to propel your swim school business
Wondering how to maximise your business growth? A successful swim school keeps students motivated, staff productive and customer retention strong. But if you’re struggling to see tangible improvements, it could be time to find new ways to expand your swim business.
Maybe you want to increase memberships, extend your services or generate a buzz online. Regardless of your goals, there are many tools and investments at your fingertips. High-quality facilities and water education are essential for business. For improvements that satisfy your swimmers and staff though, it’s important to create a culture of learning and fun and provide a deep-impact service that’s sustainable long-term.
Here’s how to get started.
1. User-friendly website
When was the last time you updated your website?
If it’s been a couple of years, it probably needs a revamp. Build your online presence with a user-friendly website and write copy tailored to your customers and major search engines like Google.
Without mastering digital assets like SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), your swim school misses out on valuable business and organic traffic.
Takeaway tips
- Check your site is responsive and mobile-friendly - unsure? Test it here
- Optimise page speed to avoid losing customers
- Add regular blogs - educational content will help keep your audience engaged
- Use images
- Prioritise design and content by investing in both
- Show your email subscribers some attention
- Build your brand by creating a Google Business Profile (it's free)
2. Reliable swim school software
In this tech-savvy day and age, customer-facing businesses need to find better ways to streamline how they work, so they can maximise revenue and deliver a best-in-class customer experience.
Digital solutions, such as a performing website and an online booking system are pivotal for attracting and managing customers and their data.
You can apply online bookings to a variety of scenarios in your swim business including:
- New enrolments
- Website integration
- Absences
- Make up lessons
- Progressions
- Swimmers advancing up a level
- Customer portal to encourage self-serve
- Digital certificates
Make sure you choose a platform that’s flexible, functional and expandable. Here are some features to look for.
Tip: Embrace technology in more ways than one. Swim schools are using tablets in the pool with waterproof casings to record notes and attendance, giving teachers on-the-go access to a swimmer’s progress, achievements and historical data.
3. Structured lesson plans
Well-planned swimming lessons achieve growth: growth for the business as happy students give referrals, growth for staff as assessment processes are improved, and growth for swimmers who develop their health, fitness and skills.
Takeaway tips
- Make lessons fun, engaging and educational
- Introduce different programs such as water aerobics and school holiday sessions
- Allocate time for communicating lesson goals, questions, rules and discipline
- Create clear objectives
4. Customer surveys
A core component of swim school retention is feedback.
For business success, customers need to feel appreciated - and a big part of this is ensuring they’re heard. Many brands fail to create positive emotional experiences that drive customer loyalty. The truth is, more are competing on customer service alone to increase revenue. Australian businesses lose $720 per bad customer experience. To profit and keep your customers happy, listen and act on feedback.
Don’t assume no negative feedback is positive feedback either. Not everyone speaks up, so encourage customers by asking and reminding them you value their input.
Tip: Survey your customers every six months to uncover any hidden frustrations and proactively fix them.
Ready to propel your swim business? Learn how Udio can help your school grow.
FAQs
Pressing questions? Check out our most-asked questions
When your timetable sits at 85 to 90% capacity across most slots, your margins have held for 12 to 18 months and your team can get through a week without you, you’re in a good position to start looking.
Fill the time slots you already have, add classes where waitlists build and keep families enrolled for longer. A second site makes sense once demand clearly spills past what one venue can hold.
Look at five things: demand, competition, local demographics, access and operating costs. Together they tell you whether enough families nearby want what you offer and can get to you, and whether the site can pay its way while it fills up.
Plan for 6 to 12 months of operating capital on top of your setup costs. That gives the new site time to find its feet without pulling cash from the first.
Give it time before you call it. A new site usually needs a few terms to fill, and slow early numbers are normal. If it’s still struggling after that, its own budget will show you whether the issue is the location, the timetable or the cost of running it. Your 6 to 12 months of operating capital is what stops a slow second site from pulling down the first. It’s also worth asking about exit or break clauses before you sign the lease, so you have a way out if you need one.
Sue
