Bannatyne-Gyms-Virtual-Tour

Case Study: How Bannatyne Gyms Increase Membership Sign-Ups With Virtual Tours

Overview: 

Bannatyne Health Clubs, one of the UK’s largest premium gym chains, partnered with Scene3D to implement virtual tours across its 60+ locations. By leveraging virtual tour technology, Bannatyne aimed to enhance the digital experience for potential members, drive more in-person visits, and increase new member sign ups.

The Challenge:

Modern gym-goers expect to have a clear understanding of a site’s available facilities after researching fitness memberships. In fact, 50% of consumers look for virtual tours before visiting a business in person, making it a crucial tool for membership decision-making (Source). 

 Bannatyne needed a way to:

– Showcase their premium facilities online before potential members visit in person.

– Improve website engagement and increase conversion rates.

– Stay ahead of competitors by offering an immersive digital experience

The Solution – Virtual Tours with Scene3D: 

Bannatyne partnered with Scene3D to produce high-quality, interactive 3D virtual tours for every gym in its network. These tours were integrated into Bannatyne’s website, allowing potential customers to explore gym facilities from anywhere. 

Key Results & Insights:

High Engagement Across Locations:

  • Average Monthly Click Through Rate: 40% (percentage of website visitors who interacted with the tour)
  • Average Monthly Visits per Tour: 4,083 (people who actively explored)  
  • Average Monthly Unique Visitors per Tour: 3,447 (individual users interacting with the tours)  
  • Top-performing locations receiving over 10,000+ monthly visits

Conversion Rates & ROI: 

Although we don’t have access to Bannatyne Gym’s sales data, we can use industry reports to gain some insight. According to a 2023 report by Leisure Opportunities, Bannatyne Gyms had on average 3,600 members per site and generated around 20 new member sign ups per month. (Source). 

The average cost of an annual membership to a Bannatyne Gym is around £780 (higher in some areas like London and lower in others) and the average cost to produce a Bannatyne Gym virtual tour is £2,500 (varies based on the size and complexity of the space – to learn more about virtual tour pricing click here). 

Research shows that businesses using virtual tours see a 16% to 67% increase in conversion rates (Source).

Using these figures we can generate some ROI scenarios for Bannatyne Gyms. 

Conservative Scenario:

Looking at the most conservative scenario, a 16% increase in conversions would generate a ROI of: 

New Member IncreaseRevenueROI
Year 138£29,9521,098%
Year 3115£89,8563,494%
Year 5192 £149,7605,890%

Meaning that even in the most conservative of scenarios, Bannatyne will have 58x their virtual tour investment in 5 years

Bannatyne-gyms-virtual-tours-manchester
Bannatyne gyms offer state-of-the-art gym equipment, luxurious swimming pools and spa facilities.

Aggressive Scenario:

If we look at the most aggressive estimate of a 67% increase in conversions, the projected ROI would be: 

New Member IncreaseRevenueROI
Year 1160£125,4244,917%
Year 3482£376,27214,951%
Year 5804 £627,12024,985%

In this scenario the virtual tours pay for themselves almost 50 times over in the first year and generate almost 250x return on investment in five years.

With retained revenue factored in, a conservative 16% conversion increase allows each virtual tour to pay for itself within just one month, while a 67% increase slashes the break-even time to less than a week. This means gyms can rapidly recover their investment and continue driving sustained long-term revenue growth.

Why This Matters for Other Gym Chains:

Proven ROI: 

Virtual tours have the potential to increase membership sign-ups by 16-67%, resulting in an ROI of up to 25,000% over five years. Even in the most conservative scenario, gyms can expect to 58x their investment within five years.

Competitive Advantage: 

Consumer expectations have shifted—50% of consumers look for virtual tours before making a purchasing decision. Bannatyne has embraced this trend, setting a new industry standard by providing an immersive digital experience. 

Scalability:

Scene3D deployed virtual tours across 60+ Bannatyne locations across the UK, from Scotland to the South Coast. This proves that virtual tours can be scaled across large gym networks, while providing consistent branding, marketing, and user experience, enhancing digital engagement at every location.

Stronger Conversion Funnel: 

Virtual tours eliminate uncertainty by giving potential members an interactive view of a site’s facilities before they visit. This creates familiarity with the gym layout, available equipment, or amenities like saunas and pools. Virtual tours build trust and confidence, leading to higher engagement, faster decision-making, and more sign-ups.

Final Thoughts: 

Bannatyne Gyms leveraged Scene3D’s virtual tours to increase engagement, improve conversions, and deliver a scalable, high-ROI solution across its 60+ locations. With a 50x to 250x return on investment, virtual tours are a low-cost, high-impact marketing tool that pays for itself.

If you’re looking to boost sign-ups, improve digital engagement, and future-proof your business marketing strategy, Scene3D is ready to help.

Contact us today to see how virtual tours can drive real results for your business.