Create a Modern Online Presence
Replace the dated design with a professional website based on Gym 55’s existing branding, logo and colour palette.
Gym 55 Website Design Case Study
A Modern Website for a 24/7 Gym in Seaham
Gym 55 needed a website that matched the quality of its facilities, made joining easier and properly represented the friendly, independent gym it had become.
Whitwell Media planned, designed and developed a completely new website, creating a clearer membership journey, improving the mobile experience and strengthening the gym’s local presence in Google.
Website DesignWebsite DevelopmentContent StrategyLocal SEOTechnical SEOWebsite Migration
#2
Organic ranking for “gyms in Seaham”
#2
Organic ranking for “Pilates in Seaham”
150%
Increase in referral traffic during the 28 days after launch
One month
Delivery from initial mock-up to full launch
Project overview
A Website That Finally Represents the Gym
Gym 55 is an independent, family-run gym located in the centre of Seaham. It offers 24-hour access, modern equipment and flexible memberships without restrictive long-term contracts.
Despite the quality of the gym itself, its previous Wix website had become dated, difficult to navigate and increasingly unreliable. Important information was missing or inaccurate, the mobile experience was poor and prospective members were unsure how to register or use the gym’s app.
Tony, the owner of Gym 55, wanted a fresh online presence. The new web design and development needed to bring the business up to date and give potential members a much better first impression.
The challenge
An Outdated Website Creating Unnecessary Barriers
The previous Gym 55 website no longer reflected the quality, personality or facilities of the business.
It was slow, difficult to use on mobile and affected by missing images, navigation elements and sections of content. Some of the information was outdated, while important details about memberships, contact methods and the registration process were unclear.
Visitors were often unsure about:
- How to join the gym.
- How to contact the team.
- Where to find current membership information.
- How to download and use the Clubright app.
- What facilities and classes were available.
- Whether the gym was suitable for their experience level.
The website was not simply in need of a visual refresh. Its structure, content and customer journey all needed to be reconsidered.
The project brief
Bringing Gym 55 Up to Speed
The brief was to create a modern website that felt unmistakably like Gym 55 while making it easier for prospective members to take the next step. The design needed to communicate that Gym 55 is friendly, independent and established within the Seaham community. It also needed to show that the gym welcomes people of all experience levels rather than appealing only to experienced gym users.
Simplify the Joining Process
Make membership information easier to understand and provide clear guidance on downloading the app and registering.
Promote the Full Business
Showcase the gym’s equipment, 24/7 access and flexible memberships while also giving Dawn’s Fitness classes greater visibility.
Improve Local Visibility
Build a stronger technical and content foundation for relevant searches in Seaham without presenting the project as a large-scale SEO campaign.
The design approach
A Bespoke Design Built Around the Gym’s Brand
Whitwell Media handled the complete website structure, design, content and development.
The visual direction drew from Gym 55’s existing logo and brand colours, combining them with clearer typography, stronger spacing and a more focused page structure.
The result feels modern and professional without losing the approachable character of an independent, family-run gym. Clear calls to action now guide visitors naturally from learning about the facilities to viewing memberships and completing their registration.
- Friendly and welcoming.
- Open to all experience levels.
- Established within the local community.
- Equipped with modern training facilities.
- Accessible 24 hours a day.
- Flexible, with no long-term membership tie-ins.
Content and structure
Rewriting the Website From the Ground Up
The content from the previous website could not simply be transferred into a new design. Much of it needed to be rewritten, expanded or reorganised. Through a focused content strategy, Whitwell Media worked with Tony to understand the business, clarify the services and create new copy across the website.
01
Membership Information
Clearer explanations of the available memberships, flexible terms and how new members can register.
02
The Gym
A dedicated overview of the equipment, training areas and facilities available to members.
03
About Gym 55
A new page introducing the business, its owners and the welcoming environment new members can expect.
04
Dawn’s Fitness
A dedicated section for Dawn’s classes, including Pilates and other fitness activities offered in and around Seaham.
05
Contact Information
Clear contact methods, opening information and improved forms, removing uncertainty about how to reach the team.
Each page was written to answer common customer questions while guiding visitors towards a relevant next step.
The membership journey
Making It Easier to Become a Member
One of the most important improvements was the joining journey.
The new website gives prospective members a clear five-step process covering membership selection, registration, app download, account access and entry to the gym.
- 1How to choose a membership.
- 2How to complete the registration.
- 3How to download the Clubright app.
- 4How to log in and manage the membership.
- 5How to access the gym.
Clubright links are integrated directly into the website, reducing uncertainty and helping visitors complete the process more confidently. The guidance appears at the points where users need it rather than being hidden on a single page.
Dawn’s Fitness
Giving Dawn’s Fitness Its Own Space
The previous website did not give Dawn’s Fitness classes the prominence they deserved.
A dedicated page was created to introduce Dawn, explain the available classes and provide clearer information for people looking for activities such as Pilates in Seaham.
The content was structured around the questions potential customers are likely to ask, including the type of classes available, who they are suitable for and how to get involved.
Local SEO targeting was also introduced naturally throughout the page.
Technical improvements
Better Foundations Behind the New Design
Although the visible design was a major part of the project, significant technical SEO work was also completed behind the scenes.
Creating a clearer and more search-friendly page structure.
Mapping old website URLs to their most relevant new pages.
Implementing permanent 301 redirects.
Improving the mobile experience.
Optimising website performance.
Writing new page titles and meta descriptions.
Applying local on-page SEO.
Creating and submitting an XML sitemap.
Configuring Google Search Console.
Setting up website contact forms.
Integrating Clubright registration links.
Creating and configuring professional business email accounts.
Together with a carefully planned website migration, these improvements gave Gym 55 a more reliable website and a stronger foundation for future online growth.
Results
Early Results After Launch
The new website gave Gym 55 a clearer and more professional online presence that better reflects the business customers experience in person.
#2
Organic ranking for “gyms in Seaham”
#2
Organic ranking for “Pilates in Seaham”
150% increase
In referral traffic during the 28 days after launch compared with the preceding 28-day period.
One-month delivery
From the initial design mock-up to the completed website launch.
Organic rankings checked July 2026. Search positions may vary by location, device and search context.
The project was primarily a website redesign rather than a full SEO campaign, but the early ranking improvements demonstrate the value of combining strong design with clearer content and a better technical structure.
Tony and Dawn also felt that the completed website represented the quality of the gym far more accurately. Existing users commented positively on how much easier and more pleasant the new website was to use.
Before and after
From Tired and Unreliable to Clear and Conversion-Focused
Before
Previous Gym 55 website
The previous website was dated, difficult to navigate and affected by missing visual and navigational elements. Important information was difficult to find, particularly on mobile devices.
After
New Gym 55 website
The new website provides a clear introduction to the gym, its facilities, memberships and fitness classes. Visitors can understand the offer, learn how to join and access the relevant registration links without unnecessary confusion.
What the Client Said
“From the outset, Jonathan Askew was superb. His obvious talent for designing and delivering a tailored website for our business made the whole process easy. He was always available for discussions about the design and functionality of the site, and I cannot recommend him highly enough if you’re looking for a new online presence.”
Tony
Owner, Gym 55
Final showcase
A Website Ready to Support the Next Stage of the Business
The completed website gives Gym 55 a professional online presence that is easier to navigate and better aligned with the business customers experience in person.
It also provides a stronger platform for promoting memberships, gym facilities and Dawn’s Fitness classes.
The new Gym 55 website was designed to work clearly and consistently across desktop, tablet and mobile devices.
Does Your Website Reflect the Quality of Your Business?
An outdated or confusing website can make it harder for customers to understand what you offer, trust your business and take the next step.
Whitwell Media creates bespoke websites for established businesses that need a clearer, more professional and more effective online presence.