“As always, we’re committed to delivering the highest-quality technology and the best customer care in the industry,” says EZFacility President Bryant Strozinsky. “By investing in our team, we expand our ability to provide the tools our clients need to adapt and thrive—which, in turn, drives our mutual success.”

Throughout 2022, EZFacility welcomed new team members in R&D, sales and marketing, and customer service—including Director of R&D Jonathan Wakefield and Director of Account Management Lynn Campbell.

The latest addition to the company’s R&D team, Jonathan Wakefield has proven expertise in managing product innovation for growing tech companies. His presence, along with the expansion of the product management team, solidifies EZFacility’s commitment to accelerating the development of new business tools for the fitness and sports industries. “We’re looking forward to working with our community to develop the solutions they need to succeed in the rapidly evolving fitness market,” Wakefield says.

Lynn Campbell’s arrival at EZFacility signals a renewed focus on customer success for the company. “Because we’re already known in the industry for our commitment to service, our goal over the next year is to see just how high we can elevate the customer experience to complement our technical solutions,” Campbell explained. Before joining EZFacility, Campbell co-founded a SaaS startup that provided online sports management solutions for youth and adult sports associations, in addition to helping B2B companies build effective customer success teams.

The post EZFacility Team Expands to Meet Fitness Industry Growth in 2023 and Beyond appeared first on EZFacility.

When it comes to your software, however, certain browsers can offer distinct advantages. “At EZFacility, we recommend Chrome to our clients,” says Greg Barra, Manager of Support & Training. “Not only is it a popular browser, it’s also easy to use and offers some of the best add-ons and customization, which makes it a good option for our users.”

Why is Chrome our favorite web browser?

While each browser offers advantages, Chrome stands apart from its competitors as the most popular choice for e-commerce users. “Since Chrome is the market leader, it made sense for us to optimize our system to perform on the platform,” commented EZFacility’s Director of R&D, Mike Vidal.

Chrome offers best-in-class security, an intuitive interface, and an extensive library of third-party extensions to enhance the user’s experience. It offers excellent malware protection on almost any device, giving you peace of mind as you use your club’s management software. You can also customize your Chrome homepage, which puts your EZFacility software and other vital business tools at your fingertips at all times.

To use Chrome to access your EZFacility software, simply Download Chrome and follow the instructions below to make it your default browser.

How to set Google Chrome as your default browser on Mac:

1. If you haven’t already, Download Chrome.
2. Launch Chrome.
3. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of your screen.
4. Click “Settings.”
5. Under “Default browser,” select “Make default.”

How to set Google Chrome as your default browser on PC

Windows 10 or later:

1. If you haven’t already, Download Chrome.
2. Open the Start menu by clicking the blue Windows logo.
3. Click the gear icon to open Settings.
4. Click either “System” or “Apps,” depending on if you’re running the Original or Creators version of Windows. Then select “Default apps.”
5. Under “Web browser,” click your current browser.
6. In the “Choose an app” window, click “Google Chrome” to set it as your default browser.

Windows 8 or older:

1. If you haven’t already, Download Chrome.
2. Click the Start menu at the bottom of your screen, represented by the Windows logo.
3. Click “Control Panel” and then “Programs.”
4. Select “Default Programs” and then “Set your default programs.”
5. On the left side, select “Google Chrome” and then “Set this program as default.”
6. Click “OK” to save your changes.

The post Which Web Browser Should I Use to Access My EZFacility Software? appeared first on EZFacility.

EZPayments Launches in the UK

EZFacility is delighted to announce the launch of our next-generation payment processing solution, EZPayments, in the United Kingdom. With the deadline for Strong Customer Authentication just around the corner on 14th March 2022, we’ve leveraged the newest technology to give you the most secure and seamless way to process payments.

In addition to complying with the latest security standards, EZPayments integrates with your EZFacility software to make it easier than ever to track and manage your payments. This allows businesses to streamline payment processing while guaranteeing security and improving the customer experience—all for a competitive rate.

Currently, EZPayments is only available in the United Kingdom. To learn more about switching to EZPayments, please contact our team today. 

What Is Strong Customer Authentication?

On 14th March 2022, the way businesses process e-commerce payments will change. New rules, referred to as Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), will enhance payment security and limit fraud through a mandatory authentication process.

The rules will apply whenever a payer:

• initiates an electronic payment transaction 
• accesses their payment account online
• carries out any action remotely that may imply a risk of payment fraud, unless an exemption applies

Thanks to compliance with new SCA standards, EZPayments will offer EZFacility’s UK clients the safest, most secure way to process payments. 

Smartwaiver in the New EZFacility Experience

EZFacility’s integration with Smartwaiver is the latest feature to join the New EZFacility Experience. Now, users can manage digital membership documents, contracts, and waivers built with Smartwaiver from within EZFacility’s new user interface.

Smartwaiver provides customizable digital waivers and releases that can be signed at your location or online from any computer, tablet, or mobile device. Turn your tablet into a dedicated waiver signing station with Smartwaiver’s free kiosk apps for iPad and Android.

With the EZFacility + Smartwaiver integration, if a new or existing member signs your waiver, the member will be created or updated in the EZFacility database, saving your staff time. Get in touch to learn more.

The post EZFacility Software Release: EZPayments Launches in the UK, Smartwaiver Updates appeared first on EZFacility.

What is the Groups feature, and how is it used?

For most sports and fitness facilities, hosting teams, leagues, camps, and other group-based events is an important part of the business model. The Groups module includes a variety of tools to help create, manage, promote, and measure the success of your team and events.

Groups feature include:

• Online registration
• Pricing and payments
• Waitlists
• Sub-groups and related groups
• Website integration through our API
• Integration with EZLeagues for tournament schedules, rosters, and standings

Common use cases for Groups include:

• Leagues for sports teams, college intramurals, and community rec centers
• Tournaments for sports and competitions of various kinds (unique examples include cook-offs and video game tournaments)
• Camps for summer sessions, weekends, and special retreats
• One-time fitness bootcamps, special classes, or sessions
• Clinics, training programs, and workshops
• Special events such as birthday parties, fundraisers, or other events

Groups in the New EZFacility Experience

Today’s release brings several meaningful enhancements to Groups, including simplified workflows, improved displays, icons, filters, and more intuitive navigation.

Watch the webinar for a full tour of the new Groups features.

Get the Groups data you need—fast

When reviewing your list of Groups, you’ll now see the most important information first. We reduced the number of columns to provide the data you need without needing to scroll horizontally.

Standard data will include:

• Group Name
• Group Description
• Registration Balance
• Invoice Balance
• Total Subgroups

If you’d like to see additional data, you can hover over the convenient tooltip icon or customize your columns to display other information.

You’ll also find quick action icons that will allow you to send an email, edit, or delete your Group.  

View related Groups in a simplified grid

The new Related Groups grid will show all of the groups with a connection to the one you are viewing—including any parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, and other related Groups that exist. This comprehensive display allows you to more easily navigate your sub-Groups to manage settings and registrants. When viewing the grid, the current Group will be bolded.

Filter and search your Groups

We’ve re-built this popular feature from EZFacility Classic to give it an upgrade in the new user interface. Simply click the filter icon to build custom views that show active, upcoming, or completed Groups.

Easily navigate to the tools you need

Effortlessly locate the tools for Online Registration, Publish to Self-Service, Publish to EZLeagues in tabs across the top of the screen within each of your Groups. In addition, you’ll find tools to copy, export, and generate Groups in the Global Dropdown within the new EZFacility Experience.

Quickly create Groups and register clients

In the New EZFacility, any time you need to create or edit an object, a consistent side panel will appear with all the fields and settings you need. Following today’s release, you can expect the same experience when you create a new Group or register a client to one of your Groups. This consistency helps speed up day-to-day tasks, while also making it easier to train and onboard new staff.

How to access to the new Groups features

If you’ve already opted in to the New EZFacility Experience, you’ll see these new Groups features automatically. If you’d like to request access, please submit a support ticket.

The post EZFacility Software Release: Groups in the New EZFacility Experience appeared first on EZFacility.

Optional Vaccination Tracking* and Check-In Management

Available only in the New EZFacility Experience.

EZFacilty works with businesses in a variety of locations, some of which have to comply with specific regulations regarding COVID-19. As a global software provider, EZFacility is committed to offering tools and solutions to meet the everchanging needs of as many clients as possible while offering the flexibility and control to decide how your business operates.

The optional Vaccine Passport feature—available only in the New EZFacility Experience—allows individual locations to enable a checkbox to record vaccination status on your clients’ profiles. As an optional feature, vaccination tracking will remain disabled and hidden unless you choose to activate it. 

Once enabled, you can configure Vaccine Passport settings to restrict self check-in for unvaccinated clients. You can also display vaccination status to staff when manually checking in members at your front desk.  

Please note that, if you do choose to turn on vaccination tracking, the checkbox will default to unchecked, indicating that the client has not been vaccinated. Make sure to populate this field with up-to-date information before adjusting your check-in settings.

If vaccination tracking is not a part of your location’s process, you can leave the feature deactivated and the checkbox will not appear on your clients’ profiles.

*Note: Regulations regarding the storage of your customers’ vaccination data vary based on location. Please be sure to review the laws and requirements that affect your business. This post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Flexible, Self-Service Membership Documents

Available only in the New EZFacility Experience. NOT available in accounts that can switch back to Classic.

In the new EZFacility Experience, Membership Documents have replaced Membership Agreements to transform the way membership contracts are sold through the platform. With Membership Documents, you can create custom Document Templates to tailor your contracts to specific membership plans (here’s how it works).

In this release, we’ve extended the functionality of Membership Documents to contracts sold through your online self-service portal. Now, when clients purchase memberships online, they’ll be prompted to e-sign the custom document associated with the membership option they’ve selected.

This feature is only available to clients who have transitioned fully to the New EZFacility Experience. It will not be available to those who maintain the ability to switch back to Classic. To inquire about transitioning fully to the New EZFacility Experience, please submit a Support Ticket with our team.

Cross-Domain Google Analytics Tracking for Online Registrations 

Available in the New EZFacility Experience and EZFacility Classic.

Many of our clients use Google Analytics to track the effectiveness of their marketing efforts for generating online sales. In this release, we’ve enhanced our existing integration with Google Analytics to include cross-domain tracking. This feature allows you to track data across multiple related sites—such as your marketing website and any online registration page(s) you’ve created using EZFacility.

Email Communication in the New EZFacility Experience 

Available in the New EZFacility Experience and EZFacility Classic.

Email is one of the most popular of EZFacility’s marketing features. In this release, we brought an old favorite from EZFacility Classic into the New Experience by allowing users to quickly email a client directly from their profile. Whether it’s to congratulate a member on their most recent workout or invite a prospect to a free class, this feature makes it easier than ever to build personal relationships with every client.

The post EZFacility Software Release: Vaccine Tracking, Membership Docs, & More appeared first on EZFacility.

“When we first thought about redesigning our POS system, we knew we wanted to combine our knowledge of next-generation SaaS and payment trends with direct feedback from over 1,700 of our users,” said Mike Vidal, Director of R&D at EZFacility. “We focused on implementing the latest cloud-based technology while improving the user experience—reducing clicks, increasing speed, and enhancing valuable features.”

The platform transforms the process of selling products for fitness, sports, and recreation businesses. From any device, users can lead their customers through an accelerated sales experience, complete with automated receipts and reporting. At these facilities, speed is critical to keep customer traffic flowing and operations running smoothly. As a result of the new streamlined process, businesses experience increased productivity and customer satisfaction.  

As the popularity of mobile point of sale terminals continues to rise, the new POS platform is poised to meet the needs of a wide variety of businesses, such as small fitness facilities to growing health and wellness organizations, and established franchises. The mobile-responsive design provides a true anytime-anywhere sales solution for these rapidly evolving industries.

Several features of the new POS system can be customized to meet individual business needs. “We understand that every client has unique needs, which is why our point of sale was built with flexibility in mind,” Vidal explained. In addition to integrating with their chosen printer hardware, businesses can personalize register layouts, sales reports, and promotional offers.

Additionally, the POS module supplies vital business management tools to the growing health and fitness market. Business leaders can use the platform to track revenue sources, manage supplier contracts, and automate inventory alerts for popular retail items. Point of sale integrates with EZFacility’s all-in-one management software, linking sales figures to key marketing, operations, and financial metrics.

“The POS release kicks off a series of user interface enhancements that strengthen our offering to existing customers and pave the way for features that appeal to a broader audience,” said Bryant Strozinsky, President at EZFacility. “We’re encouraged by the positive response we received following the upgrade, and we look forward to working closely with customers and industry experts as we develop future innovations together.”

After delivering the seamless point of sale solution, EZFacility plans to complement the changes with additional inventory management functionality and a sequence of upgrades targeted at enhancing the software’s overall user experience.

About EZFacility

EZFacility, Inc., a division of Jonas Software, is a global leader in scheduling, management, and membership solutions for the health, fitness and sports industries. Since its launch in 2003, EZFacility has offered simple, yet highly-effective, web-based club management tools that enable its thousands of users in more than 30 countries to streamline operational performance; improve the efficiency of their staff; and increase their bottom-line. For more information visit ezfacility.com or call 866-498-3279.

The post EZFacility Releases Cutting-Edge Fitness Point of Sale Solution appeared first on EZFacility.

1. Market your shooting range to gun buyers

Offer incentives with gun purchases to target ideal customers for your shooting range. If you don’t sell firearms at your facility, you can pair up with local retailers. Try offering gun buyers special same-day promotions, including:

• Free shooting range passes
• Discounted premium memberships
• Free membership initiation

To take this a step further, create a special package deal that includes discounted shooting range membership, free initiation, branded merchandise, and a bonus guest pass.

2. Host classes and training workshops

Many of your future customers are new to shooting and gun ownership. Offering introductory courses on gun safety, personal defense, and shooting techniques to provide a fun, safe way for them to learn about your business while building skills. Once you’ve established a relationship with these budding enthusiasts, it will be easier to convert them to frequent customers and gun club members.

3. Attract new audiences with special events

Special events are a vital part of marketing for your shooting range for two reasons:

1. Events are a fun, easy way for new people to get to know your business and community
2. Events can be an independent revenue stream that fuels other marketing and business activities

When thinking about the types of events to host at your shooting range, consider what will interest your existing customers and new ones. Organizing a tournament is a great way to engage seasoned target experts while a more fun event that involves shooting playing cards to create the best poker hand may appeal to a new, younger audience.

4. Stay connected with email marketing, social media, and a mobile app

Attracting new customers is only the first stage of your shooting range marketing. Once you’ve made an initial connection, you’ll need to engage potential customers through email, social media, and mobile apps.

Tracking prospects through your shooting range software will allow you to communicate regularly via email and SMS text messaging. In addition to these communication basics, shooting ranges should consider adding another tool to their marketing arsenal: a mobile app.

Once prospects download your app, they’ll get notifications about upcoming events, class schedules, social media updates, and special offers. And with users spending 18 times more time on mobile apps than websites, it’s no surprise that your app users become your most loyal customers. 

5. Build a loyal customer base

While you should always think about ways to attract new customers to your shooting range, it’s important to devote marketing resources to your existing clientele, too. Because members and regulars are your main source of revenue, their happiness is what ultimately determines your success.

Use social media marketing to recognize member achievements, ask for feedback, and create a sense of community among gun club members. Make sure that staff are knowledgeable, prioritize safety, and go above and beyond to make every experience positive.

Keep in mind that while a happy customer will act as an ambassador for your business, the opposite is also true. An unhappy customer can spoil even the best marketing plans.

6. Ask for referrals

If you’ve done a good job building a loyal following, you can leverage these relationships to ask for referrals. When it comes to increasing referral leads, there are two main rules:

1. If you want more referrals, you have to ask for them
2. The best time to ask for a referral is right after your customer has a positive experience with your shooting range

One of the biggest mistakes shooting range owners make is forgetting to include referrals as a formal part of their marketing strategy. Identify opportunities to request referrals and make a plan for how you’ll ask for them. Not sure where to start? Try these ideas:

• After a home defense course, ask participants to provide the name of one person they think would enjoy the class in exchange for free merchandise
• Offer new participants a free guest pass after their first visit
• Give friends of members 25% off an upcoming event

Does Your Shooting Range Marketing Hit the Target? 

Now that you know these six essential marketing strategies, it’s time to put them into action. This means scheduling your marketing efforts and choosing the right software tools and technology to help you get it done. To learn more about how EZFacility helps gun clubs and shooting ranges with their marketing, chat with us today.

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