How to Get More Reviews for Your Gym (Without Annoying Your Members)

93% of people read reviews before joining a gym. Most gyms in the UAE have fewer than 15 Google reviews to show them.

That gap is costing you members every week — people who found your gym online, liked what they saw, then clicked away because you had 12 reviews and the gym down the road had 94.

Here's what makes this frustrating: those reviews are already waiting for you. Your members like your gym. They just haven't said so online — not because they don't want to, but because nobody made it easy and nobody asked at the right moment.

This article gives you a complete system for getting more gym reviews consistently: when to ask, how to ask, where to ask, and what to say. You'll also get copy-paste templates for each method. Set this up once and it runs on its own.

Do Gym Reviews Actually Matter for Getting New Members?

Yes — and in two ways most gym owners don't think about.

The first is trust. According to BrightLocal's 2024 Consumer Reviews Survey, 93% of people read online reviews before visiting a local business. For fitness specifically, the number is higher — joining a gym is a financial and personal commitment, so people research more carefully than they would choosing a restaurant. A gym with 8 reviews and a 5-star average doesn't look credible. A gym with 65 reviews and a 4.5 average does. The total review count matters as much as the rating.

The second is ranking. Google uses three factors to rank local businesses in Maps and search results: relevance, distance, and prominence. Reviews are the primary signal for prominence — both review count and recency. A gym with 80 reviews will consistently outrank a gym with 20 reviews at a slightly higher rating, even if the second gym is physically closer to the searcher. This matters specifically in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, where multiple gyms of similar quality often compete for the same neighborhood searches. Review velocity matters too: Google rewards businesses that collect reviews steadily over time. Forty reviews from three years ago is weaker than 40 reviews spread across the last 12 months. A new gym can close the gap on an established competitor by building review velocity faster — collecting 3-4 reviews per month will move your local ranking within 90 days.

The same logic applies on Gymzone. Gyms with more reviews rank higher in the directory and get more clicks from people who are actively comparing their options — which is exactly the moment you want to be found.

The Real Reason Most Gyms Don't Have Enough Reviews

They ask at the wrong moment.

Asking a member "Can you leave us a Google review?" when they're rushing out after a 6am class — still sweating, checking their phone for work messages — almost never converts. They say yes, they mean it, and they forget within 20 minutes.

Ask the same member 30 minutes after they just hit a new personal best, or the day they completed their first month, or right after a trainer told them they've dropped 4kg — and that same request lands completely differently. They're in an emotional high point about your gym. The motivation to share it is genuinely there.

The rule: ask after a win, not after a workout.

When Should You Ask Gym Members for a Review?

Here are the five best windows to request a review from a gym member:

• After their first full month. They've committed, they're seeing early results, and the gym still feels fresh. This is your highest-conversion review window.
• After a personal milestone. A new PB, completing a challenge, reaching a weight target. Your trainers notice these moments — build a review ask into how they celebrate members.
• After a positive direct interaction. A member thanks a trainer personally, compliments your equipment, or says "this is my favourite gym I've ever been to." Follow up that same day.
• After their 10th or 25th visit. If your management system tracks visits, set an automated trigger at these thresholds. Members at 25 visits are proven regulars — they're your best reviewers.
• End of a class. The instructor has everyone's attention for 60 seconds during the cool-down. A simple mention — "If you loved today's session, we'd really appreciate a quick Google review — there's a QR code on the wall by the exit" — converts better than most owners expect.

How to Ask: 4 Methods That Work

QR Codes at the Front Desk and Exit

A printed QR code sign that links directly to your Google review page removes every barrier between "I should leave a review" and "I just left a review." Place one at the front desk, one near the exit, and one on the wall of any studio or class space.

To get your Google review link: search your gym name on Google, click "Write a review," and copy that URL. Shorten it with Bitly, then generate a QR code at qr-code-generator.com (free). Print and laminate — done in under an hour.

The sign text matters. "Leave us a review" is weak. This is stronger: "Loving your workouts here? 30 seconds on Google means the world to us — and helps other people in [your neighborhood] find us."

WhatsApp Review Link

This is the most effective review channel for gyms in the UAE — WhatsApp is how your members communicate. Open rates are far higher than email, and a message from a trainer feels personal in a way a notification never does.

Send a short, personal message the day after a milestone moment. Here's a template you can use directly:

Hi [Name], great session yesterday — you've been putting in the work and it's showing. If you have 30 seconds, a quick review on Google would really help us: [review link]. Thanks!

Don't send this as a broadcast. Send it individually, or have the member's trainer send it directly. It needs to feel personal to convert. A broadcast message asking for reviews will be ignored or, worse, will feel spammy.

Email at Day 30

If you collect member emails — and you should — set up one automated email that triggers after 30 days of membership. Keep it short:

Subject: Quick favour (30 seconds)?

Hi [Name], you've been a member for a full month now — thanks for sticking with it. If you've been enjoying your time at [Gym Name], a quick Google review would help other people in [area] find us. [Review link] — takes 30 seconds, and it genuinely makes a difference.

Set it up as a triggered automation, not a mass newsletter. It should go out automatically at day 30, personalized by name. Most gym management platforms, Mailchimp, or Klaviyo can handle this trigger with minimal setup.

NFC Tap-to-Review Stickers

NFC stickers are the newest review collection method — and the fastest for the member. You programme a small sticker with your Google review link, place it near the exit or on your front desk, and members tap their phone to go directly to your review page. No scanning, no typing, no friction.

NFC stickers cost under AED 50 for a pack of 10 and can be programmed in minutes using a free app. They're especially effective near the exit: "Tap here to leave a quick review before you go."

Where to Ask: Google AND Gymzone

Google reviews are the most important for local search ranking. They show up in Maps results and are what most people check first when comparing gyms. Your target: at least 20 Google reviews before you invest heavily in any other marketing. Below that, a meaningful percentage of potential members will hesitate.

But Google isn't the only place people look. When someone is actively comparing gyms on Gymzone, they read Gymzone reviews — not switching over to a different tab. A gym with 25 Gymzone reviews and a complete listing will win that comparison against a gym with 5 reviews and a bare-bones profile, even if the second gym has more Google reviews overall.

The practical approach: use two touchpoints for two platforms. WhatsApp for Google reviews (highest conversion, most personal). Email for Gymzone reviews (easy to include a direct link in a follow-up sequence). Over three months, you build presence on both.

Reviews across multiple platforms also strengthen your gym's visibility in AI search. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity "what's the best gym near JLT?", those tools pull from well-reviewed, trusted sources across the web — including directories like Gymzone. More reviews in more places means more chances to be recommended.

For a full walkthrough of managing your Google reviews and responding to them effectively, see our guide on Google reviews and your Business Profile.

How Many Reviews Do You Need to Be Competitive?

Here's a realistic benchmark based on what's visible across the Gymzone directory and Google Maps for gyms in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah:

For Gymzone reviews, the bar is lower: 10 or more puts you in the top tier of most directory categories. Get to 10, then keep a pace of 1-2 new reviews per month.

Review count also feeds something bigger. Articles that round up the best gyms in a city — including the best gyms in Dubai — draw heavily from gyms that have visible, recent reviews and complete profiles. Well-reviewed gyms end up in those roundups. Those roundups send more searchers to their listings. It compounds.

Does Responding to Reviews Actually Help Your Ranking?

Responding to reviews — positive and negative — is both a ranking signal and a conversion signal. Google treats review responses as evidence that a business is active and engaged. More practically: when a potential member reads your reviews, they also read your responses. A gym that responds thoughtfully to a complaint tells people something important about how members are treated when things go wrong.

Keep positive responses short and specific. Keep negative responses calm, professional, and solution-focused. Never argue in a review thread. Acknowledge the issue, offer a resolution, and take the conversation offline.

For templates covering the five most common complaint types, see our guide on how to respond to negative gym reviews.

Build the System Once, Let It Run

Getting more reviews isn't about asking louder — it's about asking smarter and making the process automatic.

Start with one method this week: print a QR code sign and put it at your front desk. Then add the WhatsApp follow-up for milestone moments. Then set up the day-30 email trigger. Within 60 days, you'll have a system that collects reviews while you focus on running the gym.

Aim for consistency over volume. Two reviews a month, every month, outperforms 30 in January and nothing for the rest of the year. Google rewards fresh, steady signals. So do the people reading them.

Gymzone has its own review system — and gyms with more reviews rank higher in the directory and attract more clicks from people actively searching for a gym near them. Encourage your members to leave reviews on both Google and Gymzone, and you're covered everywhere people look. See how a Gymzone listing works and how it fits alongside your Google presence.