Online or in person: A wellness business’s prospects in 2025

Source: Pexels

Over the past few years, we have witnessed the development of the wellness domain in a more advanced way. What began as a pandemic-driven digital shift has become an equilibrium return to physical experience. Wellness entrepreneurs today are faced with a crucial question in 2025: Online delivery, in-person services, or hybrid model?

As technology goes everywhere and customer demands are changing, the right decision is required to remain competitive and meet your audience where they're at. Whether you're the creator of virtual fitness classes or running a fitness studio, adapting your business model to address current needs can have the potential to increase engagement and drive business growth.

2025 wellness landscape: what’s changing?

• The wellness space is booming—but growth now is different from it was before 2020. Three dominant trends are defining the space:

• Digital well-being is the future. Virtual coaching, teletherapy, and mobile fitness apps now make it possible for clients to conveniently and easily attend to all aspects of their well-being from a distance.

• In-person offerings are gaining momentum once more. Individuals are famished for human connection, which has resulted in increases in retreats, studio classes, and in-person community events.

• Hybrid formats are in the limelight. Combining virtual convenience with real-world efficacy is a winning strategy for wellness brands of today.

• Instead of "Should I be online?", the better question is, "What mix of digital, face-to-face, and technology-enabled tools is right for my business?

Source: Pexels

Benefits of going online

An online wellness business has a number of clear advantages for solopreneurs and small teams:

1. Broader reach: You’re no longer a prisoner of geography — online services can serve customers all over the world.

2. Scalable offerings: Digital product is highly replicable and scalable.

3. Lower overhead: With just a laptop and reliable platforms, you can work from home — and not worry about studio rents, utility bills or the other headaches that come with an overhead.

4. Schedule flexibility: You get to create a schedule around your life, and you can host services at any time or automate delivery via pre-recorded programs and courses.

5. Digital tools make it easier: Platforms like Zoom, Kajabi, Teachable, and Trainerize streamline everything from booking and payment to facilitating live or recorded sessions.

Examples:

• Yoga or meditation studios released in the virtual ecosystem.
• Internet-based health coaching or nutritional program.
• Fitness membership platforms with on-demand video libraries automated content delivery through courses and digital products.

Source: Pexels

Benefits of in-person services

Irreplaceable face-to-face interactions:

1. Stronger client relationships: In-person contact enhances trust and boosts retention rates.

2. Tactile, sensory value: Massage therapy, reiki, and acupuncture are examples of hands-on modalities.

3. Community and belonging: Physical locations are important for connection, especially in groups.

4. Premium pricing opportunities: Services that are in-person and highly customized are perceived as more valuable and can command higher prices.

How to choose the right model

This strategy is not uniform and requires these five guiding questions.

1. Your audience

Does your ideal client utilize technology? Are they more interested in a virtual environment or face-to-face interaction?

2. Your service type

Most coaching and education services are offered online, but physically demanding work such as bodywork or teaching a class may require one’s presence.

3. Your budget

Starting a digital business costs less initially, but requires strategic investment in technology. In-person businesses require more upfront spending on real estate, equipment, and staff.

4. Your brand values

Are you developing a highly scalable and automated system, or nurturing a local community wellness hub?

5. Your lifestyle

Those looking to work in-person on a daily basis will prefer an onsite model, whereas those who desire flexibility will prefer an online work model.

Why hybrid might be your best bet:

1. A hybrid approach blends the benefits of both:
2. Customization for Clients: Configure both in-person and remote sessions.
3. Diversified Income: Combine local events or retreats with online subscriptions
4. Stronger Loyalty: Allow clients to remain clients when traveling or when they are in town.

Examples of hybrid strategies:

• Combine health coaching with in-person consultations four times a year.
• Teach yoga in a studio and offer recorded classes.
• Conduct live workshops with supporting digital modules for client transformation.

Planning for 2025: Practical next steps

If this is your starting point, work your way through:

1. Define your vision

What business do you want to run in terms of revenue, autonomy, and influence?

2. Audit your services

Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis concerning online versus in-person delivery of your core offerings.

3. Test first

Hold a local workshop or a few virtual classes. Launch a small hybrid program and determine what resonates with your audience.

4. Invest in smart tools

From studio space to scheduling apps, tailor your infrastructure to the model you select.

5. Stay agile and open to change

The market will continue to evolve. Design your business model to adapt as client needs, technology, and trends shift.

Conclusion: Build with alignment, not trends

In 2025, the reigning winners in wellness businesses will not be the ones that boast the loudest, but rather the ones that fall in alignment with the clients' needs. Focus on being true to your mission, whether that be operating a fully digital platform, a community-based studio, or a hybrid model with financial wellness software.

Immediate success in the venture should not limit your goals, as your model should instead encourage growth. Stay flexible with intent while allowing your business to evolve and expand meaningfully.