The Lab BJJ See 4,967% ROI with Zipper

The challenge

The Lab BJJ is a martial arts academy in Dedham, MA, owned by Kristen Oteri. Like many academies, they had a website — but it was a passive brochure, not a lead engine. Across three distinct programs — adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kids BJJ, and women’s self-defense — they faced the problems that hold most local studios back:

• Minimal online lead generation despite having a website
• No clean way to showcase the different programs and their audiences
• Limited time and digital-marketing expertise to manage multiple platforms
• A web presence that didn’t reflect the quality of the instruction inside the academy

The solution

Kristen partnered with Zipper and rolled out one connected system — built specifically for martial arts and BJJ academies — replacing their legacy website and disconnected marketing tools.

What they put in place

• A professional website redesigned for conversions, not just looks
• Program-specific landing pages for adult BJJ, kids BJJ, and women’s self-defense
• Automated social media content showcasing classes and student wins
• An integrated lead capture and follow-up system that converts new visitors into trial bookings
• An integrated lead capture and CRM system tied directly to trial-class flows

The results

In just three months, The Lab BJJ went from a quiet website to a measurable, repeatable membership-acquisition channel.

Lead generation

• 50+ organic leads generated across the 3-month period
• Distributed across all three programs:
  • Adult BJJ
  • Children’s BJJ
  • Women’s self-defense

Financial impact

• 75% conversion from lead to paying member
• 38 new recurring memberships from those 50 leads
• $7,600/mo in new monthly recurring revenue ($200 × 38 members)
• $22,800 in new quarterly revenue
• $91,200 projected first-year revenue from this cohort alone

Return on investment

• $450 total Zipper investment over 3 months ($150/month)
• $22,800 in new quarterly revenue from that investment
• 4,967% quarterly ROI — roughly $50.67 in new membership revenue for every $1 spent
• Cost per lead: ~$9 ($450 ÷ 50 leads)
• Cost per acquired member: ~$11.84 ($450 ÷ 38 members)
• Estimated 12-month lifetime value per member: $2,400

“The difference between our old website and Zipper’s solution is night and day. We’re now capturing leads across all our programs — adult BJJ, kids classes, and women’s self-defense. With at least a 75% conversion rate from lead to member, Zipper has quickly become our most valuable marketing investment.”

— Kristen Oteri, Co-Owner, The Lab BJJ

Why it worked

A few things made the numbers possible:

1. Multi-program marketing. Each audience — adults, kids, parents looking for women’s self-defense — got its own messaging and landing page instead of being lumped together.
2. A professional online presence. The website finally matched the quality of the academy’s mat time.
3. Automated systems. Lead capture and follow-up ran in the background instead of relying on someone remembering to email back.
4. Online presence. The Lab built a stronger digital footprint with a branded studio website and review collection that made them more discoverable to people in and around Dedham.
5. Consistent content. Regular social posts kept the academy visible week after week without becoming a second job.

Looking forward

The Lab BJJ continues to use Zipper to expand their digital presence, lift conversion rates, and build dedicated campaigns around each program — adult BJJ, kids BJJ, and women’s self-defense — while strengthening their brand in the local martial arts community.

See Zipper for your academy

If you run a martial arts gym and your website isn’t pulling its weight, see what a focused setup looks like for BJJ and martial arts schools, or request a demo and we’ll walk through your exact program lineup.