According to a study, the number of fitness app users has grown from 62.7 million in 2018 to a whopping 87.4 million in 2020. After the pandemic hit the world, more people are becoming health conscious and the installation of fitness apps has been rapidly increased. Such a huge demand for fitness apps attracts businesses to invest in this type of app development. However, planning to develop a fitness app is one thing and actually crafting one is another.
We are here to fill the gap. Today, we will provide a complete outline of how to develop a fitness app. Before diving in to the development process, let’s walk you through the types of fitness apps available in the market. This will come in handy if you engage professional app development services. Simply communicate the type of app you want and the experts will craft it for you.
Types of Fitness Apps
Exercise and workout apps – these apps work as the personal trainers inbuilt in the smartphone. The users can use these anywhere and anytime. They can learn new steps, perform exercise, find a local gym, etc.
Diet and nutrition apps – such apps monitor food habits, amount of calories consumed and burned, water balance, body weight, etc. Depending on the complexity of the app, the users can also set personal goals, get nutritious recipes (blog or video), follow a diet chart as per gender and age, etc.
Activity tracking apps – it tracks a user’s physical activity. It collects user info like the number of steps taken in a day, sleeping hours, stairs climbed, distance and speed of running, calories burnt etc.
No matter of the type, the apps can also feature engaging attributes like gamification. This enhances user engagement and popularity of the apps.
How to Craft a Fitness App – A Take by Mobile App Development Service Providers
In this section, we will discuss how to develop a fitness app. This is a general guideline that applies to any type of fitness app you want to develop.
Step 1 - Determine the Features
The first step to developing an app is to have a proper plan. Here are a few basic features that you may want to add in your app.
User profile
Nowadays, people prefer to have a personalized experience. Therefore, instead of offering only generic information, equip your app with user profiles. This comes in handy even when the users are accessing the app from cross devices. The data will not be lost. This is also ideal for tracking personal goals and checking achievements.
Leverage users’ data from the app registration page. Also, you may include specific columns for people to mention their age, gender, height, weight, etc. to get personalized suggestions.
Notification
Push notification is a great feature for mobile apps. You can also leverage this powerful tool to remind the users about workouts, avail an offer, check out the new recipe, and overall enhance the app engagement. However, make sure that you don’t irritate the users with too many push notifications a day. This may drive them to uninstall the app altogether.
Social Sharing
Encourage social sharing by integrating social media platforms on your app. This will help in promoting your brand and app.
Dashboard
If you develop a multi-vendor fitness app, you must allow the listed stores / gym centres / brands manage their profile. Let’s explain this. Suppose, you want to enable your users to search nearby gyms through the app. For this, you may ask the local gym owners to register on your app and promote their service. This will also contribute in improving your revenue.
Here, you have to create a panel for them to check how many users are interested to avail their service, and so on. Indeed this type of complex app development requires extensive skill. So make sure to engage a reliable and reputed mobile app development company to get such an app.
Let us quickly mention that the features outlined here are for your reference. Depending on your budget and competition in the market, you may add more features in your app. Just make sure that the app is easy to use and the features are accessible on the interface. If these are hidden somewhere, the users won’t be able to access these properly.
Step 2 - Select a Monetization Model
You are not developing an app for charity, right? You sure want to advance your business? Then, it’s high time to consider the revenue model. Here are a few app monetization models for your reference:
In-app purchase – Here, you have to encourage users to buy something in your app. This may include unlocking pro exercise videos, celebrity fitness secrets, healthy diet recipes, upgrading to a premium version to get discount offers in selected fitness brand stores, directly buying a product from within the app, and so on.
Paid apps – before using the apps, the users have to buy it. The price will vary depending on its popularity, enriched content, mobile platform, and so on. However, this may not be the ideal model if you are just starting out.
Ads – Collaborate with other fitness-centric businesses and show their campaigns on your app. You may charge a cost-per-mile or cost-per-click commission.
Step 3 - Hire a Professional Team
By now, you may have understood that developing a mobile app requires extensive industry-exposure, technology skills, advanced resources, knowledge of the latest trends and more. If you want to solely focus on your business, it’s better to engage professional mobile app development services. The experts will equip your application with advanced features and functionalities.
Make sure to communicate your requirement with the developers. This will help them to bring your idea into reality.
Here are a few things to bear in mind while engaging a professional service.
Experience – Industry-exposure and experience is the key to developing spectacular and highly functional mobile apps. Keep an eye on the experience of the company you are hiring.
Portfolio – Simply checking on the years of experience won’t be impactful. Minutely observe the apps developed by the company. Has it ever developed a fitness app? Install the app to see the features and functionalities. This will give you an idea of what your app can look like.
Client review – Before finalizing a company, check the client testimonials. Are they satisfied with the service? Do they recommend it?
Budget – Budget is indeed a crucial concern while engaging a professional service. However, we recommend you to spend a few more bucks in favour of a quality service. Setting for the cheapest option may not turn out well in the long run. A mobile app is an investment, not merely an expense.
Wrapping Up
We hope our guideline will help you to craft a spectacular and user-friendly mobile app. Follow these steps and take your business to the next level.