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Fitness app development was already experiencing a surge before the pandemic and is now ubiquitous due to the closing of gyms. As a result, more and more people are having to resort to home or outdoor workouts and are very likely using a fitness app to get a virtual trainer or just a workout by their side. However, in addition to traditional fitness apps, niches should also be considered. In this guide, you will find everything about the topic of fitness app development.
The article consists of the following sections:
Fitness app development is becoming more and more important and works relatively well. Especially when the components of the marketing mix are coherently coordinated, the probability of a good ROI (Return On Investment) is more than given. Especially the topic of health is a daily companion in today’s world and ensures a generally higher willingness to spend money and invest in one’s own health. The willingness to pay is therefore there and it doesn’t matter whether 2 euros or 7 euros have to be paid. The fact that there is enormous potential in the development of fitness apps is made clear in the course of this article.
Even though fitness app development is the talk of the town, it comes with high costs and hurdles to overcome. It is a relatively costly task to develop fitness apps. This can be a medium-weight project in the amount of about 30,000 – 40,000 € up to projects in the six-figure range act. Besides the cost point, there are other hurdles to overcome in fitness app development. The synchronization of the amount of data must always be kept in mind, since it often involves many images and videos. So the goal should be to make the synchronization as efficient as possible, so that they do not overload the server. When it comes to mobile and web app development, there are a number of cost factors to consider when planning your app project. Fill out the form below with your details to download our app development cost factsheet.
The competition in fitness app development does not sleep and is accordingly high. It is important to offer a good mix. Especially as a fitness blogger or influencer, you have unlimited possibilities to achieve a high number of downloads with a high reach. However, the interaction should also be mentioned here, because if influencers or bloggers offer a fitness app, there is great potential to build up an additional channel. With the supremacy of influencers, they literally draw users in and get them to download the app. The likelihood is higher in the health sector than in other industries anyway, because the willingness to pay is simply much higher and people are willing to spend a lot of money. After all, it is in the interest of health.
There are different approaches to launching a fitness app. Basically, you can distinguish between three types. Pure fitness apps that score with the combination of fitness trackers. Pure yoga apps that accompany you during yoga and pure home workout apps that allow you to workout without any equipment. Among the mentioned categories, overlaps are also possible. Below you will find examples of such apps:
The leading providers include Freeletics and Runtastic.
One of the leading providers in the field of fitness apps is Freeletics. With Freeletics you can easily do workouts at home or in the park. Parallel to the Freeletics app, there is a Nutrition app where you can find healthy recipes. A free version is available, but must be upgraded with in-app purchases to use all the features.
Similarly with Runtastic. Here you can find the Adidas Running App and the Adidas Training App. In the running app, runs can be tracked and shared with the community. This way, followers and friends can always track whether and how long they have been training. In the training app, there are workouts that are guided by trainers.
Design (UI/UX)Offline functionalityRegistration and accountShare resultsPush notifications
Especially with fitness apps, it is important to have a simple design. In stressful situations, like during a workout, the app should not demand more from you than the workout itself. Thus, the ease of use during workouts is important to mention. A simple design is therefore a basic requirement.
Nothing is more annoying than content that doesn’t load. That’s why offline functionality is especially important. Sometimes you don’t have access to the Internet or you might be near a dead zone in the park. Then there should be the possibility to download content in advance and to be able to perform the workout despite the dead spot. This is the case if it is workouts or even videos that instruct the exercises via video. Running apps also track the run in offline mode, since they use the GPS signal.
Tailored offers and personalization offer a significant advantage in fitness apps. One of the main goals should be to access and analyze user data. In addition to the classic demographic characteristics, this includes restrictions due to pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or asthmatic diseases, any goals that users set themselves, and the activities themselves.
What many fitness apps now offer is the sharing of results. There are various leaderboards or private groups of friends and followers who push each other and encourage each other to perform workouts and follow suit if someone has submitted results. With like and comment functions of the individual workouts or runs, a community can be built. Furthermore, connections to Instagram or Facebook are indispensable. So it is possible with share buttons to post the individual workouts and share with followers. However, this is only recommended once the app has gained a certain degree of popularity.
To boost the performance of an app, push notifications can also be used to significantly increase user interaction. This motivates users to stay on the ball and keep going to achieve their set goals. However, this also allows users to be engaged if they rely on such push notifications and only exercise when they are notified. This way, the feeling of assistance can be sparked and it is not just an app for workouts or the like. Nevertheless, the notifications should also not, due to the frequency, get on the nerves of the users. Think carefully about how often and with what volume a notification goes out to a user.
We have already noted and mentioned that the fitness app development is not sleeping. The chart shows the potential and development of fitness apps and wearables. According to Statista and It trends, the fitness app development is predicted to grow significantly in the next few years, while the wearables such as the Apple Watch, Fitbit or Samsung Gear will retain their raison d’être. Therefore, fitness tracker integration is important and should make it accessible to all wearable vendors. An integration offers users increased added value and benefits. However, it is not only the users who benefit, but also the fitness app providers themselves. Through these integrations, it is possible to access data and enable the exchange of this data.
APP3null has already developed some strong fitness apps in the past. Among them are “Coach” and “Fit auf Reisen” for the Europäische Reiseversicherung. The next major project in fitness app development is already in the making and is being developed for the supplier bownce. Here, the keyword integrations are particularly noteworthy. This is because bownce, as an IoT sports device, allows you to earn crypto coins with the workouts you do and ventures a big step in the fitness app industry.
An app doesn’t have to be created for everyone. You can shrink your target group and have an app developed for selected customers. In doing so, you can pick up on current trends. For example, a pure calisthenics app or a fitness app for people with disabilities. Going further, reward systems are particularly topical. Apps that reward you for completed workouts with vouchers or, as already mentioned, with crypto coins. But there are also apps for climate-conscious people that plant trees for completed workouts. Again and again, there are campaigns via Runtastic that call for donations to be collected by completing runs. The more kilometers run, the more money is raised for charity.
It should be noted that there is a high level of competition in fitness app development. However, this is not a criterion for discarding an idea. There are good opportunities to establish oneself in a niche. The potential of connected devices can be fully exploited with wearables and interfaces. In addition, there is enormous financial potential due to the above-average willingness of customers to pay. Use niches with a clearly defined target group to avoid being lost in the competition and the masses. If the app then also has a user-friendly design and is simply laid out, there is no limit to success. Because especially in this day and age, the topic of health has become an indispensable variable.
Image source: Jonathan Borba and Unsplash
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Since 2013, APP3null has developed more than 100 web and app projects. From dating apps to logistics, from games to IoT, we have a wide expertise.
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