2021 is a great year to consider developing a fitness app. Due to pandemics and lockdown, we got used to managing a lot of things online. We study and work from home remotely; we order groceries and other necessities via the Internet, and we even do sport using apps while gyms are closed.
So why not try and join the trend especially while the market is flourishing and there is still a place for something innovative and exciting? According to App Annie’s The State of Mobile 2020 report, users spent 1.5B$ on fitness apps in 2019, and Sensor Tower claims that health & fitness app downloads increased by 22% in 2020 comparing to the previous year.
Source: SensorTower
Building a fitness app requires deep thinking through and planning, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. Since GBKSOFT has broad experience in fitness app development we decided to help you and guide you through the main milestones on the road to creating a new, top-notch fitness application.
Choose what type of app you want
Your app focus can be as creative as you can imagine, but generally, there are four types that stand out:
- workout apps;
- nutrition tracking apps;
- activity tracking apps;
- wellness apps.
Workout apps are basically a personal coach on your smartphone. They provide a user with different sets of exercises and instructions on how to complete them correctly. Usually, a user can choose a part of the body they want to work on today or compile a custom workout program. Examples: Fitbit Coach, Freeletics, 8Fit.
Nutrition tracking apps help users to monitor their consumption of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and count the number of calories per day. As additional features, these apps can suggest a nutrition plan and menu for weight loss or gaining muscle mass. A lot of apps create a feed for the user where they share their goals, results, and recipes with each other. Examples: YouAte, MyFitnessPal, FatSecret.
Activity tracking apps usually work in tandem with wearables and record the user’s physical activity: number of steps, the distance covered, heart rate, and calories burnt. Examples: Fitness22, Map My Run, Runkeeper.
Wellness apps have become popular recently, and they offer different features for relaxation, meditation, or sleep monitoring. Example: Calm, Sleep Cycle, Headspace.
Before starting the development, research the market and find your target audience. It will help you to understand their needs and choose the most relatable set of features to implement. Your future solution should offer the maximum benefit for your users.
Figure out a monetization model
The next key step is to choose the monetization model. To grow and support your app further, you need to be sure it would pay off. Think about the relationship you want to have with your users and choose one of the possible models:
- Paid apps
- Freemium
- In-app purchases
- Advertisements
Paid apps require one-time purchases: to download the app, the user pays for it one time and enjoys the content.
Freemium means the subscription-based application that offers some basic features for free, perhaps for a limited amount of time. When the users buy a subscription, they gain access to premium content.
In-app purchases push users to buy additional features inside the app. For example, it can be a special diet plan or real-time coach support.
Advertisements make the app free for users, and the in-app ads market is quite big nowadays to offer you a wide range of opportunities to earn money.
Go with a workflow
When you have a shape idea of the desirable app, it’s time to hire a devoted team of mobile developers and start your work. While choosing a contractor, check their previous cases, ask about their workflow and consider if it works for you.
When you have your team, your next goal is to evaluate the scope of work, determine the resources and time your app requires and create a roadmap of your project.
The next step is to prepare technical documentation — a list of requirements and specifications written by the professional. It’s a description of the features and elements your app will have, and normally it includes wireframes, the basic design, prototypes, etc.
Then comes the main action — development. The time of this stage is determined by the features your app will include, whether you make the app for one platform or for both (Android and IOS). Based on our experience, an average fitness app development takes around 2000 hours or 3-4 months.
It’s not the end when the application is ready for download. You still need to do QA testing and check whether everything is working properly and if there are any bugs that crush the app or affect user experience.
In conclusion
Fitness apps are on a roll at the moment, and if you’ve ever secretly dreamed about creating a useful app, it’s the right time. Creating an app might be a long-time goal that needs certain effort and planning, but it’s possible to get an impressive result eventually. Determine how your app can help people, find a professional team and go get them!
GBKSOFT is an outsourcing web and mobile application development company. We create high-quality software with a little bit of extra.
