How to Develop a Custom App for the Health and Fitness Industry?
In our previous article, we wrote about Types of Marketplaces that can be selected for your next big thing. This time, we would like to sort out some points on how to develop a custom app for the health and fitness industry.
Health and wellness have become more important than ever over the past few years. Either we have a healthy lifestyle, or it is something we are striving to attain.
For example, did you know that 36% of people in the UK say that they sometimes eat a healthy and balanced diet?
If you’re looking to move into the mobile app market, whether IOS or Android, developing a new custom must-have app in the health and fitness industry could be the right way to do this.
Table of contents
Find out more about the recent trends around health and fitness and how to develop a custom app for the health and fitness industry to make a mobile app that everyone wants to download.
Why have custom fitness apps become so popular?
There are several reasons why the use of custom fitness apps has skyrocketed over the past few years, and why they are so important to people.
- The rise of wearable technology. Fitness trackers like Fitbit, Strava, TomTom, and Jawbone have gamified exercise for people. Trackers have made it easier for people to monitor their steps, heart rate… even the quality of the sleep they get. 16 million Fitbits were sold worldwide in 2019, and this number is growing year on year.
- People are becoming more aware of obesity and the issues it can cause. Two out of five people worldwide are now overweight, with obesity rapidly rising among children and teenagers
- Climate change is also playing an issue. It is making people keener to move to a plant-based diet, as well as increasing the frequency that their walking. In fact, going vegan can reduce a person’s carbon footprint by up to 73%.
What are the different types of custom fitness app startups?
So, you’ve decided that you want to develop a startup that will be presented by a custom mobile app for the health and fitness industry? That’s great!
The next step is determining what type of app you want to create.
There are three fundamental types of custom mobile fitness apps out there.
Your app might fit nicely into one of the categories, or it may cover two or all three types.
1. Nutrition apps
A nutrition mobile app helps you monitor your weight by logging the food and drink you consume. You can track your weight over time and see if any fluctuations are caused by changes to your diet.
Most custom mobile apps have an extensive food database, so you don’t have to input the calorie count of every piece of food you eat. Some will even let you scan a barcode to bring up nutritional values automatically.
A couple of custom nutrition apps also have a comprehensive recipe library so that you can prepare healthy meals.
2. Activity tracking apps
An activity-tracking mobile app lets you count the steps you take and the distance you have walked.
These are ideal for people who don’t go to the gym or have a specific workout routine, as they can still see how the action they take will help keep them healthy.
These custom apps are usually paired with a fitness tracker. However, the Apple Health app on iPhone and the Google Fit app on Android phones also have an inbuilt pedometer that can measure steps.
3. Workout and exercise apps
Think of a custom workout app as having a personal trainer in your pocket. It uses videos and 3D models to show you how to carry out exercises, how many reps to do, and how to do them correctly for maximum effect.
A custom workout app may focus on specific exercises (e.g. cardio or meditation) or focus on a particular area of the body (e.g. arms or stomach)
A more basic mobile app may just let you log and visualize your exercise routine – for example, mapping your runs or weightlifting sets.
A custom workout and exercise app may pair with your fitness tracker, allowing you to automatically send your data to the mobile app without manually logging it.
The things you must consider when creating a fitness app
When you have decided what type of custom fitness app you want to develop, there are a few things you will need to consider.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is your target audience, and what do they want to get out of your app? Carrying out market research before you start and developing a custom minimum viable product (MVP) will help you clarify this.
- Who are your competitors? The fitness app market is a competitive place, and you will need to ensure that your app offers something that your rivals don’t.
But that’s could be the aim for future updates. Initially, you need to launch a custom MVP for the health and fitness industry and concentrate on a very small audience to polish out the value. Only after there is a chance to scale quickly and with minimum required efforts. But sure, if you have Dwayne Johnson as a cofounder you need just money for robust development.
- What will your UX be like? For a fitness app, you will want something that is easy to use. If your customer has just completed a high-intensity CrossFit workout, they will want to log their results as quickly and fuss-free as possible!
- How can users create accounts, and how will you store their information? Bear in mind that if people misplace or upgrade their phones, they will not want to lose their data
- Similarly, what type of data will you collect? Will you track geolocation?
- Will your app integrate with other fitness trackers? If so, which ones?
Monetizing your fitness app
But the main point is monetization. You will need to think about how your developed custom mobile app for the health and fitness industry will make money. You can monetize your app in the following ways:
- Users can make a one-off payment or pay a subscription to access the mobile app.
- You can make the core functionality free, but make users pay to access advanced features.
- A startup can offer in-app purchases, for example, diet plans or sessions with a personal trainer.
- You can make the custom app free and make money through apps. If you choose this option, you will need to consider how this will affect your UX.
But the most profitable option we experienced is
- a mix of all of the points above and adding marketplace features would rock the world.
Such a model we described in another of our articles – How to use Lean Startup in Weight Loss app
In conclusion: Will my idea work?
Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet. i.e. Investors will believe only if you are crazy about your value and have already done something, that could be a convertible landing page that describes your idea, or a profitable MVP app for the health and fitness industry. In other words, you need to find users who are ready to pay for the custom app or future mobile apps for the health and fitness industry. In case you are in the stage of Investing search, check the differences between Investors.
But you can rethink tactics that other successful startups did and implement that in your own idea. i.e. If you’re looking for a Strava-like mobile app, after this article you can shift to CRM or Marketplace app for sports equipment providers before your Strava app. Check 24+ tactics that other startups used to get to success.
The global fitness app market is expected to be worth $13 billion by 2025, so it is a very lucrative market to get involved in!
The key thing we would recommend is to do your research before you begin. That way, you will create a well-thought-out custom fitness app that everyone will want to subscribe to!
If you need more information about how to develop a custom fitness app, You are launched is here to help. We’ve been working with start-ups since 2014, helping them get the support, advice, and funding they need
Contact us today to see how we can help you to develop the best custom app for the health and fitness industry.
