Roughly 15 years ago when we launched the ClubReady solution into the fitness tech space, online bookings were rather fresh to the industry. That said, even the most progressive and inventive solutions were running a soft transition into the world of web-based booking. Mobile was non-existent in the fitness industry booking world.
Fast forward to 2023 and things have evolved tremendously. For instance, mobile bookings comprise about 50% of our roughly 5 million bookings made each month at ClubReady. This stat likely holds true for all providers that offer friction-free modern mobile applications.
Equipped with the knowledge that member engagement is driven through the consumers’ mobile devices, most fitness businesses would likely consider the face of their brand as being more importantly driven by their mobile interface than even their brand and store(s) macro and micro websites. That said, mobile has now become a critical marketing and communication vehicle for businesses. If this is where the member interacts for bookings, brands have parlayed this experience into one that is sticky and all-encompassing. Here are 8 other critical elements that both large and small brands, should focus on when working with providers that allow for the customization of their mobile applications:
- Capturing the total brand look and feel in all of the app tiles
- Keeping things fresh with tiles that focus on news and brand updates
- Utilizing app push notifications for real-time and free messaging
- Driving easy friction-less member referrals
- Delivering both performance and physiological feedback
- Parlaying feedback into Club and/or National Challenges
- Leveraging figurehead coaches with branded on-demand content
- Promoting the brand’s fitness and wellness philosophy with content