According to emarketer.com, in 2017, the average US adult will spend 2 hours, 25 minutes per day using mobile apps. That’s an increase of 10.3% from 2016 and a heck of a lot of time per day that they could be staring at your company’s app instead of having another round of Angry Birds.

That brings us to the point of this blog entry: It’s time for your gym or fitness business to have a custom mobile app. Do you already have a mobile app? Well, maybe yours can be better. Just like your website, your mobile app can sell for you 24/7. Most people don’t lay in bed (morning and night) with their laptops, but they certainly do with their cell phones. Your app needs to be there for them after a night of Netflixing and Ben & Jerry’s. It should beckon to them (and some of the better apps can literally do that) during times when you can both benefit.

For example: If you can identify patterns of slower revenue days/times at your gym or yoga studio, you'd be able to send out push notification offers such as, “Hey, we’re running a PT special today only! Open to learn more.” or “Only two mats left for our 2pm class. Special: 50% off. Hurry!”

(By the way, push notifications are those system messages that pop up on your smartphone every now and then. They’re a great feature of mobile apps that only mobile apps have. So take that, mobile-friendly websites! Mobile apps: 1, mobile-friendly websites: 0.)

Leads = revenue > Lost leads = lost revenue. We’re not mathematicians, but that seems like a pretty easy formula to us. So how do you ensure leads are never lost? Better yet, how do you ensure leads are not only never lost, but organized and handled in a streamlined fashion? That’s easy, just make sure your mobile app provider integrates with your lead management software (like Club OS). Of course, we’re partial to our partners at Netpulse because they do just that. They also happen to make some of the best looking and feature-rich apps in the business.

If you'd like to introduce a little technology into your location, most of the modern custom mobile app platforms like Netpulse offer a mobile check-in feature. This will allow your clients to "beep" into your location using a barcode on their mobile devices. That's made possible thanks to your custom app!

In case this isn’t obvious, your custom mobile app should be free to your clients. Apps amplify your brand and therefore your business. However, if you’re planning to offer in-app classes or fancy things like that then that’s when you could consider charging for app or in-app downloads. However, don’t feel pressured to be too fancy right off the bat. A simple, easy-to-use custom app is perfect. After all, the sole purpose of the app is to make it as easy as possible for people to book and contact you as needed. And hey, it also makes your brand look pretty darn amazing, too.

Having a mobile app isn't reserved for the elite. With most modern app-making platforms, all you need is a logo. After that it’s simply a matter of matching your brand’s colors and entering in information such as your address, phone number, and other contact information. Another benefit is that most fitness-based app platforms either integrate with existing scheduling software or have their own. That's a huge step in giving your prospects and clients a truly seamless experience.

Ok, so now you have an app. What’s next? As with anything, it’s important to promote the app to your existing clients. Make the app a part of their lives. If they’re committing to their fitness and wellness goals then this should be fairly easy. Consider printing out pamphlets or even posters with a QR code they can scan that will take them straight to the app. A QR code is the square, black and white barcode-looking graphic you've probably seen on promotional items around town. However, don’t rely solely on the QR code to get people to your app because, well, not many people use QR codes. Tell your clients exactly how and, more importantly, why they should download your app. Do you offer specials delivered only to app-having members? Tell them!

Additionally, you need to make sure your staff knows about the app as well. Ask them to download it and even consider sending out some instructions as to how it works along with highlighting some features. This will help them explain the benefits to clients which will in turn get them to download it and that sounds like perfect harmony to us.

So there you go, it’s time for an app if you don’t have one, or time for a more modern one if you haven’t revisited yours since 2010.

Once the influx of leads come through that app, Club OS is here to turn them into members. We take that lead, organize them, track them, and help you follow-up with them. Click below for more information.