If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re either developing a fitness app or you’re thinking about creating one. And that’s great! The fitness industry is booming, and there’s plenty of room for new players with innovative ideas and products.
But before you start developing your app, it’s important that you take some time to define your target market. Who will be your ideal user? What will they want from a fitness app? How will they choose between so many fitness apps on the market?
In this article, we’ll discuss the target market for fitness apps and look at the factors that people take into account while selecting a fitness app for their fitness goals.
The Target Market for Fitness Apps: Who uses Fitness Apps?
Here are the types of people who would be interested in trying out a new fitness app:
- People who are looking to get in shape and need some motivation
- People who are already active and would like to track their progress
- People looking for a new workout routine
- People who travel often and need a fitness app that can accommodate their changing schedule
- People with chronic health conditions or injuries who need to be mindful of their physical activity
- People who are looking for a social support system for their workout
- People who like to compete with others
- People who are dissatisfied with their current fitness app
You must have noticed immediately that some people can be categorized in more than one segment. For instance, someone who is looking for a new workout routine may also be looking to compete with others. Such overlaps offer opportunities to sell upgrades or to cross-sell with other products.
For example, you could offer discounts on healthy foods or energy drinks through inapp purchases in your fitness app. As a matter of fact, there can be a significant overlap between the target market for fitness apps and the target market for energy drinks.
Keeping such opportunities in mind, let’s now look closely at each of the segments that constitute the target market for fitness apps.
1. People who are looking to get in shape and need some motivation
A key potential customer segment for fitness app companies includes people who are looking to get in shape and are in need of some motivation. A fitness app can be ideal in such situations because it can provide users with the experience of a personal trainer without the (often) prohibitive cost.
Additionally, fitness apps can offer a sense of community and support that is often missing from other types of weight loss or workout programs. And, for many, a sense of community is necessary to stay motivated.
So if you’re targeting this market segment, make sure your fitness app offers plenty of features and content that will motivate and encourage users to stick with their workout goals.
2. People who are already active and would like to track their progress
This market segment is already active and wants to use a fitness app to track their progress. They look for an app that will help them set and reach new fitness goals. They are often motivated by seeing results and so your app should offer features such as workout tracking, progress reports, and goal setting.
It’s also important to make sure that your app is compatible with the devices and apps that users are already using. For example, if they’re using a heart rate monitor or a specific type of activity tracker, you’ll want to make sure your app can work with such devices. If it doesn’t the user may choose another app that does.
3. People looking for a new workout routine
People can get be bored with their current workout routine or they may conclude that they are not making much progress with it. This can be a reason to switch to another fitness app that brings them closer to their goals.
If your app offers a variety of workout routines, users can keep trying new routines without switching away from your app. In such cases, your app should also offer guidance on how to properly perform the exercises in each routine. The last thing you want is for your customers to get injured while following a new workout routine on your app.
You can provide this guidance in the form of videos, articles, or even podcasts. The goal is to make sure that users have everything they need to succeed with their new workout routine without getting injured.
You could also consider partnering with a fitness center and have them promote your fitness app to their customers. You could even consider offering to customize your app – either with new functionality or just with branding – to suit the needs of the fitness center.
4. People who travel often and need a fitness app that can accommodate their changing schedule
People who travel often have to worry about constantly changing schedules. They typically look for an app that is flexible and that doesn’t require them to be in a specific place at a specific time.
To attract this market segment, your app should offer features such as the ability to plan ahead, save workouts for offline use, and adjust workout difficulty. Additionally, you may want to consider developing features that are specifically designed for travelers.
5. People with chronic health conditions or injuries who need to be mindful of their physical activity
People who have chronic health conditions or injuries often need to be very careful of their physical activity. They could be attracted to your fitness app if it helps them stay within the limits of their condition.
Your app could offer features such as the ability to track progress, set goals and limits, and get advice from medical professionals. Additionally, you may want to consider partnering with a healthcare provider or developing an app that is designed for people with specific chronic health conditions or injuries.
For instance, you could work with a physical therapist to develop an app that could be used by those in need of physical therapy to track their progress and stay within limits.
6. People who are looking for a social support system for their workout
Some people are working to get in shape, look for a social support system to keep them motivated and keep them going. They don’t want to feel alone in this journey. They may want to share their progress with friends or family or on social media, or they may want to find others who are also trying to achieve the same fitness goals.
Your app should offer features such as the ability to connect with friends or family, share progress updates, and join social media groups of similar people.
7. People who like to compete with others
Some people find it easier to achieve their fitness goals by competing with others. And if they could use a fitness app for this, they could compete with anyone anywhere in the world.
Such people like to see how their progress compares to that of others. Your fitness app could make them challenge themselves by trying to beat the best scores on your leaderboard.
8. People who are dissatisfied with their current fitness app
This segment includes people who are already using a fitness app but are not fully satisfied with it and so are looking for a new one. They may be looking for an app that offers a different type of workout, or they may be looking for an app that is easier to use.
To make your app more attractive than those of competitors conduct detailed SWOT Analyses of the competitive landscape in the fitness app market and a feature-to-feature comparison of your app and its closet competitors.
How do people select a Fitness App?
There are many factors that people take into consideration while choosing a fitness app. Here are the four most important ones:
- Device Compatibility
- Pricing Model
- Features and Functionality
- Reviews
Device Compatibility
People will want to know that your app works on the device that they prefer to use for a workout. Some people prefer to use their phone, while others might want an app that works with their smartwatch or fitness tracker.
If your app doesn’t work on their preferred device, they will likely not download it unless it is so compelling that they are willing to buy a new device just to try out your app (not likely!).
Pricing Model
People will also want to be comfortable with your fitness app’s pricing model before they download it. Some people will only want a free product while others might be willing to pay for a premium product with a rich feature set.
If the price is too high, people may not be willing to pay for it and will look for alternatives. However, if the price is too low, people may wonder about the app’s quality or wonder if there are any hidden fees that they may have missed.
Many people like freemium models and would be willing to try your app out if they could use it for some time for free or could use the free version either supported by ads or with limited features.
Features and Functionality
An app’s features and functionality are perhaps the most important consideration for the target market for fitness apps. People will want to know what they can do with the app (and what they can’t) and whether it is worth their time to try it out.
Some people might be looking for an app with very specific features like a calorie tracker or a workout planner, while others may want an app that offers a variety of workouts to choose from. You’ll need to make sure your app has the features and functionality that people in your market segment are looking for.
Remember, the customer’s main objective is to reach their fitness goals. So your app must be able to help them do that. Anything short of this and they will drop your app in a heartbeat for another one.
Reviews
Most people look at reviews before downloading a fitness app. They want to know if other people have had success with the app and whether it is worth their time to try it out. Social proof is just as important in the fitness app niche as it is in any other business, so make sure you have plenty of good reviews on your app’s store page, and on all social media.
If you don’t have any yet, consider running a promotion or giving away free trials to get people to try out your app and leave a review. This will help boost your app’s ranking in the App Store and attract more downloads.
Summary
The target market for fitness apps includes people who are looking for an app to help them reach their fitness goals. This includes people who are looking to get into shape and are in need of motivation. It also includes those who are already active and now want to track their progress or try out new workout routines.
People with chronic health conditions also look at fitness apps to keep them from exceeding their limits. Fitness apps are also great for those looking for social support for their workout goals as well as those looking to compete with others.
When choosing the right fitness app for reaching their goals, people look at: Device Compatibility – will the app work on their preferred device; Pricing Model – is it value for money; Features and Functionality – does it do what they want; and Reviews – what do others think of it.
If you can develop a fitness app that genuinely adds value and helps people achieve their fitness goals, you will find customers who are willing to pay.