Having a mobile app improves your overall member experience. Here, learn the ins and outs of launching and improving your mobile app.
According to research from Airship, mobile app experience experts, more people are turning to mobile apps to support their health.
The research found 81% of consumers plan to use fitness apps on their smartphones and wearables in 2023. This isn’t just one generation either. The findings revealed 94% of Gen Z users want to improve their health through apps, followed by millennials at 90% and Gen X at 82%. Boomers are less inclined to do so at 65%.
With a clear demand for mobile app options, now is the time to ensure you can meet members where they are.
In-Shape Health Clubs launched its first app in 2013 as a tool for members to check into the clubs. Since then, Kris Mulkey, the chief marketing officer for In-Shape, said it has become an essential part of their club experience. “The app enables members to manage their account, make a payment, update account information, receive club news, view class schedules, book classes and amenities, receive notifications, and much more,” she shared.
In June 2019, they launched the current In-Shape app with their internal IT/development team because they wanted more customization and flexibility than they could get with vendors.
“We now have the power to add features and benefits on our own schedule and with the customization we want,” said Mulkey. “We’re not restricted by a vendor’s roadmap or their other client’s needs.”
VASA Fitness also went the route of creating its own mobile app.
Haley McCoy, the senior brand director at VASA Fitness, said they built their proprietary app from scratch because they wanted to make sure the mobile experience was on-brand and felt cohesive to what members have in the gym and throughout their fitness journey.
“We didn’t want a cookie cutter solution that would force us to adapt to someone else’s technology,” said McCoy. “We wanted the technology to adapt to us so it can grow and evolve alongside our brand and continually meet the needs of our members.”
VASA’s app was built in 2019 after conducting consumer research on what members and prospects would find most beneficial from a gym app.
“We had used an off-the-shelf version previously, but we wanted to streamline the experiences our members were having inside and outside our clubs and make it intuitive and easy to use in ways that aligned with our brand,” said McCoy. “Additionally, we wanted to be able to get data from our app and understand how members use it, which is another reason we built our own.”
VASA members use the app to check in at clubs, update their account information, view and book classes, earn badges, refer friends, and more.
McCoy added they survey members frequently to get their feedback and work alongside VASA’s operations and member services teams to make changes and enhancements regularly to the app based on that input.
“We were very happy with the original version of our mobile app,” said McCoy. “We launched with version 1.0 and have continued to evolve it over time as our products and amenities have changed. We get member feedback on what they like, want and need from the app.”
In-Shape Health Clubs also gathers feedback to improve the overall member experience. “Our app is constantly evolving,” said Mulkey. “We are never done adding features and benefits. The idea is to use the app as our communication tool with members, so we always have something new in the works. We also closely watch our app ratings with Apple and Google.”
BFit is also constantly asking members for feedback about its mobile app. Trey McClain, the chief revenue officer at BFit, said the primary way of seeking feedback is through their partnership with MXM Medallia. “They do a great job of surfacing issues for us and letting us know areas where we can continue to improve,” he said.
BFit launched its first mobile app five years ago because McClain said they were looking for a way to make life easier for their members. “We wanted an easy way for them to store their key cards,” he said. “A spouse might borrow your car for the day meaning they also took your gym key fob. However, you always have your phone. We also saw the opportunity to create connection with our members.”
Over the years, BFit has revised its app and partners a few times. About a year ago, it relaunched its app in partnership with ABC Fitness.
“The ABC Engage app has really allowed us to make life easier for our members,” explained McClain. “They have access to much of their billing information right at their fingertips. It also allowed us to push content to our members in new and exciting ways. With BFit, taking your health into your own hands has never been easier.”
In today’s age having an app is no longer optional — it’s a key part of the member experience. As such, Mulkey explained their app is essential to experiencing In-Shape.
The In-Shape app allows all members to check in, tracks usage and rewards members with points which are displayed on the app. In addition, it shows class schedules by club, format and instructor; allows members to make reservations for classes, events, amenities, etc.; gives members access to rewards info; shares critical notifications with members; displays club event info; and links to new product info — with a link to purchase if applicable.
“Our member profile section enables members to manage their account,” added Mulkey. “They can check their balance, billing, payment methods, manage members (add/remove). You can also put your membership on hold or cancel, refer a friend, and add guests. In addition, we link to other services like swim lessons, small group training, racquet sports and events.”
While the app has been extremely beneficial for In-Shape, Mulkey said they wish they would’ve started with the custom app from the jump.
“It would have been nice to start with the custom app from the beginning instead of working with a few vendors,” explained Mulkey. “But that’s where we really understood what our needs were. So, it helped us to get clarity on all the possibilities and gave us clear direction on the experience we wanted to create.”
With 81% of consumers planning on using fitness apps on their smartphones and wearables in 2023, if your facility doesn’t have an app you’re missing out on members. Whether you choose to work with a vendor or create one from scratch, you’re giving your members a way to experience your club both within and beyond your four walls.
