How To Develop A Fitness App Like Strava?
Lokesh Kumar
Apr 17, 2024
In recent years, the fitness industry has seen a surge in popularity, with more and more people adopting healthier lifestyles. With the rise of fitness apps, individuals can now track their activities, set goals, and connect with like-minded fitness enthusiasts. One of the leading names in this space is the Strava app, known for its unique features and massive user base. If you're considering entering the fitness app development market, it's crucial to understand how to develop a fitness app like Strava successfully.
Strava, with its impressive global user base, has set the standard for activity tracking and community engagement. It's more than just an app; it's a fitness movement. But the good news is you can be a part of this exciting realm, too. This blog will guide you through the Strava fitness mobile app development process, covering the essential features, development steps, and even why IMG Global Infotech should be your trusted partner in this journey.
So, if you're ready to make your mark in the fitness app arena and empower individuals to achieve their health and wellness goals, let's dive into the exciting world to build an app like Strava.
What is Strava App?
Before diving into the development process, let's first take a closer look at what Strava is and why it's gained immense popularity. Strava is a fitness app primarily designed for tracking and sharing various outdoor activities, such as running, cycling, and swimming. As per the fitness app development company professionals, Strava allows users to record their activities using GPS technology, monitor their performance, and engage with the global fitness community. Strava is available on both Android and iOS platforms, making it accessible to a wide audience.
Why Is The Strava App So Popular?
There is no denying that many business owners wonder why Strava fitness application development is gaining popularity these days. Well, the success of Strava can be attributed to several factors that resonate with fitness enthusiasts and athletes –
1. Community and Social Features
Strava fosters a sense of community by allowing users to follow and interact with friends, professionals, and fellow fitness enthusiasts. This social element motivates users to set and achieve goals while sharing their accomplishments with others.
2. Data Tracking and Analytics
Strava provides in-depth data tracking and analysis. Users can monitor their pace, distance, elevation, heart rate, and more. The app even allows segment comparisons, letting users compete against themselves and others on specific routes.
3. Customizable Challenges
Fitness app like Strava offers monthly challenges and competitions, encouraging users to push their limits and stay engaged with the app.
4. Integration with Wearable Devices
Strava integrates seamlessly with popular wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers, enhancing the user experience.
5. Privacy Controls
Users have control over the visibility of their activities and can choose to keep them private or share them with specific groups or the entire community.
These are the five major factors that make the Strava app immensely popular within the fitness industry. So, without any doubt, businesses can go for such fitness app development solutions and kickstart their business journey the right way.
Market Statistics of Fitness Apps Like Strava App
The fitness app market is growing rapidly, and Strava is one of the key players in this space. Here are some market statistics for on-demand fitness apps like Strava:
- Market Size: The global fitness app market is expected to reach $15.7 billion by 2026, according to Statista.
- Growth Rate: The fitness app market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.6% from 2021 to 2028, according to Grand View Research.
- Revenue: Fitness apps generated $5.35 billion in revenue in 2021, a 54% increase on the year prior, according to Business of Apps.
- Users: There were an estimated 385 million unique users of fitness apps in 2021, according to Business of Apps.
Strava has a strong track record of growth. In 2021, there were approximately 1.8 billion activities published on Strava, which is a 63% increase in 2020. Strava also has a large and engaged user base, with over 95 million users worldwide.
The fitness app market is competitive, but Strava is well-positioned to succeed. The app has a strong brand, a loyal user base, and a wide range of features. Strava is also investing in new features and markets, such as its recent expansion into Latin America. Businesses that are dealing with a similar industry should go for Strava app development with the assistance of the best mobile app development company.
Features Required to Develop Fitness App Like Strava
We all know the fact that if we want to make any application successful, features play a crucial role. Right? Similarly, if you want to develop an app like Strava that earns more success and popularity, you need to insert interactive features and functionalities. Here are some basic fitness trainer app development features that you shouldn’t miss.
- User Registration: A simple and secure registration process is crucial. Users should be able to sign up using email, social media accounts, or phone numbers.
- Activity Tracking: Implement GPS-based activity tracking for various sports, including running, cycling, swimming, and more.
- Data Analytics: Offer detailed statistics and analytics, such as distance, pace, heart rate, elevation, and personal records.
- Social Features: Allow users to follow friends, join clubs, participate in challenges, and interact with the community.
- Custom Challenges: Create customizable challenges and competitions to keep users engaged and motivated.
- Privacy Controls: Offer robust privacy settings, enabling users to control who can see their activities and personal information.
- Wearable Device Integration: Ensure compatibility with popular wearable devices like fitness trackers and smartwatches.
- Push Notifications: Keep users engaged with notifications for achievements, challenges, and club updates.
- User-Generated Content: Allow users to upload photos and descriptions of their activities to share with the community.
- In-App Purchases: Implement a revenue model through premium subscriptions or in-app purchases for additional features.
These are just the basic features that will help you develop an app like Strava within reasonable fitness app development cost. You can also go for advanced features and functionalities if your budget allows you.
How to Create A Fitness App Like Strava?
Are you wondering ‘How to build an app like Strava?’ If yes, then follow these simple steps for creating the Strava app for Android and iOS platforms. Let’s understand the fitness app development steps one by one.
#Step 1 – Market Research
Begin the Strava application development journey by understanding your target audience and their preferences. Research the competition and identify gaps that your app can fill. Doing so will help you come up with a successful fitness application that is worthy enough to leave its competitors behind.
#Step 2 – Define Your Strava App USPs
Determine what sets your app, like Strava, apart from the competition. It could be unique features, a better user experience, or a specific niche focus. It is one of the crucial steps that can help your fitness application gain more attention, so spend enough time on it. In case you find it difficult, feel free to connect with on-demand fitness app development company professionals.
#Step 3 – Design Your Strava App
Work with experienced UI/UX designers to create an intuitive and visually appealing fitness app interface. Always remember that a well-designed application has 2x times more chances of fetching users’ attention. So, come up with an appealing and interactive design when you develop a fitness app like Strava.
#Step 4 – Choose the Right Technology Stack
Select the appropriate technology stack, including programming languages, frameworks, and tools for app development. You can also consult the fitness and health app development company experts to assist you with tech stack selection.
#Step 5 – Strava Fitness App Development
Collaborate with dedicated fitness developers to build the core functionality of your fitness app. Ensure that activity tracking and analytics work accurately. As it is one of the crucial steps of all, make sure to possess the expertise to develop an app like Strava. If not, then feel free to hire fitness app development company professionals.
#Step 6 – Implement Social Features
Integrate social features like friend requests, clubs, challenges, and community engagement to make your application worthy. Besides this, you should also focus on adding all the essential features, as discussed in the blog earlier.
#Step 7 – Test Your App
Thoroughly test the app for bugs, glitches, and user experience issues. User feedback is invaluable during this stage. At this stage, you will require the assistance of experienced quality analysts.
#Step 8 – Launch Your App
Finally, launch your fitness app like Strava on both Android and iOS platforms. Promote it through various marketing channels to reach your target audience. This process will require additional fitness app development costs, so be careful.
#Step 9 – Collect User Feedback
Listen to user feedback and continuously update and improve your app based on their suggestions. Following this step will help you gather users’ feedback on time, and hence, you will be able to improve your fitness app accordingly.
#Step 10 - Monetization Strategy
Implement a monetization strategy, which can include premium subscriptions, ads, or in-app purchases. It is the last yet very crucial step that will help you cover all the fitness app development costs spent during development.
Benefits to Develop A Fitness App Like Strava
A well-developed and feature-rich fitness application has its own set of advantages that you will get to know while reading the succeeding section.
1. Monetization Opportunities: Fitness apps have several monetization avenues, such as premium subscriptions, in-app advertising, and in-app purchases.
2. Engaged User Base: Fitness enthusiasts are highly engaged users who regularly interact with the app, making it an excellent platform for brand engagement.
3. Health and Well-being: You're contributing to the health and well-being of your users, making a positive impact on their lives.
4. Community Building: Your app can help users connect with others who share their interests and goals, fostering a sense of community.
5. Data-Driven Insights: You can collect valuable data on user behavior and preferences, which can inform future updates and marketing strategies.
6. Scalability: As your user base grows, you can scale your app to meet the increasing demand.
These are some of the major benefits to develop a fitness app like Strava every business owner should know.
Cost to Build A Fitness App Like Strava
What is the cost to develop a fitness app like Strava? It is one of the most common questions that keeps striking every business owner's mind as soon as they plan for fitness app development. Isn't it? Well, the cost of developing a fitness app like Strava can vary widely based on several factors, including the complexity of the features, the development team's location, and the platforms (iOS and Android). A rough estimate would be anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 or more. Costs can be broken down as follows:
- Development: This includes design, coding, and testing. Expect to allocate a significant portion of your budget here.
- Maintenance and Updates: Ongoing costs for maintaining the app, adding new features, and fixing bugs.
- Server and Hosting: Costs associated with servers and hosting services to handle user data and activity tracking.
- Marketing and Promotion: Funds for advertising, social media campaigns, and other promotional activities.
- App Store Fees: Both Apple App Store and Google Play Store charge fees for hosting your app.
- Miscellaneous Costs: Legal, licensing, and other miscellaneous expenses.
Why Choose IMG Global Infotech for Fitness App Development?
When it comes to developing a fitness app like Strava, partnering with an experienced and reputable fitness mobile app development company is essential. IMG Global Infotech, with its track record of successful app development, can offer you several advantages:
- Expertise: A team of skilled developers and designers with expertise in building fitness apps.
- Custom Solutions: Tailored solutions to meet your unique requirements and goals.
- Quality Assurance: Thorough testing and quality assurance to ensure a bug-free and user-friendly app.
- Timely Delivery: A commitment to delivering your app on time and within budget.
- Post-Launch Support: Continued support for app updates and maintenance.
- Competitive Pricing: Cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality.
We have been dealing with fitness app development company for years. Not only this, but we have successfully developed mobile apps and websites for multiple industries. So, feel free to share your requirements to develop a fitness app like Strava with our professionals and watch how we will convert it into a revenue-driven business opportunity.
Final Words!
Developing a fitness app like Strava can be a rewarding venture. With the right features, a strong marketing strategy, and a focus on user engagement, you can tap into the growing fitness app market and provide users with a platform to track their activities, connect with like-minded individuals, and lead healthier lives. Remember to stay attuned to user feedback and continuously improve your app to stay competitive and relevant in the ever-evolving fitness tech landscape. Good luck on your journey to developing a successful fitness app!