As a gym owner or fitness trainer, you may already know that more people are using their mobile devices, but you may not know how they are using them.

According to research, 60 percent of mobile device users favor mobile apps over websites to shop for products and services online.

If these statistics are anything to go by, then we can agree that owning a mobile app is highly beneficial to your business, perhaps even more than setting up a website. As a manager or entrepreneur, the last thing that you want is to bid your members adios as they ditch your mobile-friendly website and migrate to the highly-preferred fitness apps.
 

Why App Store Ratings Are Important in App Store Optimisation

According to Statista, there were 4.5 million apps available on leading app stores (Google Play Store and Apple Apps Store) as of the second quarter of 2020. With numerous new apps going live daily, what can you do to make your own fitness app stand out? The answer is simple – make your app rank high on app stores.

One important aspect that many entrepreneurs and app developers overlook is that app ratings are a critical element of the App Store Optimisation process. Below are the three reasons why app store ratings really matter:

1. They Increase the Odds Of App To Be Found

App stores take the issue of rating very seriously. For Play Store specifically, Google indexes the keywords and keyword phrases that users use to depict a particular app and then utilises those specific keywords to catalog and rank that particular app.

A TechCrunch report reveals that 53 percent of Android users and 47 percent of IOS mobile users discover apps through their respective app store's search engine. Considering that approximately half the apps are discovered through search, it is right to say that your app ratings play a critical role in your fitness app discovery.

You want members of your fitness or health facility to find your app with ease. With high app store ratings, your members will easily find your app on the app store's search engine.

2. They Influence App Downloads

You could have the best-designed fitness app in the world, but if no one's downloading it, you won't make a dime. It's a no-brainer that when more people find your app on the app store search, your app is more likely to get more downloads.

Note that it's not just the leading app stores that regard app ratings as essential.

59% of users check app rating before making a download.

Users are more likely to stumble on and download apps with hundreds and thousands of reviews in the app stores. You should, therefore, use strategies to increase mobile app ratings and reviews.

You should, therefore use strategies to increase mobile app ratings and reviews. With a high rating, the app will easily stand out from the competition, making it easy for members of your gym club and other users to find it and install it on their devices.

3. They Influence Users' Decision to Use Your App

According to TechCrunch, the average user has about 80 apps installed on their mobile device but only uses less than half of them each month. So, what influences users' decision to take apps into use?

One of the things that will determine whether users will use your app after downloading it is your app ratings, and not just any ratings, but good ratings. Users browsing through App Store or Google Play will check out your app and use past users' experience to make a decision whether to use your app after downloading it or not.
 

How App Store Ratings Help You to Build Your Gym Brand

Mobile apps have the potential to affect a brand's reputation in numerous ways. According to Apptentive Survey,

70 percent of users said that they get a more positive view of a brand if they see a five or four-star app store rating for the brand's app.

55 percent of the respondents said that a one or two-star rating of a renowned brand's app negatively impacts their view of the brand as a whole.

So, how do app store ratings help you build your gym brand? The answer is simple – they influence users' decision to deal with your business. The more positive ratings your app has, the more appealing your business will appear to potential customers, and the more of them will be willing to pay for your services. So, store ratings will not only boost your gym reputation, but they'll also boost your revenue.

Note: While it's every entrepreneur's dream to have only positive reviews for their app, having only positive results may make users suspicious. This is especially if those reviews are not explanatory at all.

One way to overcome this is to request those who use your app to rate it and leave reviews, whether positive or negative. A recommendation is the best form of marketing – users who rate apps and give their feedback often feel part of a community and stay loyal.

Most importantly, you should deliver differentiated services, as well as provide exceptional customer services to ensure that the majority (if not all) of those reviews are positive and favorable. In case your fitness app will receive negative reviews, take negative feedback as positive criticism, and enhance your mobile app accordingly.
 

Importance of Choosing the Right App Development Partner

When you are a gym owner/facility operator planning to build a mobile app for your brand, there are several things you should consider before getting into the development. Finding the right app development partner is one of them.

The importance of selecting the right app development partner cannot be overemphasised. The partner you choose can either make or break the success of your project, thus crucial to ensure that the partner you choose is the right one.

When examining who the right app development partner for your business is, ensure that they have a good reputation as a sports and fitness app development company. They should also know what it takes to create mobile apps that delight your users. For instance, they should have a team of full-stack app developers who've delivered hundreds, if not thousands of fitness apps over the years.
 

See the EGYM Branded Member App in Action!

Finding a competent mobile app development partner to fulfill your gym business needs is an uphill task. But, sometimes, you don't have to go far in your search.

If you're looking for the right partner to help you through the app development process, look no further than EGYM. We are a fitness technology company that not only builds smart gym equipment but also offers a white-label platform for building mobile fitness apps for gyms.

We are proudly introducing the EGYM Branded Member App that you can use to represent your gym brand. We combine all our hardware and software into potent solutions that embark upon your unique business challenges.