Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Dynamic Mobile App for Sport Club

Everybody’s life is becoming more and more connected to smartphones. Mobile apps have turned into an integral part of everyday routine and one of the main sources of information and service provision.

According to stats, the number of downloaded apps rose dramatically from 2021 to 2023. This growing popularity of mobile features shows how important it is for sports clubs to have an app and stay in tune with their fans. There is an efficient way to do that — build a custom sports club app.

This article will tell more about sports-focused applications, the advantages they could bring, and the process of developing one.

Why Do Sports Clubs Need a Mobile App?

Coming from our expertise, there are numerous reasons why mobile applications can become extremely useful for your club, but let’s go through the major ones:

Sports club app builds a connection with the fan base

Fans want all possible information about their favorite clubs to be available in one place and demand to be the first to know the news. The app can update users, informing them about the most important milestones and team successes.

The app can play one of the crucial roles in content strategy by engaging fans directly and motivating them to upload their content. It’s a simple, but effective way to reinforce the brand and to receive feedback from the community.

The application may create a feeling of belonging and unite groups of followers in different parts of the world. Participation both within the club and among fans is one of the most productive strategies. As such, mobile apps for sports fans can help maximize the engagement level and build loyalty.

Increased marketing possibilities

Wise-developed applications help attract more attention to the most important events, news, and contests by promoting social activities. Printed club programs or coupons are outdated and not that effective. You can inform followers faster and better via an app. Updates on online platforms save time and costs.

You can set up push messages for any purpose. Pop-up notifications will appear on the smartphone screen as simple but informative text messages. Usually, users read this type of insight more often than regular emails. We consider it a good possibility to reach your audience’s attention and to let them see updates in time. No announcement or event will go by without noticing.

Access to statistics

For the longest time, sports club websites remained the only online platforms required by fans. They are convenient, full of information, and can show all angles of the team. However, opening the browser and launching a site have long turned into unnecessary effort, too.

As an alternative, a mobile app cuts the distance and lets you get all the info in one click. Followers will appreciate the possibility of checking statistics without a long search. It will not fully replace the website but will be a great addition to expand fans’ experience.

Types of Mobile Apps for Sports Clubs

You can find thousands of sports applications online. They come under different categories and offer unique features for specific goals. Let’s take a look at the most famous types of sports apps.

Sports news and analysis hub: this type of application can be dedicated to providing users with the latest news, insights, and after-match statistics analysis;

• Events and ticketing app: this app represents a virtual map of the venue where future events or matches will take place conveniently highlights available seats and allows users to book tickets directly;

• Live score tracking app: it’s a simple app to keep track of real-time scores and statistics, and stay updated even if a user doesn’t have an opportunity to watch the game;

• Live streaming app: live streaming apps are always in demand, allowing fans to watch live matches without leaving their homes;

• Sports betting app: these types of apps allow users to make bets via numerous forms and options. They usually also have a portal with statistics and other information;

• Fantasy sports app: this type of app allows users to create a virtual team based on real players. The actual performance of players during live matches influences the in-game progress and allows users to compete;

• Workout/fitness app. One of the most popular types as it helps users control their shape and engage more with sports. They often offer video guides, recommendations, collections of exercises, trackers, and calorie counters.

Basic Set of Features of Mobile Apps for Sports Clubs

Numerous functions and features can improve the effectiveness of the app and the user’s experience. Our expert team considers the following to be the most effective features for sports application success:

• User-friendly interface: no matter what type of sports app you choose to build, users should be able to navigate easily through an interface;

• Personal account: the possibility to create and adjust user profiles makes the account truly personal. Users can adjust and save preferences, interact, share news on social media, and get access to personalized content;

• Newsfeed: in this section, you can place the latest news about your sports club and the world of sports, recent analyses, statistics, and event reviews. The news section attracts users to check the app more often;

• Social media: integration with social media allows fans to share news, highlights, favorite moments of the match, and achievements of their favorites directly on their social pages. Direct interactions stimulate communication with other fans and attract more attention to the team’s success;

• Media: videos and images are useful additions to sports apps. You can demonstrate videos from training or the most epic moments of the matches, as well as photos of team members;

• Scores: a comprehensive table of scores helps fans check on their favorite teams closely, receive updated information, and stay connected. Real-time scoring updates can help to keep an eye on game progress even if the fans have no opportunity to visit the match themselves. By the way, at the moment we are developing a project that includes round details such as team and personal statistics, command list, and events that take place during the game;

• Payment integration: a payment gateway will enable users to buy tickets directly from the app. An online shop can also be an additional source of income for your sports club. Official merchandise is always popular among the fans.

How to Create a Sports Fan App: Development Process

Our experience and dedication helped our team to build some of the most standout solutions for sports mobile applications. We have reached deep knowledge and understanding of fans’ needs and our customers’ requirements to create unique user-friendly applications. Now, we share our experience with you.

Step 1: Deep marketing research

We start things off by diving into marketing research. It plays a paramount role in the development process as it helps to gather information about sports market trends, fans’ preferences, potential competitors, and the expectations of future users.

Understanding the needs helps to choose the most rational solutions and features and create a design that combines a friendly interface with functionality.

Step 2: User research

We look deeper into the requirements of our target audience to get a full image of the needs of the customer’s fan base. Studying common interests and preferences is the base for achieving a truly engaging solution.

At this stage, we create a common concept for a future sports club fan engagement app and start building an information architecture. We estimate preliminary timeframes and prepare the project plan. The development schedule depends on requests and amendments that appear during the development process.

Step 3: Design

Taking into consideration all requirements and preferences, our designers create a unique UX/UI design. The main goal of this stage is to make it equally attractive and easy to understand and use. Intuitive navigation and controls, clear menu options combined with the visual that demonstrates the energy of sport are some keys to success.

Step 4: Development and testing

It’s time for developers’ magic, where all features get set in place and interactive elements start working. At this stage, idea and design are combined into a functional product. Developers work on code, adjust features, and conduct a series of testing procedures to get rid of the bugs.

Step 5: Maintenance and support

After the app is launched, we will continue to support your product and its users. By getting feedback from users, we can update the application and improve it to match your sports club's growing requirements and scaling.

How Much Does It Cost to Create an App for Sport Club?

Mobile application is the investment that will help promote your sports club most organically. The final price tag mostly depends on the size of the team required to match your goals, hourly rate, number of requirements, and the project difficulty.

Here you can see the estimation of one of our complex projects in the sports clubs industry:

Factors that Affect the Cost of Developing Mobile Apps for Sports Fans

It's essential to understand the factors that influence the cost of developing such an app. By recognizing these factors, you can better plan your budget. Let’s dive into the key elements that affect the cost of mobile apps for sports fans:

• Type of mobile application: each type of sports app features specific functionality and style, some are simpler, and some require a more complex development process;

• Set of features: complex features and functionality, as well as their quantity impact the cost. The more features you are looking to implement, the more time and resources it requires;

• Design and interface: the number of details and complexity of requirements also impact the total cost. It depends on whether you want to use a simple basic design or a customized one;

• Platform compatibility: the costs may differ depending on whether you need an application to run only on one platform or several at once;

• Real-time data: integration of features that require the real-time gathering of information requires more resources, so the cost is higher for such types of solutions.

Our Expertise in Developing Mobile Apps for Sports

One of our recent projects was a sports fan engagement app for the Australian rugby club, The Rabbitohs. The client shared a special vision of a dedicated app and trusted us to bring the idea to reality. Our main goal was to design and develop a mobile app that would combine a user-friendly and intuitive interface with a powerful information area. This project is not only about recent updates, it’s the bridge of connection between the club, team, and their supporters.

Challenges we faced:

• Combination of complex functionality and simple navigation;
• Integration of the existing content management of the club;
• Core feature implementation within the principle of MVP.

Productive sessions with the customer brought the best set of solutions to make this application real. We developed the idea to create a sports fan app that would provide a bunch of useful information along with some convenient information.

We split the application design into several screens to cover all the needs:

• Home page: the representation of powerful club dynamics is filled with recent news, results of played matches, and upcoming games’ previews. There is also a video and blog section to provide followers with the fullest information;

• Draw and ladder: here users can overview team positions, future matches, and hot news. The booking feature allows buying tickets directly from the app;

• Match center: this page is updated specifically for each upcoming match. It contains all necessary information from the team list to the stats of a certain player. Everything that fans may need before and after the game;

• List of the team and player’s profile: the best way to know the team better is to check this page and get a full insight into the team’s and separate players’ stats, as well as season and round statistics analysis.

Conclusion

A sports mobile app is a great solution for sports club representation. It helps build an even stronger connection between the team and their fans. It allows you to witness your favorite club’s growth and success and attracts more attention to the club’s activity.

It’s time to get on the same page with the world of modern technology and make sure that your followers always get the updated information firsthand to be there, cheering for your team.

Sports fan mobile app development is a complex process. You can leverage our team’s experience to develop the app to fully meet your requirements. Contact us and let’s find the solution that will work best for your sports club and enhance the power of your brand.