Exclusive Runtastic iOS App Interview With App Developer, Runtastic
As many of you already know Runtastic is the most incredible fitness app. Many reviewers already in the app store markedly mention that they couldn’t even run without this app. That is how good and essential it is. We have almost completed our review of this app but before we publish that we wanted to publish our exclusive review with the App Developer. Read this incredibly insightful interview here, find out how the app was created, the challenges faced and what Runtastic have got planned for the future, just don’t miss it…
The Beginning
1 Please explain how your app was originally thought of and what were your thoughts behind the marketplace, specifically?
The goal of our app is to help people to track, plan, manage and share their fitness activities (indoor and outdoor) around the globe in real time. The app helps people to get in contact through the runtastic fitness portal and spread out through social networks like Facebook or Twitter. First we saw our app as a distribution channel and then also as a mayor revenue channel. Those were mainly our thoughts.
Design
2 Explain the design, how you came up with the colors and themes.
At the beginning it was really difficult to find the right style and UI elements for the app because we already knew that we’ve a lot of parameters to cover like distance, time, calories, heart rate, …, but after making some mockups, we found a really good way. Today we’re working more on little improvements for the GUI and also in the improvement of the app colors and themes.
Target Market
3 Who do you see as the main target market for this app in terms of age, genre and expenditure?
Our main target market are fitness enthusiastic people between the ages of 25 – 60. These people invest in their health and well-being. Therefore runtastic offers premium quality apps in the context of health and fitness.
Production Process
4 How long did it take from the original planning to the production process of this app?
The planning was about 2 months, and it took about 4 months to get the first prototype in the store (5/2009 – 11/2009).
Sales
5 How do you predict sales to be, is there a good solid market for this style of app?
We predict our sales by planning free lite sales (downloads) and a conversion rate to our runtastic PRO App for 5,99 $. First we planned sales for our home country, Austria, then for Austria & Germany and then for several other countries.
Obstacles
6 What has been the hardest obstacle you have had to overcome regarding this app development?
Not to over-engineer the App and maintain high quality of UI, stability and an easy, logical use of the App for new customers.
Third Parties
7 Would you consider developing apps for third parties?
Yeah, we develop Apps for other companies in Austria, e.g. for a big telecommunication provider, for a leading food & beverages company and for a well known energy drink seller. Also for other internet companies, runtastic has developed apps.
App Store
8 What have you learnt from the App Store?
Visibility and reaching a Top 25 position is crucial. Also screenshots, app description and key words are essential. What is really great in iTunes is the fully integrated, easy to use payment process, this is the key success factor for both – Apple & Developers.
Apple Support
9 Have Apple supported you well with your App development?
Yes, Apple supported us well and also features us sometimes in Austria and Germany, unfortunately not in other big markets such as US and UK.
The Future
10 What next, are you developing another app, would you go for the same genre again, if not which?
Yes, because it’s our goal to build a sustainable social health & fitness company. Apps (esp. on iTunes) are essential to reach our goal. Therefore we are already developing further fitness & health apps, which will be launched in May and June 2011.
TheAppWhisperer.com
11 What do you think about TheAppWhisperer.com? Have we helped you? Would you recommend us? Have we been supportive?
We like the site and app introductions. Therefore we tried a small ad campaign with your site. Yes, you have been very supportive and we would recommend you.
Runtastic Pro is currently $5.99 in the App Store and you can download it here
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: [email protected]
