Your guide to creating a coaching app (for coaches)

While (thankfully) we're back to meeting our clients in person, COVID-19 changed the delivery of coaching programs forever and digital tools for coaching have remained a must-have for coaches. 

But, what if the available software for coaches isn’t suitable for your coaching practice? What is the solution for coaches with specific needs that the current market doesn't meet? Or what if you want to expand beyond working with individual clients, and share coaching content to an unlimited client list?

If you want to scale your coaching business or differentiate yourself from the competition, building your own coaching app is a game changer. In this guide, you'll learn why life coaches, business coaches and fitness coaches alike are building their own custom apps. 

If you want to build your own app, you'll discover what you need to consider in this article and learn about a couple of high-quality coaching apps that might serve as inspiration. 

Why create your own app for your coaching business?

There are 2 main reasons why coaches build their own apps.

1. You want to build coaching tools to suit your coaching style

Coaching used to be considered something that only athletes needed. Today, professionals in every vertical imaginable are hiring coaches. Not only that, but coaching practices and methodologies are becoming more diverse to fit individual client needs. 

With this in mind, the chances that an existing online coaching platform will do exactly what you need it to do to meet the needs of your business are slim.

If it makes financial sense for your business, building your own app for coaching could completely transform your business. It could provide all the common features that most mass-market apps offer, such as:

• Manage coaching engagements and appointment scheduling
• Provide monthly subscription functions
• Deliver online courses and content from experts
• Provide client management tools
• Offer goal tracking and goal setting (and action steps towards them)
• Handle administrative tasks
• Provide notifications on upcoming sessions
• Offer easy access to your client base and previous notes 
• Run video calls with clients
• Cater to multiple payment methods (including single payments and partial payments)
• Monitor client engagement
• Coach through video sessions on the platform
• Calendar management
• Create private notes
• Deliver coaching programs and preloaded coaching resources

Only exactly how you want them to be done. And if you don't need any of these additional features, the beauty of building your own app is you don't need to include them.

This means you can have an uncluttered, simple interface with everything you need and nothing you don't. You can also custom-build the app so that it matches your coaching style, and preferences, and add in advanced features that only your app will have. 

In short, building your own all-in-one modern coaching platform ensures your clients receive a unique coaching experience that only you can deliver.

2. You want to scale your business

There are lots of ways you can scale your coaching business beyond online one-to-one coaching for individual clients, but one of the best ways is to build an online coaching platform app.

Need some inspiration? Here are a handful of coaching organizations, life coaching apps and business coaching applications currently on the market:

Breakthrough by Tony Robbins

Breakthrough is a life coaching app based on the coaching methodologies and practices of Tony Robbins one of the most famous coaching agents in the world. 

Breakthrough comes complete with a range of coaching programs based on Tony's teachings, and is designed to help you break through whatever it is that it’s in your way to success

Think of it as Netflix for personal development. There aren't any robust tools on this coaching platform app, but there are more than 100 hours of great content for transformative change.

The basic plan on this app is free to download, but each individual program costs the user.

Fingerprint for Success (F4S)

If you're looking for business coaching applications that help clients manage teams, or you're in a leadership position and want to manage your own team better, F4S can help. We're a performance and collaboration AI that's based on the science of workplace motivations.  We help business leaders cultivate cognitively diverse teams, and individuals develop the traits they need to reach their goals.

If you're a business coach and want to help your clients become stronger leaders, or reach their career goals, F4S has a range of options to help.

It all starts with a series of fun, free motivational questions.

MadFit by Maddie Lymburner

Fitness Coach Maddie Lymburner has one of the most successful fitness-related YouTube Channels on the platform, with over 8.75M subscribers.¹ Unlike Tony Robbins’ App, MadFit is a single-tier subscription service. It offers an all-in-one coaching solution that gives subscribers access to meal plans, fitness challenges, real-time and self-paced programs. 

Users are assigned a personal trainer who guides them through the platform, and helps them achieve their goals. With thousands of positive coaching reviews across Google Play Store and the App Store, MadFit's success is a glowing example of a coaching platform app done right.

What are the key features needed in a coaching app for coaches?

While there is a load of flexibility in what you can include in your own coaching software, there are some absolute musts to consider before building your app.

Personalization options

The first thing to mention, here, is personalization. If you want to craft a unique coaching journey or find novel ways to keep clients accountable, personalization is key. You can achieve this by offering custom coaching programs, allowing your clients to personalize their own interface, or by personalizing the way your app works to your coaching practice. 

Integration options

While it's possible to build an app with a wide range of capabilities, it's nearly impossible to build a truly all-in one platform, and so making sure the app has rich third-party integrations is a must. It should integrate with G-suite products such as Google Sheets, Google Calendar for easy calendar management when scheduling appointments, as well as any other app or business coaching tools you use in your operation.

Security and privacy

If your app includes the ability to record, or take session notes, or you conduct video calls, it's safe to say that a lot of deeply private and personal information will be accrued making it a target for cybersecurity attacks. Security and privacy always matter, but it's important to take special care when dealing with sensitive information.

Whether you're building your own app or hiring a developer, take measures to ensure that the highest standards of client information management and cybersecurity are employed.

Data encryption

Implement strong encryption protocols, especially for sensitive information such as personal details and passwords. Always use HTTPS to encrypt data in transit, protecting it as it travels between the user's device and your servers.

Secure hosting

Choose a reputable and secure hosting provider with a strong track record of data protection. If you engage a developer or build your own on a no-code platform ask them about their chosen hosting provider. 

Update and patch regularly

Keep your application, server software, and third-party libraries up to date to patch any security vulnerabilities.

Scalability and Flexibility

Our business requirements and structure can change rapidly at any time. We may need to change features, ramp up or down depending on the market. For this reason, it's important to build your app with flexibility in mind. This can refer to the available features, third-party integrations as well as the app's technical performance.

A scalable app can handle increased traffic and usage without experiencing slowdowns or crashes. This is crucial for maintaining a positive user experience, especially during peak periods or when your user base begins to grow. Achieve this by selecting cloud-based solutions which allow you to increase available resources based on demand.

How to create a coaching app

Depending on your price range, there are 2 options available when it comes to building an app for your business.

1. Build your own ‘no-code’ solution

Nudge Coach

Nudge Coach is the only no-code solution for coaches made specifically for the needs of coaches. If you are looking for one of the less expensive options and don't need too much unique customization, building your own app using a simple drag-and-drop app builder like Nudge Coach might be your best bet.

It is highly scalable, with a great free version that allows you to service up to 5 clients. From here, the prices gradually increase as your client base does, making it perfect for bootstrapping entrepreneurs. At most, your Nudge Coach subscription will cost USD$100 per month, and after that, +$1 per new client.

Features include:

• Goal tracking and setting
• Multimedia content sharing
• Group and private messaging
• Creating programs

Whether you’re looking to work more efficiently with your existing client base, offer additional services or scale with an online course, Nudge Coach is a great solution.

Passion.io

Boasting top results for coaches who want to make appointment scheduling easy, take on unlimited clients and create innovative new ways of delivering coaching content.

Using the platform, you can custom-design your monthly subscription functions to suit your business needs. It's also easy to create and deliver online courses and deliver additional services to thousands of potential clients and build custom training modules. 

Starting at just US$97 per month (if you choose the annual plan), you can build your own online coaching app how you want it, without spending thousands of dollars on a developer.

FlutterFlow.io

FlutterFlow has all the granular functionality you can build into an app using code, only with a simple interface. Complex if-then logic that would require a seasoned programmer to code can be done visually, with a drag-and-drop builder, by anybody. 

Unlike Passion.io, FlutterFlow has an unlimited trial period to test the platform and see if it is right for your idea before launching, and a range of pricing options once you decide to use the platform.

It is substantially cheaper than Passion.io, with the premium version costing just USD$70 per month. Here are some unique apps that have been built with FlutterFlow.

Knack

A midrange option, Knack starts at US$49 per month. Though it includes a range of features  and app functions that can be used by coaches, like digital learning features including microlearning content, it doesn't have any templates that are targeted specifically at coaches. 

2. Hire an app developer 

If building your own app is too time-consuming or you need custom features, hiring an app developer to build custom software for coaches may be your best bet. But how much will this cost? 

Unfortunately, hiring a developer is one of the more expensive options. According to Business of Apps, building even a simple app will have a price range between USD$12-40,000. Not to mention ongoing maintenance costs, which are usually around 20% of the cost of the build per annum.²

You can find less expensive options on Upwork or Fiverr, but caution should be exercised when doing so. While the price may be lower, the potential costs of a poorly built or maintained app are astronomical. The risk of data breaches is too high to consider a cheap vendor, and so this should be considered when doing price comparisons.

Needless to say, the decision to hire a developer or even seeking the services of a software development company such as Azumo shouldn't be taken lightly. It is a substantial investment for any business, and it's important to consider the pros and cons before proceeding.

Ready to build your own app?

The coaching industry is growing and evolving by the day. Building your own coaching app is a way to connect with a large client base, and maximize your time and potential. If you're looking to build your own app and want to integrate with a revolutionary platform for coaches, why not talk to the team at F4S?

F4S is based on 20 years of research into what motivates us at work, and has built innovative software for coaches that can be used to enhance the coaching experience with digital tools based on science. 

If you want your clients to have access to digital learning and coaching tools on your app, have a chat with our team today.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to earn money as a coach?

It's no secret that coaching can be lucrative, but if you want to build a multiple 6-figure coaching business or even 7-figures, the best way to do it is to develop an app for coaching your clients. An all-in-one training platform is a smart way to reach more clients and automate the flow of digital payments coming in. With a flexible interface and a great service offering you will be able to reach mass audiences and continue coaching teams and individuals in less time. 

What are common ways of accepting digital payment for coaches

There are many ways to earn digital payments from clients using apps for coaching. If you coach through video sessions, you can send clients a link to make single payments with a credit card through a secure payment gateway. 

If you're using monthly subscription functions, you can set up a subscription through your app which is either built into the app itself or may integrate with a third-party payment gateway such as Stripe or Paypal. Typically these payment gateways facilitate 24/7 booking and payments. 

What are some advanced features I can add to my app for coaching?

There are many common features that you can find in most mass market apps like:

• Scheduling appointments
• Payment methods
• The ability to sign intake forms
• Setting clients' action items
• Real-time updates and notifications
• Client management software
• Highlight your service offerings to clients
• Trial periods (before starting on a basic plan)
• Learning through blogs

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But beyond these common features, there are also some advanced features you can have custom designed, such as:

• Simple scheduling (based on your preferences)
• Charge clients per month per feature
• Third-party integrations
• Automation of mundane tasks specific to your coaching business
• Real-time reporting for client activity 
• Custom digital learning tools
• Create alerts and opt-ins for future course offerings
• Flexible interface for easy scaling
• Automated onboarding process

What is client management software and how can it help my coaching business?

Client information management software, also known as customer relationship management (CRM) software, is a category of applications designed to help businesses organize, manage, and analyze interactions with their clients or customers.

Here are some of the ways it can help your coaching business:

• Streamline the client onboarding process (this may include onboarding videos for clients)
• Notifications for clients about upcoming sessions on the client app
• Book future coaching sessions easily
• Signal your availability for coaching sessions on a calendar
• Simple scheduling
• Preset forms for easy onboarding
• Provide a flexible interface for you and your clients
• Automate mundane tasks
• Deliver microlearning content
• Real-time reporting

Can you build custom coaching programs and deliver them on a mobile platform?

Yes. With your own app, it's very easy for individuals, coaching agencies and coaching organizations to streamline the delivery of coaching programs on a mobile app. Speak to your developer about the options, app functions, favorite features and what you can achieve. 

Coaching software that helps with coaching engagement should be flexible, and have a simple interface that is easy for clients and coaches to use.

Is it possible to build an all-in-one coaching solution for mobile?

Yes, if you are a coach looking to build an affordable coaching platform that provides a one-stop shop for all your business needs, whether you want to:

• Build a business coaching app to give your clients business coaching tools
• Supply an app for appointment scheduling as well as self-booking and automated payment
• Offer a professional onboarding experience for clients
• Display coaching reviews for your clients
• Promote future coaching sessions
• Generate one-click payment invoices
• Offer preset forms for client onboarding
• Automate mundane tasks
• Highlight your service offerings to clients
• Deliver microlearning content

It is more than possible to build a centralized platform for your business that your coaching clients will love, too.

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