BPO in Personal Fitness and Wellness Apps: Enhancing User Experience and Support

Individuals of all ages use fitness and wellness applications for their functionality. This diverse consumer base underscores the importance of a seamless user experience (UX).

Business process outsourcing (BPO) has emerged as a viable solution to ensure easy-to-use fitness and wellness apps. Developers of all sizes hire service providers to improve their mobile app features cost-effectively. Third-party professionals have the specialized skills and technical proficiency to enable user-friendly platforms.

This article explores how BPO can help enhance a fitness app’s UX. Keep reading to learn more!

Four Ways BPO Improves Fitness App UX

Busy individuals increasingly rely on mobile apps to support their fitness journeys. They use these platforms to monitor their health and wellness and remind themselves to relax or hydrate. 

Because of the fitness app’s contribution to leading a consistently healthy lifestyle, its global market value reached $8.5 billion in 2022. The industry is projected to achieve $55.7 billion by 2032, expanding by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 21%. 

However, high development costs and technical challenges hinder this continued growth. Strict legal restrictions on data and privacy also add to the burden. Fitness app providers mitigate these issues by hiring third-party vendors. 

But what is BPO’s actual role here? Service providers give companies access to scalable human and technological resources, only charging hourly, monthly, or subscription-based fees. These contractors help bridge skill gaps. Below are more details on this. 

1. Enhance App Design and Testing

BPO firms bring a pool of skilled developers to improve and speed up app design and testing. They perform comprehensive research to understand user preferences, pain points, and behaviors. 

These insights inform decisions regarding platform development, helping ensure the fitness app’s user interface (UI) resonates with the target audience. Third-party developers maximize their UI/UX design skills to create visually appealing mobile app icons and features.

In addition to visual design, BPO companies enhance a fitness app’s UX by delivering accelerated and cost-efficient app testing. The action involves the listed procedures:

• Draft and implement robust testing strategies. This proactive approach ensures organized and seamless app tests before, during, and after development. It also includes metrics to measure app performance and quality.
• Use automated testing tools and frameworks. These artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) solutions assist providers in fast-tracking the testing process. They automatically identify bugs and performance issues, informing human UX designers which technical issues require urgent resolutions.
• Perform accessibility testing. Support vendors assess features such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and color contrast. These elements allow users, especially those with disabilities, to access the app easily.
• Analyze app performance metrics. This process lets development teams identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization. The results guide third-party experts in improving loading times and platform features, ensuring smooth navigation across different devices.
• Conduct scalability testing. As the client’s user base grows, BPO developers perform this process to evaluate the app’s capacity to handle increased loads. It ensures the app remains responsive and reliable, even during peak usage.
• Establish feedback loops. Service vendors work closely with their clients’ in-house teams to set up feedback loops supporting app testing. This method includes user interviews or surveys during the beta phase. The iterative process strengthens the app’s stability, reliability, and performance.

2. Personalize App UX

Twilio Segment’s recent research shows that 56% of customers will continue doing business with a company after a personalized experience. BPO companies help fitness app providers deliver individualized experiences by implementing UX-focused strategies, such as:

• Study user interactions, preferences, and behaviors within the app.
• Segment users into groups (e.g., individuals with particular fitness goals).
• Recommend personalized workout plans based on fitness levels, goals, and choices. 
• Provide tailored nutrition tips, meal plans, and recipes within the app.
• Develop dynamic user interfaces that adapt based on individual user preferences.
• Incorporate customizable settings to let users adjust app features based on their liking.
• Enable app reminders and trackers based on users’ activity levels, progress, and goals.
• Connect users with similar interests or fitness levels through online community features.
• Host virtual challenges, group workouts, or achievement dashboards in real time.
• Integrate social media features to allow users to share their milestones and experiences.

3. Boost Customer Support

BPO call center companies combine human expertise and technological capacity to enhance a fitness app’s UX. They integrate AI-powered chatbots, ticketing systems, and automated hotlines into the platform to provide 24/7 customer support.

Furthermore, these providers offer support across various platforms. This omnichannel capability ensures seamless communication through in-app chat, email, phone, and social media. Users can select their preferred channel based on their convenience.

In addition to skilled call center agents, BPO firms employ qualified technical support representatives to troubleshoot app errors and bugs quickly and effectively. These professionals proficiently use remote and automation tools to detect and resolve problems in real time.

4. Strengthen Data and Privacy Protection

Similar to other industries, the fitness app market is also prone to cyberattacks. In February 2018, the diet and exercise app MyFitnessPal experienced a data breach. This incident exposed 144 million unique email addresses, login credentials, and internet protocol (IP) addresses. In 2019, this confidential information was listed for sale on a dark web marketplace.

Such compromises result in costly mitigation efforts and weak market credibility. Users will immediately stop using a fitness and wellness platform after discovering their data is unsafe. BPO companies help address these concerns by executing the enumerated techniques:

• Stay updated and comply with global data protection regulations. These rules include Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Providers safeguard fitness apps and data to avoid potential legal repercussions.
• Execute secure data management and storage practices. BPO companies use encryption strategies, firewalls, and automated security monitoring measures. These strategies protect user data from unauthorized access, breaches, or cyberattacks.
• Implement robust access control and authorization mechanisms. This method ensures that only authorized personnel can access user information. BPO firms enable role-based access controls, multifactor authentication, and regular auditing to help prevent misuse of sensitive data.
• Enable data minimization and retention rules. These protocols require BPO firms to only collect, process, and store relevant user data. These policies also specify the duration for retaining or deleting user data when no longer necessary.
• Facilitate transparent communication regarding data usage practices. BPO companies clarify in service contracts that users provide informed consent for information processing activities. They ensure users have clear visibility and control over their data through privacy settings, preferences, and options.
• Develop data breach response and incident management protocols. Third-party vendors conduct regular risk assessments, vulnerability scans, and penetration tests. These processes let them identify and mitigate potential security threats proactively.
• Host employee training and awareness programs. BPO organizations ensure their staff know critical data protection principles, policies, and best practices. They host regular training sessions, workshops, and certifications to foster a culture of security awareness among employees.

The Bottom Line

BPO companies are crucial in improving the fitness app UX. They offer affordable access to human and tech resources to streamline app design and testing. They also optimize solutions to personalize the app’s UX and customer service. In addition, they implement critical steps for protecting sensitive data and ensuring user satisfaction and retention. 

Let’s connect once you need cost-effective customer care or technical support services. Unity Communications houses a flexible talent pool and cutting-edge tools to meet your daily app management requirements.