Introducing No Code: The Future of Sports Apps

Today a sports organization, big or small, can have a high quality mobile app like Manchester United or New York Rangers.

But how?

With No Code app development, where mobile apps are built without coding, using a visual editor – like a Wordpress for apps.

When coding isn't needed, it reduces the cost to a fraction of what it used to be.

Read the article to learn how No Code is revolutionizing sports app development.

The article is an excerpt from our eBook Growing Digital Fan Engagement & Revenue with No Code Sports Apps.

Mobile apps: a clear business opportunity for sports fan engagement

A common question in everyday life: “Do they have an app?”

More and more organizations should, especially when it comes to sports. Sports business professionals agree: mobile apps was named the 3rd most important digital fan engagement channel in the State of Sports Fan Engagement 2023 study by iSportConnect and Choicely. Apps were behind only social media and OTT streaming.

Globally, people use apps 4,5 hours a day on average, which is a staggering number.

74% of sports fans have used apps while watching sports on TV, and this behavior is pronounced among younger fans.

As a rule of thumb, the biggest sports clubs have their own app. Fans also appreciate apps in hectic sports tournaments and events, which shows in high engagement and positive feedback.

An app is recognized as a great tool for increasing fan engagement – and engaged supporters that describe themselves as “fanatic” fans spend 6 times more annually than casual fans.

Globally, people use apps 4,5 hours a day on average, which is a staggering number.

So, the role of mobile apps in engaging sports fans is undeniable. Then why do the adoption rates of apps drop quickly after the so called Tier 1 sports organizations – like Manchester United or New York Rangers? 

Fan apps have huge potential, but traditionally mobile app development projects have come with major risks and issues. The traditionally high cost of building an app is among the risks, but certainly not the only one.

When you solve the technological challenges and barriers, you can unlock the true business potential of mobile apps.

The app development challenges that No Code solves

Mobile apps have huge potential for sports organizations, but mobile app development projects tend to come with major risks and issues.

These preconceptions, risks, challenges and fears cause the management team of a sports brand to dismiss an idea of launching an app without any further consideration.

Apps are traditionally thought to be:

1) Expensive

A custom-coded, high quality app with medium-level features can cost around $200 000 over its first year, and the total cost can hike up to $300 000 over the first 3 years of the app’s lifetime when maintenance, updates and further app developments are considered.

This is why many sports organizations can’t afford a mobile app, even though an app would make a lot of sense for them.

2) Slow to build and launch

Developing and launching an average difficulty mobile app can take 4–6 months, and in many cases even longer.

3) Difficult to update and edit on the fly

Making changes to a custom-coded mobile app can be slow when the users don’t have coding skills, or other ways to update the app – besides making simple changes like editing texts. This results in support tickets, extra costs and delays.

Because of this expectation of inflexibility, sports brands can start to overthink the features of their app when planning one; it needs to be perfect on the first try!

4) Roadblocks to innovation

Many custom-coded apps have the risk of becoming legacy tech. They’ve been customized over time, but at some point updating the code of the app becomes so complicated and expensive that the app becomes a roadblock to innovation.

The company that owns the app needs to make a difficult decision between expensive development or doing nothing at all, and coming to a halt with the app’s development.

5) Resource-intensive

Because of the reasons mentioned above, apps can be very resource-intensive, and they require a very specific skill set from its developers. The company that owns the app becomes reliant on the app provider, and even specific employees within it. Changes, big and small, require time and manual work from expensive developers.

Moreover, many are concerned with how much time and resources establishing a new digital channel requires from their team.

Having these preconceptions can cause a fear of failure in sports organizations. Organizations are simply afraid to build an app – that the app project goes awry, and the result is a poor app that can’t be changed, leaving only a huge dent in the annual budget of the company.

The Benefits of No Code App Development

Currently, the primary way to build apps is custom development – or in layman's terms, coding. However, there are new ways to build, maintain and structure mobile apps.

No code mobile app development is a way to develop apps by using a visual editor, without any kind of coding skills. These editors – app builders – consist of ready-made templates, models and features that can be tailored to the brand’s needs.

No code development solves many of the technological challenges and risks that traditionally come with custom coded apps.

No Code makes app development easier and more visual

No code mobile app development makes the app building:

Faster

• Custom development: Average 4–6 months, minimum 3 months
• No Code: Average 4-8 weeks, minimum 2 weeks for businesses – which can be reduced to 1 working day if the app is simple, and all content and plans have been prepared beforehand.

More affordable

• A custom developed app for an established professional sports club can cost almost 4 times more than a no code sports app. The features and functionalities are exactly the same.
• However, there are many factors in play, and comparisons like this aren't straightforward: the difference could be even bigger. Learn more about app development costs here or try our App Cost Calculator Google Sheet to estimate and compare app development costs.

Less reliant on developers

• With a No Code platform, the app building and updates can be made by anyone most of the time, or always.

Easy, flexible and more visual

• The app building becomes an easy, iterative process when the changes you make are seen right away on the screen, and you can share the designs to your stakeholders.

Less risky

• Building a demo app, and trying the platform itself will give you a good grasp of the end result before committing to anything

To summarize, updating and maintaining the app will become faster, easier and more affordable. 

A realistic comparison of two professional-level apps, one made with No Code, another with custom code. 

No Code saves a lot in the initial development phase, as coding isn't needed.

The benefits – including cost savings – keep accumulating over the app’s lifetime. Read more about calculating your total app development costs in our blog or calculate the cost of your app project yourself using our Google Sheet template.

Choicely: No Code Sports Apps

Not all no code app builders are built the same way, and for the same purposes. Choicely is a no code mobile app platform that’s specialized in sports, media and entertainment businesses.

Choicely caters to the high demands of these verticals:

Optimal look and feel

Great look and feel of the apps that radiate the same energy as the brands that use them. The apps are highly optimized for both mobile platforms: iOS and Android.

Reliable and scalable

Reliable performance during crucial live events and shows: the apps have 99,9% crash-free users which is a very high number. The apps are also great at handling user growth, and peaks and valleys in traffic – something that the platform has proven in mega-cases like Miss Universe with 3 over million app downloads. 

Automated content

Save time thanks to content automation. For example, one of our sports customers gets about 10 000 hours in user engagement for every 1 hour they spend on the app.

How No Code shapes up the sports market

No Code changes the way sports apps are built, reduces their cost, and reduces the barrier to entry with less coding skills required.

This will disrupt the sports app market and can change the businesses of the different parties involved.

Sports organizations like clubs, leagues, federations, NGBs and fan clubs benefit directly

Sports organizations benefit from apps the most directly, in their fan-facing operations. The benefits vary by their current financial status, and app status:

1. The top tier organizations that already run an app, can upgrade it onto a No Code platform, saving in costs, making the app updates more flexible, and reducing the barriers for further development
2. Professional organizations that didn't invest in apps before now have a lower cost and easier entry to high quality fan engagement apps
3. Lower tiers and amateur organizations can build their own app thanks to very reasonable pricing, essentially getting all the same benefits as bigger organizations. It comes down to time, interest, sufficient computer skills and activity, than money, to build an app.

For all, the key benefit on top of getting access to apps, are the benefits of mobile apps: an engaging digital channel that facilitates two-way interactions with fans, and gives a great opportunity for monetization.

Mobile app development companies can streamline their businesses

No Code is an opportunity for mobile development companies to reduce their costs, and grow their margins. Less time and specialists are needed for building a professional-level app.

Other service providers can expand their offering

More service providers can provide their customers with high quality apps. The companies can include web and digital agencies, sports marketing agencies, content agencies and IT companies that didn't provide apps before. Apps bring these service providers a new revenue source, a new selling point to win cases, and a service that complements their previous offering.

Want to learn more about using No Code apps for your business?

Download our eBook "Growing Digital Fan Engagement & Revenue with No Code Sports Apps".

Conclusion

No Code technology has a huge potential of disrupting the mobile app development industry. So far, most No Code App Builders have been able to make apps that are rudimentary, but this is changing.

As the price for building apps is decreasing, it is becoming easier to turn your app into a profit center that has a positive ROI.

No Code reduces the risk of failure – you can build your app piece by piece, see a demo version of your app first, make adjustments, and launch when you’re happy – and make changes flexibly even after that. Your team can learn to edit the app themselves. The development becomes an agile process involving constant improvement, instead of a huge hit-or-miss project.

Make your app a platform that you can develop for years to come!

Different apps serve different sports organizations the best. For some, a highly automated app that requires minimal updates and resourcing is the perfect solution. Others have more time to invest in actively engaging with their fans. And you can always adjust your approach.

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