3 Reasons the Walla App Will Boost Your Boutique Studio Business

From scrolling through social platforms to reading the news and paying the dog walker, spending time on apps has become the preferred consumer mobile phone behavior. So mainstream that 85% of time spent on smartphones is using an app—and the average person has 80 apps downloaded. Maybe I am “above” average as I currently look at all my mobile screens with apps. As the number of app downloads has increased by 63% year over year, and most smartphone owners use about ten apps per day and 30 consistently throughout a month, making sure your studio is tapping into this pattern of app usage is an easy way to boost bookings while leveraging ingrained habits that are already part of their mobile routine.

The *free* Walla app is the most modern, simplified way for your clients to browse, book, buy, and manage their account details at any time, anywhere. Enable your community to quickly book classes, elevate your brand and share real-time updates with your clients while they stay connected to your studio during their busy, everyday routine. You’ll stay top-of-mind, and they will stay motivated. So with 85% of consumers booking using an app for a faster, more convenient experience, here are three reasons why your clients should download the Walla app and how it can increase revenue and retention and boost your bottom line!

‍TIP: Don’t forget to remind your clients to create their account via your website before signing into the app! (We recently added a reminder to the app home screen, too.) 

Over 600,000 bookings via the Walla app—and 25,000 downloads! 

1: Your studio, their focus: The best way to market (and sell) more 

The Walla app is built to give your studio a platform to highlight your unique boutique business while leveraging mainstream consumer mobile behavior. Without the endless searching. Other third-party class apps and aggregators create an endless scrolling loop as consumers scan through hundreds of classes to find their next sweat session, surfacing your competitors. The Walla app has no competing offers to distract from your schedule and individual studio—and no frustrating “drop-off” points (which can increase the likelihood of abandoning cart).  

From this week's class schedule to upcoming events, when your clients log in to the app, your studio will be the only thing they see, helping to build a better connection to your studio and community, especially in a pandemic-adapted environment where every encounter counts. Your studio is just one tap away! Clients can instantly book in-person and livestream classes, buy plans and credits (hint: ultimate flexibility and additional revenue), and access account details all in one place. There are no extra logins, no outside client sharing, just a seamless mobile experience straight from their iPhone or Android home screen. 

TIP: Want to encourage your clients to download the Walla app? Try using QR code prompts at the front desk, front door, on social, emails, and more! QR codes are an easy way for consumers to download the app in seconds, and the familiarity of QR codes has skyrocketed post-pandemic. Last year, 89 million smartphone users in the US scanned a QR code! Plus, you can measure data on QR code engagement!

2: Major motivation: Track milestones, boost retention and revenue 

Yes, the Walla app is built for communication and booking, but it is also a strategic retention tool for every client who takes classes at your studio. First yoga flow this week or fiftieth barre session in the last three months (phew!), the Walla app easily tracks milestones. The navigation features a user-friendly interface that encourages clients to engage with their accomplishments (or try something new), making it simple to toggle between schedules and purchase options. Showcase plan options that fit clients' budgets and goals to keep them continually motivated without having to exit out to a different platform to make a purchase or track their accomplishments. 

TIP: Layer in milestone love using Walla’s built-in Milestone Recognition automations. By capitalizing on the opportunity to engage with your clients via multiple touchpoints, recognizing their studio accomplishments deepens their connection to your brand and goals and reinforces positive reminders that you know they will tell their friends about. (Hey, that’s the power of word-of-mouth marketing!). And the next time you see them in the studio, snap a picture and celebrate them via your social channels!  

3: Branding meets communication: Keep your clients in the know with app announcements

App announcements in the Walla app are an effective, easy-to-schedule tool within the Walla software that allows you to share studio news, instructor announcements, promotions, deals, events, retail—you name it!—in a single place. By using app announcements, you are not only offering your clients 24/7 access to your studio and setting an expectation that app announcements are a reliable source for studio information, whether it is discovering and booking a new plan or seeing if there’s a weather-related class cancelation. And when you add a visual to the Walla app home screen, you are guaranteed to capture your client's attention as soon as they open it! Think about it this way: 90% of information sent to the brain is visual, and images influence 83% of digital purchase decisions, so by creating a visually driven app announcement, you’re instantly increasing engagement in whatever your studio is promoting. ‍

TIP: Keep it colorful! Stock photos or images from an instructor or studio photoshoot—the assets you choose for your announcements represent your brand identity and create a deeper familiarity and affinity within your community. Don’t have a visual or need variety? Use a free stock photo/design tool like Unsplash or Canva! Just remember to think about what images best represent your aesthetic and brand.

The ultimate goal of the Walla app? To simplify and empower how clients interact with your brand. By showcasing your studio without competitor distractions, browsing and buying classes and plans—and staying in touch with studio news and events—it’s now easier than ever! 

Stay in the loop on Walla app-specific updates and releases on our blog! 

The Walla App is available in the Apple Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).