Customer Reviews (500)

FitDragonfly • 2025-03-27T14:27:22-07:00

Works well and is very compatible

Larry charle • 2025-03-27T07:10:14-07:00

Doesn’t have a premium pop up every time you open app and actually has function without premium. You only need Premium for a few optinional settings

Appleuser3516 • 2025-03-26T20:31:48-07:00

Having ski patrol at the touch of a button allowed for a quick response.

Summary of Key Insights

  • Slopes: Ski & Snowboard is a highly-rated app with a strong positive sentiment among users, particularly skiers and snowboarders who enjoy tracking their performance and connecting with friends on the mountain. The app is praised for its ease of use, accurate tracking, and valuable features, even in the free version. However, some users experience issues with reliability (recording failures, login problems), battery drain, and the cost of premium features. There's also a desire for more features related to backcountry skiing, improved Apple Watch integration, and enhanced social interaction within the app.

  • Key Strengths: Accurate tracking, user-friendly interface, valuable free features, social connectivity, Apple Watch integration, responsive customer support.

  • Key Weaknesses: Reliability issues (recording failures, sync problems), battery drain, cost of premium features, login issues, and feature gaps in backcountry skiing and Apple Watch integration.

  • Overall Sentiment: Very Positive

  • Quantitative Metrics:

    • Overall Rating: High (based on the review scores)
    • Score Distribution: 5-star: 81.4%, 4-star: 5.8%, 3-star: 3%, 2-star: 2.4%, 1-star: 7.4%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews appear to be from the 2024/2025 ski season (based on dates mentioned in reviews).
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment Analysis: Categorizing reviews as positive, negative, or neutral based on the text content and star rating.
    • Keyword Extraction: Identifying frequently mentioned keywords and phrases related to features, issues, and user sentiment.
    • Frequency Analysis: Counting the number of times specific issues, requests, or positive aspects are mentioned.

Key User Pain Points

  • Recording Issues: The most significant pain point is the app's unreliability in recording runs. Users report instances where the app stops recording mid-day, misses runs entirely, or fails to sync data between devices. Impact: Frustration, lost data, undermines the core value proposition of the app.
  • Login Problems: Several users experience login issues, particularly with Apple Sign-In, creating an infinite loop or preventing access to their accounts. Impact: Prevents users from using the app, especially on important ski days.
  • Battery Drain: A common complaint is that the app drains phone battery quickly, especially when using GPS tracking. Impact: Limits the duration of skiing that can be tracked, requires users to carry external batteries.
  • Premium Cost: Some users feel that too many features are locked behind a premium subscription, limiting the usefulness of the free version. Impact: Creates a barrier to entry for new users, perceived as expensive.
  • Apple Watch Sync Issues: Problems syncing data between the Apple Watch and iPhone are reported. Watch app also crashes. Impact: Data loss, inconsistency between devices, frustrating user experience.
  • Inaccurate Data: Some users reported inaccurate speed tracking, inaccurate vertical feet, or the app incorrectly identifying lift rides as runs. Impact: Undermines trust in the app's core function of tracking performance.
  • Loss of data: Some users report data loss when watch battery dies or after reinstalling the app. Impact: Frustration, discourages long-term use of the app.
  • Difficult navigation: Some users find the app's navigation to be unintuitive. Impact: Frustration and a poor user experience.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved Backcountry Skiing Support: Users want better tracking for uphill skinning, elevation profiles, and general backcountry use.
  • Enhanced Apple Watch Integration: Users want better reliability, improved data syncing, and more control over watch settings from the phone app. Also, Garmin watch support is requested.
  • More Social Features: Requests for in-app messaging, easier friend finding, and real-time location updates.
  • Offline Maps for Day Pass Users: Day pass users would like access to offline maps.
  • More Detailed Trail Information: Users want trail difficulty ratings and names displayed on the map.
  • Ability to Manually Add Ski Days: Users want the ability to manually add ski days or missed runs to maintain a complete log.
  • Clearer Display of Elevation Profile Data: Users desire a better visualization of elevation profile data, including pitch vs. trail point.
  • Intercom/Walkie-Talkie Feature: Request for in-app communication with friends.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Accurate Tracking: Many users praise the app's accuracy in tracking runs, speed, vertical, and distance.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The app is generally considered easy to use and navigate, with a clean and intuitive design.
  • Valuable Free Features: The free version offers a good set of features, including friend finding, unlimited tracking, and key stats.
  • Social Connectivity: Users appreciate the ability to connect with friends, share stats, and see each other's location on the mountain.
  • Apple Watch Integration: The Apple Watch app is a popular feature, allowing users to track data without taking out their phone.
  • Responsive Customer Support: Several reviews mention positive experiences with customer support, highlighting their responsiveness and helpfulness in resolving issues.
  • Trip Planning: Users like the trip planning features for coordinating ski trips with friends.
  • Detailed Statistics: Users appreciate the detailed statistics provided about their performance.
  • Constant Improvement: Users note that the app continues to get better with each update, adding new features and improvements.
  • Good Value: Many users feel the app provides good value, even with the premium subscription.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Improve Recording Reliability: Address the issues causing the app to stop recording runs, miss data, or fail to sync. Implement robust error handling and data backup mechanisms.
  • Fix Login Issues: Resolve the login problems, especially with Apple Sign-In. Ensure a smooth and reliable login process.
  • Optimize Battery Usage: Reduce battery drain by optimizing GPS tracking and background processes. Provide options for users to customize tracking settings for battery conservation.
  • Enhance Apple Watch Integration: Fix sync issues, improve reliability, and provide more control over watch settings from the phone app.

Medium Priority:

  • Expand Free Features: Consider offering a few more features in the free version to attract new users and increase engagement.
  • Develop Backcountry Skiing Support: Implement features specifically for backcountry skiing, such as uphill tracking, detailed elevation profiles, and avalanche risk information.
  • Improve Customer Support: Even though customer support is generally praised, ensure timely and helpful responses to all user inquiries.
  • Improve Map Functionality: Allow users to search for specific runs or slopes.

Low Priority:

  • Add More Social Features: Explore the feasibility of adding in-app messaging, improved friend finding, and real-time location updates.
  • Offer Offline Maps for Day Pass Users: Consider providing offline maps as part of the day pass offering.
  • Improve Display of Elevation Profile Data: Provide a clearer and more informative visualization of elevation profile data.
  • Implement Intercom/Walkie-Talkie Feature: Explore the possibility of adding an in-app communication feature.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Ski Instructor: An app that analyzes user data (speed, turns, vertical) and provides personalized tips and recommendations for improvement.
  • Ski Trip Social Network: A platform dedicated to connecting skiers and snowboarders, facilitating trip planning, and sharing experiences.
  • Backcountry Safety App: An app that integrates GPS tracking, avalanche risk data, and emergency communication features for backcountry skiers and snowboarders.
  • Subscription Service for Ski Gear Rental: A service that allows users to rent high-quality ski gear on demand, with options for delivery to resorts or local pickup.
  • AR Skiing Experience: An app that overlays augmented reality information onto the user's view while skiing, providing real-time data about trails, conditions, and points of interest.

Trends and Observations

  • Strong User Loyalty: Many users have been using the app for several years and are loyal to the brand.
  • Positive Sentiment Towards Development Team: Users appreciate the ongoing development and improvement of the app.
  • Desire for More Advanced Features: As users become more experienced, they seek more advanced features, such as backcountry support and detailed performance analytics.
  • Importance of Reliability: Reliability is a critical factor for user satisfaction. Issues with recording and syncing can quickly lead to frustration and churn.

Conclusion

Slopes: Ski & Snowboard is a well-regarded app with a strong user base and a positive reputation. However, addressing the reliability issues and battery drain is crucial for maintaining user satisfaction and preventing churn. Expanding the feature set to include backcountry support and more social features could attract new users and further enhance the app's value proposition. Overall, the app has a solid foundation for continued success, but ongoing attention to user feedback and technical improvements is essential. I recommend prioritizing improvements to the app's reliability and battery usage, as these are the most significant pain points for users.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/slopes-ski-snowboard/id643351983?uo=2