Uber has 93 million customers.
The ride-sharing industry has seen tremendous growth in the past few years. The market value was $69.18 in 2019 and is expected to reach $120.89 by 2027. Uber is one of the vivid examples. The global net volume was $26.61 billion in 2020.
During the pandemic, the number of trips decreased by 26 percent. However, now that everything is going back to normal, the research says that the demand for taxi booking apps like Uber will increase. Thus, many businesses are looking to develop app like Uber.
If you, too, are one of them, here’s a guide to help you through.
- Research your Audience and Niche
The first rule of business is to decide your niche. You can’t develop an Uber clone. Even if you do, you can’t be sure if that will yield results. Hence, decide your niche whether you will provide carpooling services rather than taxi-hailing or bike-sharing services.
Also, identify who your target audience will be – whether you will be targeting a specific area/region or age group. You can create a buyer persona to define your target market.
Whatever plan you come up with, ensure it is unique. If you don’t want to build a complete app from scratch, you can include some custom features. The idea is that it should reflect your brand and not Uber.
The purpose of research is also to know whether the idea is in demand or not. Investing in a market that doesn’t have a potential growth rate doesn’t make sense.
- Create Business Plan
Start by learning how a taxi booking app like Uber works. Unless you know the app and its flow, you won’t be able to clear your thoughts and idea.
Next, create a visual map of your app, list the features, design wireframes, workflow, audience, budget, cost, revenue model, etc.
Decide what services you will provide and how they will function. Whether you will rent vehicles and hire drivers or work on a commission basis with external drivers just like Uber. You should write down every tiny detail regarding the app, including development and functionalities. In short, create an entire plan.
While creating a business plan, you also need to consider the development stage, i.e., deciding on your development partner, your development needs like tech stack, budget, and post-launch marketing plans. Don’t forget the licenses you will need. List them down too.
- Decide your USP
Is there something unique about your business offerings that your competitors don’t provide? For example, in India, if I compare Ola and Uber, I would prefer Uber because of the low fares, while Ola offers more options. Even if I cancel a ride, I can be sure of getting another one.
So, you have to think about something unique too. What is something that you can provide? Your USP, i.e., unique selling proposition, can be a feature or a service. It just has to be unique, and customers would remember and prefer your brand for it.
A USP is like the identity of your brand. Hence, it should be simple and yet attractive enough.
- Determine App’s Features
To develop app like Uber, you have to consider three different users – admin, customers, and drivers.
Based on each user type, start listing down the features they may require.
An admin might require features like:
- Driver Management
- Fleet Management
- Payment
- Rider Management
- Dashboard
- Analytics and Reporting
- Heat Maps
- Live Tracking
- Customer Support
For riders, you might want to integrate:
- Instant Registration
- Fare Estimate
- Bookings Management
- Geolocation
- Payment Modes
- Notifications
- Ride History
- Ratings and Reviews
- Help and Support
Drivers might find the below listed features useful:
- Profile Creation
- Alerts and Reminders
- Bookings Management
- Route Navigation
- Payment Modules
- Messaging and Calling
- Language Change
See what else you can include apart from these features and when you go for development, share it with your development team. Take their feedback and if it’s possible to include custom features. Also, decide your tech stack like the programming language, APIs, database, analytics, third-party integrations, payment modes, etc.
- Develop the App
Once you have everything in hand, the last step is to proceed with the development. You might already have the list of developers. So, have face-to-face conversations with them, share your ideas and notice whether they can help you develop a custom app tailored to your requirements.
Consider their inputs and ideas as they have a better market understanding.
Pro tip:
- While deciding on your development partner, check their portfolios and case studies, work experience, client testimonials, etc.
- Ask them about their development process and technology experience.
- Interact with the development and testing team, and most importantly, discuss your budget.
So, What’s the Cost of Developing an App Like Uber
The actual cost of an app like Uber depends on various factors like the tech stack, developers’ location, total time, features, third-party integrations, and so on.
For example, the development cost in the US is $100/hour. Similarly, it can vary for different regions. You also have to consider whether you’re outsourcing it or hiring a dedicated developer team.
All those tiny elements and features together will decide the actual cost of your app. Discussing it with an expert is ideal for getting the estimated quote.
What Other Options You Have
Just like the taxi booking app, you can also go for other on-demand apps such as – a food delivery app, beauty app, laundry service app, doctor appointment app, fleet management app, house cleaning app, flower and gifts delivery app, dog walking app, and more.
Think of the services you can provide and go for it – after thorough market research.
Summary:
Steps to develop app like Uber include thorough market research, creating a business plan, deciding USP, determining the app’s features, and proceeding with the development.