Most entrepreneurs who live in cosmopolitan cities with heavy traffic often think about making an app like Uber. Not only that, they wonder how to make it as successful in both local and international markets. Such apps are helpful for people who refuse to own cars owing to the lack of parking space in their countries.
Building apps like Uber are beneficial not only for entrepreneurs but also for transportation companies. In recent years, the idea of sharing rides has become increasingly popular, which is why we come across new apps that hope to grab a piece of the pie.
Companies that gain recognition worldwide are always a role model for a business who are making their first steps. So, the aim should be to build an app like Uber but adding features and unique qualities that even Uber does not possess.
Keep reading to find out how to make an app like Uber and benefit from its digital services.
Think About the Functionality of the App
To determine how to make an app like Uber, it is essential that you first understand the following five steps:
- Trip Creation
The app should create a trip that has a destination at which it ends at.
- Verification
The app should verify the trip by using the user’s data and location to determine the pick and drop point.
- Matching Up with Drivers
The app should be able to find drivers near the users. On the driver’s end, they should have the option to accept or decline a request.
- Payment Process
The user should be able to add their credit or debit card or PayPal account so that they can automatically pay for their trip.
- Rating
The app should request the user to rate the ride.
Therefore, if you want to build an app like Uber, these are the core components of a car booking app.
Passenger Features to Match those of Uber
- Registration
A feature where users can create an account through email or their social media so that they can start using the app. Most people prefer logging in through social media, so it’s better to give all the options in your app.
- Ride Bookings
In this feature, the user enters their address, the car they want to ride in, and set their location.
- Fare Calculation
This enables the user to check the price before they even book their ride. This feature is also very complicated to implement on the backend.
- Tracking
The user is able to track the driver. This helps them to make updates before, during, and after their ride.
- Push Notifications
This helps to keep your user updated with trip requests, driver arrival time, car details, and discounts.
- Messaging
These features help the user reach out to the driver via messages.
- Driver Evaluation
This feature allows the customers to provide an evaluation for the whole service. This includes driver, vehicle, their trip, and whatever else they felt about their experience.
- Travel History
This feature shows the customer details about rides they had previously and their transactions.
- Customer Support
This helps customers reach out to customer care services, which help them with any issue they may face.
The Technology Needed to Make an App like Uber
The most famous technology that is used to build car booking apps like Uber is called Geolocation. Since these apps are heavily dependent on accessing location, they are tied to mapping technologies such as:
- CoreLocation technology for iOS users and Google’s location API for Android users. Both of these help identify the location of the user.
- The technology that provides the direction to the drivers is different and is different for both iOS and Android users. For the app to function, iOS uses the MapKit technology, and Android uses Google Maps Android API.
- Communication within the app, such as push notifications and messages, can be done with the help of the Twilio telecommunication provider.
- As stated earlier, creating the payment process within the app is a very complex component to have in an app. But it is a crucial function which is why it is necessary to be in the app if you want to stand a chance with an app like Uber. To integrate payment integration within the app, you first need to comply with a few requirements such as country policies to handle the data of customer’s credit and debit card details securely. And finally, to implement the tool, there are technologies like Braintree and Stripe, which are used by competitive car booking apps in the US.
A Few Recommendations Before Building an App like Uber
- Look at the market demand for an app like Uber and develop a model looking at how Uber has been over the years. The success rate will be higher if your app is built after proper research and analysis.
- Define your target audience. Saying that your app is for ‘everyone’ won’t get you anywhere. It is essential you look at your potential customer’s demographics, psychographics and behavior before you launch the app.
- Carefully define the unique selling point of your app. Something that differentiates you from Uber makes you stand out and is out rightly distinctive to the audiences.
- Hire experienced professionals and developers who are capable of executing the app you have thought of.
- Make it a point to hear what other people have to say. Learn from user feedback and make adjustments accordingly. Keep close tabs on your competitor’s activities to keep your app on top of its game.
In a Nutshell
The main goal should be to make an efficient, effective, and successful project that would flourish rather than creating a clone of Uber under some other name. Do your research before starting on this journey so that you are able to strategically disrupt the industry. If you need help strategizing, don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation.
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