Almost every aspiring taxi business owner will aim to be the next successful ride-hailing service provider next to Uber. Over the formative years, Uber has attained phenomenal growth both in terms of business expansion and revenue. If you are crazy about starting a ride-hailing business similar to Uber’s business model, then this write-up will let you know how to launch an Uber like app.
An excerpt on Uber’s business model
Uber is known for aggregating different taxi service providers and matches the booking to the nearest driver. This clearly indicates that Uber doesn’t own any infrastructure nor fleets. The company recruits drivers who have their own cars. Predominantly, the company employs drivers as gig workers. So, that’s an excerpt of Uber’s business model.
The algorithm employed in Uber like app for processing the bookings
“Map the booking to the nearest driver” is the algorithm that runs behind Uber’s business operations. Here, the passengers cannot book a specific driver for their rides. Instead, the app automated the mapping functionality and sends the request to the driver who is present in the closest vicinity.
Booking – The passengers will initiate their ride requests after checking up with the fare of the ride. While requesting the ride, the passengers provide the pick-up and drop-off locations.
Matching the request – The app will share the passenger booking request along with their details to the drivers available nearby.
Accept or reject the request – As far as Uber is concerned, the drivers have the liberty to decline or accept the requests. If rejected, the booking request will be passed on to the next driver who is available. Otherwise, the driver will reach out to the pick-up location mentioned in the booking request.
Tracking – Once the driver accepts and moves forward to the pick-up location, the passengers can track till the driver reaches.
Onboard – Finally, the driver commute to the destination mentioned by the passenger and the passenger will pay for the ride.
This algorithm backs the application in matching and processing the ride requests.
List of Uber like app features that are crucial for your users
People prefer to avail themselves of services not only for comfortability but also for the features integrated into the app. Uber’s ride-hailing app became a massive hit as the app is flooded with real-time features for both users and drivers.
If an entrepreneur started the development of a taxi app from scratch, it would take countless hours of man-hours to integrate these features. There are white-label solutions like the Uber clone app which helps in setting up a taxi app instantly within a week.
- Geolocation
The geolocation feature offers the highest advantage in terms of tracking the vehicle and finding the route as well. Most importantly, it falls under the safety features as passengers can accurately identify the geographical location while travelling.
- Booking rides in advance
Passengers who are interested in booking the ride prior can do so with the advanced scheduling feature. Through this advanced feature, passengers can schedule their rides a few days or months in advance. For instance, if you are providing outstation rides in addition to the inter-city and intra-city rides, this feature will be helpful for your users.
- In-app notifications
Keep your passengers informed about their booking, offers, new ride packages and every other information affiliated with your business through the in-app notifications feature. This is considered as the direct marketing tool by business owners, as they can instantly reach out to users.
- Ride cancellation
Of course, at times, passengers will prefer to cancel their rides. For your information, Uber lets passengers cancel their ride within 2 minutes of booking and doesn’t impose any penalty.
- Cashless payment options
Since we are towing with the digital world, it is necessary to add payment options other than cash. The passengers should be poured with multiple payment options.
- Ride charges and arrival time
Again Uber proves to be a role model for ride-hailing apps as it informs the ride charges in advance. The charge is calculated based on the distance and time of the day. For example, if the passenger requests the ride in peak hours, then the charge will be according to that. Well, you might have known the dynamic pricing structure where the fare of the ride will be increased as the demand increases.
List of features imperative for your drivers
- Live navigation system
The driver’s app should be integrated with the facility for knowing the best route for reaching the destination. In advanced ride-hailing apps, a route optimizer is employed in order to recognize the shortest route. This feature greatly helps the hassles associated with finding the route.
- Earnings tab
A feature exclusively dedicated to providing information regarding the earnings of the drivers. Also, the app will generate a report on a daily basis, which breaks down the total earnings of the drivers.
- A toggle button for availability
The drivers will be instructed to keep their status of availability through the toggle button. If offline, the driver will not receive the ride request. While matching the booking request, the app will first know whether the status of the driver is available or not.
Additional features for your Uber like ride-hailing app
The above-mentioned set of features are fundamental features that every ride-hailing app should have. Additionally, you can add some features depending on your budget and business needs. For example, the heat maps feature will be important as it indicates the locations that have the highest number of bookings.
Similarly, a voice-based searching feature will be beneficial for passengers. Passengers can select the locations through a voice-based search.
How come the cost of app development will be split up?
The overall cost is split up between various metrics, right from the type of the platform to the features added. Whether you choose Android, iOS, or the native app, the cost will vary. Alongside, the customizations and the features you input into the app will also define the cost structure.
The quickest method to get your ride-hailing app developed is to get the Uber clone. It is a ready-made one, which can be scaled up in case your business needs expansion.
Final thoughts
Reaping success in a competitive marketplace is possible if and only if you infuse uniqueness into your business. I am sure that they enjoyed absorbing insights on developing an Uber like app. Good luck!
