Looking back a few years ago, a passenger had to do (in many cases) somersaults to get from point A to point B.

Getting a reliable taxi was an odyssey, consulting with friends, calling a moderately good taxi service, waiting for a car to be available (for those who live in big cities know what we mean) and finally getting on the taxi and go to the destination (and that the driver was polite or rude, careful or careless, was another story).

That was when BAM !, Uber appeared to save the day and offer a new type of customer service. There is no need to explain what it is and how it works, it is so popular that even children know it and sometimes better than us.

More and more Uber-like apps began to appear in the market. Those who try to seek to overcome or at least repeat their success.

For those who want to try today, it is very common to ask this question: What do I need to develop an application like Uber ? and the answer we always give is ... it depends!

There are associated variables to obtain an accurate estimate to develop an app like this, and in this article, we will mention some of the most common ones. We also help you with a couple of questions, to understand a little more what it means to design such a platform.

For those who want to try today, it is very common to ask this question: What do I need to develop an application like Uber? and the answer we always give is ... it depends!

Your business model exactly the same as Uber? If not, how will it differ?

If your business model is the same or you want to overcome the current user experience provided by that platform, it may involve the following:

1. The creation of interfaces for both web and mobile.
2.  
3. Native applications (which are the recommended norm) which leads to parallel developments, for both iOS and Android.
4. Administration panel that translates to a CRM and a dashboard is required to manage some of the system's functions.
5. Geolocation: region from which your development team operates or designs the product.
6. Registration: To use the application, passengers can register directly from the mobile application.
7. Rate calculator: The rate to reach a specific place is determined by calculating the distance between the collection point and the arrival point.
8. Live to track: when requesting the taxi service, the passenger can update the location of the vehicle in real-time with the app, from the start of the service, the arrival of the service, the start and the end of the trip.
9. Add payment: to make the payment, passengers can add cards, cash or other payment methods, for example, bitcoin.

The considerations mentioned above, have a direct impact on the way we handle decisions related to programming, interface, functionalities, payment methods, etc.

But to get to this you first have to go through a series of stages that you must take into account:

Stage 1: Conduct market research

As a general rule, there is a standard and basic stage that you must execute before the development of the taxi application. Market research and competition analysis. It is true that the target audience has already been investigated in detail by other companies. However, omitting the analysis of competitive solutions, their benefits and disadvantages is not an option if you want to improve the user experience.

Stage 2: Design

The usability and functionality of the app for your target audience mean that its design and navigation should be as friendly and simple as possible. The development of the most basic version of such a design can take developers approximately 100 to 120 hours.

Stage 3: Front End Development

As we can understand by name, this is the most expensive stage in the development process (both in terms of finances and time).

Then, if you wish, you can add usefully (but not mandatory) features to your application, such as:

• Multilanguage support. If your application is created for a wider target audience, supporting multiple languages ​​will be useful.

• Qualification and opinions of the service: You will probably have to create a tool to know the level of satisfaction of your users and to manage the quality of your services.

• Online chat: Provides your users the ability to communicate with the driver online.

• Calls from the app: This feature allows you to significantly improve the quality of the customer experience.

• Monetization: Since all software solutions of this type are free, you must discover how to monetize them. The most obvious (and simple) way to make a profit is to add advertising blocks within the application.

Stage 4: Back-End Development

These digital product developments are generally created for a broad target audience. The back-end development must be exhaustive; Most likely, developers have to divide the workload among several people.

Stage 5: User tests

Once all development tasks have been completed, the application must be tested by real users. For this, we have Testing / QA, constant testing processes, which allow having a finished product with the least amount of adjustments before putting it into production.

Stage 6: Launch and Promotion

How do you start a company like Uber? Obviously, for your application to be widely known, you need to promote it. The famous mobile platforms already use advanced algorithms based on artificial intelligence, and in this way optimize search results according to the user's background and behavior.

To reach the first search results on the digital distribution platforms of apps ( Google Play or App Store ), your application must be downloaded as many times as possible in the shortest time. Achieving this without a marketing campaign is not only difficult, but it is also impossible.

Stage 7: Technical Support

Even if the application has been thoroughly and thoroughly tested, users will encounter some errors after launch. This is not about the Testers: the applications are so complicated today that it is impossible to reveal all errors in the code immediately. This is why applications are updated regularly: developers add new features, adapt to new technologies and correct errors.

These are the compelling reasons why you should trust only true professionals with this important task. Now it is up to you to choose the best development agency that will make your idea and your application a reality.

While it is true that there are many prefabricated tools to build such software solutions, using them to create a taxi application that is ready to use, with a friendly and personalized interface, represents a challenge, even for experienced developers. For this reason, we only recommend contacting experts.

 

Cliffex Software Solutions, we will be happy to know your project and send you a proposal that you cannot resist. We would like to become your technological partner if what you are looking for is the technical equipment that your company or enterprise needs, we are the ideal. 

We specialize in the mobile app development hybrid and robust digital products, oriented to your business model, therefore the income of your business or entrepreneurship can double as a result of the implementation of new technologies.