Developing an On-Demand App - A Complete Guide

Every month we get queries from wannabe entrepreneurs, saying they want to create an Uber-like application. They want an aggregator application for a field that has not been explored yet. Or they want an app much better than the existing ones. That way, the SaaS based app can be a middle person, having tie-ups with independent freelancing professionals of their area. Sounds enticing, doesn’t it? Well, as with any kind of startup, there’s always a risk factor involved. We all know about aggregating apps that have succeeded; we haven’t heard of the ones that have failed. To mitigate the risk involved in on-demand mobile application development, it is advised to do some planning beforehand.

Like Uber is for cars, there’s a substantial market in other unorganized sectors as well. You can make Swiggy for nursing facilities at home, AirBnB for farmhouses in villages, etc. If you lack the tech know-how, you can get the app created from a specialized IT vendor. You must consider the below important factors when going for on-demand mobile app development services from a tech company.

Target demographics

Don’t enter a market that is already saturated. Let’s take an example of India, where cab aggregators Uber and Ola reside. They are already so popular in most cities; it’ll be tough for a new entrant to be successful. One must target a place only if they can offer something substantially new, which others aren’t providing. In addition to that, also check the location you’re at. Initially, the growth could be higher in metropolitan areas, as compared to smaller towns. As mentioned in the legendary book “Crossing the chasm”, the real growth occurs when you move beyond early adopters. Therefore, always be focused on achieving hyper-growth.

Solve an actual problem

You must make a service which people want. An easy way to validate that is by looking locally. If a significant number of people around you are interested, so will be others. What made UberEats and Zomato successful? People would always order from restaurants; the pain point was just a few would provide that facility. What made Uber successful? People would always book taxis, sometimes they wouldn’t get them instantly at their doorstep. These apps made it easy to achieve what people wanted, and they were willing to spend money on it.

Acquiring users

Think of how are you going to acquire users? Spreading the word in your friend circle is not going to be sufficient. You can make use of social media promotion, SEO and Google ads. Use growth hacking techniques like Dropbox gave rewards on referrals and AirBnB made use of a Craiglist hack. Make channel partners, who will earn some amount from every sale made. First, your tool should have users, and then you can attract vendors on the platform. In all your marketing activities, clearly offer tangible benefits to users and vendors.

Retaining users

Now that you have some users, what can you do to retain them? Firstly, make sure that the process of enterprise application development is excellent so that users can seamlessly perform operations. The app should be bug-free, scalable, reliable and easy to use. Next, have a mechanism to handle and resolve user complaints. Thirdly, keep track of all vendors in your system, with an exclusive agreement signed. Fourthly, be ready to take hard decisions. And last, don’t hire just about any vendor who applies, do some pre-screening.

Cash Burn

Always keep in mind that your idea and mobile app development alone won’t make a startup successful. Honestly, the cost of the on demand mobile app development is not the main factor involved. Mainly it’ll be operational cost later, and you have to be passionate about what you’re doing. How much cash burn can you sustain until you get funding? Always look to cut unnecessary costs. You may have to put restrictions such as delivery area and minimum order cost. It’s important to capture the market still, you must always think of profitability.

Future Enhancement

As with most applications, it may require changes. You will know more about your users, once you’ve entered the market. Therefore, the app will require feature additions, some minor tweaks here and there, etc. Therefore, if you’re getting the app developed from a vendor, make sure they’re truly competent. Someone who can make a modular app, which makes it easy to do changes in the future. Someone who works on the latest technologies, so that you won’t have to redo it in 3 years. Someone who’ll give you a deliverable with a long shelf life. Someone who’s not the cheapest, because they will provide a positive return on investment (ROI).

Top On-Demand Mobile App Development Company in India

Walkwel is recognized among the top app development companies in Chandigarh. We have experience creating on-demand apps, that are scalable, reliable, and error-free. If you have an idea for on-demand app and want to have a cost estimate, contact us for a free quote. You can email us the requirements on info@walkweltech.com, along with NDA if required.

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