Did you know that 93 million people worldwide use Uber each month? The Uber app has revolutionized public transportation and taxi services with its user-friendly features.
If you’re considering entering the taxi industry, you’ll need a ride-sharing app like Uber to keep up with the competition. This article will discuss what makes the Uber app popular, its features, and how to make an app like Uber. Keep reading to learn more.
Alternatively, if you’d like to understand app development in greater detail, check out this Idea Maker blog post.
What is Uber?
Uber is a car-for-hire service that connects nearby drivers to customers through intelligent algorithmic technology. Uber is different from regular taxi services, as drivers cannot pick up just any customer off of the streets. The pick-up of a client must be prearranged through the Uber driver app.
Calling an Uber is more like hiring a personal chauffeur for a short trip than hiring a taxi. This business model lends itself to several benefits, such as surge pricing for drivers and cars always available to customers. Essentially, the Uber app solves the issue of supply and demand in the taxi industry.
How Does Uber Work?
So, how does Uber work? Uber works through the intelligent use of geolocation tracking, monitoring both the position of clients and drivers. When a client orders an Uber car, the app connects them with the nearest, most available driver, ensuring a quick pick-up and a regular flow of clients.
As explained above, when a customer orders an Uber, they privately hire a driver for one trip. In other words, the Uber app takes the place of the dispatch function of a traditional taxi firm. This enables the Uber app to get around many taxi licensing laws, creating a smoother experience.
Advanced Features of Uber to Consider
Setting it apart from a traditional taxi app, the Uber app has several advanced functionalities. Here are just a few.
Rapid Driver Sourcing
Uber can connect customers with drivers almost instantly through geo-tracking and surge pricing. By monitoring the location of drivers–where they are, where they’ve been, where they’re headed–the Uber app connects clients to a nearby car en route to a convenient destination.
Once a car is requested, drivers have roughly one minute to accept or decline a job, ensuring swift sourcing. Uber employs a surge pricing model during harsh weather and poor conditions, incentivizing drivers to work. Intelligent location tracking and surge pricing enable clients to connect with drivers almost immediately, 24/7.
Geo Tracking
Another advanced feature of Uber, lacking in many traditional taxi-booking apps, is the aforementioned geo-tracking. Without the superior location tracking of the Uber app, its rapid sourcing and excellent user experience would not be possible.
The geo-tracking features mean drivers don’t have to travel from one end of a city to the other. They will only see jobs nearby and available at their convenience. This results in a smooth journey, from the initial payment to the final destination.
Driver & Passenger Ratings
Perhaps one of the most essential features of Uber is the driver and passenger rating system. After a trip, clients can review their journey through the Uber passenger app, signaling to other customers the quality of their driver. This review is made visible when future passengers select the same car.
Similarly, the driver can leave a passenger review, informing other drivers whether they should pick up a particular customer. For example, if a passenger hires a car while drunk and disorderly, they could cause issues for the driver. The driver can note this experience in their client review, making their behavior known to others.
How to Make a Ride-Sharing App Like Uber
Now that you understand some of the advanced features of the Uber app, you should have a better idea of what it takes to make an intelligent taxi-booking app. There are many more excellent Uber app features that will be essential in your own Uber-like app. Keep reading to find out how to develop an app like Uber.
Alternatively, you may wish to expand your horizons and also learn how to build an app like Instagram, following Idea Maker’s guide.
1. Define Niche
The first step in developing any mobile app is to determine your niche. In the case of an Uber-like app, you need to define what demographic of passengers you will be targeting. For example, you may wish to provide a swift service like Uber for individuals with mobility issues.
As a result, you must ensure that you understand what preparations such passengers would require. You may need to focus on connecting specialist accessibility vehicles or drivers with special basic medical training. Whatever demographic you focus on, you must understand their needs to create an excellent user experience.
2. Design Refined UX & Functionality
With its many advanced features, the Uber app has an incredibly refined user experience (UX) that contributes to its popularity. As a result, the best way to conceptualize your own Uber app is to look in more detail at the platform’s basic features. After understanding your audience, you can begin designing your Uber-like app’s functionality and UX.
Message Drivers
The Uber app allows users to message their drivers before pick-up. This lets customers inform drivers of any awkward pick-up locations or special requirements. Though a seemingly simple feature, the messaging function enables an extra communication layer, improving UX.
Leave Tips
Traditionally, if you’ve had an exceptional taxi journey, you’d give the driver a cash tip. Uber keeps in with the spirit of tipping through digital bonuses paid through the taxi-booking app. This ensures all tips are securely processed and accountable.
Instant Payments
Customers can instantly pay drivers through integrated payment portals, such as PayPal and Apple Pay. This takes cash out of the equation, meaning users don’t have to worry about withdrawing money before a car ride. It also means drivers don’t have to worry about passengers being unable to afford their journey, as payments are made beforehand.
Driver Tracking
While geographical tracking is leveraged primarily for rapid driver sourcing, it is also used as a safeguarding measure. For example, if there is a dispute or difficult incident, such as a theft, between driver and passenger, Uber will know who the driver is, where they are and where they’ve been. This enables swift dispute resolution and public safety.
3. Establish Intelligent Algorithm
Once you’ve defined the functionality of your Uber-like app, you should then establish an algorithm that determines the app’s processes. An algorithm is used to outline what happens when certain key events occur. For example, if a user selects a driver, does the app immediately hire that car, or does it first show the customer their reviews?
A robust algorithm is at the core of the Uber app, its intelligent functionality, and exceptional user experience. Uber’s algorithm is responsible for understanding where drivers are located based on geo-tracking, the client’s exact requirements, and what cars are best suited to the journey. Your algorithm must have clearly defined procedures for all events of user input.
Developing an algorithm may seem daunting, but it can be accomplished through easy-to-use flowchart software. At Idea Maker, we use MockFlow to design prototypes and
algorithms when developing a cross-platform mobile application. Tools like MockFlow allow you to easily build decision trees based on user input.
4. Hire a Professional Mobile App Development Team
Now that you have established the fundamentals of your app, you are ready to enter the app development stage. If you have limited technical knowledge, it’s a good idea to hire a dedicated mobile app development company, like Idea Maker.
Not all developers are created equal, and there are several factors to consider before hiring the right mobile app developer. You can read more about hiring the right mobile app developer in Idea Maker’s extensive guide. Otherwise, keep reading for a brief overview.
Portfolio & Customer Testimonials
First, you should examine a development agency’s portfolio. Doing this will give you an idea of their quality of work and whether they’re the right fit for your Uber-like app development. It also shows you how well they implement complex features–a requirement for an Uber-like app.
Exploring customer testimonials allows you to understand the agency’s quality of customer service. Working with a developer with poor communication skills will likely lead to a development that doesn’t meet your requirements. You can investigate customer testimonials on Clutch.io, which provides verifiable and trusted feedback.
Defined Development Procedure
When hiring a mobile app development company, you should ensure they have a clearly defined development procedure. This procedure will outline the steps involved in the development and what the company needs from you. Such a procedure enables you to work closely with the company, keeping them accountable every step of the way.
Having no available development procedure indicates that the company has either poor communication or that they have no set process. This could lead to development that doesn’t meet your expectations. It’s important to require an overview of their process if it’s not listed on their website.
Post-Release Support Options
Once your Uber-like app is developed, like all software, it will inevitably run into bugs and require maintenance. As a result, you must ensure that you hire a development company that offers post-release support options. Many agencies, like Idea Maker, provide support options at package prices, so you can rest easy knowing your app is maintained cost-effectively.
Although a development company may include post-development support as a service, many fail to follow through when the time comes. You can check whether a developer provides post-release support by examining the quality of their preexisting apps. If the apps function smoothly and appear well-maintained, then it’s likely the company will offer excellent support options.
5. Driver and Passenger App Iterations
There are two versions of the Uber app, one for drivers and one for passengers. To create an Uber-like app, you will also need to provide exclusive features to each party. For example, drivers must receive push notifications about active jobs and have a way to accept or decline.
Alternatively, you could build a driver’s portal in the main app. This would save you money on the development, as you’d only need one app. However, it may be challenging to maintain both sides within one variant.
6. Deploy Your Uber-like App to Users
After making a ride-sharing app like Uber, you must tactically deploy it to drivers and customers. Ideally, the app will be launched on the driver side first, as you don’t want your customers to struggle to find rides.
Once you have a sufficient number of drivers using your Uber-like app, you can then deliver the client-side passenger app. Users will then connect with nearby drivers through your earlier established algorithmic process.
Summary
After reading this article, you should understand how to make a taxi-booking app like Uber. This article covered the following:
- What is Uber?
- How does Uber work?
- Advanced features of Uber to consider
- How to make a ride-sharing app like Uber
Now you are ready to develop your Uber-like app. If you liked this article, you may also find our How to Make a Website Like YouTube blog post interesting.
Uber-like App Development from Idea Maker
Uber-like app development is a challenging process without expert technical knowledge. At Idea Maker, we can help you build a high-quality mobile app like Uber. Our professional software developers are ready to provide you with an app that exceeds your expectations.
To learn more about our app development options, schedule a free consultation today.
