Uber has established an unmistakable synonymy with on-demand taxi booking services. It has crept into our lifestyle as much as it has into the market. Its sheer magnitude has eclipsed all the other players not only in the United States but in every other country where Uber is present.
Before we dive deep into the substance of this guide, let us look at a few competitors of Uber that have made a mark in their territory.
Lyft - Cheaper Than Uber
Lyft is, by a good distance, the most powerful competitor to Uber. It was started in 2012 under a different brand name - Zimride. Although it began as a long-distance ride-sharing service, today as a cab-service provider, it is present in two hundred cities across the United States. What makes Lyft unique is not just it’s markedly cheaper pricing than Uber but also the liability insurance of $1 million.
Curb - No Surge Pricing
With over 50,000 cars across 65 cities, Curb offers an interesting alternative to Uber. The passengers can choose to either ride now or ride later or even pair and pay. Curb has made it a point to distinguish itself from Uber by using the latter’s most dubious attribute. Curb does not have the controversial surge pricing for which Uber has been continuously criticized.
Grab - Southeast Asia’s Uber
Although it cannot be called something innovative, Grab did manage to create a market for itself in Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The app provides a wide range of payment possibilities like cash and smart wallet. What made this service get a mention is that it served as a deterrent for Uber to enter the Southeast Asian market.
Didi - The Uber Jinping
It has to be admitted that the Chinese market is undoubtedly more massive than the United States. The Chinese market is dominated by a player called DiDi. This service has its presence in over 400 cities and serves more than 500 million users. It was so influential in China that Uber had to sell its Chinese branch to Didi.
Ola - The Desi Cab
India is quite a significant name when it comes to growing economies. Ola is a taxi service operator in India that stands shoulder to shoulder with Uber. Catering to the Indian market, Ola introduced additional services like booking off auto-rickshaws, which is considered to be the de facto mode of on-demand transport in this subcontinent.
How Do On-Demand Cab Services Work?
It is to be mentioned that the biggest fillip for on-demand taxi services was in smartphones that have GPS. The convergence of the app-based ecosystem and the availability of GPS is what made the Uber Revolution possible.
The way taxi booking services work is quite simple and straightforward.
- The passenger opens the application and requests a ride by entering the necessary details like the pickup point and drop-off location.
- Using intelligent algorithms, the trip fare is calculated and displayed to the customer.
- The passenger confirms the trip.
- The trip-request is sent to the drivers in the vicinity. They can choose to either accept or reject the trip based on the details of the locations or the rating of the customer.
- Using GPS, the driver can navigate to the location of the customer and meet them at the assigned pickup point.
- The driver can commence the trip as soon as the customer gets into the car.
- The driver can end the trip as the customer reaches their destination. The fare to be paid is displayed on the driver app. The customer can choose to pay either by cash or by using digital payment methods.
The Factors to Consider
The ease of booking a cab is facilitated by the robust and complex process that goes into creating a taxi booking app. Let us take an in-depth look at the questions that you will need to ask before you embark on the business of location-based ride-hailing.
What Is Your App Gonna Offer?
As we have seen in the examples, there are multiple facets of location-based ride-hailing. You can choose to create a carpooling service or a shuttle service. Also, you can think about trucking and logistics solutions or even bus booking. The service can even be offered exclusively for women and children. The possibilities are quite wide. You need to decide which arena will you be playing at!
How’s The Market For Your Service?
The choice of your service/business has to be contingent upon the state of the market that you are catering to. It might seem like the United States and China are highly competitive markets. However, there might be areas where there is a gap still to be filled. It is important to do your punctilious research before you embark on the business.
Addressing Challenges In Safety
Safety has been an ongoing concern for a lot of transportation service providers. Taking small steps like providing a panic button and scrutinizing the drivers before you and roll them would be ideal for you to proclaim your supremacy in offering safe services. Safety goes a long way in selling your brand to women passengers who are always on the lookout for secure transportation.
Taking On The Competition
It is essential to distinguish yourself from your competition. Even within the realm of standard cab booking services, there is a lot of room to differentiate yourself. Services like Lyft and Curb have done their part by providing simple-yet-significant add-ons like insurance and absence of surge pricing.
Identifying The Technology
What a user sees is nothing more than an app. It is for you as a business to ensure that you identify the right technology that does not compromise on the functionalities, but at the same time, does not burn a hole in your pocket. It is quite known that developing an iOS app is relatively expensive compared to Android. However, with the dominance of iPhone users in the market, you cannot afford to miss out on serving both the ecosystem.
The good news is that there are a lot of Uber clone available in the market. By using these Uber clone scripts, it will be easier for you to launch your service without investing a lot in technology. It also saves you a lot of time. The customizability of these clone apps come in handy to create your brand image that goes in line with the philosophy and ethos of your brand.
Marketing Your App
As much as creating your app, it is important to market it as well. You can use a combination of both classical and modern marketing techniques. The modern once include search marketing, social media, and influencer marketing. In all of this, it should not be forgotten that classical methods like email marketing and press releases have not lost their appeal among a considerable part of your prospective customers.
Conclusion
We have earlier spoke about the availability of Uber clones. If you would like to create your ride-hailing app, you can get in touch with the right company to create your taxi booking app. They will understand your requirements and guide you on the steps that are involved in creating your own ride-hailing app business.