On-demand Service App Development Explained For You

On-demand services are getting important these days for businesses, regardless of what product or services they offer. This article presents a beginner’s guide on the development of an on-demand service app which can help your business grow exceptionally.

Many businesses dealing with consumer products and services are seeing an upward trend in growth by developing on-demand apps. They are aimed at resolving some of the daily struggles of people by offering instant door-to-door delivery of a product or service. As per the reports by Harvard Business, the on-demand economy is serving nearly 22.4 million consumers annually, causing total spending of $57 billion. With most consumers using on-demand services being millennials, it is needless to say that growth in the on-demand apps use will continue.

So, it’s time for you to grab a pie of this prospering industry and make your products or service more easily accessible to the customers. Here’s a guide to help you understand the basics of on-demand app development.

Key categories of on-demand apps

Food order delivery

Beauty/Salon booking

Healthcare/Pharmacies/Doctor’s appointment

Babysitting/Pet care

Tailoring & Laundry service

Wedding planning or event management

Cab ride services

Fitness trainer

Housemaid/Cleaning/Plumbing services

How does the on-demand app model work?

Considering all the agents involved in order placing, its processing and delivery, on-demand apps are primarily of three categories:

Customer-facing app: This is the app through which customers will view product catalogue or services and place an order request.

Service provider app: Through this app, the service provider will receive orders from customers and start processing it.

Delivery executive’s app: This app will be used by the delivery personnel and will help them know from where to pick an order and where to deliver it.

Service administration admin app: The fourth app is for administering the entire order cycle, as well as for tracking payments generated with every order.

General workflow of a typical on-demand service app

Delivery request

Allocation of delivery executive

Delivery tracking

Payment and Proof-of-delivery

Customer feedback

Key features that an on-demand app must include

Most on-demand apps function with certain common features even though they deal with different products/services or have a slightly different workflow. Those general features include:

User profile creation

Every user should be able to login/register with the app with their personal details including authorised email or social login. The personal account or profile is needed so that users can save all necessary details like financial credentials, order delivery address, contact number and email ID that will help in smooth and successful order delivery.

GPS Tracking feature

Once an order is placed, customers will be able to see where their order is during en-route with the GPS tracking feature of the app. They can track the order delivery real-time and see the exact route taken by the delivery boy.

Booking records

The app should have a log for the activities of bookings which include items ordered, order placing and delivery time, prices, delivered by and other details. This will help customers to repeat any order, or check the issue in case an order was improperly delivered.

Push notifications

Customers should be alerted whether their orders are being processed, on the way, or soon to be delivered with push notifications. In the long-term, push notifications are needed to remind customers about any promo offers, new products, new service delivery centre, coupons, freebies and many more.

Online payment system

An on-demand service app is rather useless if it does not facilitate mobile payments. There should be a responsive payment gateway integrated into the app which will accept through credit/debit cards, mobile wallets like Google Pay, or any third-party payments services.

While the on-demand industry is experiencing positive growth all over the world, it is no surprise that your business will see a rise in revenue with a great app. This guide that explained the work process and features of on-demand app development will help you in your journey.

Alex Forsyth is one of the senior app developers at Envertis, a leading Android app development company in Australia who has the expertise of developing a wide range of applications including on-demand delivery apps.

Alex Forsyth is one of the expert app developers in Sydney who is working for Envertis, an earmarked Australian company for mobile app development which has been delivering dynamic and revenue-centric apps to businesses.