Bolster Your Business with On-Demand App Development
The world has been integrated into mobile phones and smart devices. With a few taps on screen one can;
- Get the house cleaned by a professional;
- Buy products and get them delivered;
- Call a cab;
- Get groceries, food, and medicines delivered;
- Schedule doctor’s appointments and avail remote consultation;
- Get salon services at home and more.
If it was a person, a business could sing to its customers, “you can keep me inside the pocket of your ripped jeans…” and it would hardly be an exaggeration. All these wondrous marvels of the Digital Age, which have bridged the business-consumer gap and enhanced the comfort levels of modern living, are thanks to three magic words, on-demand app solutions. It is the ticket to success for businesses.
On-Demand Apps: What makes them different?
Here is an example; Company A sells dresses online. It has an app that allows customers to browse the products, add them to a cart, and purchase by completing the payment. The product gets delivered to the customer’s address in a few days. Now, suppose the company adds a special feature to the app. It claims that after the purchase, the product will be delivered to the local customer’s doorstep within an hour. Thus, Company A becomes an on-demand retail service, and the app becomes an on-demand app.
On-demand apps can be defined as mobile applications that allow customers to buy real-time services. Spanning multiple industries, on-demand app development has gained significant traction amongst businesses, giving birth to the flourishing on-demand economy.
According to Statista, the on-demand economy serves 22.4 million consumers raking a spending amount of $57.6 billion annually, and that’s just the US data.
The ease of use, real-time accessibility, and emergency service are the prime reasons behind the success of on-demand apps. Their popularity has ushered in an evolution of the conventional business methods, with many entrepreneurs and businesses gradually adapting to that change. But can every business gain from on-demand app solutions?
Who can Benefit the Most from On-Demand Apps?
Maybe not all, but several businesses, especially those offering emergency services and essential commodities, can benefit by investing in on-demand mobile app development. For instance:
- Food delivery
- Groceries and basic commodities
- Pharmacy
- Telemedicine
- Cab service
- Housekeeping
- Laundry
- Handyman (plumbing & other repairs)
- Car repair
- Salon
On-demand retail services, etc.
Salient Features of On-Demand Apps:
There are two types of on-demand applications.
- It can be a platform or marketplace with multiple businesses offering their services or products.
- Businesses can develop their dedicated app to offer on-demand services.
On-demand app developers will add distinctive features that allow the business to offer real-time services to its target audience. These in-app features also help them to stay in control of the consumer-engagement and interaction. Some of the popular features found are:
- GPS tracker: GPS tracking and navigation have multiple advantages for businesses and customers. It allows the system to find and track the nearest service providers for marketplace apps. The customers can track the location of the business, the delivery or order status, etc. Businesses can use GPS data to reach the customer in the nick of time.
- Search Filters: Let’s say; the customer wants to find a restaurant in a specific location, it doesn’t make sense for them to scour the entire city. Using the search filters, the customer can pinpoint the location; specify the cuisine, price-for-two, etc., to find the most suitable place to get food delivery from. These filters come in handy to streamline the real-time search for products and services, especially in an on-demand app.
- Push Notifications: Push notification features enable businesses to have a productive engagement with the consumers. They can notify them about order updates, new products, special offers, discounts, flash sales, etc. Research shows that a consumer is more likely to respond to notifications than promotional mail.
- Multiple Payment Gateways: Businesses need to provide multiple payment options to consumers. It increases the chances of sales conversion and retention. The ideal strategy when availing of customized mobile app solutions would be to keep options for online banking, mobile wallets, and cash on delivery.
- Real-Time Chat Support: What if a customer encounters a problem while booking a service or buying a product? That’s when an in-app chat option can swoop in and save the day both for the business and the customer. It enhances customer interaction for businesses.
- Subscription, Rate & Review: Most online buyers rely on ratings and reviews posted by previous customers to invest in a service or a product. The absence of that feature can make a business look shady or unreliable. The subscription module, on the other hand, can be customized to add user-friendliness to the application.
A few honorable mentions for other app features one can ask the on-demand app developers to include are:
- Activity list;
- Wishlist;
- Customer support (for return and cancellation or other grievances);
- Feedback;
- Cancellation of service/order;
- Recommendation engines, etc.
Last but not the least, whatever the features might be, businesses should focus on having a user-friendly admin panel to streamline customer management and other backend functions.
Benefits for Businesses:
Should businesses invest in on-demand app development just because it is the latest tech trend in the world of commerce? While that is a probable reason, there are loads to benefit from on-demand apps, making it a viable investment with guaranteed ROI.
According to Statista, more than 7.1 billion people use smartphones globally, which makes up more than 80.76% of the world population.
So, not investing in customized mobile app solutions at the moment would be a sheer lack of farsightedness because enterprises will have a better chance at tapping into the broad demography of people.
- It opens the path to scalability for a business. They might start as a dedicated app but can turn into a marketplace later on by integrating and collaborating with more businesses.
- Augmentation to an on-demand app allows businesses to make their services and products more accessible to the customers. It significantly increases the sales conversion rate.
- Increased accessibility improves customer satisfaction and business efficiency.
- Real-time user analytics gives businesses unique insight into consumer behavior, which allows them to do inventory management and other infrastructural decision-making.
Since on-demand app solutions are trending at the moment, investing in the same will keep businesses stay up-to-date with the business evolution. It will allow them to remain at par with the competition, if not ahead of them.
Conclusion
On a concluding note, the key to investing in on-demand app development is choosing a reputed app development company. The skills of the developers ideating, developing, and deploying a mobile can make the world of a difference. So, to all businesses out there, choose your developer wisely; remain up-to-speed to the technological evolutions and transition in the world of commerce. It’s the only way you will survive and thrive.
