← Back to blogWhy developing an on-demand moving app is a good idea for a startupBy Kyrylo SavytskyiFeb 12, 20209 min readmovingon demandLooking for a new idea for your startup? Check out our article and find out why developing an on-demand moving app is a good idea for a startup⏩ Table of contents Intro What stands behind the popularity of Uber? Four features to consider before developing an Uber-like app for moving How to make an Uber-like app for moving Top factors influencing the app development cost How much does it take to build an on-demand moving app? Final thoughts Since Uber became so popular, it inspired many entrepreneurs to follow their success way and build an Uber-like app. And no wonder there are Uber-like apps for everything, including food delivery and moving. Let’s focus on developing an uber like app for moving. Moving out is always stressful, especially when followed by moving into a new place. Whether it’s a new apartment or a new office, change is always difficult. Packing and moving services have made this a little simpler, but finding a perfect mover or packer is a challenge. That’s where Uber-like apps for moving stuff enter the game. Read also: How much time do you need to build an app? What stands behind the popularity of Uber? Did you know that Uber works in 84 countries and 800 cities, providing a 24/7 connection between drivers and riders via Android or iOS apps? Isn’t it impressive? Uber has gained the lion’s share of the market thanks to its smooth app-user interaction, superior marketing campaigns, and bug-free performance. Uber provides various levels of taxi services: UberLUX for prime car rides UberSUV when size matters UberBLACK for chick cars UberX to get the cheapest car rides As you can see, Uber has segmented the market and its services to fit different customer needs. Hence, Uber has the whole market at their feet. Yey, we’ve found the main secret of Uber. Let’s find out how it works. How does Uber work? If you’re going to develop an Uber-like app, you have to understand its logic and how the service works on the customer side. Here’s how Uber works: 1.Request. The customer requests an app. The driver nearby receives the request. 2. Match. The driver can accept or reject the request. When the driver rejects the ride, another driver gets it. 3. Ride. The user can track the taxi and knows how much time the ride could take. 4. Pay. The user can check the price before taking the ride. There are two ways to pay for the ride - in cash or by credit card. 5. Rate. As soon as the ride is over, the user can rate it. It’s an important part of Uber business logic that helps enhance the reliability of the service. How many apps do you need to build? If you’re going to build an on-demand moving app like Uber, get ready to build two apps - one for customers and one for movers. Along with that, the platform should also have an admin panel to manage and monitor the work. Let’s find out what features you may need for your Uber-like moving app 🔽 Key features to build an Uber-like app For customers For movers Geolocation Payment Registration and data management Call or text a mover without leaving the app Push notifications Cost estimation Top-notch design Reports Personal profile Active/ inactive option Calling a customer without leaving the app Daily or monthly reports of earnings Advanced features to win over the users For customers For movers Schedule moving in/ out Split a fare with your neighbors Free cancellation How can you make money with your Uber-like app for moving? A revenue model depends on your business objectives, and it may differ from Uber’s one. As far as you know, Uber doesn’t own fleet and doesn’t employ drivers. The app works as a mediator between passengers and drivers. Your app for moving stuff can either be a medium between movers and customers or provide moving services as a company. There are several ways to monetize your Uber-like app for moving: Charge fees from movers Charge fees from customers Going to build an Android app? Check out our article "Android mobile app development" for more information. Four features to consider before developing an Uber-like app for moving Here are top features that will help you win over users and develop a top-notch on-demand moving app. Check them out 🔽 Schedule moving and delivery services Scheduling and booking features will not only make moving in or out a breeze but also enhance user experience. It’s a win-win feature for both you and users. With your Uber for moving, users can schedule and book moving and delivery services in advance. Once booked, users can choose new pieces of furniture or go out with friends. And if plans change, users can easily re-schedule or call-off their booking. Various payment methods Integrate as many payment methods as you can. Allow users to pay in cash or by credit card so you won’t miss any customer. Don’t forget about Apple Pay and Google Pay as well. One of the best things is to provide a seamless payment experience so that users can easily pay for services. Real-time tracking Real-time tracking will come in handy for moving apps, too. With its help, users can track their items and get a real-time notification about the arrival of items or movers. No more concerns about lost items. Real-time tracking is an easy way to secure the belongings of your customers. Reviews and ratings Reviews and ratings are another important part of your app. They can tell users that a) your app is awesome and b) who are the best movers. Moreover, the following feature will help users share their experience. And you’ll be able to communicate with your users and make your app better analyzing their feedback. Did you know that most of the users always check ratings before downloading a new mobile app? We bet you didn’t. So it’s better to add a rating-and-review feature and do your best to get 5-star reviews. Want to build your own moving app like Uber for iOS? Check out our article on iOS mobile development before going in for mobile app development. How to make an Uber-like app for moving You got it! Your great idea for your next killer app. But wait, how to develop your Uber-like app? Follow the next seven easy steps to get a top-notch app for movers. Step 1 - Sketch your app idea Every mobile app starts with an idea. Use pen and paper to sketch your app idea and define how your app works and its basic features. When you’re making an app, you need your app to be as lean and mean as possible. In other words, it’s better to start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and test your app idea without breaking the bank. Step 2 - Research your market Market research is often skipped, but it’s an essential part of developing a successful mobile application. Carrying out market research before developing an app will save you from making mistakes and going in a false direction. Step 3 - Mock up your app A mockup shows what your app will look like. It’s a rough sketch of the app’s layout, user interfaces, and user flow. It shows what happens when a user tap on that button, app navigation from screen A to screen C, etc. Step 4 - Take care of your app design Your app should be both functional and pretty. And that’s where designers enter the game. They will take care of how users feel while using your app. Step 5 - Build a landing page for your app In 2020, the App Store page isn’t the only channel to market mobile applications. Don’t forget about marketing. You should tell the world how marvelous your app is and attract users. Create at least a landing page for your app and don’t forget about social media. Use Facebook or Twitter to find and engage your users. A landing page along with social media will tell people what your app is and how they can benefit from using it. Need one more app idea for your startup? Check out our article on How to create a job search app. Step 6 - Develop your app All you need is to find the right app developers for your project. At Mova.io, we build various mobile applications for any industry. Check out what we’ve already built 👉 Our portfolio Generally, app development can be divided into two categories: Front-end. The front-end makes your app visible. It includes layout, navigation, graphics, user interaction, animation, and data processing. Back-end. This part of the app you cannot see. The back-end is everything about how your app works. It includes databases, data storage, networking, and user management. Step 7 - Launch your app and upload it to the app store You’re ready to rock the world with your new app for movers. It’s time to add it to the store and collect the very first feedback. Here’s how you can upload your app to the Apple App Store: Sign up and create an Apple developer account Prepare your content including app’s title and metadata with Apple store connect . Upload your latest app to the App Store Wait for Apple to review your app Publish the app as soon as you get approval Done! Mobile app development is a multistage process involving not only top-notch developers but also UI/ UX designers, business analysts, project managers, marketers, and QA engineers. After the launch, you have full hands of other things to do - promote your app, collect users’ feedback, optimize your app, and fix the bugs. Thus, you need some extra money for maintenance issues. Don’t forget to include it while estimating your budget. Contact us for a detailed project estimate. Top factors influencing the app development cost There’re a few more things you need to take into account while developing an on-demand moving app. Did you know that your app development cost may be higher than your friends’ one? The app development cost cannot be estimated out of the blue since there lots of factors influencing the end price. Check them out 🔽 Features. A set of features you decide to add to your app is a major factor when it comes to cost estimation. The more advanced features you need, the more time and money it’ll take to bring them to life. Company type. If you already own a moving company, you’ll just need to hire a development company and build your app. But if you want to launch a startup company, you may need extra advice on how to build an app and integrate into your startup. App platforms. There two major mobile operating platforms to reach - iOS and Android. It’s better to build apps for both platforms. And if you’re tight on your budget, start with an MVP for the most widely-used mobile operating platform. Technologies. Developing a native app can bring more benefits than a hybrid one. Native apps are better in terms of user experience and functions. But they’re more expensive to build since you need to develop two independent apps. How much does it take to build an on-demand moving app? Taking into account all the factors mentioned above, the cost to make an app like Uber but for moving ranges between $16,000-$22,000. Need a more detailed estimation? Contact us, and we’ll estimate your project for free. Native Apps Cross-platform Apps UI Design $1,000 - $2,000 $1,000 - $2,000 Backend Development $4,000 - $6,000 $4,000 - $6,000 Mobile Development $16,000 - $22,000 $10,000 - $16,000 QA $1,000 - $2,000 $1,000 - $2,000 Total $22,000 - $32,000 $16,000 - $26,000 Final thoughts Summing up everything written above, the single-platform Uber-like application for movers will cost you around ~$20,000 at $35 hourly rate, depending on the number of features, number of screens, and overall app complexity. Note, the price mantioned abover stands for a user app, and you need two more app solutions - a mover app and an admin panel to manage that all. If you need any additional information on building apps, drop us a line. Have a question? Just write to us at: 📮 mail@mova.io Or leave your contact info, and we will write back!