The internet apps list is being flooded with on-demand apps; from taxi-on-demand app Uber, to dating-on-demand app Tinder. These days you can get just about anything on demand. Doctors, employees, food, hotel rooms, the list goes on. You can access any of these through the apps available on various platforms with both Android and iOS.
This growing trend has given a completely separate identity to the on-demand platform. The UX genre specializing in this area has grown significantly. In this article, we will take a look at how user experience should be designed with on-demand apps firmly in mind. We will see the impact of such apps and their enhancements with proper UX design.
Proper research
This year has seen a lot of developments in the UX design process. Still, the research phase has yet to build up. Effective and accurate research builds the foundation for any app whether it is on-demand or not. You have to find the purpose of your app, and start designing accordingly. Several research methodologies are available, and each app will have a methodology that best suits it.
Analyzing your competitors is one of the main parts of research. You should find out what your customers like and dislike when it comes to your rivals. Without directly copying content from your competitors, you can adapt features from them and add a unique and individualized touch to it. Ultimately, it is customers that make any business successful. It is essential to know their mindset. Competitor analysis is one of the best ways to achieve this.
User analysis can also be done through other methods. You can establish customer preferences through surveys. If an offline store is planning to launch an app, it sometimes seeks the opinions of its existing customers. This can greatly improve the acceptability of your app.
User testing is another important area. Even the most well-established players like Uber employs user testing before their releases and updates. The on-demand apps can be given to a select set of customers for testing. After their suggestions, proper modifications can be made. Following this, the app can be mass-released to the public.
Get to the point
On-demand apps should provide service within the shortest space of time. You will not notice a fancy home screen when you are badly in need of a taxi. The user experience should be smooth. Unnecessary pop-ups and notifications should be avoided.
A simple and user-friendly interface is essential for an on-demand app. Your app should be able to fulfill the demand of the customer in quick and simple steps. To improve the ease of use, many apps are giving the provision to register via your Google account. This saves a lot of time for customers.
Social media apps want you to spend more time on their home screens. On-demand apps should not be so. Only the most relevant things should be shown on the home screen. The user must be able to meet their demand swiftly. Streamlining is essential.
Tracking options
After the customer places an order, the second most essential UX constituent of your app is the ability to track progress. Care must be taken not to annoy the user with bulk notifications. At the same time, relevant information should be conveyed to them on time.
The best on-demand apps offer a blend of intermittent notifications and real-time tracking. For example, take the case of Uber. They notify you with text messages when your driver is arriving soon, and when they’ve arrived. The ride hailing apps give you the chance to check the position of your driver through your GPS.
These techniques may seem good for only delivery-based services, but they can be applied across many on-demand apps. Consider an on-demand laundry service. The tracking functionality can be used to notify customers about various stages of service. This functionality is widely followed in other apps also. Flipkart, Amazon etc. allow customers to track their products while they are in the process of being delivered to you.
Automation and suggestions
One of the best ways to delight your customers is to be adaptive to their demands. For example, ride hailing apps should provide labels for frequently visited places. The provision for setting Home and Work locations exists in many of the apps. This makes it much easier for a regular user. The app should be intelligent enough to suggest which place you may go, depending on the time you book the ride.
In the case of food delivery apps, it should keep track of your favorite dishes. By knowing you well, apps can automate themselves to display offers and discounts that will be relevant to you. The apps should provide customization option to its users. This will greatly improve the UX of on demand apps.
Proper design
The designs of popular apps on the internet can be studied. Inspiration can be drawn from them and can help you design your apps in a similar way. The design should indulge the users and give them a pleasant experience.
The size of the app is no longer much of a constraint. The recent smart phones have plenty of storage capacity. But beware, don’t make your apps too bulky. Apps with large sizes may consume too much data, and may be slow to load. Make your applications simple but at the same time, not too ordinary.
No matter how well you design your apps, bugs are sure to arise at some point. Good apps should regularly review their performance, and release periodic updates. Bugs should be fixed as soon as possible.
Customer care
Apps should provide the customer with the means to communicate their complaints and queries. Most on demand apps have provision for this. Customer care is one of the key areas in UX design. The complaints of users must be taken seriously, and sorted out with minimal delay. Proper customer care is the key to customer retention.
Interaction with customers will also help to identify bugs faster. Customers may accidentally find bugs that were overlooked by the developers. Using proper communication channels means that this information can be conveyed efficiently and any faults can be fixed at an early stage.
Good customer reviews come from good customer care. If a customer gets their problems solved fast, they will be delighted. They could share it on a social media platform or post a nice review. All these will boost the acceptability of your app.
Referral programs
Most of the on-demand apps give you a sign-up bonus. They also give you discounts, when you share the app with friends and colleagues. This has also become part of the UX design of on demand apps.
This is a great strategy to acquire customers in the early stages. Referral programs are used by many apps in the marketplace. There should be a proper means to verify that each app install is rewarded only once, and the app should be designed with a simple referral program.
Giving rewards in the form of wallet cash is a great strategy. For example, Ola has OlaCash wallet of its own. By referring friends, you get cash into your OlaCash account. This will persuade the user to use the app again.
You have seen the various aspects of UX design for on demand apps. Proper designs will provide your customers with a pleasant experience. Proper customer care and a tracking functionality are very important. Apps should be customizable for a more personal user experience.
Are you looking forward to releasing your own app? If so, we are sure this article will help you. Do you have any more points to add? Let us know your thoughts below, and get a chance to be featured in our next Freelancer community blog!
