Uber cofounder and CEO Travis Kalanick, a 38 years old man, didn't have it lucky the first time round. It was only after several failed attempts to start up that he took Uber where it has today -a company that does more than $1.8 billion in business every year. Uber today operates in 128 cities across 50 countries.
His confidence and competitiveness are part of his personality that makes him a brilliant entrepreneur. Interestingly, Uber wasn't even his first venture - he had failed at attempts to develop a file sharing company first. So, how did he make it work this time with Uber?
The Idea of Uber
It all started in 2008 at LeWeb tech conference. Travis had a conversation with StumbleUpon founder Garrett Camp.
Camp had an idea for the luxury car service, which had features of being convenient and that didn’t cost $1,000 for a ride. Travis was looking for ideas, so he was in on the first go, and then the two started Uber Cab the next year.
Today, it has become a business model for many to follow and copy, just after eight years of service.
The secret for Uber was that it had customers readily available with zero competition and the drivers willing to join the profit machine. But how did they build the brand image of Uber and make it expand to more than 50 countries around the world? Here are some trade secrets of Uber.
1.
Research the target market
The right information could be your biggest weapon that will help you to get an edge over the other competitors. Focus on the scope of customers, rivals, demand, opportunities, and threats available in this taxi industry - Uber did it really well. Knowing your target market thoroughly will help you achieve the necessary data, which in turn drive your growth. Your taxi dispatch app needs to offer services be specific to that target market.
2. Having a different but ‘same’ service
When you do a market research, the information available will help you to determine what you need to do differently. Make your service different from what you have seen on the roads - make it better and more reliable for the user.
Focus on offering a better experience for the user; give discounts for the first app users. Once users experience what you've to offer and you can make it a habit for them, they are far more likelier to keep on trying your service.
Tell users to share their experience with others and reward them for it with a refer and earn program. It's important to maintain the brand image - what people will say after they have used your taxi service will be a major factor driving your growth.
3. Implementation
Have a distinctive set of facilities that will improve user engagement. Ease in booking, payment, and availing a taxi will lead to a successful cab booking business.
Build on customer loyalty and focus on making the listing, tracking, and payments process an easy one.
4. Customize the app for target market
The research will help you determine areas with unsatisfied customers or those areas that haven't been explored yet. Customize your app according to that market so that you can improve customer loyalty.
This will help you in easy penetration in other markets as well. Making both the customers and drivers happy is a big part of the plan to become a successful company.
5. Taxi Booking App Solution
Creating a taxi booking platform which can provide taxi based facilities along with user guidance is what you need to be looking for. Focus on things like the friendliness of the drivers, comfort in the cab, and flexibility to both drivers and riders for the payment.
You need to take a look at the entire cycle that starts with users downloading your taxi service app till they hail and complete a taxi ride. Any glitch can cause a major breakdown in the trust, which will affect the growth in the latter stages.
Consider launching a beta version of the app - it helps you to determine the user experience and glitches experienced by both driver and users.
Making It Big With Your Own Taxi Service
Perhaps Uber owes a lot of its success to the courage and the determination of its founder. Who else could, despite all the opposition of taxi companies and other obstacles, make it to the top?
Uber has even dealt with lawsuits, strikes from the drivers for more compensation, and other controversies successfully. If you are looking to develop a taxi service app for your business, these are just some of the things that will help you tap into the market. Invest in a uber clone today, and have a taxi software that all can trust.
