The ongoing pandemic has resulted in a global economic slowdown, crushing every business to the ground. The situation for retail businesses has been the worst. Product manufacturers from every industrial vertical are seeking ways to stay in business under these circumstances. This pandemic has confined consumers at their homes, which has drastically lowered the footfall at stores and business outlets. This downturn has also provided a narrow opportunity for businesses to recover the conditions.
The disrupted businesses are going digital to increase their revenues and be a part of online consumerism. Mobile application development is helping these businesses in their digital transformation. And, these developers are offering on-demand app solutions that can cater to the high demand for basic goods and essential services. Over the past few months, on-demand apps have registered a skyrocketing growth around the world.
Let’s learn how these apps are helping businesses cope with COVID-19.
What is an On-Demand App?
An on-demand app is a mobile application developed with software features that create a medium to connect the customer with the business. It helps the business run its service model and reach out to the vast base of online users through smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. On-demand apps are built for serving a very specific business purpose – create a faster and convenient environment for buying & selling products at cost-effective charges.
On-demand apps help consumers with ordering a service or buying a product that they require to be delivered within minutes. For example, if you need a vehicle to commute, you can use the Uber on-demand app to book a ride. These apps are designed to solve our daily problems, no matter how major or minor they are. In 2020, the demand for on-demand applications has increased in the consumer goods sector. With retail stores closed due to lockdowns, these apps helped consumers get their products for healthcare, beauty, and education. These on-demand apps allowed us to order food and other on-demand services. These apps connect us with different service providers, from which they charge a small fee.
Due to their convenient working application, consumers and businesses both prefer paying that extra money on on-demand apps. Instead of spending hours on the streets or websites, these apps offer a faster procedure to find the product or service.
Also read: Top 5 Mobile Apps to Build During Covid-19 Pandemic
How On-Demand Apps Work
Every on-demand app works in a similar fashion. It starts with the user placing a request for a service or a product. The business or the service provider gets this request through the app. When the business gets connected with the user (customer), the app verifies the request. The business then processes this request and sends it out for delivery. In the meanwhile, the customer completes the payment authorized by the app. At the time of delivering the service, the app ensures that the payment is duly collected and transferred to the business. The customer confirms the delivery of the product or the service, and the said payment gets deducted. This completes the transaction between the business and the customer.
Main Types of On-Demand Apps
Apart from ride-sharing apps, there are four key types of on-demand apps. These categories are gaining popularity in the COVID-19 situation.
- Service Booking: Salons and spa businesses have faced challenges in managing their appointments. A service booking app solves these issues by creating an orderly procedure for booking an appointment or a service. Salon booking apps have witnessed a high demand when the public spaces were reopened recently.
- Food Ordering: Local restaurants are adopting online food ordering apps to deliver their foods to the customers. A food ordering app helps these hotels & restaurants in getting the necessary revenues to keep their business operational. An on-demand foodservice app such as RestroHub helps customers with table reservations.
- Retailer: Local retail stores are using on-demand apps to sell their products through e-commerce. These retailer apps have emerged as a medium for the local trade of goods between customers and retail stores.
- Local Search: Due to surges in unemployment, consumers need ways to make their ends meet during the pandemic. A local search engine app is helping them find new ways to earn. A job search app is allowing them to take up low-wage jobs.
With on-demand mobile apps, several businesses can mitigate the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.
COVID-19 On-Demand Apps – Features & Costs
According to a leading mobile app developer, the average cost of on-demand app development starts at $2499. The breakdown of this cost includes research & development, feature development, technology stack, and UI/UX design.
- R&D: The research takes the least amount of cost. An app developer can help you conceptualize an on-demand app and map out its development cost.
- Features: The majority of costs are spent on selecting features and developing them. Geolocation tracking, push notifications, payment gateway integrations, and several other features need to be developed or adopted in your on-demand app.
- Technology stack: Frontend and backend development of the app requires the licensing of technologies, which could cost some amount.
- UI/UX: The development of engaging elements and graphics could cost a specific amount, depending on the business requirements.
The on-demand app development costs can increase on the basis of maintenance, updates, and deployment charges.
Benefits of On-Demand Apps in 2020
There are multiple ways in which on-demand apps are benefiting businesses in 2020-21. Here are the main business advantages of on-demand apps:
- Ease of access and mobile availability
- Low-cost app development
- Multiple options for payment processing
- User-preferential feature adjustments
- Diversified and dynamic delivery of services
- Effortless operations
On the grounds of these benefits, on-demand apps can drive the profits of your business significantly.
Sankalp – The Best On-Demand App Developer Today
To grow your business organically during the COVID-19 crisis, you can partner with Sankalp for on-demand app development. The app developer builds engaging on-demand apps at competitive prices. With Sankalp, your on-demand business app can become the next Uber in your industry. Get a free demo of On-demand App Development.