Why you should have an app and website for your taxi business

In December 2008, Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, two serial entrepreneurs, were stood outside a web conference in Paris when they couldn’t find a cab. Frustrated that, in the age of smartphones there wasn’t a simple solution for this, the two decided to join forces and create one. Over ten years later, Uber is now valued at over $60billion dollars and has changed the face of the taxi industry as we know it.

The days of finding and booking cabs by phone, taxi rank or simply waving your arms frantically above your head are gradually disappearing. Conducting simple day-to-day tasks and transactions through our smartphones is no longer considered disruptive, it’s now the norm. So it’s more important than ever to develop an understanding of new technological movements and how they affect your business.

Developing an app for your taxi business is just one of the essentials you need nowadays, along with things like a fast-loading website and good taxi fleet insurance. Taxi Insurer can help you with the latter, comparing quotes to get you the best deal.

 

Why should you have an app for your taxi business?

Let’s face it, Uber has unequivocally redefined the taxi industry. Customers are now used to the new way of hailing a cab. Launching the app, entering their destination, choosing their service and tracking and waiting for their ride. Two to three minutes later, a taxi pops up out of nowhere! It’s quick, easy and convenient and for many customers, there’s no going back from this model. Some of the benefits we’ve come to experience with taxi apps are:

 

Convenience - Probably the number one need taxi apps have answered is that of convenience. Instead of waiting to clear a busy landline just to book a ride or desperately searching for a taxi rank late at night (when you don’t know where the nearest one is) customers can now hail a cab directly on their smartphone.

 

Fitting in with our digital lifestyles - With so much of our lives now revolving around our smartphones, it makes sense that such a simple and relied upon service such as hailing a cab went ‘mobile’ 

 

Speed - Apps like Uber have made it easy to get a cab within minutes of booking due to their GPS technology. It’s also very easy for customers to see how far away their ride is with this same technology and push notification, meaning they no longer have to wait outside in the pouring rain just so they don’t miss their ride.

 

Easy payment - Uber has made it easy for passengers to pay for their ride through their mobile experience. No more fumbling for extra change or card machines breaking down for drivers.

 

Driver credibility - These apps have made it easier for customers to see who their driver is and to put a ‘face to a name’ before they get into the car. With some of the rating systems these apps have, customers can also be assured of the quality of their driver.

 

Safety - Some of these apps have made it easier for customers to report complaints or safety issues, helping to improve standards in the industry.

 

While it may seem like Uber and similar apps are dominating the marketplace, these disrupters currently only operate in a limited number of places (mainly major cities). That means there’s still an opportunity for traditional taxi companies to jump on the ‘Uber movement’. 

To keep up, taxi fleets everywhere are adopting the ‘Uber approach’ by launching their own apps. This can work particularly well for cab companies that are more specialised or that cater directly to a specific region still untouched by Uber. It’s also where things can get challenging as it’s expensive for more independent companies to develop an app. Still, there’s a solution to this, which we’ll explore later on.

The challenges with developing your own app

High development costs make it difficult for independent taxi fleets to launch their apps because it requires a lot of investment upfront. Furthermore, developing an app can be a long process from brainstorming features, to designing the app for usability and testing it before launching to the general public. This equates to time taken away from your team in the form of project management – time that could have been spent marketing to obtain more customers.

 

If you think you're ready to take the next step, we have you covered. Check out our guide to creating an app of your own.

What are white-label mobile apps?

A white-label taxi app is like any other white-label good. Essentially, it’s a pre-packaged app sold by a development company that you can further customise and brand to suit your needs. Just think of it like a skeleton that you can add skin to (your brand look and feel). Usually, it costs an upfront fee to set up and then a monthly subscription to continue running the app. Onboarding, maintenance, and troubleshooting are usually all taken care of by the developer.

 

What are the advantages of developing a white-label taxi app?

 

Increased revenues

Often, taxi fleets are dependant on third-party services that deliver the bookings, whether that’s a call centre agent or partnering with one of the industry giants like Uber that wield the power when it comes to setting their own commissions. Having your own booking app means that you can essentially ‘cut out the middle man’ and pocket all the profit for yourself.

 

Better ROI

Protecting your margin and lower development costs ultimately mean you’ll be making a higher return on investment with a white-label app.

 

A quicker route to market

Developing an app from scratch could mean months of back and forth with your development team until you see a final product. With a white label taxi app, you’re basically getting a pre-packaged product that you further customise. You can usually make these changes over a few days and have your app up and running in no time.

 

Low maintenance

Many white-label app packages also come with their own maintenance service for a monthly fee or even within the package itself. That means any troubleshooting or issues that you raise with the app provider will be dealt with by one of their trained specialists, making the upkeep of your app much less hassle.

Why should you have a website for your taxi business?

While there’s been a huge drive to set up apps lately, this shouldn’t overshadow your efforts to also set up a website. We all use search engines like Google to find what we’re looking for and your chances of being discovered by them will be much higher if you have a website that properly ranks for your local area. Some of the benefits of having a website are:

 

Gives you an online presence - Customers expect a business to have a website these days – it has come to be the norm. In this digital world, your online presence is crucial in getting your name out there and driving custom.

 

Gives you credibility - Even a very basic website will make you seem much more credible in the eyes of your customers. It’s a trust signal that tells them ‘hey, I”m here and I’m a real professional company’.

 

Attracts potential customers - With SEO (search engine optimisation) you can tailor the content of your website to attract certain kinds of search queries. Those who are typing in questions and phrases such as ‘cabs in X location’ or ‘cab companies near me’ are bound to be people who could potentially become your customers.

 

Accessibility and reference point - By having a website with your company’s number, booking information and app download details, you’re making it a lot easier for those potential customers to find you and therefore they’re more likely to actually book your service.

 

Online promotions - Having a website gives you a place to advertise your promotions and let people know if you offer special services, like airport runs.

How to set up a website for your taxi business?

The great thing about setting up a website is that it’s becoming less expensive these days. It may still require a bit of an upfront investment if you decide to hire a local developer or SEO specialist.