Building An On-Demand Home Service App: A Fundamental Guide For Entrepreneurs

Calling service providers and receiving no response from the other side can be the most annoying scenario, especially when there’s a hindrance to the household chores. What do we do when we need professional services? Exactly, surf the internet. Why not turn this idea into a profitable business? An entrepreneur’s mindset, as experts call it, involves identifying a specific people problem and coming up with a unique solution. 

Home service is one such area that an entrepreneur can take to the online medium. This concept of connecting customers with home service providers isn’t entirely new. According to Research and Markets, the online market for home services forecasts a healthy CAGR of 52% between 2018 and 2022. This massive growth provides us a quality insight that a vast majority of the flourishing market is still unexplored. 

Launching a top-notch on-demand home service app can lead to potential benefits for customers and access to unrestricted revenue for entrepreneurs. Are you an entrepreneur aspiring to make your presence in the home service industry? 

This blog lays the foundation for building a home service app. We’ll discuss the business models, core features, and revenue streams to consider during development. 

Get to know the top players 

It is ideal to know how your competitors are faring before stepping foot into any sector. Analyzing your rivals can open doors for areas of improvement and customer expectations. Some of the top-performing home service apps include, 

• TaskRabbit: This online marketplace connects numerous service providers with customers in need. Currently operating in more than 45 cities in the US, TaskRabbit houses more than 60,000 independent service providers in the platform. 
• Urban Company: This Indian-based startup has expanded its business operations in major cities of Asia. The firm joins hands with thousands of quality service professionals. The emerging startup has already gained the attention of investors worldwide. 
• Housejoy: Considered as one of the strongest rivals of the Urban Company, Housejoy has picked up the pace to grow as the fastest-growing tech-startup right from its initial days. The Indian startup is currently providing services in more than 30 cities in India. 

Decide on your business model 

After analyzing the competitors and their flaws, it is time to gear up and build a home service app. The fundamental step in building a successful app is to choose the right business model. There are two popular models in this sector. Let’s discuss them here, 

• Supplier-pick model: In this model, customers can only choose the type of service. The software dispatches service providers who are available to take services in the vicinity. The model leads to reduced customer convenience as customers do not have the final say in determining the service providers. This model works best for taxi apps. 
• Buyer-pick model: In this model, in addition to the type of service, customers get to choose the service providers based on their ratings, years of experience, etc. The model paves the way for maximum customer satisfaction. Some of the popular home service apps are based on this model. 

The latter model is best-suited in the current market scenario, wherein customers get to analyze and choose the best service providers from various options. 

Introduce unique features to add value 

It is pointless to introduce an existing home service app replica and expect customers to switch to your app. Uniqueness in paramount in drawing customer attention towards your platform. Some of the advanced features that can come in handy include, 

• In-app chat/call: The app must provide a seamless communication flow between customers and service providers. This way, service professionals can contact users to know the type of service and other essential details. 
• Multi-lingual support: Language shouldn’t be a barrier to neglecting users from availing services. With a multi-lingual support system, the app can gain a global presence as well as attract a wide range of local customers. 
• In-app wallet: You cannot expect customers to pay via cash every time. Besides, they find it challenging to enter their account details every time during payments. Having an in-app wallet is an ideal way to enable customers to pay for services with just a few taps. 
• Customer support: Hearing customer queries and taking speedy action is a great way to enhance service quality. Incorporating a customer support feature lets customers raise their concerns and get instant feedback from the support team. 
• Real-time analytics: This admin panel feature enables you to make informed decisions. You can generate real-time reports on different types of services, the location experiencing huge demand, etc. This way, you can measure your startup’s growth based on numerous metrics. 

Appdupe’s Housejoy clone comes with the perfect blend of unique and essential features to help you stay ahead of your rivals and offer users an immersive app experience. 

Generate revenue from numerous sources

With the home services app, you can generate revenue from numerous sources. You can decide on your revenue streams based on your needs. They include, 

• Commission fees: By acting as an aggregator between service professionals and customers, you are entitled to receive a fixed percentage of service professionals’ income as paid commissions. 

• Subscription plans: You can roll out numerous subscription plans to users for a fixed fee on a monthly/yearly basis. 
• In-app ads: In-app commercials are a great monetization strategy. By partnering with third-party brands, you can generate income based on clicks, views, impressions, etc. 
• Feature listing charges: Service providers pay you a specific amount to rank at the top of users’ search results. This way, while they get to boost their visibility, you can enjoy consistent revenue. 

Conclusion 

The market for home service apps is booming exponentially. Besides, COVID-19 is propelling the need for both customers and service providers to utilize the online medium. As an entrepreneur, you cannot find an ideal scenario to set foot into the flourishing sector. Deciding the right business model, implementing unique features, and choosing suitable revenue streams can help you attain massive reception and revenue in the shortest possible time. 

In building the home services app, you’ll need expert assistance to craft your ideas into a highly reliable app. At BRILLMINDZ, we have helped so many entrepreneurs climb the ladders of success in our app development journey. Reach out to us, and establish your presence with a best-in-class Housejoy clone right away.