Rushabh PatelThe business model like on-demand model has proved to be a very successful one owing to the modern technological era ushered upon us. It is slowly becoming a necessity for modern-day consumers. Traditional consumers could have never fathomed that we would need a mobile app to take care of our laundry. I mean, why would anybody use an app for something that is well-managed within the household. Well, modern users would ask why someone would do their laundry when they can outsource it through mobile apps. They would instead spend that time and energy doing things they love. That is the reasoning that goes behind the advent and inception of on-demand mobile applications in everyday tasks. This is the very fundamental thought process that gave birth to on-demand laundry app development.
Mobile app development companies are investing more in developing their on-demand laundry apps. If you are also thinking of developing your own mobile app for on-demand laundry, then this article could get you started down the right path.
Laundry app development – Overview of on-demand laundry applications
Let us start with the basic overview of how a mobile laundry app works. The stakeholders engaged in providing such a service are as follows.
1. The Customer
Of course, the app needs a consumer in the form of a customer who will be placing the laundry order. He will be scheduling the time for the laundry pickup. He will hence be paying for the service as well through the app gateways or even Cash on delivery.
2. Delivery personnel
A delivery person is entrusted with the responsibility of picking up the laundry from the customer and bringing it to the rinser. He will then have to bring the laundry back after the laundry is done. Besides, the rinser will have to call upon the delivery person to get the clean clothes back to its respective owners.
3. The rinser
The rinser or the laundry man is at the center of it all. It is this person responsible for all the cleaning that is going on. Besides, he will be cleaning your clothes once the delivery person brings them to him. He first washes the clothes, then dries them, and finally irons them and packs them. Thereafter, he calls upon the delivery guy and sends the packages away to their respective customer.
Features to include in your on-demand laundry app
The app functionalities of your laundry app will be defined by the features integrated during the laundry application development. Let us breeze through some must-have features a laundry app must include.
1. Registering and logging in
Every smartphone app requires users to register initially and hence log in using the same credentials. You must ensure that customers are offered a seamless experience in this step. However, if you make the signing-in process too complicated, you may end up losing half your consumer base in this step.
Allow users to sign in using their personal cell numbers as well as social media accounts. Hence, you relieve them of entering all their details and save them some tedious tasks.
2. Service selection
Although your app is essentially all about doing the laundry, people like to have options in their services. Include different kinds of cloth treatment in your services and provide options for choosing the same. For instance, different cloth material requires a different kind of handling. Allow customers to choose the material type and also the laundry treatment they want them to undergo.
You can also add detergent preferences, hand wash or machine wash, quick dry or traditional dry, etc. Besides, you can provide them with the option of choosing their rinser or laundryman. A handful of selections will make the entire process more interesting for the customer.
3. Pickup scheduling
Once they have selected the service they require from your app, it’s time to pick up their clothes. Offer them a selection among various timing slots as per the availability. The delivery person will pick up their set of clothes during the chosen time interval and get it to the laundry person.
This allows more flexibility to the end-users and emphasizes their selection. Integrate slots as per delivery person availability and offer the same to your customers.
4. Cost estimation
As the customer selects their preferred washing style and the number of clothes along with the materials, a cost estimator will provide them with the charges associated with their laundry requirement. Thus, it will provide them with an estimate of their laundry charges and allow them to customize their order as per the cost.
5. Checking the status of the order and canceling them
As the customer places their order, they must be able to track them as well. As the laundry gets picked and moves to the rinser, a simple status panel must indicate the same to the user. It must provide an indication of the current position of every order to the customer. It will help them become aware of their order’s present status.
Also, allow your customers to change their minds within a certain time frame and cancel their order. You can choose to debit a small amount after a certain time frame of their order.
6. Feedback and reviews
Every on-demand mobile app must have a panel where customers are allowed to review the products and services they have availed. After they receive their laundry and complete the transaction, allow them an option to review the same. Their feedback not only allows you to better your services but also promotes them to potential customers.
7. Payment gateways
Your laundry app must include multiple payment options for the convenience of your customers. This includes wallets and UPI, credit and debit cards, and even Cash on delivery.
With more options of payment, the customers will be able to perform hassle-free payments. You could also think of integrating offers and discount codes when the payment is made using wallets or UPIs.
Technologies required for on-demand laundry app development
1. Cloud platform
Cloud servers will play a significant part in synchronizing all the information used by the mobile app.
2. Reporting and analytics
Analytics tools such as Open Source Analytics, Apache Spark, and Apache Storm are essential in driving your business forward.
3. GPS tracking
As laundry servicing involves picking up and delivering orders, your app would need GPS tracking to facilitate proper navigation.
Conclusion
On-demand laundry apps have gained an impressive repertoire amongst the modern-day Smartphone-based consumer base. This would be high time to hire a reliable mobile app development company and invest in developing your own mobile app for laundry.
