Build Your Own On-Demand Courier Delivery App

With the rise of e-commerce, customers have come to expect faster and more efficient courier delivery services. In fact, the global courier, express, and parcel market is expected to grow by $190 billion between 2021 and 2025.

This presents a huge opportunity for businesses to create their own on-demand courier delivery apps and compete in this rapidly growing market.

In this blog post, we'll explore the essential steps for building an on-demand courier delivery app that stands out from the competition.

But, before that let's see the various courier delivery business models.

Courier Delivery App Business Model Types

The courier delivery industry encompasses a wide variety of business models, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these models is crucial for entrepreneurs looking to build their own courier delivery app.

Here are some of the most common business models used in the courier delivery industry:

1. On-Demand Delivery

This business model involves providing customers with immediate pickup and delivery services on demand. This model is ideal for customers who need fast delivery services and are willing to pay a premium for them.

2. Scheduled Delivery

In this model, customers can schedule pickups and deliveries at specific times and dates. This business model is ideal for customers who have more flexible delivery needs.

3. Same-Day Delivery

This business model involves providing customers with delivery services on the same day the order is placed. This model is often used by e-commerce companies that want to provide customers with fast, convenient delivery options.

4. Subscription-Based Delivery

In this model, customers pay a monthly or annual fee for access to a courier delivery service. This model is ideal for businesses that have a high volume of regular deliveries.

5. Peer-to-Peer Delivery

This model involves connecting customers who need packages delivered with individuals who are willing to do so for a fee. This model is often used by startups that want to disrupt the traditional courier delivery market.

How On-Demand Courier Delivery Model Differs From Others

When it comes to the on-demand model, shippers can transport packages and couriers within the local community as they offer several benefits:

• They help business people deliver packages from their office to another place within the town.
• They assist older adults who need help with shifting and moving.
• They are useful for people who want to send surprise gifts to their loved ones.
• They provide an alternative for transporting packed boxes instead of calling traditional packers and movers.

Workflow of an On-demand Courier Delivery App

Before we talk about building the on-demand courier delivery app, let’s look at the internal process of the app.

In the courier delivery app, there would be two types of users on the platform.

• Shippers
• Delivery partners

Let’s see the general workflow of the shippers' app

• Shippers enter the package pick-up and drop location on the app.
• The app fetches the delivery partner within the particular radius.
• The shippers select a vehicle suiting to the package they want to deliver and book it.
• They get connected to the delivery partner.
• The delivery partner comes to the pick-up location, collects the courier from the shippers, and transports the courier to give it to the person at the drop location.
• The shippers pay for the delivery.

The general workflow of the delivery partners' app

• The delivery partner changes the status to online.
• Get a request from the shippers.
• Accept the booking request from shippers.
• Pick-up courier from the shipper’s pick-up location and deliver to the person at the designated drop location.
• Receives his share of payment.

According to this workflow, let’s look into the needed features.

The Key Features to Be Included in the App

While building the courier delivery app, these are the key features that make the app to function effectively.

In Shippers' App

1. Multiple Vehicle Options

Give shippers multiple vehicle options to choose their desired one for transporting the courier safely to the destination.

2. Fare Estimation

The platform estimates the fare based upon the number of miles, chosen vehicle, and the type of courier to transport. This estimation allows Shippers to choose their mode of transport.

3. Live Tracking

The shippers can track the status of the courier until it gets delivered to the person on the destination.

4. Multiple Payment Options

The shippers can pay for the ride using a wallet, credit, or debit card. They can choose their default payment from the list of many options.

5. Call Options

The shippers can call the Delivery partner using the in-call option present on the platform to explain their whereabouts.

6. Ratings and Reviews

Shippers can rate the service and review them depending upon the condition of the package arrived at the destination.

7. Push Notifications

Shippers can get live updates regarding the status of the booking and package delivery. They also get notifications regarding new offers and promo codes.

In Delivery Partners' App

1. Payout Method

The delivery partner can add multiple payment methods to receive their share of the fare after delivering the courier.

2. Delivery Partner’s Availability

The delivery partner can switch online or offline at a click of a button. When the delivery partner is out to deliver the courier, they are online and go offline when they need a break.

3. Push Notifications

Delivery partners receive push-up notifications when they get a request from shippers and when they receive their share of payment.

4. Call Option

The delivery partner can call the Shippers using the in-call option to know their exact location to pick up the courier.

5. Dynamic Routing

The delivery partner app provides the shortest route to the drop location when the delivery partner gets confused in deciding the route.

6. Google Maps Navigation

The Google Maps navigation guides the delivery partner to take the right direction to the pick-up location.

7. Earnings

The delivery partner can see their total earnings and their weekly earnings in the app.

Steps to Create the Courier Delivery App

Creating an on-demand courier delivery app may seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, here are the steps involved.

1. Perform Market research

The first thing to do before starting any business is to perform complete market research. Doing comprehensive market research and having a clear business plan would help in understanding the target shippers and how big the market is.

There are many ways to collect information on the current market.
You can study by going through surveys, interviewing people from all walks of the industry, attending focus groups, and, most importantly, observing Shippers.

See your locality and interview to know about your business idea. Look at the current companies that deliver packages within the local town. Analyze how your business can capture a unique market.

By gathering insights, you can decide on your business model and the features needed in your app.

2. Design the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX)

Create wireframes and prototypes to visualize the app’s design and user flow. Focus on intuitive navigation, a clean layout, and an engaging user experience.

The UI/UX design should make it easy for users to register, place orders, track deliveries, and make payments.

Conduct user testing with prototypes to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments before moving to development.

3. Choosing the tech stack

When developing a courier delivery app, there are two main choices: native and cross-platform development. Cross-platform development is gaining popularity due to cost and time efficiency.

Popular cross-platform tools include Ionic, React, Xamarin, and Flutter, which is also used by companies such as eBay, Groupon, and Alibaba.

Flutter offers benefits like faster development, easier UI design, and reduced testing time, making it valuable for creating quick market test MVPs.

4. Develop the App

Begin the development process by setting up the backend infrastructure and creating APIs.

Develop the front end for both shippers and delivery partners. Ensure that your development team follows best practices for coding, testing, and deployment.

Use agile methodologies to manage the project, allowing for iterative development and regular updates based on feedback and testing.

5. Integrate Key Functionalities

Incorporate third-party services to enhance functionality.

This might include integrating payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal, map services like Google Maps for tracking, and notification services like Firebase for real-time updates.

Ensure these integrations are seamless and provide a smooth user experience.

6. Test Rigorously

Conduct extensive testing to identify and fix bugs and ensure the app runs smoothly. Perform unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing.

Test the app under various conditions to ensure reliability, security, and performance. Beta testing with a small group of users can provide valuable insights and help refine the app further.

7. Launch the App

Prepare for the app launch by setting up accounts on app stores (Google Play and Apple App Store) and adhering to their guidelines.

Create a marketing plan to promote your app, including social media campaigns, online ads, and collaborations. Monitor the app’s performance post-launch and be ready to address any issues that arise.

Readymade Courier Delivery App Solution

Developing your app from scratch is not your only option as you can also opt for a readymade solution.

Readymade solutions are pre-built business apps that are specifically designed for your business, already consisting of the necessary features, so you can just rebrand them and launch them as your business platform.

So, instead of building an on-demand courier delivery app from scratch, you can take an existing, ready-made solution and customize it to match your business requirements.

For example, you can look into our on-demand taxi-booking app solution called Wooberly,

Even though it is an app solution for taxi businesses, it can be customized, which includes tailoring the workflow and features, to transform it into a courier delivery app solution.

What do you get out of this solution?

• Apps on both platforms for both users (users & delivery partners)
• Admin panel – Get an admin panel to easily monitor and manage platform activities
• 100% customizable – You can opt for customization from us or choose to customize the solution yourself as well
• Free tech supports, such as white-labeling, app launch, server installation, app rejection support, and free updates (based on the package you purchase.)

When customizing, you can alter the booking process to specify the pick-up and delivery locations of the courier and select the suitable vehicle.

The delivery partner can then pick up and deliver the courier accordingly.

If you have questions on how you can customize our taxi booking solution to suit your on-demand courier app requirements, reach out to us.

Contact us via WhatsApp at any time, and we'll be happy to answer all your queries.

Wrapping Up,

Building a platform that is relatable to your target audience takes effort and undergoes changes with new customer needs and changes in market demand.

In today’s world, where any service can be booked online, the on-demand courier app creates various business opportunities in the market.

Though it will be challenging at first to bring the delivery partners and Shippers on board, it can benefit small businesses in the local area to reach more Shippers.

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