Time And Cost Of Developing The Uber Like App

The phases of the Development, which require extra Expenses

1. Planning

Approximately 12% of the cost is required in the planning phase of the app development, which is further divided into 2 main factors, which are as follows: 

Defining Features:

Using market insights, the core features and functionality of the app are defined. Focus is placed on standout features that will differentiate the service from competitors. Furthermore, having the advanced feature in the app is essential as it helps the firm in furnishing convenience to the users. However, incorporating the advanced attributes in the app needs additional expenses.  

Market Research:

Extensive market research is done using various tools that add up to the cost of development to understand consumer needs, the competitive landscape, and the scope of expansion. Surveys, interviews, and data analytics help formulate the right offering to attract customers. Furthermore, inspect and list the competitors in the market and try to identify their strengths and weaknesses in their services. This research helps the firm prove the improved and better customer experience and even requires investments as this process requires various tools to help. 

Planning Phase Timeline:

The planning phase is expected to take around 3-4 weeks. This involves market scans to gauge competition, customer demographics, and growth potential. Defining the minimum viable product (MVP) features also falls under the planning phase based on core objectives, resources, and capabilities. The project plan with timelines is also carved out during this initial phase.

2. Design

Prototyping:

yes, it requires an extra cost, but it's the best investment. Prototypes are created to simulate the actual app experience. These prototypes are tested with focus groups to gain insights on design effectiveness and scope of improvement. Feedback is incorporated iteratively to refine the prototypes.

UI/UX Design:

Easy user flow is ensured through intuitive UI/UX design. The customer journey from onboarding to booking rides is visualized and designed accordingly. Factors like visibility, ease of use, and engagement are built into the layouts, interfaces, and information architecture. This phase requires more time and expenses as the app needs advanced design and strategies. 

Design Phase Timeline:

An estimated 5-6 weeks can be allocated for the design phase. Two weeks would involve conceptualizing the customer journey and building user personas, flowcharts, and information architecture plans. Another two weeks go into the UI/UX design of different app screens and touchpoints. The rest of the timeline involves iterative prototyping to refine designs based on user feedback from focus groups and expert review.

3.Development

Backend Development:

Scalable backend infrastructure is crucial for the seamless functioning of the app. It provides the smooth and efficient operation of your app. The backend infrastructure includes server hosting, database management, and other related expenses. Thus, engage with the firm providing the Uber clone app using robust backend frameworks. Utilizing the best backend frameworks helps ensure the scalability of the app. 

id="docs-internal-guid-ee7efc2b-7fff-e082-99fc-1d2be3a8e74e">The app's scalability is essential for it to be successful and to make sure that it can handle the high numbers of users in the app and can load in very little time to enhance the user experience. 

Backend development phase timing:

It needs to set up strong APIs, and servers, create the database, and integrate the other requirements in the app. Therefore, 6 to 10 weeks in the development of the back end, and even more timing goes into erecting a robust and scalable backend architecture. 

Frontend Development:

The visual interfaces are coded to life using languages like React Native, Flutter, etc. Get web development services or coding best practices around modularity and reusability are employed to streamline development. The influencing cost factors in this phase include website responsiveness and the complexity of animations. To sum up, the front-end development phase might take an average of two to six weeks.

Frontend development phase timing:

Users interact with the front ends, and it needs timing in designing and then developing the whole front end. Thus, at least 4 weeks is reserved for frontend app development spanning multiple OS platforms like iOS and Android. 

Testing:

Rigorous testing protocols across QA, UAT, performance testing, security testing, etc. help identify and eliminate bugs. Automation accelerates testing procedures, enabling faster go-to-market. Dedicated mobile app testing tools like Appium are utilized. It is a time-consuming process that ensures it runs smoothly on different devices and platforms. The cost of testing depends on the time and resources needed.

Testing Phase Timeline:

While testing is inherently part of the development lifecycle, an additional 4-6 weeks can be set aside exclusively for testing activities. Exploratory tests, automated scripts, real device testing, load tests, and UATs would consume the bulk of this timeline. Buffer time is also allotted for defects found and fixed during user acceptance and pilot testing before the final launch.