App development has transformed the way businesses run. These days, there is virtually an app for everything. We have online platforms and app like oyo booking a hotels other apps for ordering food, booking flight tickets, shopping grocery items, buying clothes online and everything in-between.
All these have happened, thanks to the proliferation of the mobile app development industry in recent years. One of the most successful online hotel booking platforms is OYO.
OYO is growing rapidly in popularity, and many entrepreneurs have poured their investments into this latest trend. And this is because more and more people are taking up travel as a hobby. OYO is considered the biggest platform-based budget hotel network.
By the time you read this article to the end, you will learn how you can build an app like OYO with the necessary functionalities and features. The mobile app should not only be efficient but should also attract hundreds of users via its design, usage, and comfortability.
Why Do You Need to Create an App Like OYO?
Next, we’ll take a look at what is needed to create an App like OYO. According to recent studies, the last couple of years have been a marvelous one for OYO Hotels and Rooms, especially when compared with the preceding years. There was a significant financial growth of up to 60 percent, and this had led the OYO partners to convert the hotel to the OYO franchisee.
OYO has been able to mark its milestones in seven different countries, including China, Indonesia, Indian, Nepal, Malaysia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). And they have also recently announced their presence in Sri Lanka.
The worldwide market volume for online hotel bookings is estimated to exceed $174 million by 2022 and mobile app development has filled up this need. This is, therefore, the best time for you to create an app like OYO.
Steps to Build an OYO App
To build an OYO app, follow the steps below:
Idea – To create an app like OYO usually starts with an idea. The idea will define the critical goals that will make the app a success. You need to ensure that the app is available on the App Store or Play Store for iOS and Android devices, respectively.
Planning
This has to do with setting up plans that will be beneficial for the team that will be part of the app development project. The plans will be the guide the team will follow from execution right down to the closure phase. It is vital to make plans and follow them through because planning will help you to efficiently manage time, issues, cost, quality, risk, and change.
Analysis
The most important phase of creating any mobile application is analysis and gathering of requirements. It is at this stage that the project team will have a good idea of the target audience, i.e. who will make use of the product, what the consumer requirements will be, etc.
As soon as the customer provides the requirements, the project manager and the app development team will analyze the requirements to be sure whether such requirements can be added in the software without causing a malfunction or breaks in the system.
Design
The next step has to do with designing the new system, which will be based on the analysis and requirements. This is the phase where the control process, interface, data structure, workload, and limitation of the system, taking backups, and documentation are decided.
The techniques and tools that show how the design phase will play out include data flow diagram, decision tree, flow chart, and so on.
Development
At this stage, a programmer and a database developer/network engineer will be assigned to carry out a significant part of the entire process. This is where the production of the mobile application starts.
Before going ahead with app development, it is essential to mention than a mobile application can be developed on three major platforms: iOS, Android, and cross platforms. Let’s briefly take them one after the other:
i. Android Platform
Android is a mobile operating system that is designed for smartphones, tablets, and touch-screen mobile devices. It is presently the most popular or widely used mobile operating system globally.
ii. The iOS Platform
This is a mobile operating system that was developed by tech giant Apple Inc. for its numerous hardware devices such as iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc.
iii. The Cross-Platform
The mobile apps launched on this platform are developed using a single codebase instead of developing them via native technologies like Android and iOS.
It makes a lot of sense to build an app like OYO as a minimum viable product (MVP). The idea behind MVPs is to get authentic and unbiased feedback from users of the mobile app in its barest or core state before adding features that will embellish the mobile application.
If the feedback is positive and the end-users cannot wait to get their hands on a fully functional mobile application, you can go ahead to develop the final product with all the bells and whistles.
But if the feedback is not encouraging, you can either kill the idea or re-strategize again. The primary goal of creating a minimum viable product, therefore, is to avoid failure.
You will also be able to save resources and time by ensuring that you are investing in a product that is bound to be successful based on the encouraging feedback you have garnered.
You will also be in the best position to take note of the current trends and add them as you develop the full version of the mobile application. This is also the part where investors from all angles are more than willing to do business with you or your organization.
Testing
The testing phase usually starts as soon as the app or software developers/programmers have completed the coding and released the module. The application or software is then tested thoroughly in order to detect any defects which may mar its usability or functionality.
Any defects that are detected are noted and passed onto the developers/programmers to fix as soon as possible. In most cases, for instance, the major default that is usually tested after app development is the delay that may occur when the number of users of the mobile app increases at the same time.
This could significantly affect the application by causing it to malfunction. This is why the mobile app needs to undergo rigorous and extensive testing to ensure that there are no bugs or defects in the system.
Implementation/Deployment
This is the phase where the product goes live after undergoing rigorous and different testing phases. This means that the software or application is formally ready to use in the real world by interested or targeted end-users.
Support/Maintenance
This is the final phase, and it involves support or maintenance as well as regular updates. By this time, it is assumed that the end-user is very familiar with the mobile application or software.
Maintenance involves boosting the performance of the product, adding new features or enhancing additional capabilities, etc.
Cloud Services
Cloud Services are the rage today in nearly every sector as it acts as an umbrella for startups or new enterprises that deliver top-notch services like databases, storage, networking, analytics, software, and intelligence.
The significant features of Cloud Services are security, reliability, speed, productivity, and accessibility.
There are four types of cloud services, namely:
i. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS offers an on-demand environment for software or app development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. The developers will be able to create a mobile or web application easily without the need to set up or manage IT infrastructure.
ii. Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS is an activity that focuses on delivering software apps over the internet, usually on a subscription basis.
iii. Serverless Computing
Serverless Computing focuses on creating application functionalities without spending a lot of time on managing the infrastructure and servers required. The cloud service provider handles set up, capacity planning, as well as server management for startups.
iv. Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas)
This aspect of cloud services involves renting IT infrastructures like servers, network, storage, and OS on a payment basis.
Payment Services
The payment portal is a crucial feature that must not be omitted when creating a mobile application or software. Any payment gateway that you select must be user-friendly while securing the details of the customer or end-user.
Customer Service
When you build an app like OYO, you must be prepared to deal with customers with various personalities and characters. So, make sure that you have a versatile team that will handle customer service.
The team should be able to pacify customers of all races and creed as well as attend to their numerous complaints or queries as soon as possible. Having a 24/7 customer service team will go a long way in guaranteeing the success of your mobile application.
And this is why three different mobile applications need to be created viz.:
Admin (Features)
- Manage accounts of hotel owners and end-users
- Administer payment transactions
- Approve/Confirm booking management
- Manage promotional offers and discounts
Hotel Owner (Features)
- Create, manage, and edit accounts
- Have a look at the list of bookings
- Regularly update the dashboard according to the availability of rooms.
- Create sales reports from time to time
End-user (Features)
- Create, manage, and edit the account
- View list of hotels and availability of rooms
- Mark the planned dated and filter the place
- Analyze different categories of rooms
- User-friendly online payment option
- Email/SMS notification on confirming room booking
- Provide reviews and ratings.
What are the Essential Features You Should Include in Your App?
Here are the essential features that should be included when you build OYO app:
Online Registration
The hotel mobile app should display a portal that allows first-time users to sign up for an account or create their login with their cellphone numbers or email ID. In the same vein, there should be a portal that allows existing customers to log in easily without any hitch.
Track Availability
The mobile application should be able to easily track the availability of both rooms and hotels in the destination city.
Booking Details
The hotel mobile application should have a space that receives details of bookings, customer IDS and confirmations, etc.
Price of Different Room Categories/Amenities
In the mobile app, users should be able to check the unique prices of different room categories like double, deluxe, etc. as well as the amenities that come with each option or selection.
Payments
There should be an option for users to make payments online as well as when they reach their desired hotel.
GPS Functionality
When users of the mobile app reach their destination city, they should be able to locate their destination hotel quickly.
Early check-in
Some users may need to check-in at the hotel before the allotted time. For such cases, the users should be able to mark the early registration.
Check-in and check-out
Customers should be able to mark the check-ins and check-outs in the mobile app quickly.
Support Helpdesk
Users must be able to get in touch with the support desk via chats or phones.
Cancellations
If users want to cancel bookings, they should be able to do so quickly while providing specific reasons for the cancellations.
How Your OYO Mobile App Can Make Money
Do you know that after you create an app like OYO, you can utilize different methods to make money? Here are some ideas to consider
Advertisements
You can allow other companies to buy advertising space on your mobile application. Sponsored ads include charity events, offers, social events, etc.
Membership Fees
Premium accounts for frequent users may require a monthly or yearly membership fee. This is a fantastic way of earning money on your mobile app as well.
Reservations
The mobile app collects a small percentage of the reservation fee for the rooms that are booked in the hotel.
Commissions
The mobile app owner collects a small percentage of the profits from the hotels that are aligned to it monthly or annually.
Services
Hotels that are willing to be part of your mobile app should expect to pay consulting fees.
Creating an app like OYO is not rocket science; however, you need the services and experience of dedicated app developers or an iOS and Android app development company to help bring your ideas to life.
And if you put everything in place as detailed in this article and the developers build an app like OYO for you, you will start enjoying the same level of success, popularity, and prestige as the OYO application.