All About On-Demand Car Parking App Development

Among the thousands of wonders the IT industry has gifted this world, one of the most notable solutions is on-demand car parking mobile app development. The world has witnessed how valuable the advantages of smart parking management apps are. According to IoT Analytics research, over 11% of public car parking spaces across the globe are now smart. As a result, the software development community is now ready for massive growth in the demand for car parking mobile app development.

Growth in Car Parking Mobile App Development Industry

In this fast-paced world, on-demand apps have found a definite space for them in most urban cities. Fast-growing urbanization has made finding parking spaces a nightmare for most people. On-demand smart parking finder apps are no less than a boon in the current times because they enable users to search and reserve parking spaces easily.

In addition to that, parking app development has made non-cash payments possible for parking fees. The smart features of car parking apps also help drivers avoid getting parking tickets.

Source: Market Research Future

So it isn’t surprising that the demand for car parking apps is on the rise. A report by Market Research Future predicts that the global parking apps industry will amount to $7 billion by 2023. Increasing urbanization, rising vehicle sales, development of new commercial spaces are the major drivers of growth for smart parking mobile app development.

Top Parking Apps That Have Dominated The Market

RingGo

There are now a number of parking apps that have successfully garnered a significant user base. Two of the best smart parking mobile apps are:

Owing to its simplified car parking app design, RingGo has become the largest parking app in the UK. A user can have multiple cars so it lets you register all your cars.

Whenever you have to find a parking space, just select the car from your list of vehicles, enter the duration of your stay, and press pay. Simple!

Some additional features of RingGo parking app include warning notifications about the end of your parking session and the option of extending it whenever you want to.

Parkopedia

Parkopedia has become a huge car park directory with information on 70 million parking spaces in 15000 cities in Europe. It is one of the best parking management apps that should serve as a guide for easy smart parking app development.

It has an integrated map feature so if you aren’t familiar with the routes, you can easily switch between map and list of the available car parks.

One of the most distinguished features of Parkopedia is that it filters the available spaces in terms of parking spaces so you can choose the one that fits your budget. The only downside of this app is that it has no option to pay for the parking space using your phone.

How Do Smart Parking Apps Work?

For successful car parking mobile app development, you need to develop the essential components to address the users’ needs effectively. There are three main components in all parking finder apps:

1. User Panel
2. Parking Owner Panel
3. Admin Panel

User Panel in Parking App Development

To provide a seamless experience to your users, the user panel of your parking mobile app must have the following features:

Register

This feature is for the users to create their accounts on the app by filling in their relevant details. Moreover, give the users an option to sign up/sign in using their social media accounts for quick registration.

Allow the system to track vehicle location

Allowing the app to track the user’s location requires an in-built integration of GPS. After receiving the user’s permission to track their location, the smart parking app can suggest feasible parking options to them.

Search

This feature enables users to search for available parking spaces in their preferred location.

Enter estimated arrival and departure time

This section gathers information about the users’ estimated arrival and departure time in order to show the estimated cost of parking their vehicle at a particular parking lot.

Schedule booking

This is the most important feature of car parking mobile app development. It enables the users to reserve a parking space in advance which is the very objective behind using parking apps.

Make payments

As the name suggests, this feature facilitates payments for the services used. It can include both advance payments and payments after the service period is over.

Manage parking history

Using this feature in a parking app, users can keep a track of which parking spaces they have used frequently and how much they are spending on parking,

Provide ratings and reviews

Rating and reviews are essential features for maximizing user engagement with the app. Apart from being a platform for users to submit their feedback, this feature is also helpful to them in making the right decisions while choosing a parking space.

Parking-Owner Panel in Parking App Development

This panel is for the parking owners to accept booking requests and manage bookings as well as payments. Some of the essential features of the parking owner panel are:

Registration

Like the registration feature in the user panel, parking lot owners can use this feature to create their account by filling relevant details or using social login.

Add parking slots

Parking space owners can list and manage their parking spaces using this option.

Manage pricing

With this functionality, parking lot owners manage the parking fees they are going to charge the users based on the duration of services used, type of vehicle and the demand for parking spaces at a particular time.

Check bookings

In this section, parking space owners can track the bookings they have received which also includes advance bookings for the future.

Accept payments

Using the app’s integrated payment gateway, the parking lot owner can accept due payments from the users using this functionality. This digital payment option has made car parking mobile app development even more preferable for users and businesses.

Reviews and ratings

This is where the parking owner receives the reviews and ratings that the users give to parking lots. It’s helpful to parking owners in keeping a track of how efficient their services are and which areas need improvements.

Admin Panel in Parking App Development

A parking mobile app’s admin panel is an overview of its overall functionality. The features of the admin panel help the app manufacturer to manage the operational aspects of both user panel and parking owner panel. Following are the most common features of a smart parking app’s admin panel:

Reports

This feature in smart parking apps makes all the relevant reports related to the number of reservations requests, parking charges, preferred locations, etc. for the admin.

User management

The admin can access and manage user activities like the number of users, their transactions, payment details, etc. using this feature.

Manage payments

The admin can manage any payments made to the app and to the parking owner using this feature. It also helps them to keep track of payments received, costs deducted, discounts availed by the users etc.

Manage bookings

This feature enables the admin to accept or reject the parking requests as per the availability of the requested parking space and parking fees.

Manage offers

The admin uses this section to manage all the offers, discounts, and loyalty programs in the app.

Parking management

This feature is essential for the admin to manage parking space owner related aspects like registration of the parking space and fees charged by the parking owner.

Advanced Features of Car Parking Mobile App Development

Apart from the above basic features, implementing certain advanced features in your smart parking app is necessary to make your app stand out from the rest. Here’s how you can make your parking app more appealing to your potential users:

Multiple payment options

Users have different preferences when it comes to paying for parking spaces. So an on-demand parking app should have multiple payment options like credit/debit cards, e-wallets, PayPal, etc.

Price comparison

Users are more likely to use a parking app that lets them compare the prices of all the available parking spaces so that they can choose a feasible option for themselves.

Push notifications

Push notifications are necessary for two reasons. Firstly, it’s important to notify the users about the ending validity of their parking spaces so that they can either return to their car or extend their reservation period. Secondly, the app can keep users engaged by sending notifications about discounts and offers and app updates.

Presence in multiple cities

If the app provides parking options in multiple cities, it becomes easy for users to book parking spaces when they are traveling. So this feature can make your app a favorite parking app among the users who travel often for their business trips.

Advanced filtering options

Advanced filtering options are crucial to parking app development just as they are in other travel or eCommerce apps because filters by time, cost, and locations make the process of parking reservations very quick.

Detailed information about garages and lots

Detailed information like regular parking fees, the maximum number of hours the spot is rented out for, photos of the parking lot, etc. are very helpful to the users in choosing the right spot for themselves.

Waiting list

Some users may have special preferences for their favorite parking spaces. So incorporating a feature of the waiting list in parking app development helps such users to keep a track of the availability of parking spaces. Because of the waiting list feature, users can plan their visits very easily.

Heat map

Heat map is a feature that complements the basic parking space solutions. This feature helps users identify which routes are the most and the least busy in real-time. So this feature is helpful in making the right parking space booking decisions.

Save location

Most users tend to forget where exactly they have parked their cars. So they either note it down in their phone or take a picture of the parking block. With the save location feature, users won’t have to worry about these things as their parking location will always be saved in their on-demand parking app.

Tech Stack For Car Parking Mobile App Development

There is a rich collection of technology stacks to choose from when it comes to car parking app development. The tech stack you use directly influences the stability, scalability, and security of your app. So it’s crucial to select the right stack that optimizes the functionality and efficiency of your parking app while also reducing the app development cost and time.

Need For A Team of Mobile Parking App Developers

The biggest contributing factor to the success of a parking management app is the expertise of app developers. In order to create a cutting edge on-demand car parking app, you need to hire a team of skilled app developers. You can either have an in-house team of developers or you can outsource the app development to an IT company.

Ready to Develop A Smart Parking App?

We would be glad to help you! Third Rock Techkno is a dynamic app development company with clients ranging from startups to MNCs. Our team of expert app developers specializes in building highly efficient apps to provide a magnificent experience to your users. If you have a parking app idea, send us your brief here and we would be happy to offer a free consultation for your car parking mobile app development journey.

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