How To Successfully Create A Dog Walking App

Don’t we just adore our pets?

We do, after all, consider them to be our children in the making. When it comes to them, we do everything in our power to make sure they’re happy. Even the simplest tasks are difficult to accomplish when we are constantly busy! Buying cat food and walking the dog are two examples. Our guilt and regret over the lack of magic wands could make at least some of these problems disappear.

An item like this does exist, however. The most popular of these are on-demand dog walking apps. There is no magic or sorcery involved, but there is a focus on the use of new, cutting-edge digital technologies.

In fact, dog walking apps like Rover are in high demand. In the past, pet owners would give money to their neighborhood kids to take their dogs for a walk or leave their dogs with friends or relatives before going on vacation, but those days are long gone.

Whether it’s a puppy or a taxi, technology has simplified the process. Applications like Rover have revolutionized the pet care industry and made life easier, more comfortable, and more lucrative for their owners. They’ve also helped pet owners make more money. Dog walking services have already generated a $1 billion dollar industry in 2018.

Not only that, but even dog walkers, who work 35-40 hours a week, make a tidy $2000 a week. Evidence suggests that this industry has been lucrative as shown above. In addition to making it easier for pet owners to find a dog sitter, the dog walking app is also profitable for the company.

And because you don’t know how to do it but you want to create a similar application. We’ve got you covered, so don’t be alarmed. 

So if you want to create a successful dog walking app, read on!

Why Do You Need A Dog Walking App?

People these days are incredibly active. To make matters worse, people are so consumed with their work and social obligations that they never have time for their hobbies. In these hectic times, the dogs are the biggest losers. Pets, like families, need unconditional love and care. However, if you are able to find time in your schedule, these animals will not object.

Because of this, dog walking applications are created by animal lovers and developers in a unique way. For dog owners who, despite all their commitments, can’t spare time for their beloved pet, these are the best apps to use.

Currently, only a few applications are available. Depending on the conditions, users can choose a dog walker, pay them at fantastic and fair prices, and even check the dog’s health and calories. Apps like Swifto, Wag Dog, and Rovio are well-known for dog-walking.

How Does A Dog Walking App Work?

On-demand dog walking apps have a very simple and routine working procedure that anyone can follow. First and foremost, the dog owner must register themselves and their pet. Option to add extra details about the dog such as harness and collars as well as medications and vets is also available. After registering, he can search for nearby dog walkers and hand over his pet to them to take his dog for a walk.

Nowadays, dog-walking apps are growing in popularity, which is understandable, as it is a great way to spend time with dogs while also earning money.

Market Stats On Dog Walking Apps

In order to determine whether or not a business is worth investing in, it is essential to look at current and future statistics and figures. Dog walking on demand is growing at a rapid rate, and because of its increasing popularity, we need to look at two different types of statistics. The number of households with a dog, and the average number of hours a person works per week.

There are 90.5 million dog-owning households in the United States, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). This leads us to the fact that 40 percent of workers work more than 40 hours per week.

Adding these two statistics together reveals that these dog owners work over 8 hours a day. Besides working, they must find time to take care of their social and household responsibilities. There isn’t enough time left for them to spend it with their lovely dogs, as you can probably guess from our title.

U.S. pet owners spend $23.4 billion on dog food, over $15.73 billion on vet care, $14.39 billion on supplies and OTC medications, $5.24 billion on grooming and boarding, and $2.19 billion on pet purchases. Pet ownership in the United States is at an all-time high, as evidenced by these staggering numbers. Similarly, the popularity of blogs for dogs and cats is on the rise. Work schedules and other responsibilities, on the other hand, are keeping the owners from spending time with their animals.

6 Steps To Build A Dog Walking App

1. Step 1 — Develop A Business Strategy

Prior to creating a dog walking app, you should create a business strategy that aligns with your current and future business goals. As a pet-walking / pet care agency or as an entrepreneur who plans to start a dog walking service provider business, you have a few choices. If you want to grow your business and make more money, you may decide to add new services like dog care, dog training, and pet grooming.

Nevertheless, be careful not to overdo it. Focus first on what you do best, and then slowly expand into other pet care services, if you wish.

2. Step 2 — Decide Your Monetization Strategy

Your business’ monetization strategy is the next step. There are a few ways you can make money from the on-demand dog walking app you’ve created.

• eCommerce Integration

When e-commerce software is integrated with other software solutions such as CRM and ERP, it is referred to as eCommerce integration. As a result, data such as sales offers, customer contacts, and orders can be automatically passed from one system to another.

E-commerce is the sale and purchase of goods and services over the internet. Along with the completion of online transactions, e-commerce allows for the exchange of data related to prices and inventory.

• Commissions

Commissions are equally successful for both new and existing platforms, regardless of whether the platform is new or not. In the commission revenue model, the official application receives a significant portion of each payment made directly. Due to its simplicity, this revenue model is by far the most profitable of all revenue models.

• In-App Advertising

Another easy way to monetize your application is to show relevant ads to your app’s users. To do this quickly and easily, you can form paid partnerships with several dog food and dog toy manufacturers in the market. Make sure the company you are partnering with is reputable and does not promote any harmful products for animals, as this should go without saying.

3. Step 3 — Do Your Market Research

Who are your competitors? There must be a very well-known app for dog walking. They provide what kind of services through dog walking applications? Marketing channels used and market performance. Consider the features they offer as a dog sitter or a pet walker. The next section of the article will help you with this.

The fact that they exist does not imply that you should copy them. This is purely for the purpose of understanding and getting inspired by the subject matter. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you can’t just follow the crowd. You have to forge your own path. Consider what you can do better than your competitors. The best dog walking app for walkers, as well as dog and pet owners, is an on-demand dog walking app.

4. Step 4 — List Down The Features

Following the comparison of the competitors, you will have a better idea of what features are essential for developing the best dog walking app. Write down all the features you’d like to see in your on-demand dog-walking mobile application. In the next subtopic, we’ll talk about the most important and recommended features.

5. Step 5 — Hire Your Developers

In order to create an on-demand pet sitting or dog walking app, you must hire the best developers. From GoodTroopers you can find and hire the most suitable developers. App developers from around the world with diverse expertise can be found with the help of GoodTroopers.

The company you choose should be well-versed in the development of dog walking apps or on-demand solutions and should have developed similar apps in the past as well. As a result, their work will be more credible, and their experience will also help to make your project better overall.

Best Team Structure To Develop An On Demand Dog Walking App

• Android developer 
• iOS developer
• UI/UX designers
• Quality assurance engineers
• Business analyst
• Project Manager
• DevOps

 

Dog Walking App Features List

Basic Features Of A Dog Walking App

1. Features of Pet Owner’s App

• Create a Personal profile
• Search and Filter nearby dog walkers
• View Dog Walker Profile
• Dog Walk booking and scheduling
• Dog Walk report
• Push Notification Alerts for dog walking and sitting appointments
• Live Streaming (optional) of their puppy or dog walking
• Give Ratings & Reviews
• Schedule/Cancel Appointment
• Track your dog
• Payment/Bill Estimation
• Referral Earnings
• Doggy Playdate
• Curated Professional Advice
• History and Trends
• Community Feature

2. Features of Pet Walker’s App

• Real-Time Requests
• Get booking requests
• Customer Information
• Profile Creation
• Set Availability
• Navigation routes for reaching the pet owner
• Earnings Summary
• Walkers can track their appointments & earnings

3. Features of Admin Panel

• Manage Bookings
• Manage Customers/Dog Walkers
• Push Notifications
• Advanced Analytics
• Real-Time Tracking of dog walkers
• Manage Payments

Must Have Features On A Dog Walking App

• Social Signup & Login

This is the first page you’ll see when you open the app. In order to register, you must verify your email address or use a social media account, such as Facebook, Instagram, or another. In the event that you already have an account, you can log in by entering your username and password.

• Live Tracking Of The Dog

In addition, this feature allows users to keep track of their dog’s location at any given time while he’s out walking. There is a way for the user to virtually keep an eye on their pet by using this option.

• Push Notifications

This feature alerts and reminds users of all the changes made to the app. Customers can also receive special offers, discounts, and news updates through this feature.

• In App Call

Using this feature gives users the option to talk with dog walkers and dog sitters on the phone, as its name suggests. Calls allow dog owners to easily communicate their needs and wants, making this feature unique in every way.

• In App Chat

When you use this feature, you can chat with dog walkers and dog sitters instead of making a phone call. This feature is a must-have for users who find it inconvenient to talk on the call.

• In App Navigation

For example, a user can use the in-app navigation to find a dog walker or dog sitter in their area to walk their dog. For any kind of on-demand app, a geolocation feature is a must, and the same is true for the dog walking app.

• Detailed Dashboard

With the help of data visualizations, a real-time analytic dashboard can be used to analyze, report, and track an organization’s overall data in real-time. A user can instantly access important data with real-time dashboards that update automatically.

• Wallet Integration

Dog walkers should take advantage of mobile wallets that are flexible. The more options there are, the easier it is for the users to make a purchase. A variety of mobile wallets is a great thing to have because users from around the world tend to use the app and mobile wallets vary from country to country.

Technology Stack You May Use To Develop A Dog Walking App

• Application and Data– Python, Node.js, React, NGINX, MongoDB, Redis, Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, React Native, Amazon CloudFront, Kafka, Scala, Amazon Redshift, Airflow, Ejabberd
• Utilities– Elasticsearch
• DevOps– Jenkins, GitLab, Android Studio, Kibana, Grafana, Amazon EC2 Container Service, AWS Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), Amazon CloudWatch, Logstash
• Business Tools– Slack, Jira, G Suite, Confluence

Wrapping Up

When used properly, dog-walking apps can be profitable. Overall, it’s a good idea to create an on-demand dog walking app. Moreover, the fact that people are so busy that they don’t have time for their pets is what makes this business idea profitable. 

When creating an app like Wag, make sure you don’t overlook any of the above-mentioned aspects. You’ll also be one step ahead if you keep an eye on the upkeep, maintenance, and marketing of your business.

See Also :

• Develop A Stock Trading App Like Zerodha

Frequently Asked Questions To Create A Dog Walking App (FAQs)