From the outside, everything seems simple when it comes to the development of multi-services in the Philippines.
You start with a basic niche and then add more services as your MVP with limited features is a big hit. However, when you look closely, lots of companies have failed while trying to launch their businesses in the Philippines.
A research study performed by Tracxn found that the number of companies that launched a new business in the Philippines has reduced dramatically by 56.6%. In 2024, this number was 320, and by the time the previous year ended, it had reduced to 139. This is a very conservative shift.
The question is: what led so many entrepreneurs to decline to launch a new product in the market?
One probable reason is adding way too many services in the soft launch of the app. This is the time when you are learning the needs of the market by launching key services in the form of an MVP.
Never take this as an opportunity to integrate more services; rather, try to keep it simple with a few services and then go big when you have gained confidence after the success of the MVP.
In this blog, we will look at what it takes to build the next generation of multi-service apps in the Philippines. So, let us get started.
Reasons For Reduced Popularity of Multi-Service Apps in the Philippines
There is no statistical evidence that provides information about the reduced popularity of multi-service apps in the Philippines. However, there are a few things that show a rising trend of concern, which we will be covering in this section.
1. Rising Operational Costs
When you are offering multi-service in the same app, chances are, it will drain your energy, time, and even cost you a bit more. Proper maintenance of services such as ride-hailing, digital payments, and food delivery can affect the overall capital expenditure to run the app.
2. Competing With the Best in Business
We are in a time when there are already businesses that have established themselves, such as Grab. This makes it challenging to ace the market and aspire to become a top contender in that particular niche.
3. Poor User Experience and Feature Overload
There are times when companies combine a couple of services that are disjointed and do not make much sense in the longer run when run on a single app.
This results in poor UX. Also, like we said in the introduction, adding quite a number of features can confuse users, which causes users to uninstall the app.
How to Create a Multi-Service App?
There is a basic template that every successful Philippines Super app follows. Believe us, it seems to be very easy on paper; however, when it comes to execution, you face challenges that can even derail your multi-service app development in the Philippines.
For this specific reason, we see only a few companies succeeding in launching their all-in-one apps in the Philippines.
1. Find Your Niche Service
Every multi-service app needs to find its biggest USP. It can be a cab booking service, a consultation service, or even a logistics service. When you have found your niche, try to link the services that can be combined during the initial soft launch.
Once you find that your main service has started to get users, you can start integrating more linked services that can work better in a single multi-feature app in a specific region.
Do not forget to test the services during the MVP launch. Remember, you are creating a strong foundation from which your multi-service platform in the Philippines can gain momentum and reach flying colors.
Remember, the niche service that you provide should be something that your users use frequently and not occasionally.
2. Integrate Payment Gateways for a Seamless Experience
Once your soft launch is successful, it is time to integrate payment gateways into your gojek clone app in the Philippines.
When you add these gateways, it can help you keep track of daily, weekly, and monthly transaction history, spending patterns, and creditworthiness, etc.
3. Group Related Services Together
If taxi booking services are your niche, you can add food and grocery delivery services as related services and assess the performance. This will help you decide which are the best services that can be clubbed together.
Remember to try it on a selected target audience and then make it live for everyone.
How to Monetize the Multi-Service Apps in the Philippines?
Philippines super apps follow a standardized process to earn money. Here they are.
1. Commission-Based Earnings
You get to earn a set-commission percentage on every ride, service or delivery made through the multi-service app in the Philippines. The service provider gets to keep the remaining amount.
2. AI Surge
During unforeseen circumstances such as heavy rainfall, or peak traffic, the AI-powered features in the multi-service app increases the fare automatically. The additional revenue charged from the users gets into your account.
3. Third-Party Ads
Promotional campaigns and banner ads are third-party ads that enable service providers such as restaurants, local businesses, stores, etc. to promote their services using the same app. This way, you end up getting advertising revenue. The third-party ads are also key to attract customers for service partners.
4. Driver and Store Subscriptions
Drivers and stores need to pay weekly, bi-weekly and monthly subscriptions to get listed on the platform irrespective of the number of bookings from the multi-feature app.
5. Cancellation Fees
While using the taxi booking services, you have the right to charge cancellation fees if the rider cancels the ride during the dying seconds of the trip. Through the cancellation fees, you as an admin hold the right to ask for cancellation fees so that this feature is not misused by the riders.
6. Convenience and Platform Fees
A flat fee in the form of convenience and platform fees is added to each service so that it can cover customer service, proper maintenance of the platform, and a fixed fee for payment processing. It is a very nominal charge which helps you to get consistent revenue.
Final Words
If ever you wish to create a super app in the Philippines, partner with a reputed multi-service app development company such as V3Cube. The company has a wide range of experience in creating Gojek clone apps in the Philippines.
Their developers have gained the requisite experience to turn your visions and ideas into reality by ensuring you have the best multi-service app in the Philippines.
FAQs
Can I white-label my multi-service app in the Philippines?
Absolutely! You can touch base with a white-label multi-service app provider like V3Cube. Their app developers will customize your branding, service categories, pricing, payment methods, user workflows, service areas, and more.
Everything will be in accordance with your business model and the users you are targeting.
Enlist the services that can be added to a multi-service app in the Philippines.
The number and specific services that you wish to add to a multi-service app in the Philippines depend upon your specific business strategy. You can go for ride booking, grocery and food delivery, courier services, etc., in the same multi-feature app.
Please suggest whether I should add all my service offerings to the multi-service app.
We recommend that you keep the number of services limited to less than 10 during initial product launch. In case you increase the number, it can complicate things for users unnecessarily.
What areas should I take into consideration before launching a Gojek clone in the Philippines?
You need to take into account the current demands of your target audience, availability of the service, preferences of payment, and the level of technological advancement so that you can scale a multi-service app such as a Gojek clone in the Philippines.