As we live in a world in which time is considered money, people expect their needs to be met quickly and easily; car renting is no exception. When mobile phone usage surged, car companies started accepting bookings over phone calls and gradually replaced the traditional idea of going to physical rental stores in person. Furthermore, the growing significance of eCommerce has molded people’s expectations of getting everything delivered at the click of a mouse. Thus, car rental businesses moved online, and websites became a primary source of customer inquiry and booking portals. In this blog, we discuss the nuances of car rental website development in detail. Let us get started!
How to Create a Car Rental Website?
The development of a car rental website involves different stages covering front- and back-end development, design, testing, and so on. Here is an overview of the process.
Step 1. Research and planning:
The first step in developing a car rental website is to understand the specific requirements of a business, plan the execution, and arrive at the minimum set of features that must be included to develop a sophisticated site. Experts recommend creating a Minimum Usable Prototype (MUP) with the basic features and functionalities that are critical for the business.
Step 2. Design:
After research and planning comes the design. When it comes to car rental website development, focus on UI and identify the essential design elements. Keep the design simple and intuitive. In the design phase, work on incorporating features that help improve usability and visual appeal.
Step 3. Development:
The next step is development, and it should be executed in iterations. Car rental services are highly in demand during holidays and peak seasons. So, you must ensure the scalability of the site to high loads while developing.
Step 4. Testing:
Testing is a crucial step in rental website development. Based on the feature requirements, decide between manual and automated testing. Test for responsiveness with high load to ensure that the website functions well during peak hours.
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Tips to Develop the Best Car Rental Website
To help you out, we have curated the best practices from across the industry. Let’s dive in.
- Prioritize user experience:
As with any software development, you must prioritize user experience during car rental software development. The website interface must be easy to navigate and have an intuitive booking process in place. The car rental website must have clear calls to action and be responsive to mobile users. Such a website allows visitors to locate information quickly and reduce abandonment and bounce rates.
- Upload high-quality pictures:
Beyond functionality, the website should also have a visual appeal. You must add high-quality images and videos to showcase your rental fleet. Showcasing your service offerings in a visually appealing manner helps create a positive, engaging experience.
- Keep the pricing upfront:
Experts advise being upfront about pricing and not having hidden costs, as people feel insecure and tend to abandon the process. So, have itemized cost details displayed for each car in your fleet. You must also display the cost breakup so customers can make appropriate choices. For instance, explicitly displaying the insurance packages, along with costs and terms, helps customers choose one that matches their terms and budget.
- Build a credible presence:
Add customer reviews and testimonials to secure trust and quickly convert visitors into customers. If you have exciting stories that capture customer experience, add them so visitors develop confidence in your rental services. Spotlight key milestones and numbers that speak about your growth and industry coverage. All these will help you build a trustable presence.
- Optimize the website for mobile users:
A majority of car rental customers use mobile to book a ride. A Think With Google Consumer Insights report shows that around 79% of travelers prefer using smartphones to search for and book a service. So, car rental businesses must have a mobile-responsive website. Having a mobile-responsive website allows customers to find and book a car on the go. So, you must have a highly intuitive, fast-loading website optimized for different mobile phones, screen sizes, and browsers that allows users to make instant bookings.
8 Key Must-have Features of a Car Rental Website
Following are the key components you must incorporate in the car rental website you develop.
- Robust booking system
The ultimate purpose of car rental software is to offer all the information needed and allow customers to make bookings on their own. So, you must keep the booking form simple and intuitive. Allow users to sign in via email, phone number, social media accounts, etc. The booking form must collect ride-specific details like date, time, pickup, destination, insurance options, etc. Once the booking is made, the system must initiate and notify customers of the booking confirmation, transaction, etc., via automated emails.
- Advanced search functionality
The search functionality is a crucial element that you must consider during car rental website development. Based on the details specified by the customer in the booking form, the website must automatically search, filter, and sort the cars and display them to the customer. Additionally, the site should also have advanced filter options that allow visitors to customize their search. It should enable customers to filter based on the price range, brands and categories, location, seating capacity, etc.
- Itemised cost details
The car rental software must display the itemized cost details to the visitor. For each car in your fleet, clearly display the following costs.
- Fuel charges
- Insurance packages
- Delivery charges, if any
- Weekend extra charges, if any
- Accessories cost
- Fuel terms
- Additional charges for delayed returns
When customers are notified about these charges just before checkout, there is a chance that they may abandon the booking. Displaying them upfront and letting customers know the expected costs increases the trust in the process, boosting conversion.
- Availability status and real-time tracking
Another key requirement of a car rental website is that it must be updated, and the availability must be accurate at any time. It makes it easy to manage the fleet. The website must display whether a car is available, currently under rent, returned, and under service, repair, etc. Displaying the car rental options and availability status of a vehicle allows users to pick and choose the ones available during the period of their request. Updating the status availability helps the system accept or deny a booking request. It simplifies rental fleet management and allows the managers to gain a comprehensive oversight of the available fleet.
- Terms and conditions
Experts recommend that you display the terms and policies explicitly on the website and make it imperative for all customers to accept the terms and conditions before availing themselves of a booking. Displaying the terms and conditions on the website helps avoid disputes with customers, and it must cover the following aspects.
- Be specific about pickup and drop rules
- Show the cancellation or modification terms and fees
- Display the penalties or extra charges for late returns
- Elaborate the insurance terms and coverage
- Explain the fuel terms and policy, including whether the car should be returned with a full tank
- Liability and extra costs for breakdowns and damages
- Vehicle use restrictions.
- Flexible and safe payment modes
Integrate a flexible, secure payment gateway to the website so users can complete their transactions easily, quickly, and safely without any hassles. Ensure compliance with security norms and choose completely safe payment gateways that offer complete protection of customer and business information. While car rental businesses are engaged in developing the website, they must test the site multiple times to ensure reliability, user-friendliness, and convenience. Also, incorporate flexible payment modes covering the commonly used methods such as internet banking, debit and credit cards, mobile wallets, etc.
- Cancellation and modification abilities
Sometimes, your customers may encounter typos and mistakes while entering the details in the booking form and may need to modify the same. In that case, they may have to call or email you. However, allowing users to alter their booking through the website adds more meaning and saves time and effort for both the customer and the business. So, when you develop the car rental software, have an automated system that takes users through the modification or cancellation process.
- Booking confirmation
Sending an email and SMS confirmation intimating the customer of a successful booking and further steps is very important. Otherwise, they may be left puzzled without the right information on whether their booking has been confirmed or not. They may choose to call or email you seeking status updates, which is a frustrating experience for a customer. Manually checking the payment status and confirming the customer of the booking also adds hassles to the car rental business.
Car Rental Website Development Trends
Car rental services are evolving at rapid speeds, and the industry was valued at $119 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at 11% CAGR to reach 223 billion by 2027. The competition is intense, and to stay apart, rental car companies must have things in the right place, from booking to model availability, and user-friendly service. Having a robust car rental management system offers several benefits to businesses, including automated fleet management, customer self-service, cost minimization, up-to-date reporting, etc. However, developing a rental website from scratch is a complex task.
To learn how RENTALL supports auto rental companies of all sizes, read this.
How does RENTALL Help Car Rentals?
RENTALL is a leading car rental software solution provider known for offering a robust rental system that simplifies fleet management and booking. RENTALL excels in crafting mobile-responsive car rental websites, ensuring seamless online vehicle bookings for your customers. Prioritizing customer satisfaction, we leverage analytics and cutting-edge technologies to tailor solutions to unique needs. Drawing on our profound understanding of the global auto rental sector, we specialize in creating the best website designs, implementing SEO, and employing effective marketing strategies. Our e-commerce websites are fully customizable, mobile-friendly, equipped with hosting capabilities and payment support, and optionally feature a Reservation plugin for convenient online vehicle reservations. Thrive with RENTALL’s expertise in elevating your business presence and functionality.
For further information about the features and functionalities of the platform, contact our experts through this link. Alternatively, you can call us at +1 888 628 6827 or write to us at info@rentallsoftware.com. Avoid the wait and get in touch right away!
