Yesterday, while having a discussion with one of our clients, we received the request for an online appointment booking marketplace. Well, this is not the first time we came across such requests in this marketplace.
The usefulness & success of Practo has made a positive impact on many startup & entrepreneurial minds.
And to help these entrepreneurial spirits, I have composed this blog. From cost to features, everything that you need to know to get a proper Doctor appointment booking marketplace system is mentioned here.
Since Practo(India) and Zocdoc(US) is a leading names in the appointment booking marketplace, I am referring to this tried and tested care delivery approach to establish your appointment marketplace system.
Table of Contents
What it takes to be a Practo/Zocdoc-like app
A Practo-like app works in three stages. User, Doctor, and the Admin. But even before the app development, you must conduct a business analysis in the very beginning. This will let you understand the concept well and help in projecting your idea into the implementation phase.
To begin with, let’s have a look at the business models used in the doctor appointment marketplace system:
- The Patient
- The Doctor
- The Registration
The Doctors need to register at this marketplace for visibility, while the patient/users can book an appointment with no additional charge.
What are the Main Features of Doctor’s Appointment Apps like Practo/Zocdoc?
While the app was targeted to ease the appointment booking hurdles for patients, it has extended to provide more and more convenience to the patients while providing better exposure to the practitioners/doctors.
Some of the key features of the doctor appointment app are:
- Online doctor appointment booking
- Text-based chat and phone call facility
- Online ordering of medicines
- Medicines delivery
- Medical record storage
- Blog with health expert insights
- Convenient and smart search engine to use the map to find doctors and the insurance network.
Apart from these features, patients can book a lab test, and consult doctors via chat or a video call. This becomes a bliss for working professionals who can book an appointment at their convenient time.
How does Practo make money?
Practo/Zocdoc is a patient-centric model. Therefore, booking an appointment using this online doctor-patient portal is free.
If we talk about Practo, then it works in two different approaches to generate revenue. Practo Ray and Practo Reach:
- Practo Ray -It makes money via subscriptions. Practitioners and Doctors have to pay a certain amount per month for the standard/ premium subscription.
- Practo Reach – It is free for patients. This approach works on advertisements from doctors and hospitals. Though the prices for ads depend on the specialty of the doctor and the area.
Factors to consider while developing a Practo-like App
There are several factors that need your attention while designing and developing an appointment booking app like Practo. And the most impactable ones are:
- Understand your Target Audience: It’s important to understand the basic personality traits of the target audience to design and develop a successful appointment app. Developers need to consider the local traditions and other geographic traits in the mind while developing the app.
Like, in a few countries, multilingual apps are getting more responses because of their preference to interact in their native language.
- Steer Clear of complexity: Do not allow complexity to ruin your user experience. Even though you build something useful, people tend to lose interest if they encounter any complex layout or navigation to proceed further.
Hence, Try to develop a simple yet impressive app to bring a smooth and delightful user experience.
- Data Security: In Today’s scenario, data privacy is what becomes mandatory to sustain in the market. Developers need to take an added layer of security to safeguard the vital health information of the patients. Use cloud development to ensure data safety.
Doctor Appointment Booking Marketplace Benefits:
Common APIs & Synchronization for Appointment Booking Apps
- Payment Gateway: For ease of payment for medicines and lab tests integrate Payment APIs.
- SMS Gateway: To send the SMS notification related to the medicines ordered, lab tests booked and an appointment scheduled with doctors integrate SMS APIs.
- Geo Location: To get the geolocation of the users & doctor’s clinic use Geo APIs.
- Email: To send an automated email for bookings of appointments and lab tests integrate Email APIs.
- Analytics: To get the analytics regarding the number of users registered, tests booked by particular users integrate 3rd Party Analytics API
How much Does it Cost To build a Practo Like Appointment Booking App?
Estimating the cost of a Doctor’s Appointment Booking app is not feasible as it depends upon many factors. Generally, app development companies consider the cost of development based on the features, functionalities, and platform.
Though for a rough idea, you may think of an app with basic features in the range of $25,000-$30,000. And if you are looking for an app with more advanced technical features to be included then the cost might range from $55,000 – $65,000.Â
On-demand, doctor appointment apps are the need of the hour as it empowers users to get immediate attention to their health issues. No doubt, there are established players already excelling in the market, and a remarkable and feature-rich product will undoubtedly find a place.
Have you found the answers to questions like, How much does it cost to build an app like Practo/Zocdoc? What are the required features and functionalities for apps like Practo? Which technology is most suitable for developing an appointment booking app like Pacto?
Then, do let us know by commenting below. You may also share it on social media to help those who are looking for these answers.
Interested in entering the doctor appointment booking marketplace? Set up a free consultation with our health-tech experts to understand the features, technology, development cost, and more.
Akshara Srivastava 
Surbhi Pandey