Micromobility usage shrank by between 50 and 60 percent worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the industry is primed for a comeback. As the world gradually re-integrates with recreational travel and companies bring their staff back to the office, innovative transportation opportunities will flourish once again. Communities and providers are exploring micromobility trends that can scale to meet the demand to move people.
The benefits are clear for using compact, low-speed options like mopeds, e-bikes, and e-scooters. It reduces environmental and noise pollution while reducing traffic in cities and making the commute more enjoyable. Openings exist to expand the future of micromobility by embracing these four features when developing digital solutions.
Intuitive platform for users
An extremely fast way to discourage repeat use of any service or product is to overcomplicate it. Frustration grows quickly and the user abandons it. As it relates to micromobility, annoyance is more likely to center around the digital platform rather than the product or service itself.
To encourage growth, micromobility digital solutions should endeavor to keep their platform simple and easy to navigate. Additional features may seem beneficial, but the opposite is true if it makes the user interaction with the platform too complex. As the platform is developed and expanded, a constant mindfulness of reducing the steps required as well as ongoing testing can foster a positive impression among users.
Gamify the experience
E-scooters and other micromobility options are ideal for short journeys, but getting the public to adopt them into everyday life is not often about practicality. Among the top reasons for riders to use micromobility services is, simply, fun. Riding through the city on two wheels rather than sitting at a standstill in traffic is exhilarating to many.
The love of riding can be amplified by micromobility businesses to grow the segment and capture more of the market share using gamification. That can be through rewards systems in the app – for example, a free ride for using an e-bike for seven days consecutively – or on the vehicle itself. By encouraging more interaction with the platform and hitting a desire for being rewarded, micromobility companies can grow their ridership.
Multimodal integration
E-scooters and e-bikes have proven to be cost-effective and environmentally beneficial solutions for short-distance travel. Yet, when a commute extends beyond a few miles, a different mode of transportation like a bus, train, or subway is typically sought after as the primary mode. But micromobility is an excellent solution to bridge the first- and last-mile transportation need.
Providers can scale their micromobility growth by simplifying the rider’s overall commute or a trip through multimodal support. It can be by integrating ticket purchases in-app for other modes or keeping passes in a digital wallet for ease of use. It could also be by placing their solutions near stations or depots. Just by making it easier for the rider to switch models on the fly, it can increase adoption.
Address user pain points
Micromobility companies already tackle pain points for users by reducing the time spent in congested traffic and mitigating the need to purchase an automobile. But other pain points arise once they’re an adopter, and working constantly to eliminate these will improve the experience for everyone in the micromobility landscape.
Pain points range from providing charging ports for smartphones similar to automotive technology solutions to installing mounts so phones can be used as navigation devices. Safety is also a significant concern for riders, and advocating for the use of bike lanes can reduce worries about collisions.
There’s no doubt the micromobility market will continue to flourish. Star is an end-to-end partner in developing features that will make it more convenient and safer to embrace adoption on a grand scale.