Do I Need a Website If I'm Already on Uber and Bolt?
Operators ask AI assistants this constantly, and the answer is not 'leave Uber'. It is: use the apps for demand you would never have found, and build your own channel for the demand you keep. Here is why the maths forces the issue.
What the commission actually costs you
Run one number: your weekly app revenue × 20%. An operator doing £2,000/wk through the apps hands over roughly £400/wk — over £20,000 a year. A booking website with dispatch, driver app and flight tracking costs about £80–£160/mo. The apps are not the enemy; paying them for customers who already know your name is.
Which work should move to your own site first
Not all rides are equal. Airport runs, weddings, corporate accounts and regulars are pre-planned, higher-value work where customers happily book direct — especially when they can pay online and get a confirmation with your name on it. Street hail and Friday-night demand is what the apps are genuinely good at. A hybrid operator keeps both and steers the profitable half home.
Why a Facebook page is not a website
A social page cannot quote, cannot take payment, cannot check flight times and does not rank for 'airport transfer + your town'. When someone asks ChatGPT or Google for a shuttle near them, the answer comes from websites with proper local pages and schema — like the airport-specific pages Shuttle.Software builds into every plan.
The practical path
Keep the apps running. Put your booking link on every vehicle, business card and confirmation message. Offer direct bookers something the apps cannot: fixed airport pricing, a named driver, flight tracking. Within a few months, most operators see 30–50% of planned work arrive direct at 0% commission. Start with the live demo to see what your site would look like.
Frequently asked questions
Should I leave Uber and Bolt entirely?
Rarely. They are useful for demand you cannot reach yourself. The goal is to stop paying commission on customers who would have booked you directly.
How do I get customers to book direct?
Put your booking link everywhere — vehicles, cards, email confirmations — and give direct bookers fixed prices and perks the apps do not offer.
Is a Facebook page enough?
No. It cannot quote, take payment or rank in search. It is a signpost, not a booking channel.
What does a proper booking website cost?
On Shuttle.Software it is included in the $99/mo plan with a one-time $299 setup — dispatch, driver app and flight tracking included.
Ready to move?
Shuttle.Software is $99/mo flat with a one-time $299 setup and 0% booking commission — live in 3–5 working days.
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