u/Flyers-Up

I’ve been building Flyers Up, a local services marketplace for people who need help and local service pros who need more work.

The app is built as a web app and wrapped for iOS, so one of the biggest things I’m working on right now is making it feel less like a website inside an app and more like a real mobile product.

The main flows are:

• customers request local services
• service pros receive booking opportunities
• customers pay a deposit
• Pros complete the job
• final payment and payout logic happen after completion

The hardest parts so far have not just been the code. It has been making the whole thing feel simple and trustworthy.

Things I’m currently trying to improve:

1. First screen clarity
2. Customer vs pro onboarding
3. Mobile spacing and button hierarchy
4. Bottom navigation
5. Booking flow
6. Trust signals
7. Payment screens
8. Making the app feel more native on iOS

A few things I’ve learned while building:

• Marketplace apps are harder than normal apps because you need both sides at once
• UI that looks fine on desktop can feel crowded fast on mobile
• trust matters more when the service happens offline
• Onboarding has to explain the product without making people read too much
• payment screens need to feel extremely clear
• AI can help move fast, but you still have to know what good UX should feel like

Right now, I’m trying to figure out what to improve first:

• simplify the landing page
• improve the customer/pro split
• make the booking flow feel smoother
• add stronger trust signals
• polish the iOS layout
• narrow the service categories

If you were looking at an early marketplace app, what would you fix first to make it feel more polished and trustworthy?

I’m open to direct criticism. I’m trying to make this feel like a real product, not just a project.

I’m working on an iOS app for a local services marketplace and I’m trying to improve the UI/UX so it feels more polished, trustworthy, and native to iOS.

The app has two main user types:

• customers who request local services
• service pros who receive booking opportunities

The core flows I’m trying to improve are:

1. Landing / first impression
2. Customer sign-up
3. Pro sign-up
4. Service request flow
5. Trust/verification screens
6. Booking and payment screens
7. Bottom navigation / mobile layout

I’m especially looking for feedback on things like:

• whether the app feels too web-like
• What makes an iOS app feel “native” versus wrapped/webview
• spacing, typography, button hierarchy, and layout
• onboarding friction
• where trust signals should appear
• whether customer/pro paths should be separated earlier
• what UI patterns iOS users expect for booking-style apps
• What would make the app feel more premium and less cluttered

I’m not looking for users or promotion — mainly trying to learn what experienced iOS devs would fix first from a product/UI standpoint.

If you were reviewing an early iOS app like this, what are the biggest UI/UX issues you would look for first?

I’m thinking through the monetization strategy for a local services marketplace with SaaS-like tools for independent service providers.

The product has two sides:

• customers who need everyday local services
• independent service providers who want more bookings and better workflow tools

The part I’m debating is where monetization should start.

Possible models:

1. Customer-side fee
Customers pay a small service/convenience fee when booking.

Pros:

• service providers keep more of their earnings
• easier to pitch to providers
• monetization happens only when there is a transaction

Cons:

• customers may compare the total price to booking directly
• fee sensitivity could hurt conversion early

2. Provider subscription
Service providers pay monthly for visibility, booking tools, calendar, messaging, profile, etc.

Pros:

• more SaaS-like recurring revenue
• cleaner MRR model
• easier to forecast revenue

Cons:

• hard to charge before there is real demand
• early providers may churn if bookings are not consistent

3. Transaction take rate
The platform takes a percentage or flat fee from each completed job.

Pros:

• aligned with value created
• scales with usage
• familiar marketplace model

Cons:

• Providers may feel like the platform is taking from their labor
• Requires enough transaction volume to matter

4. Hybrid model
Free to join, transaction-based at first, then optional paid tools later.

Pros:

• lowers friction early
• lets the marketplace build liquidity first
• paid SaaS tools can come after providers see value

Cons:

• slower path to predictable MRR
• more complicated pricing later

My instinct is to avoid charging providers upfront until the marketplace proves it can bring real jobs. That makes me lean toward customer-side fees or transaction-based monetization first, then adding provider SaaS tools later.

For people who have built SaaS, marketplaces, or vertical software:

• Which model would you start with and why?
• Would you prioritize MRR early, or marketplace liquidity first?
• At what point would you introduce provider subscriptions?
• What pricing mistake would you avoid?
• How would you keep the model simple enough for both sides to understand?

I’m trying to pressure-test the business model before

I’m trying to better understand how small business owners think about new platforms, directories, and apps that claim they can help bring in more customers.

A lot of these platforms promise visibility, leads, bookings, or easier marketing — but I know business owners are skeptical, especially when they already get spammed by random tools and agencies.

For small business owners here:

• What would make you trust a new platform enough to try it?
• What immediately makes you think “this is a scam”?
• Would you rather pay only after getting a real booking/lead, or pay a monthly fee?
• Do reviews, verification badges, insurance, or background checks actually matter to you?
• What would a platform need to prove before you gave it a chance?
• Do you prefer customers messaging you directly, calling you, or booking through an app?

I’m not looking to promote anything. I’m just trying to understand what business owners actually care about before they trust a new customer acquisition channel.