RentMy is an innovative online rental marketplace that revolutionises how people share and rent equipment. As a comprehensive rental software solution, it enables secure payment processing while providing an intuitive user experience for both renters and owners. The marketplace business model focuses on connecting users through a peer-to-peer rental platform, supported by robust marketplace software.
Project Summary
RentMy operates within the sharing economy, offering a unique C2C and B2C marketplace that
connects
individuals and businesses looking to rent out their underutilised assets with potential
renters. The
company's vision is to reduce plastic waste and overconsumption by promoting the rental of items
instead of
purchasing new, thus contributing to a more sustainable and community-oriented future.
OpenKit stepped in to rescue RentMy when a previous development team failed to deliver. Quickly
adopting the requisite technology, OpenKit revamped RentMy's platform. Significant UI/UX
enhancements not only elevated the user experience but also played a pivotal
role in securing additional funding for RentMy's growth.
Client Overview
RentMy was founded by Tom West in 2019. West had previous entrepreneurial experience, including
creating and
developing a same-day home delivery network for convenience stores in his 20s, years before
similar services
like Beelivery, Getir, or Deliveroo emerged. The company has established itself as a leading
player in the
peer-to-peer rental marketplace industry, particularly known for its user-centric platform and
its broad
variety of rental categories. As of 2023, RentMy had achieved a revenue run rate of $840K and
operated with
a team of 8 employees. This financial success and lean operation model showcase its significant
and growing
presence in the rental marketplace sector.
Deliverables
To address these challenges and drive the success of their platform, RentMy outlined the following
objectives:
1. Full-Stack Platform
Design and develop a full-stack platform to accommodate both renters and item owners, fostering efficient communication and transactions
2. Develop A Pilot Web Application
Combine community feedback and OpenKit's technical expertise to create an initial version of the platform
3. Launch A Final Web Application
Make the platform accessible to residents across all partner boroughs, establishing an air quality champions network and delivering community engagement activities and events
Challenges
OpenKit came on board the RentMy project to replace a previous development team which had failed
to deliver.
RentMy was mid-project and faced numerous challenges to overcome their setbacks and reach full
deployment of
their rental marketplace. The platform still needed work on certain key aspects, including:
- Streamlining the user onboarding process to facilitate rapid platform adoption
- Crafting a seamless UX for smooth interactions between renters and item owners
- Overcoming setbacks caused by the previous development team's failure to deliver on project
goals
- Implementing secure payment processing and identity verification systems to ensure
trustworthiness and
safeguard user information
Our Approach
Strategy and Planning
Our team spent some time to ensure we fully understood where the previous team had left off and
how we could
seamlessly build from their work. We checked for important gaps and points of improvements, and
maintained
an open dialogue with RentMy to identify and address all issues with their desired solutions.
Design
We co-developed wireframes within Whimsical. This allowed us to collaborate closely with the
RentMy team,
iterating on the design and layout of key pages and user flows. By using Whimsical, we were able
to create
interactive prototypes that clearly communicated our vision for the frontend design, making it
easier for
stakeholders to provide feedback and approve the direction.
Our focus on creating an intuitive and user-friendly interface aimed to enhance the overall user
experience for
Rentmy's customers. By streamlining the rental booking process and improving the discoverability of
key
features, we sought to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. The optimised frontend design
also
prioritised responsiveness across various devices, ensuring that users could easily navigate and
interact with
the platform on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Throughout the development process, we maintained open communication channels with the RentMy team,
ensuring
that our frontend solutions aligned with their business goals and target audience needs. Our
collaborative
approach allowed for swift problem-solving and the incorporation of valuable insights from the
client.
Development
Taking into account all the feedback gathered from our strategic collaboration, we proceeded to
develop the
improved RentMy website, and have been perfecting it since then. The resulting UX design is
intuitive,
user-friendly, and ensure seamless navigation on all devices.
Key Platform Features
- Advanced search filters for equipment rental listings
- Secure payment processing system
- Data security measures for user protection
- Customisable rental marketplace solution
Features implemented
1. New, Improved Search Page
One of the key improvements we made to RentMy's platform was the optimisation of the search page. We implemented a range of features designed to enhance the user experience and make it easier for customers to find the rental items they need. We introduced clear, high-level categories for each type of rental item, optimised backend code and implemented lazy loading for images, improved scrolling functionality, and ensured mobile-friendliness.
2. AI-Powered Product Descriptions
We relied on our AI-based expertise to integrate ChatGPT into product pages, to help users generate comprehensive, engaging descriptions for their items. This feature streamlines the listing process and ensures high-quality, detailed product information across the platform.
Key Successes
We successfully built a bespoke system able to handle over 100,000 concurrent users. This
involved designing a seamless user experience and a robust payment and scheduling system.
We made sure to perfect the system's SEO using server-side rendering techniques to boost
rankings when searching for keywords.
Upon successful completion of the testing phase, we deployed RentMy's revamped platform and
monitored its performance to ensure a smooth transition. Due to our fast onboarding and
development time, over 10,000 users have signed up in the last 3 months, and RentMy has secured
an additional 6 figures in VC funding.
High level of user engagement
Our platform has seen a notable uptick in user engagement metrics. The data indicates a
robust interaction with our features, as evidenced by a high number of clicks and
considerable time spent per page.
Sustainable, community-enhancing project
RentMy promotes a circular economy by encouraging the rental of items instead of purchasing
new.
Speed & optimisation
RentMy was engineered to be fast and efficient, with a focus on optimising performance to
ensure a smooth user experience across all devices.
