How To Stay Ahead Of The Competition In Food Delivery App Development
In this fast-paced life, people expect everything to be done at lightning speed, and this has been made possible with the advent of technology. There are mobile applications for almost all day-to-day activities, including grocery shopping, ePayment, ride-hailing, and the list goes on. As far as the food delivery industry is concerned, there are various players like Zomato, Swiggy, Grubhub, etc. So, to beat the intense competition, you need to know certain things. This article is to help you through the process of food delivery app development and give you a rough idea of the development cost.
Must-have features of food delivery apps
The feature set of an app plays a vital role in its success. People would always prefer an app that is unique and beneficial. If you are an entrepreneur interested in developing a food delivery app for your business, make sure that the app contains the following essential features.
For customers
Customers rely on food delivery apps due to several reasons, such as lack of time to visit the restaurant, inability to cook food for themselves, etc. So, a food delivery app should have the necessary features to ensure maximum customer satisfaction. Some significant features are as follows.
Registration
The registration process should be simple. Customers should be provided with various options to log in or sign up. They should be able to create an account or sign in using their email IDs, phone numbers, or social media accounts. The more complex the registration process is, the lower will be the retention rate.
Search options
A food delivery app should have a well-maintained database that provides users with information about the restaurants, food items, ratings, and reviews. They should be able to browse through the content easily with the help of search options, such as filter, sort, etc.
Order placement
Customers should be able to add/remove any food items according to their preferences from any restaurant available. An order summary should be provided along with the total cost inclusive of taxes. This helps the customers recheck the order they have placed and make any changes if need be. If they want to place the order as earlier, they should be able to reorder from the history of orders.
Scheduled order
This feature allows users to schedule orders for later. This will enable them to plan their events ahead of time.
Payment options
Multiple payment options, such as online bank transfer, eWallets, cash on delivery, etc., should be provided for the benefit of the users. This is to ensure fast and secure transactions, thereby making the app more reliable.
Estimated delivery time
Waiting for food can sometimes be very tough, especially when the customers are hungry. You can help them by providing an estimated time of delivery so that the users can prepare themselves accordingly. This makes the waiting bearable.
Delivery status
The app should keep the customers informed about the status of delivery via push notifications or SMS.
Integrated GPS
It is necessary to integrate a GPS Navigation System with the app. This helps the users find restaurants near their localities and track the order in real-time.
Feedback system
Customers should be able to share their reviews and complaints through feedback forms. This helps reduce the gap between the customers and the restaurants.
Mobile-friendly UI
The app should be cross-platform compatible. The contents of the app should be mobile-friendly. This includes the page layout, font color, font size, font style, etc. The UI should also be interactive. The contents of the app should be segregated according to their categories. The app should be self-explanatory. But the content should be formatted in such a way that the app does not look clumsy.
For restaurants
Restaurants prefer food delivery apps to maximize the profit and to make their services more accessible. Moreover, promotion and marketing are easier with the help of a mobile application. Besides, to ensure a snag-free service, it is vital to include the following features for the benefit of the restaurants.
Registration
Before placing the order, customers select the restaurant based on its profile. So, the owners/admins should be able to customize their profile to reflect the best of the services they provide. They should be able to create an account or login using their email IDs, mobile numbers, or social media accounts. This simplifies the registration process.
Management of app content
As said earlier, a food delivery app bridges the gap between the customers and the restaurants. So, the app should help the owners/admins to create a good impression. An interactive and mobile-friendly UI/UX will improve the user experience. Care must be taken while including information about the restaurant, including their menu, a short description of the food items, price list, customers’ feedback, etc.
Management of orders
Users should be able to track and manage the orders placed by the customers. In order to ensure maximum customer satisfaction, the app should assist the users in managing the order requests effectively on time. Any delay in the services will affect the customers’ retention rate to a huge extent.
Effective dashboard
This allows the owners/admins to manage business activities effectively. With the help of a dashboard, they can modify the menu, add or remove any services, keep track of the transaction history, allocate the delivery staff automatically or manually, etc. They can also generate reports to make statistical inferences on the preferences of the customers, the popularity of the dishes, etc. This, in turn, helps them make any necessary improvements with ease.
For delivery persons
The productivity of your food delivery business hugely depends on them. Also, the delivery persons are usually not that tech-savvy. So, you need to make sure that the app assists them in performing their duties on time and every time. The app should contain the following vital features for the benefit of the delivery staff.
Registration
Various log in and sign up options should be made available so that the users can create an account and log in with ease using their mobile numbers, email IDs, or social media accounts.
Management of orders
The drivers should have an option to manage their order requests. The app should give them detailed information about the request, the pickup location, estimated time and distance, etc. This information will help them plan accordingly.
Update on the delivery status
Users should be able to update the status of the order, whether they have picked the order from the restaurant or yet to reach the restaurant or if they are about to reach the delivery location.
Cancel/accept requests
Based on their availability, users should be able to accept or reject any requests.
Cost of development services
“How much will it cost to develop a food delivery app?” This is a ubiquitous question among entrepreneurs. Though it is not possible to fix a standard rate for development services, you can make a rough estimate of the possible figure. For that, you need to understand the various factors that have an impact on the development cost.
- Feature-set
- The estimated duration of the project
- Experience of the development team
- Impact factor (This is not considered by many companies. But, certain companies do. You need to check with the company’s policies.)
Above all, never forget that no one will agree to work for a pay less than what they originally deserve. If someone offers to build an app at an extremely low cost, it could possibly be a trap. Also, while trying to minimize the cost, do not settle for anything less than your expectations and requirements.
Summing Up!
So, you now know what it takes to be successful in developing a food delivery app amidst the existing cut-throat competition in the industry. However, make sure to collaborate with the right food delivery app development company that can meet the growing demands of your business. Have a word with the development team prior to the commencement of the project. Be specific about your expectations.
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