Nowadays food delivery apps have become a favorite for food lovers. These apps make it easier to enjoy your favorite food by placing an order anytime. With more advanced and user-friendly features food delivery apps are one of the most demanding apps now. The period after COVID-19 has given birth to trends like contactless deliveries and dining-in culture that leads to a boom in the on-demand food delivery industry. Because of the massive growth in the demand for food delivery apps globally many businesses have started to develop their food delivery app. Big names like Swiggy, Zomato, Uber Eats, etc. have shaken the food delivery industry. That is the reason why many start-ups and new businesses have started investing in the on-demand food delivery industry.
There are a few aspects you need to know before start developing your on-demand food delivery app-
Models of food delivery app-
There are mainly two types of models in food delivery apps
1. Order purpose model- In the order purpose model, the food delivery app only takes the order from the customer. In this model, restaurants have to deal with the delivery process. They can handle the delivery process on their own or hire a third-party delivery service.
2. Aggregators and delivery model- Aggregators and delivery-based models provide a platform for multiple restaurants. This model handles orders from customers and delivery services also. This model acts as a bridge between customers and restaurants. Restaurants save a lot of valuable time as they do not have to deal with delivery service. Food delivery giants like Zomato, Swiggy, and Uber Eats are also using this model for their business.
Here Are the Main Features of the Food Delivery App
On-demand food delivery apps should be included with essential features for making the app convenient for the customers. Here are some of the important features that should be incorporated into the on-demand food delivery app.
1. Search feature – A robust search for users is one of the most important features that must be incorporated into the on-demand food delivery app. This search option helps the user in finding the right food options and right restaurants easily. This feature will help the customers to order the food easily from the app. It will eventually help the business to grow. Without a sophisticated search feature, your business cannot compete with its competitors.
2. Feasible payment options – Proper and less time-consuming payment options are a must for any on-demand food delivery app. Different payment options like Internet banking, Mobile wallets, UPI payments, Credit card, Debit cards, Paypal, and COD will ease the customers in ordering the food from the app. A proper payment integration system will not only make your current customers loyal to your business, but it will also generate and attract new customers also.
3. Real-time order tracking – Real-time location and the estimated time of the delivery of the order are the essential features for a user to track and locate his order. Use GPS real-time tracking for a seamless and convenient food ordering experience for the users. It will eventually grow trust in the customers about your food delivery business.
4. Provide offers to customers – The food delivery app should also offer special discount coupons and subscription services for its customers. Special subscription services should be given to customers who order frequently. This subscription service will give regular customers special discounts and a better deal on various orders which will lead to more loyal customers for the business. Promotional offers and discount codes can also bring new users to the food delivery app and help retain them for longer periods
5. Ratings and reviews feature – Enabling the ratings and reviews feature on the app helps your business gets genuine feedback from the customer. This feedback can be beneficial for making the food delivery app more convenient and effective for the users.
The Revenue Model for a Food Delivery App
The food delivery business depends on the following models for generating revenues.
1. Advertisements model- In this model the restaurants are allowed to display advertisements on the food delivery app after paying the advertisement fees. The advertisement fee depends on the advertisement time and position of the app. This paid advertising model is one of the effective revenue models, that is beneficial both for restaurants as well as for food ordering apps also.
2. Commissions cost- As a third-party on-demand food ordering company you can set fixed or flexible commission rates. This commission amount should be deducted from the order’s amount at the admin end and the rest of the amount is sent to the restaurants. Many restaurant aggregators used this effective model to earn revenues.
3. Delivery charges – There are fixed or location-based delivery charges that are included in the order. As a food delivery business delivery charges is a great way to earn sufficient revenue.
4. Subscription revenue – In the subscription model various subscription plans are offered to the customers for becoming special members. After paying specific subscription fees customers can become monthly or yearly members for getting special benefits like free delivery or any other exclusive deals.
Choosing the Right Tools and Technologies for Developing an Effective Food Delivery App
Integrating the right tools and technologies in the development can be beneficial for developing a successful food delivery app.
1. Mobile app development – For developing food ordering apps for Android and iOS platforms use frameworks like Java, flutter, React native as well as Swift, and Objective C.
2. Development- Java script is recommended as a programming language. You can opt for HTML5 and CSS3 for markup languages.
3. Database- MongoDB and MySQL are one of the best choices for the database.
4. Other integration technologies-
• Push notifications- Naxmo, Sinch, Apple push notification service ( APN), Twilio
• Mailing services- ZeroBounce, TempMail, MailGun, Gmail.
• Payments- Braintree, Google pay, Apple pay, Stripe
• GPS tracking-
a) MapKit for iOS
b) Google Maps API for Android
Conclusion – If you want to make your food delivery app stand out from the crowd you have to include must-have features in your app for giving a seamless experience to your customers. Thus the roadmap for developing the food ordering app explained above will help your brand to stand out in the rapidly growing market. In case you are still unsure about how you want your app to be and which features you should include. Our team of expert developers at Protolabz eServices will assist you in developing a food delivery app that will suit your business requirements.