Are you looking for developing a Food Delivery mobile app or Food Ordering mobile app? Well, in this article we will make you familiar with some essential factors that you need to keep in mind while developing a food delivery app.

Let’s have a look at some interesting facts about the online food delivery app market.

The following are the reasons which make the online food delivery market more competitive.

  • Revenue in the Online Food Delivery section amounts to US$107,438m in 2019.
  • Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of 9.9%.
  • The market’s largest division is Platform-to-Consumer Delivery with a market volume of US$53,786m in 2019.
  • In global comparison, most revenue is generated in China (US$40,239m in 2019).

Seamless, Grubhub, Doordash, UberEats, Zomato, Postmates, and Yelp Eat 24 are some of the most popular food ordering applications that are governing the online food delivery market.

Food Delivery App, Why?

Technology has changed the way of working, more and more people rely on mobile applications for every small or big work. From online ticket booking to sending money to online shopping, everything can be done with the help of mobile apps.

In today’s time, most of the world’s population doesn’t have time to cook meals at home. Consequently, they look for an option that is very helpful and in their reach. That’s where food delivery apps enter the market to make life easier for busy people.

The number of mobile users is still growing each year. The number of mobile app users is much higher than desktop users. Thus, 70 percent of the total traffic on the internet comes from mobile or other handheld devices.

Coming back to the point, things to take care of while developing a food delivery app.

In this article, we will discuss the essential facts of food delivery app development and also discuss the business model to help you grow your food delivery business.

  1. Budget

The cost of the food delivery app changes according to project specifications, platform, features, Development Company, and location.

It is very important to know the budget. So before you hire a mobile app developer or mobile app development company, you must know your budget. Choose the perfect on-demand food ordering app Development Company that will match your budget.

  1. Model for App Development

Invest in a custom-built website and choose the right mobile app development framework or operating systems for which the app is going to be made. There are various mobile app development platforms available that you can choose according to your requirements. You can also go for a hybrid app or native app for a better user experience.

  1. Importance of Business Model

The business model is very necessary for you to set your business goal. There are two business models of online food delivery apps that you can choose according to your requirements.

  1. Platform to Consumer (Aggregator Business Model)
  2. Restaurant to Customer (App with a Delivery Service)

Grubhub.com, UberEats, and Deliveryhero.com are the live example that follows a simple business model known as Aggregator Business Model. They provide a common platform for restaurants and customers. In this model-

  • Customers search the listed restaurants and cuisines available on the website.
  • They place the order of their preference from their favorite restaurant, and provide their delivery details and pay for it online or opt for COD (cash on delivery).
  • The food app owner cuts their commission and routes order to the restaurant for delivery.
  • Further, the order delivers by the restaurant or a 3rd party delivery service.

In aggregator business model you will have for panels such as-

  • Customer app– This is for customers where they can place an order to get delivered food at the doorstep.
  • Restaurant app– Manage assigned orders, including the ability to differentiate between canceled, completed, ready for pickup, or delivered orders.
  • Delivery app– Manage pickup and drop-off of orders in real-time.
  • Admin panel– Manage the customers, delivery boy, restaurants and access analytic reports of sales and order delivered.
  1. The second one is a restaurant to customer model in which restaurant owners do not need to maintain their delivery personnel, the third-party app takes care of the delivery services.
  2. Order and Food Delivery Model

The order and food delivery model supports you set the path for success. Real-time order and food delivery are very essential to run and grow your food ordering business. Order and food delivery platforms manage logistics and restaurant partners. A partnership with them is very important to run your online food delivery startup happily. You also need partners with more and more restaurants. It might be challenging for you but believe me, more and more customers will use your app regularly to place an order. Popular companies like GrubHub, Eat24, and UberEats have an option to ‘partner with us’. You can also do the same.

  1. Logistics Support Business Model

The food delivery changes from the aggregator model as it provides complete supports to restaurants. Logistics plays an essential role in the food ordering business. As a small or large business owner, you should recognize this model to make real-time food ordering and food delivery more effective. Once you start following this business model, you no need to manage deliveries, maintain vehicles, and delivery staff. UberEats and Zomato are typical examples that support this food-delivery business model.

Features of Food Delivery Apps –

  1. UI Focused-

You should have to be deeply focused on the UI segment to make the order placement system simpler and suitable for all time. The interface of the app should be spontaneous and easy enough to place an order.

  1. Payment security

Secure Payment Gateway, everything starts with it and if you are building aggregator mobile app then secure payment gateway should be on your top preference because users provide their account information to you. And they worry about the safety and security of their data and they are fully authorized to it. So you need to go with the most popular payment alliances like Paypal Amazon Pay, Stripe, and CCAvenue. You can also perform the same payment gateway as UberEats.

  1. Tracking of Order

Order tracking is one of the best specialties these days in food delivery apps. Customers that order food online have a curiosity to know the live status of their food. If you are a food aggregator and restaurant, then it would be best if you implement GPS in it to offer the best experience to the customers. Combine Google API for maps and Mapkit to make your app more useful and advanced.

  1. Multiple Order Methods

Although online food orders are not limited to mobile applications (Android and iOS), there are some other methods that the customers could choose i.e. website and desktop apps. Besides food delivery mobile applications, you must also have other options for website ordering and desktop apps.

  1. Rewards & Offers for customers

Rewards & offers are like a formula that helps any food delivery startup to grab more and more customers for using their services. Most of the customers prefer those food ordering apps which provide rewards and offers. You and your partner restaurants should afford regular offers and rewards to boost your customers to come back and use the app and order from the same place.

  1. Notifications

Push notifications present the best way to keep your customers involved and tell them about what you are giving currently. You should implement this feature in your app to keep your customers notified or their order’s status through notifications.

  1. Optimized Search Engine and App Store

The success of an online food delivery business depends on how you are serving the needs of your customers. Make your app search engine user-friendly to get more exposure in web and mobile searches. Search engine optimization and app store optimization will not only help you in more reliable results in search engines but also help you acquire more users as well as retargeted existing ones. In addition to this, you can also connect your mobile app to all your social media accounts so that people can easily share their experience of food ordering on social channels.

Also, concentrate on the following things-

  • Promotion through social network
  • Campaigning over social channels
  • Offers For customers
  • A membership program for customers

Conclusion

Food ordering mobile app development is not difficult but managing it might be difficult work in itself. Although, there are many methods and approaches that you can follow to accomplish your business goal. But for it, you have to pay a lot of attention, in terms of development, marketing, and sales.There are various food ordering apps in the market, some of them fail to meet the customer’s needs, while others are successful in making their place in the market.