Gourmet food delivery services are very popular nowadays. The food delivery market is estimated to be around $90 billion and is continuing to grow at a rate of 3.5% annually. Convenience has been the main driving factor for the rise in popularity of on-demand food delivery apps like UberEats, Postmates, etc. Considering that even haircuts and similar services can be provided on-demand from the comfort of the home, it is no surprise that a food delivery app has had to reinvent itself continuously to beat the competition. Here, we look into what exactly goes into on-demand food delivery app development and what are the steps are needed to build one.`
Two major models for food delivery
Every business has a model behind it. A strong business model plays a crucial role in determining when companies can break even and start raking in profit. It also determines the longevity of the company as a whole. Many businesses have failed purely because of the business model whilst having an innovative product/service.
1. Aggregator Model
It is a model that greatly resembles the traditional delivery service offered by restaurants. Such companies act as the mediators between the customer and the restaurant and help maintain order support. They also provide restaurants with increased exposure. Once the order is confirmed within the food delivery app, the order is passed on to the restaurant after which the delivery is completed. The main difference in comparison with the next model is the delivery. Here, the delivery is done by the employees of the respective restaurants, similar to traditional delivery models. This model is suitable if the company is looking to make a relatively larger investment.
2. Food delivery with logistics support Model
This model deals with partnering with restaurants and logistics support. Such a platform would also contain all the listings of the member restaurants along with the ability to order from within the app. Once the order is placed, the platforms assign delivery staff to pick-up the order and bring it to the customers. This is more feasible for small scale restaurants, and those who do not want to employ dedicated delivery staff. Restaurants also need not worry about delivery vehicles since these are all taken off by the platform themselves. Examples of companies that employ this model in their food delivery app development include Uber Eats and Grubhub.
6 Steps to build a food delivery app
1. Finding the right users
The user is the most important aspect when it comes to food delivery. The first most important step would be to define the targeted user base. Some food delivery startups target vegans while some have a more general outlook. Some focus on organic while some are for quick-eats. Understanding the users the app is aimed for can help understand how to go about developing the app.
2. Understanding the necessities involved
A food delivery app has completely different aspects to deal with compared to other apps on the market. To build an app for an on-demand food delivery service, there are 4 main food deliverables.
This includes:
- The customer app
- The delivery driver app
- The restaurant app
- The restaurant web admin
This implies that there are almost 4 different versions for the same app. Hence, complexity becomes an issue here. Ensure the app and the entire experience for all the parties involved, is made easy and seamless.
3. Keeping the UI user-friendly
The entire success of a food delivery app is the user experience. It is the UI and UX that will differentiate the food delivery app from already existing services. The different components involved here are:
- User registration: Ensure a seamless registration process whilst getting all the necessary information from the user. Log in via social media accounts is a must in today’s day and age.
- Finding the restaurants: Once inside the app, the navigation should be as aesthetically pleasing and efficient as possible. Proper filters along with an effective GPS location service is key to developing a proper food delivery app.
- Ordering the food: Ordering has to be as seamless as possible. Well represented pictures along with proper ratings and reviews help the user make the right choices.
- Payment: The user needs to have convenient modes of payment. As the world moves towards a cashless economy, UPI methods, net-banking, and other sources need to be supported.
- Tracking: With a proper GPS service in-place, tracking becomes simple and easy. As long as the apps for the customer, delivery executive, and the restaurant are in-check, the tracking becomes a piece of cake.
4. Developing the app version for the owner
Restaurants have a role to play similar to the user. If the restaurant finds the app a hassle to work with, then they don’t register. If they don’t register, that’s one less choice for the user making it less appealing to the user which could prove to be a vicious cycle. This involves registering the restaurant, the info that will be shown in the app version for the restaurant, handling the orders, and the payments supported.
5. Partnering with the restaurant services
Many restaurants have not yet partnered with similar services. This means there is immense scope in shifting the entire market. Understanding what appeals to restaurants and working out professional relationships with as many restaurants as possible is crucial in ensuring that an app like this makes huge waves in a highly competitive industry. As the number of restaurants within the app base increases, the number of potential users rises exponentially.
6. Choosing the right food delivery app development services
The final and most important step is finding the right food ordering app development company. There are some key factors to look into while deciding on the right service to take the reins of developing the app.
- Understand their previous experience in developing similar apps.
- Understand if the development team uses the latest frameworks which make the app versatile and scalable.
- Understand what other technologies are being employed by the food ordering app development company.
