Top 9 Tips for Building an On-Demand Food Delivery App
The rise of the smartphone market coincided with the rise of the smartphone app market. Innumerable ways have these handy little tools changed our lives. They have not only made our lives easier, but they have also created numerous business opportunities like Food Delivery App.
Companies all over the world have recognised the impact and reach of these smartphone apps and have begun to integrate them into their operations. From pharma apps to video streaming apps, there are a plethora of products on the market today that smartphone users all over the world rely on. One such burgeoning industry is on-demand food delivery apps.
And today, we’ll talk about how to make an on-demand food delivery app development, as well as some helpful hints for making sure your app is top-notch and ready to take over the market.
So let’s get started!
Top 9 Pointers for Creating an On-Demand Food Delivery App
1. Awe-inspiring user interface and user experience
2. The Right Information
3. Order Delivery Time and Real-Time Tracking
4. Gateways for payments
5. Reward Customer Loyalty
6. Orders
7. PackagesÂ
8. Effective Marketing
9. Personalization
1. Awe-inspiring user interface and user experience
An appealing, easy-to-use User Interface and a consistent User Experience are the first requirements for any app. The phrase “first impressions are lasting impressions” has never been more true than in the case of mobile apps. If your app isn’t engaging enough, or if it fails to make an impression, it’s game over. Everything matters, from the logo that will be displayed on app stores to the colour theme you choose for your app.
Similarly, the user experience and interface of your app can make or break it. With so many options on the market, all claiming to be perfect solutions for their users, the bar for any newcomer is set pretty high. As a result, the best way to carve a niche for yourself is to make users fall in love with your app, and your UI/UX plays a big part in that.
The most important thing to remember is to keep your app’s user interface as simple and engaging as possible. Nobody wants to feel like they’re in the matrix when they use your app late at night to order food. As a result, the key to your success is simplicity.
2. The Right Information
While withholding information from your users is never a good idea, bombarding them with unnecessary data is also not a good idea. Surplus is just as dangerous as scarcity. As a result, only tell your user what he wants to know.
Users also don’t mind their food delivery app making suggestions. Most apps, whether they’re shopping apps or music streaming apps, can study users’ preferences, learn what kind of music they like or what they usually buy, and then recommend more of the same. This is also advantageous for an on-demand food delivery app. You can include a simple AI in your app that keeps track of your users’ eating preferences and makes similar recommendations.
This eliminates the need for users to search your app for their favourite cuisines; instead, they can find the link to the thing they like right on their home screen.
3. Order Delivery Time and Real-Time Tracking
These are two interconnected features that your app absolutely must have. Users are impatient, and knowing the exact amount of time they must wait before their order arrives helps them relax. As a result, make sure your app always displays the correct delivery time. When calculating an estimated delivery time, take into account weather conditions, traffic, and other such variables. An impatient user will be less likely to become frustrated while waiting if he can track the delivery boy’s live movements. As a result, real-time delivery tracking is an important feature of your app.
For an iOS app, you’ll need to use CoreLocation, and for an Android app, you’ll need to use Google Location API. This will allow you to pinpoint a user’s exact location. Once you’ve found your user, send directions to your driver. You can use Mapkit for iOS and Google Maps API for Android apps to integrate a map into your app.
4. Gateways for payments
Many businesses lose sales during the payment process. In a study conducted a few years ago, Amazon discovered that many users abandon their purchases because the website’s payment process is inconvenient. People found it far more convenient to go to a store and purchase their goods rather than deal with the complicated online payment system. The takeaway here is that you should streamline the payment process as much as possible.
In-app payment gateways are fairly common these days, and they add additional value to your app. However, avoid bombarding your users with unnecessary questions. Use a secure and reputable payment gateway as well. Stripe and Braintree are two of the most popular service providers. Additionally, having your e-wallet is a good idea. Users will be able to deposit money directly into their wallets on your platform and then use it whenever they need it, eliminating the need to repeatedly type in their bank credentials.
5. Reward Customer Loyalty
It’s just as difficult to keep your customers as it is to bring them in. You must ensure that your customers do not abandon you once you have acquired them. Making them feel loved is the best way to do it. Coupons and referral codes are great ways to do this. Furthermore, you can always include a complimentary bottle of soda or a family pack of ice cream to show your appreciation for your customer.
6. Orders
People are frequently late because of the fast pace of life, particularly in large cities. We sometimes have to sacrifice our meals in order to get to work, schools, or colleges on time. To address this issue, your app should include a Pre-Order option. Consider UberEats, which allows you to order food ahead of time and have it delivered to your desired location. Assume you couldn’t eat breakfast this morning because you had an early meeting. You can order food ahead of time and specify the location where you want it delivered with UberEats. And when you arrive, your breakfast will be waiting for you.
Then there’s the issue of boundaries. Many times, a snobby restaurant refuses to deliver food to your home in your neighbourhood. That is a surefire way to lose customers. You must ensure that this does not occur. Deliver as often as possible and at all times, particularly in hospitals and parks.
7. Packages
Continue to expand. Always add new restaurants to your list of providers, and always introduce new cuisines to your menus. Never believe that what you have is sufficient. Users are extremely selective. If a person wants linguine from a specific restaurant, he will go to any length to get it, including downloading a new app if you are unable to provide it. To avoid this from happening to you, you’ll need to form more and more restaurant partnerships. Also, don’t partner with too many restaurants of the same type to keep the variety alive.
You can also make your own packages by combining items from various restaurants to temporarily increase your sales.
8. Effective Marketing
Social media has evolved into a powerful marketing tool in recent years, and you can take advantage of it, just as many others have. As a result, you must ensure that your app is compatible with all major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Request that your users share their orders with their friends and family to help promote your app. Also, make sure you have a strong social media presence. These days, having accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is required for businesses. These are free marketing methods that allow you to reach out to your followers with any news you may have. Maintain an active blog in addition. This will improve your online visibility.
The one thing your website must have at all costs is search engine optimization. A well-designed website can generate a lot of traffic by being indexed on the first page of search results by search engines like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.
One of the most significant benefits of having an app developed is that your customers will never be far away. You are constantly in their pockets. This advantage can be used to your advantage. Push Notifications are now included in almost all apps. These are short messages sent to your user by your app. They’re mostly used to inform users about their orders, wallet balances, and so on. They can also be an effective business tool. You can inform them of any new offer you’ll be launching soon, as well as any new package or reward point you’ll be offering. However, while it is an excellent tool, keep in mind that no user enjoys receiving a series of Push Notifications. So be careful not to overdo it.
9. Personalization
Following a strict business plan has never been more detrimental than it is now. Different tastes and preferences exist among people of various cultures and age groups. As a result, you’ll need to create customised business plans for each of your users. Use filters in your app to provide users with the most relevant information based on their preferences without them having to search for it. Create a business plan that appeals to them using metrics like the age group that uses your app the most or the location where your app is most active.
If you operate in a college district with many hostels and PGs, for example, make sure you deliver late at night and provide cakes and pastries for birthday and other parties.
Conclusion
These are just a few ideas for designing your on-demand food delivery app. You can always add to these features and push the boundaries further, but you must know when to stop. Many apps become over-cluttered with functions in their quest to become more useful, and their usability suffers as a result. To compete in this market, you must ensure that your app is in perfect working order.
