People are now shopping online more than ever, and it has become clear that businesses are transitioning into a mobile first world. With the growing number of online food delivery applications published on the app store every day, only the best ones will be able to capture users’ attention and make it to their mobile devices.
You can stand out and become successful with your online food delivery business if you know how to do it the right way.
In this article, we help entrepreneurs with the building of their food delivery applications by examining the key factors that should be carefully considered during development:
#1 Mobile platform:
For any mobile application development project, the first and foremost step is always to choose the right platform. The more platforms your app is available on, the bigger the customer base you can reach out to and grow. In order to choose the right platform so, you need to understand your customer base, investment, geography etc. and then decide whether you want to develop your food delivery application for iOS/Android/web or for all platforms.
As a general rule, the more platforms your apps need to be made for, the higher the development cost. This will lead to the next important thing of choosing between native app and cross platform app. Cross platform can help you reduce cost as you can develop a common application for all mobile platforms at the same time. However, such apps will be inferior in performance thereby affecting the overall user experience.
On the contrary, native application will provides better app performance in exchange for a higher development cost. Native apps are written specifically for a type of device and they utilize the optimal memory, offer better app experience to users. The decision of choosing whether to go with native or cross-platform app should be based on how much you’ll be willing to invest. You should opt for native app if your budget allows, otherwise cross platform is also a great option, especially with new technology such as React Native helps developing cross-platform app easier and more efficient.
#2 Friendly and easy-to-use UI:
Your app should be offers a UI architecture that allow users to easily understand the flow and navigation of the application without having to read the manual/help section multiple of times. The designs should be interactive and intuitive.
Additionally, placing orders should be done with as fewer users actions as possible. Your app must offer smart suggestions to customers about the closest store for quick delivery. Also, the app should let customers know about total payment including estimated shipping fees based on location before final delivery confirmation.
#3 Real-time tracking of order and Store Location:
Real-time tracking will help customers to know about the status of their order as well as expected time of delivery. This is extremely important as delivery time will impact the quality of food and beverages. Thus, customers should be able to locate the nearest store on the map to ensure their food items remained in the best serving condition.
Consequently, this leads to another important decision enabling GPS feature and choosing the right map for store locating. Currently, the two most popular options available are Google Map and Apple Maps. Google map API is free for a certain number of requests and Apple maps are also free (only available on iOS). If your app is available on both iOS and Android then Google Map seems to be the suitable choice here.
#4 Multiple payment methods:
Customers should be provided with a wide range of payment methods like debit/credit card, or money wallet for ease of making payment directly through mobile device. Digital transactions involve highly sensitive information, so it is important that you apply best practice and security standard to protect your app system from hacking and malicious attack. For certain developing countries where digital payment is not a preferred option, you can provide “cash on delivery” feature to end users. This will be a convenient alternative help your app to attract more users.
#5 Implementation of push notification and inbox message:
After an order has been placed, customer should receive notification with order details, estimated delivery time and contact info of the delivery staff (e.g. phone number, motorbike model etc.). Other notifications may include promotions, discount coupons, and many more.
#6 Focus on localization:
One of the reason for failure of food delivery apps is that app vendors did not perform thorough research on local market and customs tradition. Localization is very important for the success of any app. You should study the local market, have your app translated to the local language as well as research competitors and identify the strategy they implement to adapt to the limitations of the area. For example, in addition to the standard menus, many online food delivery services also offer custom local dishes that are popular in the area.
#7 Back-end and scalability:
The success of your food delivery app depends largely on the number of users who will install and actually use your apps. The more customers you can attract and retain, the higher the chance your app becoming successful. In order to ensure high-level performance of your app with a large number of users request, it is critical that the back-end of your app is robust and secure. You also need to plan in advance for scalability accounting for the numbers of new users growing in the future.
#8 Feedback for improvement:
Constructive feedback is important for a business to improve their quality and build a loyal customer base. Rating the food quality, delivery service and delivery time help in improvisation of the service quality.
#9 Billing and invoice generation:
For a great food delivery app, it is very important that customer must receive invoices directly in the app as well as via other channels such as email, SMS as soon as their order is completed. Hence, it is important that you choose a good email server for auto email notification sending. SMS notification is also helpful and employing a high-quality SMS service sender is neccessary in this regard.
#10 Outsourcing mobile app development:
Keeping the development costs under control is one of the most important factors to ensure the success of the entire project and business overall. One proven effective method is to outsource the development of your app to a reliable software outsourcing company with experience in developing apps for start-up. This will not only help keep your budget under control but also improve the odds for the success of the project.
A food delivery mobile app customized with amazing features and localization can deliver or even exceed the required ROI (return on investments) to investors in the long run.
End-note:
TP&P Technology is one of the top mobile app development companies in Vietnam that have produced numerous successful mobile apps for clients worldwide. You will get your food/beverage delivery apps developed by a dedicated team of experienced mobile developers that will excellently perform the job meeting all of your business requirements. Contact us at info@technology.com to enquire about our custom mobile app development service today.
