It is hard to find a person who hasn’t ordered food online at least once. The food delivery business is thriving, even though other industries barely survive. More and more people choose to stay at home and enjoy their favorite meal instead of eating out.
This trend has fuelled the interest of entrepreneurs toward the development of food ordering mobile apps. In case you are also in search of a trusted developer, check this link — www.purrweb.com. This will help you make an informed decision. However, before you rush to discuss your future mobile app, there is a list of preparation steps to consider.
How to make your future food ordering mobile application startup a success?
Explore the upcoming industry trends
To succeed as a startup, you need to be ahead of competitors. While they may focus on recent trends, you should try to predict the upcoming ones based on the data you possess at the moment. The most recent innovations are social media ordering and chatbots. It’s not a secret that many people spend a lot of time on their social media, and putting it to your advantage is a practical solution. Besides, telling a virtual assistant what to order for dinner and letting the bot do the rest is utterly time-saving and convenient. Food ordering giants like Domino’s Pizza and Grubhub have started this trend, and the customers seem to enjoy the innovation. Thus, their apps are twice as successful and profitable.
Decide upon the food delivery model
Chances are that you have rarely thought that there are particular delivery models. But they do exist, and what’s more important, they matter greatly. There are three main models to choose from:
- Order only
- Order+Delivery
- Integrated model
The first model is a good fit for startups. The order-only model allows clients to place orders through an app while the delivery is the restaurant’s responsibility. However, the competition here is fierce, while the income is considerably lower than with other models.
The order-and-delivery model speaks for itself. Even though it is also a widespread approach, it is considered more profitable when compared to the first one. Yet, it also requires significant startup capital. The primary profit here is generated via delivery fees and additional commissions.
The integrated option is a balanced version of both — order-only and order-and-delivery models. The only downside is that it is usually limited to only one food venue, so the menu is limited too. To put it simply, restaurants that accept food orders and provide delivery are using the integrated business model.
Define your audience
It may seem like an unimportant factor, but in fact, it’s a success-determining one. Why create a fancy multifunctional application if no one is going to use it? The better you know your targeted audience, the easier it will be to build a helpful app and make it profitable. The approach is a time-consuming one since you need to collect the following information:
- What type of food is preferred in the area?
- What is the age group you are aiming at?
- What are the potential issues people face while ordering online?
- What is your USP (unique selling proposition), and how can you improve it?
When you find clear answers to these questions, you will be able to successfully define your potential customers along with the features needed for your app.
Point out the primary features of the future app
It’s essential to remember that the fancier is not always the better. A food ordering application should be user-friendly and simple to use even for those who have no prior ordering experience. Still, the app should function well. So, regular maintenance and updates are to be added to the list.
Below are the primary features every food app should offer:
- Sign-up feature. The more intuitive and less time-consuming the registration is, the better. Only necessary information should be requested. The easiest way to simplify the registration process is to let a customer use a social media login
- Find-the-restaurant feature. Enable GPS so that users could find the closest local restaurants with their menus on offer. Additional features such as the type of cuisine, price range, discounts, and bonuses are optional.
- Cart feature. The client should be able to add dishes to the cart. Also, let them delete the option in case they change their mind.
- Food-tracking feature. It usually takes ages for the delivery to arrive. To ease the hungry client’s pain, it is a good idea to add a delivery tracking option in real-time.
- Secure payment option. There’s no food delivery without accepted payment, right? While developing your food ordering app, it’s essential to integrate the most popular and secure payment options.
Choosing the app development company
The number of app development services is huge. However, not all vendors that offer their services online are to be trusted. If you haven’t cooperated with a development company before, there is a fair share of research ahead. Client feedback on a particular company is where you should start. After that, you can sort the companies depending on the sphere they are the most proficient in. Do not forget to browse through their portfolios and test the applications developed by the company. Lastly, consider the budget. It’s crucial to remember that neither the cheapest nor the most expensive services are suitable for a startup. Focus on average prices and extended project support instead.
All in all, it’s safe to say that coming up with a well-developed and profitable application is not easy, no matter the sector you are aiming at. The food ordering industry is snowballing. If you are looking to launch a project able to cover the expenses and generate profit in the long run, you’d better turn to industry experts. App development companies with a flawless reputation are always ready to lend you a helping hand.
