How to Create a Food Delivery App-A Comprehensive Guide

Category:Mobile Development
Published Date:September 29, 2023

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Table of Contents

Introduction

The food delivery market segment would have taken another decade to develop into its current stage, had the coronavirus and quarantine not triggered the entire food chain. Entrepreneurs would have to invest a large portion of their budget to persuade people of the need for doorstep food delivery.

During and after the pandemic, food delivery app development showed an unprecedented surge and created a situation where saturation is being anticipated in this business. However, the reality is far different from such anticipations because Statista projected a revenue of USD 1.02 trillion by the end of 2023.

The top two pioneers in the food delivery industry Uber Eats and DoorDash showed revenue of $10.9 billion and $6.58 billion respectively, for the previous financial year. The industry is ever-booming and not stopping in the predictable future. The eating habits have displayed a lot of changes globally. If you are also in the same segment and planning to safeguard your future, hesitate not to begin your journey of on-demand food delivery app development. In this guide, you will walk through the step-by-step journey of the whole development process, along with its successful launch and future sustainability.

Market Breakdown

Before diving into the designing and development stages fort hrightly, it is quite important to invest an ample amount of time in researching the market which must be followed by conceptualization. The market research or market breakdown must be done following the three crucial steps:

1. Right audience determination

The food business is unwaveringly dynamic and keeps on changing from region to region, community to community, and season to season. In addition, eating habit also differs in the age group, and meal intake timing. We are living in an age where the concept of 24/7 is gaining strong momentum. Places are boasting of their capability of never sleeping. So, the menu to be served is changed in the course of 24 hours. Let us break it down into more segments to understand it better:

Region-based food – Food vloggers have exposed us to a lot of different food cultures across the globe. It is not a matter of shock for us to encounter different tastes in the same cuisines when the place is changed. Depending upon the region, the people’s tastes and preferences decide the ingredients that will be included in the food.
Community-based food – The personal beliefs of any individual are always given high priority when it comes to eating habits. There are chances that some food might be prohibited for some according to the belief set. In such cases, restaurants might have to target the audience carefully.
Season-based food – As the season changes, so does the decoration of your plate. Even the land that produces vegetables does not remain static throughout the year. In the same reign, the tastes and preferences of the customers also alter in different seasons.

Therefore, it is important to rightly target the audience based on the region, community, and season. If the food app plans to target a specific audience group then the business model will also be tailored and brand-specific.

2. Potential competitors’ determination
Although the online food industry is newly discovered, the pace at which it has grown in the past 2–3 years makes the scope of it giving easy space in the market minimal, especially to the newbies. Hence, it is strongly recommended to analyze the competitors prior to entering the market. Following are the two analysis recommendations before entering the food market:
SWOT Analysis: This is one of the fundamental research that is done prior to entering the market, as well as after entering the market. The acronym stands for Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat. Every organization is advised to keep an updated check of all the potential threats and invest in discovering new opportunities. At the same time, it is advisable to keep examining the strengths and weaknesses of one’s own company and that of competitors.
PESTLE Analysis: If a company plans to do cross-border activities then PESTLE analysis plays a crucial role in determining the factors. The acronym PESTLE stands for Political Economical Social Technology Legal Environment. Any company, before engaging in cross-border operations, must consider each point closely and make decisions accordingly. The elements of PESTLE highly drive decisions at the macro level.

3.Trends determination
Trends in the technological segment influence the food delivery app development process. In the past few years, user-centric approaches have been utilized by companies to enhance their market share. With minimal profit but a high retention rate, food delivery businesses have survived. The advent of artificial intelligence, machine learning, robots and drone deliveries, contactless payments, etc. all contribute to the market trends that must be taken into consideration at the time of starting a new business in the food industry.

Idea Generation

Once the market is investigated thoroughly while discovering all the potential opportunities and threats, the next step is to generate the idea for your food delivery app development. The idea is supposed to be well-researched, unique, and sustainable. Below are the most important 3 points that will help you conceptualize a proper blueprint:

Business model determination
It will help you get a clear picture of how your business will earn the money and where you will invest it. The remuneration channel must be specifically defined and there should not be any overlaps later. A food delivery app can earn money through the below-discussed business models:
1. Commission model
  The application owner can charge the commission from the restaurants for featuring their stores. This can usually be done when the application is highly popular and can charge the value for branding someone.
2. Fee-model
  Money can also be earned in the form of charging for delivery services. However, it is important to keep in mind that logistics is highly active and effective because it can be an upset for the consumers if delivery charges are high.
3. Subscription model
  This is a way of retaining customers as well as earning their loyalty. While paying a particular sum of money as a subscription, food apps waive the delivery charges. Any user would want to use that subscription to its best, and therefore, orders increase with this.

USP determination
Unique Selling Proposition (USP) becomes much more important when you know the competitors are investing an ample amount of money and time in standing out in the industry. Without any value proposition, it is not possible to survive the stormy battle of competition. In a food delivery app, USP can be related to quickest delivery, variety of food range, food contests, unique cuisines, or any other service that might lure customers.

Clear goal determination
A food delivery service is a proper business in itself. Though people sometimes mistake it to be something at a micro level, in reality, it can provide valuable insights into the macro environment. Therefore, one must be well determined to set a goal and achieve it within a set time frame. For example – yearly targets can be set to research and evaluate consumers’ tastes, preferences, and eating habits. Such applications provide a large data set that must be utilized for R&D purposes. Other goals such as ‘n’ number of delivery in a month or year, ‘n’ number of happy customers, etc., can be set and achieved.

Designing a Food Delivery App

After doing market research, idea generation, and conceptualization, the next important step in the food delivery app development process is to design an interface good enough to retain, maintain, and sustain. Three design stages take place in the food delivery app development:

1. Define Major Goals
The user interface (UI) is the first interaction of a consumer with the application. It is supposed to be attractive, easily navigable, and problem-solving, all at the same time. Finding the right alignment between attractiveness and an easy-to-use app is a difficult task. User interface design includes the layout of the application on different devices, buttons, tags, containers, boxes, toggles, sliders, icons, etc. All of these must be designed according to the brand identity and voice. It enhances the user experience (UX) overall.

2. Wireframing
Once the layout of the user interface is finalized, it should be forwarded to the designer for creating wireframes that would give the actual view of the application. Such digital prototypes help diagnose the issues before the process of mobile app development. There can be multiple mockups designed and then analyzed thoroughly with competitor’s applications.

3. Theme selection
Theme selection is done to maintain the symphony of the app. Theme cannot be changed frequently. It gives a brand identity to the company. It includes color selection, font family, brand voice, brand icons, etc. This stage demands proper attention because once the theme is finalized and circulated in the market, it is not easy to revamp and change it.

DEVELOPING A FOOD DELIVERY APP

The food delivery app development demands an appropriate technology stack be incorporated. To achieve this, a mobile app development company is required to work on three important elements of development, viz; frontend, backend, and database.

Backend tools

1. Programming languages – Python, Node.JS, Ruby, Java, C#
2. Frameworks – Express.JS, Django, Apache Cordova, Ionic
3. Cloud Servers – AWS, Google Cloud

Frontend tools

1. Programming languages – Java, Kotlin, Objective-C, Swift
2. Frameworks – Angular, React

Database

SQL, PostgreSQL, Firebase

Toolkit

Android Studio, Android Developer Tools, Apple XCode

The development process demands proper analysis as it is the base of all business operations. If the application is not technically sound then no matter if you have the best food, logistics, marketing, etc., people would not place orders through it. Therefore, it is quite important to contact a mobile app development company that would help you gain the best consulting for your app idea and provide top-notch technical solutions.

MUST-HAVE FEATURES IN THE FOOD DELIVERY APP

The features of an application in the food segment revolve around four different sectors: customer, restaurant, courier, and admin. These four join together to build an ecosystem of seamless business operations. Let us discuss the features demanded by each sector:

Customer application
This is one of the four most important applications that work in the ecosystem of on-demand food delivery. In this application, most of the emphasis is laid on designing the best interface, integrating the best features, making it seamless, easily navigable, and delivering optimum user experience (UX). Below are the discussion points that cannot be compromised while developing the application for customers:

User Registration
Without logging in to the food delivery application, the customers can’t avail of the benefits of personalization, recommendation, and other important algorithmic benefits. On the other hand, the restaurant will also not be able to use many of the technologies to provide maximum satisfaction. But it is also important to provide seamless user registration. More and more options must be given such as email registration, Facebook SDK, Google SDK, Apple Sign up, or any other. In this way, the chances of retaining the customers increase.

Versatile search bar
The user experience is enhanced when the search bar of the application can provide search results with multiple filters. For instance, a user might want to search for the restaurant specifically at once, while another time he might be interested in focussing on the food type. Also, filters such as best offers, nearby restaurants, fastest delivery, etc. must be integrated into the search bar.

Order Placement
The check-out process should be designed in such a way that a user might not have to navigate through a whole range of screens to place the final order. One-click confirmation and one-click payment gateway landing are enough. For the payment gateway, we will discuss it in detail in the upcoming paragraphs.

Push notifications
The significance of push notifications increases as a mobile device has five to six applications running at the same time. The notifications feature works as a reminder for each stage of delivery. For example – an order received, food is being prepared, food picked up from the restaurant, on the way, and food delivered.

Feedback
The cheapest data collection method comes with the integration of a feedback option after the food delivery. Stomachs do have a language. They are either happy or upset. And they are curious and eager to speak. Once your food is consumed, customers generally want to provide feedback, either positive or negative. Collect their feedback and work for the betterment of the application.

Restaurant application
This application is used by the restaurant staff for order and menu management. As compared to the customer application, this portal is simple and does not require many functionalities or top-notch UI/UX designs. Some of the important features are given below:
1. Registration
  The first important feature is the restaurant name registration on the application. Unlike customer app registration, this segment does not require much functionality other than a seamless registration process.
2. Menu Management
  The restaurant’s menu does not remain the same throughout the day, week, or month. Based on meal timing, occasions, and geolocations, the menu keeps on changing. Hence, it is important to provide menu management tools for restaurant apps.
3. Order Management
  Another important management is that of orders. It can be related to traffic management on roads. Considering certain rules and regulations, orders are supposed to be managed, dealt with, and supervised in case of uncertainties.
4. Feedback
  The restaurant application should have direct access to check the feedback from customers. In this way, the problem-solving process will be easy, rapid, and transparent.
Courier application
This application is dedicated to serving the purposes of delivery guys. The fundamental requirement of this application is to be simple, easily navigable, trackable, and at the same time able to provide all the necessary functionalities. The important features are
1. Registration
  An easy-to-login system should be provided here taking into account the environment in which a delivery guy works. Any complexity in registration can hinder the process and eventually affect the delivery time and experience.
2. Route Map
  The map integrated with the courier application should be appropriate and comprehensive. All the important details including landmarks, shortest route, less congested route, delivery address, etc. must be provided.
3. Other details
  The delivery agent needs to be informed of the meal content, customer name, address, and the time of delivery. With the help of this information, he will be able to plan his journey and deliver the right order within time.
Admin application
This is the headquarters of your business. Every change in the application mechanism will be done through this application. It will be held and operated by the administrator himself or his delegate. Some important features of the admin app are
1. Admin Login
  A secure admin dashboard is a must in any mobile application. Because the admin panel will host all the fetched data, privacy tools must be integrated into it.
2. Restaurant management
  The admin panel will have the authority to add a restaurant or eliminate it from the application. Also, any customized layout of the restaurant feature can be made available on the interface.
3. Data sorting tools
  Several data analytics tools should be integrated into the admin application. It will help to understand the tastes, preferences, demands, and popularity of any restaurant or food.
4. Offers management tool
  Through the admin panel, various discount options or coupons can be made available to the users. It can help them retain more clients and encourage them to shop from their application.

PAYMENT GATEWAY

The payment gateway procedure is a bit crucial and critical. It is supposed to be seamless, reliable, and secure in every aspect. If the below-discussed points are followed properly, you will most probably achieve seamless payment integration:

Right partner selection
The payment gateway is often done through third-party integrations. It is important to understand your application needs and the offers provided by the payment gateways. Some of the highly recommended gateways are Razorpay, PayPal, Adyen, and Square. Another benefit of partnering with a third party is to ensure secured transactions.

All kinds of payment options
Statistics have shown a growth in order when modes of payment over the application were increased. Considering the customer-centric approach in the business model, more than one payment option must be made available. For example – debit/credit cards, digital wallets (Google Pay, Apple Pay), COD (cash-on-delivery), or any applicable coupon.

Financial data privacy
It is expected that the details of banks, cards, digital wallets, etc. will be safe and secure with the food delivery app. However, security breaches are not something uncommon these days. If any such breach occurs during the operations, you are likely to lose the brand value in addition to facing legal consequences. The business owners must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

QA AND TESTING

Before releasing the application to the general public, it is essential to verify that the software is free of errors and has a level of security adequate to support the operation of the company’s operations. All the bug-tracking tools must be utilized to find the potential errors, in addition to manual testing. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) should also be carried out where real users can give feedback for improvements.

LAUNCH OF FOOD DELIVERY APP

This step seeks our creative brain to work again as it had worked during the initial stages of market research and idea generation. The food delivery app launch should be strategic and laid out in a professional environment so the competition is combated and managed easily. Without proper marketing strategies, the application can’t sustain itself in the market. Below are the requirements for launching the app.

Pre-launch marketing
The application idea should be circulated in the public domain much earlier than the actual product launch. This allows the development team to gather insights from the actual users and work on the suggestions and advice provided by them. A social media marketing team must be hired to generate a buzz in the virtual environment and let people wait for the app desperately.

Optimization on the app stores
Just like search engine optimization for websites, applications are also optimized on PlayStore and Apple Store. Work on relevant keyword injection, clear and concise content, as well as proper visuals, to achieve rank.

Launching event
Collaborate with the event management team and design strategies for marketing campaigns and market penetration. Also, partner with relevant influencers to reach audiences and deliver the app idea.

Retention strategy
Create some customer loyalty programs in the beginning so that you can engage customers. The most challenging part of the process is winning over the audience for the first time. If the quality is adequate, then there is a significant possibility of retention.

MAINTENANCE

Once the application is launched and all the strategies are undertaken, the next step is to maintain the application and solve the issues that may arise over time. An application cannot run without having to face the challenges like server load, bugs, hacks, and other internal and external issues. To ensure its smooth operation, follow the steps given below:

Monitoring
It is important to dedicate an individual team to application monitoring. The team will be responsible for checking the performance and maintaining the server load. Also, it will engage in gathering user feedback and carry forward the issues to the development team.

Optimize
With time new technologies will be introduced in the market. It is essential to keep pace with the advancements and integrate every relevant technology into the food delivery app to make sure you stand out from the crowd. The team will be accountable for maintaining the application speed, checking for responsiveness, and improving scalability.

Updates
New updates, bug fixation, and other security and privacy-related issues must be solved from time to time. Along with this, a customer support panel should be made, to listen to the problems and provide solutions promptly.

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES

For the smooth running of your business and proper growth, one needs to adhere to the laws and regulations of the respective country or region. From country to country and region to region laws change in terms of food, logistics, technology, and other operations.

For the food delivery company, it is important to have proper and detailed agreement documents with the restaurants they collaborate with, along with all the necessary clauses to be followed by both parties.

In terms of data, laws are really strict in some countries. Therefore, the data collection method must not violate the right to privacy laws of the country.

GROWTH OF FOOD DELIVERY APP

When you have achieved market stability and have automated your company processes, the next stage is to make investments in the research and development (R&D) sector of the business. There will be persistent advances in technology capabilities inside the commercial realms. In tandem with this, society will progress, which will lead to alterations in a variety of people’s interests and preferences. As of now, two important roles will lead to food delivery app growth, viz; market expansion and data analytics.

Market Expansion
Businesses these days are moving forward to collaborating, expanding, and signing new ventures in the international spheres. With the advent of globalization and its sub-branches, entrepreneurs are not restricted to operating in a confined space. Therefore, new opportunities must always be discovered, along with the right market entry strategies to expand the businesses in new geographies and demographics.

Data Analytics
The next important driver for the growth of the food delivery business is to use data fetched through the application. When you have the data of your consumers you can leverage the cardinal approach of utility to understand their tastes and preferences and hence you can enhance their experience by working in the gaps.

CONCLUSION

The long and winding journey that was the construction of an app for food delivery has finally concluded, and as a result, we have arrived at the stage of making decisions. The process of developing an application can be complex because there are numerous components contained inside it, all of which need to be aligned with the requirements of each other.

A team of skilled specialists is required to execute the jobs prudently and produce the correct product at the right time. These tasks include everything from conducting market research to coming up with ideas, designing to development, integrating to quality assurance, and launching the product onto the market along with other branding and growth tactics.

You can count on Kriyan Infotech to provide you with talented and knowledgeable development staff, in addition to creative designers, meticulous testers, and capable project managers. In addition to that, you will be provided with the opportunity to work together with business advisors who will assist you in formulating your idea and bringing it to life.

We are a well-known mobile app development company with our headquarters in Irving, Texas (United States of America), and we operate globally through various branches located in India. We invite you to partner with us.

Take your Business Strategy to Next Level

How to Create a Food Delivery App-A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Market Breakdown

Idea Generation

Designing a Food Delivery App