Delivering The Competitive Edge In Food Delivery Business By Creating Mobile App

Food - The Constant

Food is one of the most basic requirements for the sustenance of humankind and the continuity of any species. The need for food is as old as life on this planet is. Although there might have been changes in the way food is consumed, the need has never diminished over time.

Today, beyond home-food and restaurants, we’re witnessing a trend of location-based food delivery services.

Mobiles - The ‘New’ Constant

It might not be an exaggeration to say that most of the activities of our lives have been shrunken into a handheld device. This includes but is not limited to photo and videography, recorded song playback, alarm clock, digital storage and additionally, telephone, etc. The creation of app-based ecosystems like Android and iOS have provided the catalysis to make mobile phones a mainstream gadget.

The number of mobile phones has grown from a meager 3 billion in 2009 to a whopping 10 billion in 2019. Amongst all of this, it has to be remembered that populous countries like India and China have not experienced 100% mobile penetration yet!

The Onset Of The Apps

Mobile phones might have effectively addressed the problem of communication between people over voice ever since it came into existence. However, it is only after the iPhone revolution in 2007 and the meticulous tailgating by Android that resulted in the expansion of the utilities of a mobile phone.

The credit for this transformation has to be given to applications. Although operating systems like Symbian had their share of applications, it was not as regulated and organized as it is for Android and iOS. These devices also brought with them a lot of advantages including long-lasting batteries, and GPS to find direction.

Today, there is an app for almost everything! It includes functions right from crazy alarm clocks to finding a date based on mutual dislikes.

The Amazing Confluence Of Both

The magic created by merging food and mobiles especially with all the technical advantages is nothing short of fantastic. This confluence has resulted in the birth of on-demand, location-based food delivery services.

It is quite obvious that food delivery has always been in existence. However, by bringing in the advantages of mobiles and the associated technologies gives food delivery businesses an edge in serving the people better and in reaping better profits.

The Advantages That Mobiles Bring

If a technology-based service has grown from ‘Will people ever order online?’ to ‘Come on! Why go out? Let’s order online!’, it can only be attributed to the significant advantages that it presents to users and business owners. 

Precision in Location (Not Just For Delivery)

One of the biggest advantages of any location-based service is the precision in finding the location. With the introduction of GPS and mapping, the ordered food can be delivered at the exact location of the user. This also brings in a lot of passive advantages. It is possible to estimate the time of arrival. Moreover, it also results in increased customer satisfaction.

Better Marketing Through Push-Notifications

Notifications present an amazing channel to communicate with customers in a way that grabs their attention. These notifications bring a big advantage in terms of marketing efforts. It will ensure that your promotions do not go unnoticed. 

If you have the right data, you can engage in efficient marketing by sending the notifications at the right time and to the right audience.

Wide-Yet-Compact Target Reach

It cannot be denied that location is one of the most prominent attributes of a user. Any stack of data that helps in isolating the interests of a set of customers is extremely useful for marketing, brand building and maximizing your reach.

With this data, it is possible for you to send customized notifications and promotions to a specific set of customers. This will ensure that your reach is as compact as possible and at the same time, uncompromising on the numbers.

Loyalty Programs

It is observed that 82% of the customers who have downloaded an application to not diversify into trying other apps that provide the same service when it comes to food delivery. This is a great advantage for you as a platform provider. You can use this to create loyalty programs that will further catalyze the loyalty of your customers. 

Capitalize On Social Media

Today, food delivery services are nothing more than their core utility. They do not have a social dimension. However, by adding a social dimension to your food delivery app, you can also capitalize on the recommendations and referral programs.

It is quite known that users trust the reviews of other users more than promotions. Creating a social network out of your food delivery app can be extremely useful in building your business and increasing your profits.

Essential Features For Your App

Your food delivery app needs to have a few basic features in place, so the utility can be delivered without hassles and without compromise on quality.

Digital Menu With Images

Once the users choose a restaurant, they should be able to see the menu in an organized fashion. There are instances where the restaurant might have chosen some fancy name for a dish. In those cases, it is a good idea for you to have a menu with images, so the users will know exactly what they are ordering for!

Order-Form

Instead of going through the menu and finding out the items, the users can also choose to fill in an order form if they are well-versed with the restaurant and its menu. This will help them make a quick. Passively it also showcases the list of users who are regular customers for the restaurant.

Selection-Options by Cuisine/Ingredients

There are people who have a specific taste and there are people who suffer from specific allergies. For their advantage, if a filter based on the ingredients and procedure is introduced, it will be easier for them to choose the items of their choice and place orders.

Easy Login With Social/Email Credentials

People have problems in remembering their credentials for different services. Bringing in a feature to use their Google or Facebook login to access your food delivery application will be an added advantage. It also gives you a little bit of insight into the user profile, which might not be available if they use a simple email-based or phone-based login.

Cost of Creating A Food-Ordering App

Creating a food delivery application involves putting together a lot of elements in different territories. The aspects include the technology, design, marketing and above everything, the offline coordination of enrolling restaurants and delivery partners.

Although there might not be any workarounds for a lot of these processes, technology will surely not be an issue. You can make use of clone apps that are available for customization. They will ensure that you hit the market as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

All the pieces of statistical evidence and the market show that food delivery apps are here to stay and grow bigger. For an aspiring entrepreneur, it presents a lucrative business option. The availability of scripts only make it easier for you to launch your service!