Everyone loves food apps because of the choices and convenience one gets when using them. This is one of the best innovations of humankind and, since its arrival, has garnered significant support from people representing all spheres. Food apps are used by almost every generation, but just like other apps Gen Z and millennials represent the highest share. Be it elders, office workers, college students, or people working from home; food apps are the best way of getting the favorite food delivered. Thanks to the immense popularity, the food app market has reached its zenith, especially as the world suffers from the Covid-19 pandemic and people can no longer visit restaurants. This is why more and more people are investing in mobile app development in the food delivery business.
Food delivery apps had to suffer a great loss during the lockdown period and even after the lockdown was lifted. But soon as people started trusting restaurants and outdoor food delivery again, the food app market came back on track. According to Statista, the revenue gathered by the online food delivery market is anticipated to reach 182,327.8 million U.S dollars, up from 107,444.7 million U.S dollars reported in 2019. This shows how rapidly food delivery apps are becoming popular and their importance in the market. This trend has attracted many big hotel and restaurant chains along with some aspiring developers. In this post, I will highlight some of the key features every food app needs to have in order to be successful. So, let’s move forward and learn some must-have features every food app should have.
Table of Contents
#1 Reviews and recommendations
A provision for reviews and recommendations is a must for every food delivery app. It allows users to write feedback and give recommendations for their food orders. These suggestions and complaints from the app users can help others ordering food from a particular restaurant. This way, food apps can help build transparency and allow customers to select restaurants and other food outlets based on the quality of their food. Reviews and recommendations help users figure out the right place to order food and are beneficial for food outlets. Food outlets should consider these reviews and feedback about their cuisine and improve their recipes and services. Hence, with the help of reviews and recommendations, food delivery apps can help customers choose the right place to order food and food outlets to improve their services.
#2 Restaurant and rider details
Just listing the restaurants and their respective menus is not enough for a customer using a particular food app. More details about different food outlets should be added such as the distance from the customer’s current location, the best selling dishes of that particular outlet, discounts, etc. Many restaurants offer discounts according to their marketing strategies, and hence there should be a provision for customers to know about these discounts and avail them. Moreover, when customers are done ordering food, they should be given adequate details about the rider carrying their order. They should be provided with the rider’s name, contact info, and other optional information like reviews and ratings collected by him for successful deliveries. These details help customers to ensure that they are getting the correct order delivered by verifying the rider.
#3 Real-time tracking of orders
A food app needs to have an integrated GPS API so that the customer’s current location can be gathered and real-time tracking of food deliveries can be done. Hence it’s mandatory that in every food app development GPS and Map APIs be integrated to help real-time tracking. Real-time tracking is the most in-demand feature for many apps these days and, most notably, for eCommerce and food delivery apps. This feature allows users and food outlets to track and know the exact location of food deliveries in real-time. It allows restaurants to ensure that the rider is delivering the food at the right time.
Moreover, these features keep customers hooked to your app when they keep tracking their deliveries, thereby making the app more engaging and interactive. App development service seekers must check the list of top mobile app development companies cataloged by GoodFirms to find the right service provider matching your needs.
#4 Search bar and filters
Search bars and filters are some of the essential features that every food app must-have. The search bar allows users to quickly search any food item or restaurant without going through long lists of food outlets and their menus. This saves a lot of time for the user and also helps in placing orders quickly. Nowadays, every app has a filter feature; this allows users to narrow down the options based on the type of food, food outlet, and other such details. For example, if a user wants to order Chinese food, he can use the filters and choose Chinese in the “type of cuisine” option. This way, the app will only show Chinese food outlets to the users, and they can easily order their favorite food. Hence it’s advisable to provide search bars and filters in the food app to make ordering food more convenient.
#5 Hasslefree payment options
Payment gateway is the most vital feature that every mobile app must have to make hassle-free digital payments. Cash on delivery method is highly prohibited nowadays as the world is practicing social distancing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence digital payments have emerged as the easiest and safest way to make payments. These payment gateways powered by banks are safe and secure and ensure that every transaction is carried out securely. Moreover, they guarantee that no personal sensitive user information is shared by a third party or falls into the hands of the wrong people. This payment gateway should allow the user to pay via any means, such as credit/debit cards, e-wallets, net banking, etc. To conclude, a food app should offer hassle-free payment options to every user.
Wrapping up
Mobile app development for the food delivery business has been a very successful trend that has attracted the attention of many aspiring developers. They help not only customers but also food businesses by increasing their reach and driving their revenues. Although a flourishing market, not all food apps become successful and popular. For food apps to be successful, they need to be user-friendly, just like every other app. Therefore, in this post, we’ve discussed some features that must be included in these apps to ensure that they serve their core purpose with uttermost efficiency.
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