UberEats, GrubHub, and Zomato, are on-demand food delivery apps that combine two things the world loves – comfort and food – into one platform.
On-demand meal delivery mobile apps are born to be an instant hit among a vast pool of mobile app users, no matter what demography they belong to, by making the entire process of ordering food, not limited to any one cuisine, come on the tap and flick of millions.
A Successful Food Delivery App’s Key Elements
Before we get into the specifics of constructing an on-demand food delivery service, it’s important to understand the numerous components of making one. The following three components make up an UberEats app (or any other functional meal delivery service):
The Client’s Perspective
New users can register an account using their email address or third-party apps like Google and Facebook.
Select a restaurant or cafe from a list of merchants near your location.
The ability to place orders from a menu rapidly.
Processing payments and confirming promo codes using a payment gate system. Customers should have the ability to pay for their orders as promptly as possible. You should try to include as many payment alternatives as possible, such as credit cards, PayPal, COD, Apple/Google Pay, etc.
Order status, expected delivery time, and courier position may be tracked.
The ability to bookmark restaurants, cafes, and favorite foods for future use.
The ability to communicate with the restaurant and the courier about their order for updates and concerns.
Restaurant Side
A restaurant registration website that allows restaurants to join the meal delivery platform. This page type collects all relevant information about the restaurant, including its name, address, hours of operation, and contact information.
Admin side
A content management system allows eateries to publish their menus and photographs on the meal delivery platform.
The ability to run promotions and provide clients with discount codes
An order monitoring function allows restaurants to see incoming orders and keep consumers updated on their orders’ status. Both parties should be able to know the full status of orders at any one time, including whether they are canceled, completed, or ready for delivery.
The ability to locate the nearest available courier to deliver orders. The app should be able to track the courier’s whereabouts from the time the order is picked up until it is delivered properly.
A feature allows the restaurant to connect with the customer and the courier through a single interface.
What is the best way to make a meal delivery app?
The Courier Side: A signup page for your Food Delivery Apps service allows couriers to sign up.
A page allows couriers to manage their orders and schedule delivery in real-time. This feature should include all order details, including pick-up and delivery locations, order size, and client contact information.
Before picking up your order, you can estimate the delivery time.
Cross-interface communication features allow couriers to communicate with the courier and the restaurant and send delivery updates.
An account history page allows couriers to keep track of their deliveries to a certain customer.
As you may have guessed, the three factors listed above work together to ensure that information can be delivered and shared with all parties involved. Consider how integrating the
UberEats API into your meal delivery app simplifies your clients’ ordering and payment process. As a result, restaurants may take more orders (and increase sales) while efficiently managing food preparation. Couriers have simple access to all of the data they require to complete deliveries.
Developing a Food Delivery App: A Step-by-Step Guide
Building a meal delivery service like Uber Eats is a difficult endeavor that requires the integration of numerous components. To create a name for yourself in the online food sector, you’ll need a clear plan for developing your meal delivery software. Using Uber Eats as an example, we’ve outlined several key steps that restaurateurs must do to launch similar online businesses.
Conduct market research.
When developing a meal delivery app, the first step is to conduct extensive research into your rivals, target demographic, and current food industry trends. You must find answers to the following questions to gain a comprehensive understanding of the present market situation:
- Who are your rivals, and what services do they provide to their clients?
- Who are the people you want to sell to?
- What features do you need to include in your ubereats clone app to make it stand out?
- What are the most popular online food trends?
Decide on a food delivery method.
After completing thorough market research, the next step is to select a meal delivery model to fulfill your company’s and customers’ needs. Food delivery models can be divided into two categories:
- A model with only one order
- Model of Order and Delivery
- Order-Only vs. Order-and-Delivery Models: Important distinctions
- Model-based solely on orders Model of Order and Delivery
Functionality
- Accepting and managing orders is the responsibility of food delivery platforms.
- Delivery platforms handle order management and delivery.
- There is no logistical support because the restaurant handles the delivery.
- It also includes logistical help. The meal delivery platform is in charge of the delivery.
Methods of Monetization
Order-only platforms make money by charging a commission fee to their restaurant partners.
The order and delivery business makes money by charging restaurants commission fees and customers a delivery fee.
Deivery.com, Just Eat Deliveroo, and DoorDash are among the examples.
The Most Important Features of a Food Delivery App That Is Similar to Uber Eats
To determine the worth of such an endeavor, we must first outline the app’s main features. We’ll talk about the app’s functionality for users and the app version for restaurant owners later.
Consumer-facing Food Delivery Apps development
The following features are unavoidable in Starting an UberEats clone for Time, Cost, and Management Savings for users.
1. Login and registration
The sign-in page is the application’s door, and for the user to continue his journey, the registration and authorization processes must be quick and painless. As a result, it’s advisable to offer a variety of registration alternatives, such as requesting a name, an email, a mobile number, and a password or allowing access through social media profiles.
2. Placement of an order
In reality, because it is a multi-step procedure, the producers should strive to make the experience simple and enjoyable for the users. You can also ensure that your clients’ interactions with your application are more tailored based on their choices.
Ordering with UberEats
So, to provide a unique and hassle-free experience for your customers, incorporate elements like:
Search for Food Categories
A decent meal delivery app should display a diverse range of food menus from all cafés and restaurants on the platform and a clear reflection of content, images, prices, and special deals.
As a result, dividing dishes into categories with comprehensive subcategorization is a smart idea. The hungry user should also have easy access to search to enter the name of their favorite food and receive recommendations.
Customization of your order
Individual interests and preferences lead to people customizing their menus or specific dishes. As a result, it’s appropriate to include a feature that allows clients to specify their exact requirements.
Checkout with your order
Following the food item selection, the checkout procedure should be followed. After applying discounts and promo codes, changing the goods selected and verifying the final bill amount should be possible.
3. Make a payment
Payment follows confirmation of the order, and the more payment options you provide, the more clients you will attract. Add as many possibilities as you can think of. Integrate card payments, third-party gateways such as PayPal and e-wallets, and Google and Apple payments.
Allow your customers to pay cash on delivery at the same time.
UberEats allows you to customize your meal.
4. Sending out notifications
The client should be kept informed about the order’s current status. As a result, SMS or push notifications should be used.
5. Order Monitoring
Users may now follow their orders using current tracking technology, including GPS technology. This type of service allows customers to view the projected delivery time, track the order’s progress to the destination in real-time, and get some relief from the stress of waiting!
6. Ratings and Reviews
These functionalities have become a necessary element of any program; nowadays, users check other people’s reviews before making their final decision. Allow your users to share their experience by giving it a five-star rating or writing a thorough review.
7. Improvements to the version
While all of the above elements are necessary for building a food ordering app, some advanced functions can help you create the best food ordering app ever. Consider adding the ability to create wish lists, save order history for a set period, or any other features that your app’s users will find valuable.
App design for a food delivery business
UI/UX design is now a critical component that may either provide an app a lot of traction or alienate specific clients. Keeping this in mind, you should focus on the ease and speed you can place orders. Every design element should be easily visible and understandable.
When utilizing the program, clients should not have any questions.
The main page, the restaurant selection page, and the foods that dominate the menu should be your primary focus.
The design of UberEats
Restaurant operators can use an app to place orders for food.
This is the opposite side of the restaurant ordering smartphone app, and it offers several unique features. The most important are admin and control permissions and managing numerous dashboards and categories.
Let’s take a closer look at it.
Login
The login process for restaurant owners and administrators should be simpler than for users.
Restaurant proprietors should be able to change their menus and catalogs to meet the demands and tastes of their customers.
Management of orders
The admin should be able to acquire all of the relevant facts from the restaurant order-taking app at any moment using a straightforward system of order checking and verification.
Notifications through push
This feature is extremely useful for developing on-demand apps. It can assist in keeping track of orders that are paid via COD.
Panel of control
The deployment of the CP — control panel and admin access — is the most crucial aspect of any restaurant mobile app development. It should be designed so that the owner can oversee all of the application’s operations and activities and manage the database.
Options for payment
The admin dashboard should provide a management option for the money received, the sources from which it came, and the placed orders.
Step 4: Harness the Potential of the Right Technology Stack
When developing an app like Uber Eats, choosing the correct technological stack is critical since it serves as the foundation for delivering a consistent user experience. Depending on your food delivery startup’s business plan, you may require different technology. Some key technologies for creating a food delivery app similar to Uber Eats are listed below:
- AngularJS or
- React for web app development
- Kotlin (Android) and Swift (iOS) mobile app development (iOS)
- PHP Back-End Development
- Databases
- MySQL
- Services Provided by Third Parties
- To create an app like Uber Eats, you’ll need third-party connectors.
Step 5: Select a Workable App Development Alternative
After you’ve decided on the features and technology stack, you’ll need to choose a suitable alternative for building your food delivery app. There are two possibilities:
Hire a Mobile App Development Company
- To create a successful food delivery solution, you may require the following individuals:
- Front-end developer Android developer iOS developer
- Project manager, business analyst, UI/UX designer, and testing engineer
- Make Use of a Pre-Made Solution
- Picking a ready-made solution to start your food delivery business could be the ideal alternative if you want to construct your food delivery app in a short period.
