Taking UberEats and DoorDash as examples, food delivery app development can cement constant earnings on your initial investment. The global food delivery app market is projected to be valued at $120 billion in 2021. Astounding isn’t it? Food apps were not always the popular choice for fast-food goers, nothing would compare to going to a drive-thru, or so we thought!
So how do food delivery apps concern you as an investor? By investing in these apps, you could solidify a rewarding financial future as a food delivery app owner.
But, Where would an investor start when deciding on developing a food ordering app? A good place to start is what food delivery app development business model to select.
Food Delivery Application Business Models
Depending on the goals you hope to accomplish with your business, there are several business models on which you can base your food delivery app. Here are the three models existing for a food delivery business.
Order-Only Model
The order-only food delivery app model simply acts as a platform by which consumers and local restaurants are able to connect and carry out business operations. Users can access any restaurant through the app and successfully place an order of their choosing.
The restaurant must prepare the order and deliver it within the stipulated delivery time, a process that you as the app owner have no control over. So, how exactly will an investor or app owner earn money in this type of business model?
For every transaction completed through your app, you can charge a percentage over the total amount called a ‘commission fee’. Alternatively, owners can choose to charge the commission fee plus a bit extra called the ‘setup fee’.
Examples of order only business models: Grubhub and JustEat
Order and Delivery Model
The order and delivery food delivery app model is different from the order-only model since apart from linking users and restaurants it also caters for timely delivery. This business model allows app owners to control delivery speed, an important factor that contributes to how popular your app will be among users who want top-notch food delivery services.
In this type of business model, the owner is at liberty to collect both a commission on the food delivery order and a delivery charge as well.
Examples of order and delivery business models: UberEats and DoorDash
Fully Integrated Model
A fully integrated food delivery business model is one in which the app owner accepts the order, prepares the food, as well as completes the final delivery.
In other words, the investor can undertake the entire food delivery process and food preparation process. Making you in full control of your app and the services provided by it. This is good news as you can directly influence the success and reputation of your business!
If you, an investor, want full control over your business and all operations involved from order acceptance and food preparation, you should definitely choose the fully integrated food delivery app model.
Examples of fully integrated business models: KFC and McDonalds
Points to Decide on Before Food Delivery App Development
Food delivery app development is an important process that might just decide the fate of your app before it is even developed! Therefore, owners must put all their efforts into this brainstorming process.
Research the Market
Carry out efficient market research to analyze the competition. Adopt their strong points, but you will also have to improve on their weak points. Just beating the competition doesn’t guarantee success. Catering to the needs of your users is what will boost your app’s usage and generate revenue.
Read Up On Trends
Users hate using apps with outdated features! Making it ever so important to find out what the latest trends are and how they can positively impact your final app. Trends change regularly, you will have to do your homework!
Distinguish Critical Features
Food ordering app development begins with establishing the must-have features essential for functioning. Try to assess what your current users want. Do they want faster delivery? Better discounts? Your choice should revolve around providing efficient service.
Remember that users want an app with lots of options and the ability to order and have food delivered in the shortest possible time.
You won’t have to think hard about this one! Imagine yourself as a food delivery app user, what features would be mandatory?
Automatically a few points come to mind.
- User log in
- Product/Restaurant catalog
- Order selection
- Order payment
- Food order delivery tracking
Optional (Nice-to-Have) Features
After establishing must-have features, turn your attention to making the app fun and more customized for your users.
How can you make this possible? By adding some features that users will enjoy and appreciate having in your app. We’ll call these features nice-to-have features. It is usually these features that users flock to because they are impressed by them.
An example of a nice feature would be to log in using a social media account! Why not, everyone uses social media these days! Perhaps it could even boost your app if you offer this feature because it can be used by everyone familiar with social media.
Choosing Tech Stacks For Food Delivery Application Development
Now comes the most important part of the food delivery app development process. Choosing the right technology will affect the whole app and how it functions.
Using the wrong technologies makes the development process a nightmare! Luckily, working with the right food delivery app developer can lift up most of the stress associated with making this decision as developers are experienced and have knowledge about the required technologies.
Usually, food delivery application development requires a few different technologies that cater to a certain function in the app. For example, to process payments you can consider using PayPal, FourSquare API, or Stripe.
If you undertake delivery, reliable location technology is needed to point delivery agents to the correct address. Options available to you are Google Places API, Google Maps, and Core Location Framework.
Conclusion
With food delivery apps claiming the majority stake in the fast-food market, now is the right time to start your food ordering app development and make a simple yet efficient food ordering delivery service. There are many users to attract as long as you let users get food delivered while it is still hot!
Some exciting reads:
5 Food Delivery Trends To Convince You Launch Your Food App Today