Must-Have Features of a Food Delivery App Like Uber Eats and Door Dash

A company that started in Palo Alto in early 2013 to solve the city’s food delivery problem has unseated GrubHub, which had been dominating the industry since the mid-2000s, and become the new leader of the US online food delivery.

DoorDash, the brainchild of four enterprising Stanford students, has quickly grown into a $13 billion company in 7 years and has expanded to 4,000 cities, covering 340,000 stores across the US and Canada.

The success of DoorDash is an inspiration to entrepreneurs across the globe who wish to launch their own online food delivery applications in their respective cities and potentially become the next big thing in the online food delivery sphere.

Numbers don’t lie!

The online food delivery industry’s revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 12.33%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$1.45tn by 2027.

With venture capitalists pouring money into the food delivery domain on the lookout for a mega-startup in the lines of Uber, it has become easier to acquire capital to get such an app off the ground.

Moreover, statistics show that 80 percent of the customers who sign up for such apps never or rarely leave for another platform – promising great rewards once a loyal customer base is established.

However, your app will find it difficult to retain any customers if it leads to a poor user experience due to the absence of several essential features.

Online Food Delivery Apps: Understanding How They Work

Online food delivery has become a popular way for people to enjoy their favorite foods from the comfort of their homes. As more people embrace the convenience of online food delivery, businesses are looking to develop their own apps to meet the increasing demand. However, it is important to understand how food delivery platforms work and the different models that exist.

There are two main models of food delivery platforms: the logistics model and the aggregator model.

1. Logistic model

The logistics model is used by major food delivery companies like Uber Eats and DoorDash. This model involves connecting diners with restaurants or stores and taking responsibility for delivering the meals. This can be challenging to implement as it requires building an entire logistics network. However, it can offer higher profits in the long run with a 15%-30% delivery fee charged per order.

2. Aggregator model

The aggregator model, on the other hand, is the most common model for food delivery apps. Apps that use this model connect customers with restaurants and stores without taking any delivery responsibilities. This model is less costly as it does not require hiring people or building a courier network. However, the selection of restaurants and stores is limited to those that provide their own delivery.

To ensure a successful food delivery app, it is important to focus on the features that provide a great user experience. Some must-have features include an easy-to-use interface, personalized recommendations, real-time order tracking, multiple payment options, and 24/7 customer support. These features can help make your app stand out in a competitive market.

Must have features to be included in your food delivery app:

For an online food delivery application to be successful, it must include (but not be limited to) the following features:

For the User:

1. Account Creation – The user must provide information like their names and phone numbers to create their profiles. Additionally, the user can also sign up using their social media profiles.

2.  Browse/Search and Filter option for restaurants or dishes – The freedom of choice is a wonderful thing. The delivery app must open a world of options for the user, connecting them with restaurants serving a wide variety of cuisines.

 However, it can also be daunting for an individual to choose from such an exhaustive list. Hence, a search and filter option should be implemented in the app to let the user quickly find the restaurant/dish that they want.

3. View/Modify cart items – The user can view the items selected by him and easily replace or remove items from their shopping cart before finalizing their order.

4. Multiple payment options – With digital transactions on the rise, the app must integrate several payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, and e-wallets for a seamless user experience.

The process of online payment must be simple and quick and have top-notch security to prevent any scams or frauds. A cash-on-delivery mode of the transaction can also be implemented for added convenience.

5. Track order – Waiting can be nerve-wracking. Integrating a feature to track their food order and contact the delivery personnel can help reduce the nervous wait of the customer.

6. Chat and assistance – The user may have some last-minute modifications or complaints with regard to the order. Allowing the user to communicate with a dedicated chat team through a chat feature will let them voice their opinions and lead to greater customer satisfaction.

7. Rate and Review – The ultimate validation from the user, showing their overall satisfaction with the process. DoorDash offers users the facility to add written reviews about restaurants. This enables other users to know about the restaurant within the app itself. They do not have to toggle between apps to look for reviews.

8. Push notifications – The user will be notified of important information like discounts and lucrative offers, as well as send reminders about the status of their orders.

9. ‘Most Liked’ Tag- Apps like DoorDash also feature a ‘Most Liked’ tag to surface top-rated food items. The customers can rate the food items with a ‘Thumbs Up’ or ‘Thumbs Down’ after completing an order. A restaurant’s top three ‘Thumbs Up’ rated dishes will be featured with a ‘Most Liked’ tag on the menu.

10. Top 10 Lists- The apps like DoorDash also feature top 10 lists to let customers know about the most popular restaurants nearby.

11. Most Loved All Stars- With this feature, the customer can view the top-rated and reliable restaurants on the carousel and banner in apps like DoorDash.

For the Delivery Personnel:

1. Account Creation – As stated previously, the delivery personnel must create an account by providing information like their names, phone numbers, and vehicle registration number.

2. Availability toggle – The delivery personnel can indicate if they are available to accept delivery requests. When ‘On,’ their status will change to ‘Available for delivery’ for the administrator.

3. Accept/Cancel delivery request – The delivery personnel receives the order details (delivery address and contact information) once they accept the delivery request. If they wish to reject the request, they must be required to provide a valid reason for rejection.

4. In-app navigation – With integrated Geo-location services, the delivery personnel can navigate the streets of the city to reach the restaurant to pick up the order and deliver it to the customer on time.

5. Instant notification – The delivery personnel can receive immediate alerts about new orders, ETA, shortest route alert, and direction updates while on the route.

6. Status update – The delivery personnel can let the customer, restaurant, and the administrator know if they have collected the order, is on their way, or have delivered the order on time.

For the Administrator:

1. Manager View – The admin can manage staff appointments and oversee operations like changes to the menu, enabling/disabling outlets, etc.

2. Performance Monitoring and Analytics – The admin can monitor the number of sales and ratings and see statistics like delayed, canceled orders and undelivered orders.

3. Feedback and Support– The admin can improve the quality of service provided by constantly providing support to the customers and restaurants and implementing the suggestions offered by them.

Conclusion:

The current market trends suggest that an Uber Eats online food delivery application can be a successful venture.

Now that the most essential features of the online food delivery app have been outlined, one can embark on the formal process of app development. However, for the development of an intuitive, interactive, and feature-rich app, we have got you covered.

Idea Usher has years of collective experience in developing customized applications. We provide complete business solutions to catapult your venture to success. Get in touch with us at contact@ideausher to get free quotes.

FAQs

Q. What are the must-have features of an online food delivery app?

Ans. The must-have features of an online food delivery app include user registration and onboarding, an easy-to-use menu and ordering system, real-time order tracking, secure payment processing, and responsive customer support.

Q. Why is expertise important in implementing these features?

Ans. Expertise is important in implementing these features because it ensures that the systems are user-friendly, efficient, and secure. Without expertise, the app may not function as intended and could result in a poor customer experience.

Q. What payment processing systems should be integrated into a food delivery app?

Ans. Secure payment processing systems like Google Pay, Amazon Pay, or iOS Wallet should be integrated into a food delivery app to ensure fast and secure payments. Integration with popular payment gateways is also important to provide customers with more payment options.

Q. How can responsive customer support benefit a food delivery app?

Ans. Responsive customer support can benefit a food delivery app by efficiently handling customer queries and complaints. This can improve customer loyalty and help to build a positive reputation for the app. Expertise is required to implement a responsive customer support system that meets the needs of customers.