We live in a digital age, in which all businesses have gone digital in order to make people’s lives easier, faster, and less stressful. The introduction of smartphones with high-speed internet is the primary driver for this digital transformation. The rise of the on-demand economy has drastically transformed the way firms operate.
On-demand apps have simplified everything, from booking taxis to ordering food to receiving a spa massage. On-demand services are now used by almost all enterprises. Every company has started developing an on-demand app since it is a wonderful way to reach out to customers and directly provide services, resulting in improved profits.
As the number of businesses grows, so does the amount of rivalry between them. Food delivery, in particular, is a sector where the number of businesses entering the on-demand market is steadily increasing.
However, to compete in the online food ordering marketplace, which is already dominated by giants such as Zomato, Grubhub, and UberEats, your app must provide a frictionless food delivery experience. You also have to offer sophisticated features to attract customers and gain market share.
In this post, we’ll discuss some unique, must-have, and out-of-the-box food delivery platform features to help you get started with your on-demand food delivery marketplace.
So let’s get started!
Easy Registration & Signup
This is likely the initial step that the customer sees when they open the app. It must therefore be appealing and simple to use. Instead of taking a long way around, choose the quick way as first impressions linger. And your consumers should constantly have convenience while dealing with your online food ordering app.
The on-demand service app should allow customers to log in and register with their preferred social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. It would not only make the procedure easier for clients. But it would also allow service providers to collect vital data for future use.
Enable users to later edit their profile and receive recommendations based on their app experience. Never ask for unnecessary information. Assure clients that your on-demand food delivery software will keep their associated payment cards and wallets safe.
Browsing & Listing
Easy Search
Ensure that the app has a comprehensive list of restaurants so that customers don’t have to waste time exploring unnecessarily. Sort and filter everything by cuisine, meal item, star rating, restaurant, and so on.
Add to Cart
Once customers find food that they want to order, they will want to add items to the cart. So enabling add-to-cart features with a simple click is a smart idea. This function comes in handy because they can edit the items before placing the order.
Order Management
Offering an order scheduling feature will make things easier for your customers. It enables them to schedule food delivery.
Voice Ordering
Voice ordering is still in its infancy in the retail industry. Since very few competitors are using this feature, the chances are that if you add it. Your brand will be the first and foremost in the customer’s mind.
Geofencing
This feature enables customers to view nearby restaurants and place local food orders by retrieving their current location. Both the map and list views can be accessible.
Review & Ratings
This feature enables your consumers to share their experience with the app as well as rate & review various restaurants on the app based on their listed food. Furthermore, it would also aid on-demand food delivery service providers in improving their services based on customer feedback.
Fulfillment and Delivery
Real-time Tracking
This feature enables your customers to use real-time GPS to track the location of their orders. It will also assist your drivers in determining the best route to take to arrive at the users’ doorsteps as soon as possible, therefore saving them time and fuel, and lowering delivery costs.
Push Notifications
A push notification feature is essential for an online food ordering app since it sends all relevant notifications to users’ devices. It would convey all kinds of information such as discounts, offers, location-based orders, time remaining for delivery to the present state to the courier locations, and so on.
Route Optimization
Multiple order delivery is no longer a problem because of optimized routes. Drivers can follow an optimal path and make deliveries faster thanks to the route optimization option provided in the on-demand food delivery marketplace.
Auto-allocation
When it comes to allocating delivery drivers to orders, no human intervention is required because an intelligence mechanism call auto-allocation allocates assignments to delivery drivers base on specified factors.
Blockchain Technology Integration
This feature will allow consumers to track the preparation and delivery of food in real-time. The blockchain transparency experience provides users with transparency throughout the delivery process.
Multiple Payment Options
The payment gateways for the on-demand delivery app must be secure and trustworthy. Also, online payments have grown in popularity in recent years so you should not limit customers to simply one payment method.
Customers must have multiple payment options while using your on-demand food ordering app. This way you can offer a seamless food ordering experience to your customers.
Chatbot Integration
A chatbot is an artificial intelligence-base computer program that imitates human speech to answer basic questions like “What’s the best restaurant in town?”. These functions have taken personalization to new heights. This feature can help your online food ordering app stand out from the crowd.
Contactless Drop-offs
Given the current state of affairs, where everyone is frightened of contracting a virus, you must incorporate a contactless delivery option in your app. Leaving food packets on doorsteps or texting your driver a photograph of where you want your meal delivered are the emerging methods by which people want to receive their orders these days. Consider including this feature if you intend to start an online food ordering app.
Reports & Analytics
Access to analytics is unrestricted thanks to the integration of Google Analytics with the food delivery platform. Using the GA dashboard, you can keep track of sales, visits, and referrals. Analytical reports for sales, customers, and orders can be seen and download, and they can be filter by date.
In a Nutshell
Whether you’re a restaurant owner looking to boost sales, customer loyalty, and retention, or an entrepreneur looking to develop a food delivery app, you’ll need a feature-rich, high-performing solution to achieve success.
Remember that users have alternative options, therefore they will only come to your app if it offers something unique. If you create an application with the features listed above, you can elevate your users’ experience and meet your business objectives.
