In today’s fast-paced world, food delivery apps have revolutionized the way we satisfy our cravings and enjoy restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of our homes. With just a few taps on our smartphones, we can explore a wide array of culinary options, place orders, and eagerly await delicious meals at our doorsteps.
However, behind the seamless experience lies a carefully crafted app with essential features that ensure customer satisfaction, convenience, and efficient operations. If you’re an entrepreneur venturing into the meal delivery industry, understanding food delivery app features is vital to gain assured success.
If we check on the food delivery statistics, it suggests that the alone united states food delivery market is expected to grow by 79% over the coming years.
The e-commerce food delivery market generated a value of US$ 160.3 billion in 2022, while it is forecasted that the market will expand to US$ 483.9 billion by the end of 2023 at the global level.
However, China is ahead on top of the table, it contributed food delivery revenue of $42.5 billion in 2022.
Deliveroo, Zomato, Foodpanda, and Gojek are some of the best food delivery apps in Southeast Asia a that are now widely popular among consumers.
Deliveroo and Zomato consist of a single service structure, while Gojek’s business model consists of multiple review channels and proffers on-demand services.
From the above metrics, we can say that the online meal delivery market is booming; consequently, entrepreneurs can earn the maximum profit by investing in the food delivery sector. But for that, it’s essential to watch over the food delivery features; not to worry, here we have put together must-have elements that make a food delivery app stand out in a competitive market.
From user and store registration to real-time order tracking and secure payment integration, we’ll discover each feature’s significance and how it contributes to an exceptional user experience. By understanding these essential food delivery app features, entrepreneurs can provide a seamless and robust app experience to customers that will help them reach new heights of success. Let’s first understand the workflow of meal delivery apps.
How Does the Meal Delivery App Work?
First of all, users go through the search bar from the app to explore their favorite food and make an order. Next, they make payments utilizing in-built wallets or payment gateways and wait for their meal to arrive at their doorstep.
The particular restaurant will receive an order request through the app and prepare the order for the user. At the same time, the delivery partner will receive order delivery requests through driver specific app. So the driver will pick up the prepared meal from the restaurant and will be out to deliver it at the consumer’s doorway.
In the meantime, consumers can efficiently keep an eye on their order status through the user app. They can get real-time updates on their order, like if the food is prepared and out for delivery.
This way, the app is divided into four factors: a user-specific app, a restaurant-specific app, a delivery provider’s app, and an admin panel dedicated to business administration.
So to understand the food delivery app features from start to finish, we have to explore the segments of these four sub-factors; let’s dive into the topic.
Food Delivery App Features
User-specific App Features
The first-ever division of meal delivery apps is dedicated to the end users. To build a user-friendly food delivery app, entrepreneurs should prioritize working on user-specific features. Here are the essential elements of user side app;
Registration and Profile Creation
Once the buyer downloads the app, the registration procedure makes the first interaction of users with the app. The registration procedure for new users must be simple and straightforward, with the option to sign up via social media platforms, emails, or SMS. Users can customize their profiles after successful registration by adding essential information such as name, address, and phone number.
Search Bar and Filter Tags
The search bar got the top priority on the food delivery app features list since users use it extensively to search for food from different restaurants. Additionally, incorporating filters into the search function can enhance the user experience further. Users can add filter tags to search for specific types of food, such as vegan, vegetarian, or non-vegetarian dishes, saving them from scrolling through endless search results.
Order Scheduling
Another great segment of the app stands for order scheduling. This feature enables buyers to order the food in advance, and they can choose to deliver it in the future time. Let’s understand it with an example, imagine your cousins are coming to your house in the evening, but right now, you are sitting at the office. So how are you going to prepare food instantly? In this situation, this feature will help you the most. You can make an order right now from the app and schedule it for the evening so you can serve your pals fresh food.
Multiple Payment Options
If you choose to integrate in-app payment, then you have to incorporate variable payment gateways to facilitate easy transactions. This feature will provide your consumers with multiple payment modes, be it credit card, debit cards, UPI modes, etc., so they can choose their proffered mode. Don’t ever compromise with the securities that can threaten your business. So be assured of integrating safe and reliable payment modes for users.
Real-time Order Tracking
This is one of the highly valued features by users. In the meal delivery app, this feature is usually described as “track your order,” which allows consumers to check the status of their order. This component shows the exact location of the user’s order, if it is out for delivery or not, and also shows the estimated time of arrival.
Reviews and Ratings
The rating feature is widely popular among consumers. Once users place an order from a restaurant, they should get a chance to leave their feedback regarding their services. The review and rating feature allows buyers to give a rating to a particular restaurant so stores can be notified if the user is satisfied with their services or not. On the other hand, by getting accurate client feedback, businesses can rank better in search results.
Order History
We all like to revisit the moments, no matter if it’s the order history! The order history feature allows consumers to look at their previous orders (if any) with details like prices, payment details, and much more. With this feature, users can place the same order from the order history, eliminating the need to search for food and go through the order processing all over again.
Restaurant-specific App Features
We are in the second sub-division of the food delivery app that is assigned to restaurant owners or individual food service providers. Here are some of the must-have features of the restaurant-specific app.
Register and Manage Profile
In order to ensure a smooth onboarding process for restaurant owners, it is crucial to include an easy signup feature. This feature allows vendors to easily register their business under the app and begin managing their profiles. Restaurant owners can update important profile details, such as their business name, physical address, and contact information. Other crucial business details can be included, such as operating hours, menu offerings, and promotional offers.
Add and Manage Inventory
First, vendors are required to add their inventory so they can start receiving orders. This feature allows vendors to add products to sell and set fair prices. The features allow them to maintain the inventory easily; they can add or update product quantities, add new products or categories, change prices, and as well set discounts and promo codes on the products.
Assign Orders
Having the ability to assign orders is essential, so it’s a must to incorporate this feature in the restaurant-specific app. This feature allows restaurant owners to designate order requests to specific delivery personnel. They can easily assign handle the order assigning either by utilizing manual method or auto-assigning methods.
Chat with Customers
The in-app chat feature allows store owners to connect with consumers. By utilizing this feature, they can chat with consumers to clear the queries related to purchased products, payment concerns, and more so they can clear the queries as soon as possible and proceed with order preparation.
Promotion
To run the business smoothly, restaurant owners should work on creating promotional offers and variable campaigns to attract more customers. With the promotion feature, Store owners can create promo offers for consumers that can be applied to specific or all products. This feature allows them to set a specific time frame for the offer and apply specific conditions for the customers. With this feature, vendors can also get an option to set the offer to recur at regular intervals.
Earning Reports
Here is the most important element of our food delivery app features list that one must include in the app. With this segment, stores can check on their overall earnings, be it from orders or delivery services. They can efficiently check the earning data in a weekly or monthly format to know if they have generated sufficient profit out of investment or not.
Delivery Personnel App
The third section is dedicated to the delivery personnel, also known as motorists, who work to deliver the food to the customer’s doorway.
Registration and Profile Creation
The login and sign-up segments contain the same functionalities on all three kinds of the app, user-specific, restaurant-specific, and driver-specific app. To utilize the driver-side app, one must register first; only after the registration procedure gets complete delivery personnel will be able to receive order requests. Afterward, they can create their profile by adding necessary details like name, contact number, address, etc.
Order Management
Handling orders is a top priority for any delivery service, and this feature makes it easier than ever for delivery providers to efficiently manage requests. With the ability to quickly accept or reject new orders, delivery personnel can easily keep track of all orders throughout the app.
Navigation and GPS Tracking
Efficient navigation and reliable GPS tracking are crucial in ensuring the seamless delivery of meals to the right destination and within the stipulated time. This technology empowers delivery executives to access accurate location information, which minimizes delivery time and ensures on-time delivery of every order.
In-app Chat
The in-app chat attribute is essential for clear transmission between the delivery provider and clients. This segment enables delivery personnel to communicate easily with customers and to clarify details when necessary. By incorporating an in-app chat feature in the driver-specific app, delivery service providers can effectively communicate, enhancing customer-driver interactions to provide both parties with a seamless and satisfactory experience.
Overall Earning Reports
This is also one of the vital features to integrate into the app that allows delivery personnel to track their earnings from all completed orders. This feature makes it easy to see how much money has been earned and what commissions have been paid.
History
In addition to managing orders, delivery personnel often need to keep track of previous deliveries and payment information. Hence it becomes vital to integrate a history feature that makes it simple to view past deliveries and payment information all in one place.
Admin Panel Features
Who will manage users, restaurants, delivery providers, and other logistics in the app? Of course, the administrator who holds the designation of the owner. To run all tasks efficiently, it’s a must to create an admin panel so that the business owner can keep an eye on all the ongoing tasks.
Analytical Dashboard
The dashboard is the most prominent feature to handle all the tasks efficiently. The analytical dashboard in admit panel provides a quick view of the orders, deliveries, payments, wallet transactions, and so on. This feature allows the administrator to check out the sales details in the form of charts or numbers so they can easily count on the profit and sales ratio.
Content Management
A content management feature holds the ability to add, remove, and edit menu items, promotional offers, and other content on the app. It could also provide analytics and reports on sales, customer feedback, and app usage to help the business make informed decisions about its operations.
Additionally, the content management feature includes tools for managing customer reviews and feedback on the app and for communicating with customers directly through the app.
Manage Users
Administrators have the ability to manage users of the app, allowing them to approve or restrict access at any given time. Furthermore, admins got the authority to verify necessary documentation and examine reviews provided by specific clients regarding meal providers and delivery experiences.
Map View
Innovative and essential, the food delivery app offers a convenient map view feature. With this exceptional tool, the admin can easily access the exact store location and distance. Not only the storefront zones, but they can also track delivery personnel engaged in ongoing tasks.
Earning Reports
This dedicated panel for the administrator gives authority to the business owner to examine the overall earning reports. Be it store earnings, order earnings, or earnings from delivery services. Invoice registered in stores gives an analytical view of store earnings. On the other hand, Admin can look over the deliveryman’s earnings by analyzing their wallet deducts and transactions.
App Settings
Admin gets the authority to manage the overall operation of the app. With the app setting features, respected administrators can make changes to the App URL, app versions, forceful app updates, and so on to improve the app performance.
In conclusion, a well-designed app with these features can help businesses increase their revenue by expanding their customer base and providing a hassle-free experience for their customers. Therefore, individuals should focus on implementing these food delivery app features and work on the app’s performance to stay ahead in this competitive market.
Build a High Performing Food Delivery App With Elluminati
Elluminati proffers end-to-end solutions for food delivery app development. We can provide accurate consultancy to build a robust food delivery app that meets your business objective. Our team of developers handles all the tasks efficiently, from app designing to deployment, and also provides maintenance and support to help you keep up to date with modern-day trends. By partnering with us, you can be assured of getting qualitative solutions that cater to fulfill users’ demands.
