Finding it hard to manage the orders coming to your restaurant? Are human errors causing you trouble and losses? This issue can be resolved by implementing a food delivery app for your business.  

Food delivery app development has turned out to be a trending solution in the market. It has helped many restaurant businesses to earn millions a year while simplifying the process of ordering food for consumers. To keep it simple, the development of a food ordering app has added convenience to the process of placing food orders and delivering them.  

Today, Shaligram Infotech will take you through the step-by-step guide to develop a food delivery app. We will also discuss the key challenges that our team faced when developing such an application.    

Different types of food delivery app models 

1. Order from a restaurant-only model 

In this kind of model, food orders are placed by customers on the mobile application of a specific restaurant. The restaurant starts preparing the order once they accept it. The food is then delivered to the customer at their doorstep. Restaurants that are well-established and have dedicated delivery riders can go for this model. Some of such restaurants are Domino’s, KFC, etc.  

2. Aggregator models

In this model, customers can place orders for food and get it delivered to their doorstep. Here, the app provides many restaurant options for the users to choose from. This can be ideal for restaurant businesses that are small and have no delivery drivers. Here a commission fee is charged by the app for the delivery service. Again, such an app offers real-time tracking to the customers for their food orders. Some of such examples are Uber Eats, Zomato, DoorDash, etc.    

Key features of food delivery application 

Step-by-step guide for online food delivery app development 

Our online food delivery app development is divided into a few steps, and they are

1. Product analysis 

To begin with, our team will conduct a competitor analysis to know the kind of apps that are present in the market. It will help us spot the unique features. To carry out the technical feasibility of the product, we also carry out our architecture analysis. In this phase, our team will finalize the architecture of the app and come up with a Product Requirement Document. The project timeline, priority features, and release plans will also be decided in this phase.  

2. UI/UX design research 

Our team carries out in-depth user research as a part of the user-centric approach in this step. This helps us to understand user preferences, needs, and behaviors. Based on that, we will come up with wireframes and prototypes that explain the user interface and flow of the application visually. After that, we bring out the aesthetics and usability of the app by developing visual elements. 

3. Technology selection

Based on the requirements of the project and the technical need, we will decide upon the technical stack for the project. Now this includes choosing the right programming languages, libraries, frameworks, and development tools. We will also select the right system and architecture for the database.    

4. Platform development 

At this stage, we develop different areas of the app like its infrastructure, frontend, backend, and database. Based on the items prioritized in the product backlog, functionalities, and features will be developed and implemented.  

5. QA 

To ensure high-quality apps are developed, we start by documenting the testing process which includes test cases, test data, and test plans. We make use of project management tools to track and manage bugs in the app project throughout its lifecycle.   

6. User acceptance testing 

To validate the app’s features and to collect user feedback, we carry out user acceptance testing with clients. After analyzing the received feedback, we quickly investigate the bugs or issues and iterate them.   

7. Delivery and release 

Once the app meets all the business requirements it is ready to be deployed over different environments. At each development environment, the app is tested and configured properly. Finally, the product is released to the environment of the client.  

Challenges faced during online food delivery app development 

1. Intense market competition 

The competition for food delivery app development in the market is high. Even if Uber Eats may not be present in remote areas, there will be still some local names popular. For any food delivery app business, it is not an issue to start locally. However, things change when it is time to expand and scale to new cities and regions.   

2. Scalability and sustainability of the app 

Developing food delivery applications is complicated. Food delivery applications perform multiple tasks and work on different APIs like maps, payment gateways, GPS services, etc. Apart from app functionality related to end-users, the food delivery app also includes backend features like processing personal data, processing transactions, managing security issues, and much more. Such things should be addressed even before app development starts.  

3. Basic features for the working app 

The first version of the food delivery app you develop is the main impression you create. It is challenging to come up with a full list of features that is required by your online food delivery application. Again, you are required to come up with the list before the development process starts. Here your main aim is to avoid developing something that will be of no use to your product; thus, saving on the budget.  

Conclusion 

Food delivery app development strategy requires to have a well-planned process in place apart from having a dedicated team. To attract and retain customers, the app is required to keep up with the latest trends like offering personalized experiences, advanced analytics, and multiple payment options.