The online food delivery market is growing at a steady rate, as many people prefer to order and rely on food delivery apps for that purpose. Many have realized how lucrative launching a food delivery app can be. There is a growth in demand, giving rise to an increase in the number of food delivery service providers in the market. If you are considering launching an app and want to stand out, you may want to ensure that your app has the necessary features. Want to know what the twelve essential features of food delivery apps you should consider including? As you read more, you will understand how integrating them can give you an edge.
Before looking into the twelve essential features a food delivery app should include, let us see an overview of the global online food delivery market size and growth forecast.
Global Online Food Delivery Market Size and Growth Analysis
The size of the food delivery market is growing each year, and the COVID-19 pandemic boosted the growth even more as dining in was not an option, and people had to rely on food delivery apps due to lockdowns. Online food delivery increased by 67% between 2019 and 2020 globally. The United States recorded the most growth at 123%.
The size of the online food delivery market was US$107.44 billion in 2019. In 2022, the value of the online food delivery market stood at US$221.65 billion. This number is estimated to reach US$1.22 trillion in 2024. It will grow in the upcoming years with a compound annual growth rate(CAGR) of 9.49% from 2024 to 2029. The United States and China have a larger user base than other countries. China is estimated to generate the highest revenue in 2024, with US$448.90 billion.
Prominent Food Delivery Apps and Their Market Share
There are many food delivery apps worldwide that people use regularly for ordering food. It is a highly competitive market, and some food delivery services have made it big in this sector. Here are some dominant food delivery apps:
- Uber Eats
- DoorDash
- Grubhub
- Deliveroo
- Foodpanda
- Postmates
- Delivery Hero
- Zomato
- Swiggy
- Just Eat
DoorDash enjoys the largest share of the online food delivery market in the US with 66%, followed by Uber Eats with 23% as of January 2024. Grubhub and its subsidiaries held 8% of the market share. Uber Eats has a presence in more countries than other food delivery apps. Uber Eats is available in 45 countries and over 6000 cities. China recorded the highest revenue generation in food delivery, with $46.6 billion in 2023, followed by the United States.
Reasons Why Food Delivery Apps are Trending
Food delivery apps are favored and considered the go-to option for ordering food from restaurants for many people as they save time and energy. The adoption rate of food delivery apps is higher now than ever. We have listed a few reasons why food delivery apps are trending everywhere:
Wide Range of Food Options
Food delivery apps like Uber Eats offer a vast range of options for people to choose from. Be it Chinese, Italian, or Indian, whatever you are craving, you can pick the food of your interest from a single platform. Many options are available from across several restaurants and cuisines, unlike the limited options that come with dining in a restaurant.
Convenience
We cannot overlook the convenience factor that comes with ordering food online. All it takes is a brief search, simplified multiple times with the help of filters, and then confirmation and payment on the food delivery app. You can find the delivery partner at your doorstep with your favorite food in a few minutes.
Hassle-free Payment Options
It is one of the critical features of food delivery apps. Food delivery apps enable customers to pay via multiple payment options according to their convenience. Some options include debit/ credit cards, internet banking, cash on delivery, and payment gateways are some options.
12 Must-have Features of Food Delivery Apps
A food delivery app incorporating the necessary features that make customers’ ordering experience hassle-free will greatly enhance their satisfaction. Let us see what the twelve essential features of a food delivery app are:
1. Search Filters
By including a search filter in your food delivery app, you can make it easy for your customers to look up the food item or restaurant they wish to order from. Filters enable users to search by restaurant name, cuisine, or food type. Results show up instantly compared to when users have to go about searching without the help of filters. The app should show relevant results and suggestions so users know about the related options.
2. Real-Time Order Tracking
The next one on our list of twelve necessary features of a food delivery app is real-time tracking. After order confirmation from the delivery partner and the restaurant’s end, the restaurant starts preparing the order. Delivery partners then take the food to customers. This is when the tracking feature plays a crucial role. It lets customers track where the food is and estimate the delivery time. It works the other way, too, assisting the delivery partner to locate the customer’s address.
Uber Eats uses Google Maps for navigation and tracking purposes. The Waze navigation app and MapKit are some of the other APIs.
3. Chat/ Call Option
Restaurants may run out of a food item, customers may want to customize their order and mention the specifics, or delivery partners may be unable to find the customers’ location. In such cases, a call/ chat option can be beneficial.
It is one of the critical features of the food delivery apps that helps connect customers with the delivery partner, restaurant partners, and admin. Customers may have preferences or concerns they may state to the concerned person using this feature.
4. Secure Payment Options
As customers confirm their orders, the food delivery app takes them to the payment section, where they pay the order and delivery charges. If users experience any inconvenience paying, it will likely disrupt their satisfaction with the app. So, integrating payment gateways that enable secure and reliable transactions is a must-have feature of the food delivery app.
Also, ensure your app facilitates users to pay via multiple payment options. Users can choose the mode that they are convenient with.
5. Ratings and Reviews
Ratings and reviews are crucial for any business as they help build trust and increase user engagement. That way, even for a food delivery app, it is an essential feature. Customers look for ratings and reviews before proceeding to order from a restaurant. It helps them make informed decisions.
After an order is completed, the customer can share feedback about their experience with the delivery partner and rate the food. It helps restaurants better understand customers and delivery partners to improve their service.
6. Notification System
Sending push notifications helps stay in touch with the customer and be on the top of their mind if they consider ordering food. You can send discount alerts or general reminders about what they could be having for dinner or snacks. It is a sales pitch to allure your users into ordering from your food delivery platform.
Also, your food delivery app’s notification system should update users about their orders’ progress. That is if the food is being prepared or out for delivery. You can keep them engaged this way.
7. Social Media Integration
You can enable users to sign up and log in using their social media accounts through social media integration on the app. It allows them to share photos and order details seamlessly on social media.
Enabling social media sharing can increase the visibility of your app and drive more people to your platform. It also boosts customer engagement and lets you understand user preferences and changing trends. So, this is another of the twelve crucial features of a food delivery app, which, when used right, serves many benefits for your business.
8. Schedule Delivery
There may be instances when we have guests or forget to order on time. This feature can be beneficial at such times, allowing us to order in advance. All users have to do is specify the time and date they want food to be delivered.
9. Menu Management
It is one of the key features of the food delivery app. It lets restaurant partners update menus and food categories once they complete the signing-up process on the platform. They can add images, descriptions, and price details of the food items. Updates and changes can be made later if there are any changes.
10. Order Management
Restaurants receive a notification when customers place orders. They can go through the order details and proceed to prepare the food. If it is unavailable, they can decline the order request. This way, order management is a crucial feature of the food delivery app, allowing restaurant partners to manage the orders they receive through the platform.
11. Availability
Delivery partners may or may not be available to take orders. They can set their availability status as available or unavailable to avoid scheduling conflicts. The food delivery app does not assign them order requests if their status is unavailable.
12. Earnings Report
The delivery partner app enables delivery partners to see how much they make weekly and monthly. They can also view the upcoming and completed orders in a day and track any additional bonuses and tips they earn. The secure payment methods allow reliable transactions, where the earnings get to the delivery partners’ accounts securely.
Ready to Launch Your Food Delivery App?
So these are the top features of food delivery apps that you must ensure to integrate into your app to provide a smooth experience for your users. Partnering with an adept development team can help build an app with an advanced tech stack. We have a proven record of developing food delivery apps that yield good returns for entrepreneurs.
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