If you are someone who likes to order food online, then you must have come across Uber Eats. Created by Uber, a pioneer in the online taxi business, Uber Eats is a leading on-demand food delivery service in the market today. Founded in the year 2014, Uber Eats provides a platform for people to order food from nearby restaurants through their app or website and also ensures home delivery. As of 2019, Uber Eats had revenue of Rs 251 crore.
The success and popularity of Uber Eats has led to the rise of variousfood delivery apps.Create a food delivery app like Uber Eatsit requires meticulous planning and expert development and execution. This blog aims to provide a complete guide to develop such an application, keeping in mind the demands of the future market.
Index
Why Create a Food Delivery App
2020 is witnessing accelerated growth in the food delivery business. The industry is estimated to be worth over $38 billion by the end of 2020.
The convenience and comfort offered by on-demand food delivery services had already created a well-established market for the industry. But with the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, online food delivery has seen rapid growth. According to Google search data, searches for "food delivery services" have increased 300% in that period. Uber Eats reports a 30% increase in the number of users signing up for food delivery services during lockdown.
So if you ask, why even think aboutfood delivery app developmentnow, well, why not? Now is the right time to do it. The demand is constant and the market is growing: it is the best time to enter the industry.
Business model of an application like Uber Eats
On-demand food delivery platforms generally practice two models: 'Order Only' and 'Order and Delivery'.
- The order-only platform provides users with a list of nearby restaurants to order food from. These platforms do not provide delivery services. The respective restaurants deliver.
- The ordering and delivery platform provides users with restaurant listings as well as delivery services. The platform provides complete logistics support. The task of restaurants is to prepare orders and prepare them for delivery.
Uber Eats follows the "Order and Delivery" model. It acts as a restaurant aggregator and delivery agent. The great value provided by this service model has inspired various food delivery apps like Uber Eats to enter the industry.
This modelIt is very beneficial for start-up companies, small restaurants, etc. they don't have theirsmobile apps for restaurantsor resources to run their own delivery services. Restaurants only need to prepare the food and don't have to worry about couriers and vehicle management, delivery tracking, etc.
Functional mockup of a food delivery app like Uber Eats
Uber Eats implements a three-way exchange process that connects customers, restaurants, and the delivery service. The Uber Eats app/website lists a chain of restaurants nearby. A consumer can view these restaurants, view their menus, ratings, reviews, etc. and place an order through the app.
The respective restaurants are notified of the order and prepare it. Once it's ready for delivery, the delivery service completes the process by delivering the order to the consumer's doorstep. A restaurant can use its own delivery drivers, and if it doesn't have supplies, Uber Eats uses its logistics network to fulfill the order.
What are the main features of Uber Eats
The growing popularity of Uber Eats is evident from the fact that it has become the most downloaded food delivery app worldwide in 2020. What are the key features of this app that make it a big name in the market? market?Mobile application developmentindustry? If you want to develop a food delivery app like Uber Eats, understanding these features can be very helpful.
The Uber Eats app consists of three sections: customer app, delivery app, and restaurant admin panel. Let's dig a little deeper into each of these sections.
customer request
Uber Eats offers an iOS and Android app for its customers. Starting to order is very easy. By creating an account and logging in, customers can search for restaurants and place orders. Some of the functional characteristics of the client application are:
- It offers customers two ordering options: real-time orders and custom orders. For real-time orders, delivery takes place immediately, while for custom orders, customers can place orders in advance by setting a delivery date, time, and address.
- Give customers the ability to track orders: location, estimated delivery time, etc.
- Present customers with promotional codes with which they can get discounts on their orders.
delivery agent app
Just like customer apps, delivery agents have a mobile app to use. They register and create an account to be part of the delivery service. Uber Eats drivers are independent individuals and can choose their work hours, duration, delivery method, etc. according to your convenience. Delivery is assigned based on the location of the agent and taking into account the speed of execution of the order. Some of the key features of the delivery agent app are:
- An order management screen that provides order details such as pickup and delivery location, contact numbers, etc.
- Availability to communicate with restaurants and customers and send updates about delivery.
- A delivery history page for agents to track their deliveries.
Administrative panel for restaurants
A restaurant administration panel is a must fordevelopment of mobile applications for restaurants. After partnering with a food delivery platform to manage the menu and orders, restaurants make use of this administrative panel. Here, restaurants can update information such as opening and closing times, contact information, etc. They also use this interface to update item prices, change a menu based on food availability/unavailability, etc.
Monetization strategy for food delivery apps like Uber Eats
Uber Eats employs three main monetization strategies to generate revenue.
- Shipping costs to the customer:Based on delivery distance and availability of delivery partners, Uber Eats charges customers variable delivery fees.
- Restaurant commission rates:For each order that a restaurant receives through Uber Eats, the platform charges from 15% to 40% of the total amount. The percentage depends on the presence of the restaurant in the market.
- Restaurant Advertising Fees:To appear in the first search results on the Uber Eats app, restaurants pay an advertising fee to the platform. Customers often choose from the best results, which helps restaurants increase sales.
5 Easy Steps to Create a Food Delivery App Like Uber Eats
Uber eats like app developmentIt is not an easy task. There are many processes involved in developing such an application. So if you want to build a successful food delivery app like Uber Eats, it's important to do your research, plan, and create a well-defined framework that you can follow.
Here we discuss five basic steps involved increate a food delivery apptaking into account the Uber Eats model. Add your personal touch to these steps to create an app with your signature style.
1. Analyze the current market
Only when you meet the demands of the public can you create a unique app. So before you startcreate a mobile app, find out what are the latest trends in the online food industry. Research your competitors: what they offer, how they market it, if customers are happy, etc. Find out what is missing in today's market that your app can provide to fill the gap.
2. Determine your delivery model
We discussed the two types of food delivery models in a previous section: 'Order Only' and 'Order and Delivery'. Determine the type of model you want for your business. The work approach of your application, its design, monetization, marketing, everything will change depending on the model you choose.
3. Select your app features
To gain clarity on the app development process and make room for your app in the existing marketplace, you need to choose the features you want in your app. In addition to basic functionalities such as registration, search, payment, order status, location services, etc.
4. Choose the right technology
Selecting the right technologies to implement your application is crucial. The application must work optimally and provide a perfect user experience. Some of the essential technologies that the Uber app requires are:
- Grubhub API, Foursquare API for restaurant listing
- Stripe, Paypal for payment gateways
- Google, iCloud, social media links to sign up
- Google Maps, Google Places for location
- Firebase Cloud Messaging, Amazon SNS para notificaciones push
5. Design and usability
Your app design plays an important role in attracting and retaining users. It should be minimal, with attention never straying from the food. Navigation and control should be intuitive and easy. Loading speed is a vital parameter in food apps as there will be a lot of photos and graphics. Care should be taken when designing forincrease speed by optimizing imagesand carrying out load tests. Design usability should be ensured by making sure the user journey to place an order is clear and simple.
Cost of creating a food delivery app like Uber Eats
The cost of developing afood delivery app like Uber Eatsdepends on several factors. On average, to develop a food delivery app with basic functionality, the cost would be $30,000-$40,000. It would range to $50,000 to $60,000 if a web application was also needed.
Ocost of developing a mobile appmay vary depending on:
- app size: The size of the app depends on how many features you want to include in the app. More features, more complexity, and more size.
- application design: Without an attractive UX UI design, a food delivery app won't leave an impression. The design can range from basic to highly interactive and depending on that, the cost also varies.
- application platform: To reach a wide audience, your app must be available on multiple platforms. The cost varies depending on the launch pad.
- applications development: The type of team you choose to develop your application, freelancers or internal team or foreign team, greatly influences the development cost.
How to find an app development company to create your app similar to Uber Eats
Now that you're familiar with all the important aspects of creating a food delivery app like Uber Eats, you might be wondering how to get started. Once your idea is clear, the next step ishire mobile app developerswho can help make your idea come true. When hiring a mobile app development company, it is critical to verify their authenticity, trustworthiness, work experience, expertise, involvement, and support.
Finding an app development company with industry-specific expertise would be highly beneficial. So look for companies that have previous experience building on-demand food delivery apps. These companies will be familiar with the market and trends and can provide valuable suggestions.
The minimum is a leader.mobile app development companyin India and the US, with over a decade of experience building mobile apps. We have created several food delivery apps that are running successfully on the app store and play store. do not hesitate toContact Usto shape yourmobile app ideas.