Develop App Like Uber Eats - Comprehensive Guide

Don't we all love the idea of having different cuisines without having to cook at all?

For most of us, the answer would be a yes! 

And that, the frequent craving of ours and not enough time or will to prepare it ourselves - have led to the success of contemporary food delivery apps. On-demand food delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Doordash and Grubhub have become our favorite go-to spot where we can choose what we want and have it delivered right at our doorstep, by simply tapping on our mobile screens. 

Furthermore, food delivery is a drop-dead familiar idea among the youth and millennials because of the uber-fast lifestyle and skyrocketing stress. Rest assured, the following statistics speak for themselves :

1. According to Statista, the number of users in the food delivery segment is expected to reach 217.3 million by 2026.
2. The revenue will grow to around 13853.0 million USD by 2024
3. In 2022, the average revenue per user in the Online Food Delivery segment is expected to be $398.08.

Considering the statistics - it can be easily concluded that the food industry is becoming competitive as well as technologically advanced on a constant basis. Keeping that in mind, entering the food business at the right time is now an absolute necessity and developing an app like Uber Eats is the first step toward this.

So, without further ado, let’s grab our forks and dig deep into the nitty-gritties of Uber Eats like app development. 

 

Here's our generic guidelines on How To Hire App Developers - thought you would not want to miss this.

 

How Do Uber Eats Like Apps Work ?

Before moving on to the process of building an Uber Eats like app, having a quick look under the hood and finding out how they work makes for a good prequel ! So, Uber Eats like apps basically has three key players - customers, restaurants and the delivery agent.
  
[i]The restaurants enlist themselves with apps like Uber Eats. 
[ii]The app shows a list of restaurants around the customer’s location  & the customer then places an order with a specific restaurant. 
[iii]The payment method is authorized within the system and so there’s mostly an option to pay online.
[iv]The restaurant accepts and processes the order. Meanwhile a nearby delivery agent is assigned for the order.
[v]The ordered food is handed over to the respective delivery agents.
[vi]The delivery agent brings the food to the customers. 

 

How Can You Make Your Uber Eats like App Stand Out ?

When developing an app like Uber Eats, you can go either of two ways :

Create an app that has all of the necessary components, is aligned with today's market trends, and meets the demands of the users in a way that not many of the existing already does.

OR

Develop an app that simply combines common features from the existing ones

While option 1 can woo both the experienced Uber Eats like app users & the new users getting hands on yours alike, the latter will likely have a tough time with the experienced (as they’ll find nothing new) and will eventually stay as an inactive app after a short-lived ‘try and leave’ by the initially enthusiast adopters. 
On that note, to assist you build a winning app like Uber Eats, we have compiled a list of the top striking features :

 

[i] Contactless Delivery

The pandemic outbreak has got all of us panicky about contamination and that’s exactly what you can make the most of, introducing ‘contactless delivery’. With contactless delivery, you can encourage customers to use digital payments rather than handing over cash to the delivery boy, thereby limiting physical contact. Not only that, contactless delivery also increases customer loyalty and satisfaction as there are fewer chances of money calculation errors and easier reporting. This provides a win-win situation for both the owners and the customers, while increasing confidence in customers who want to order food online but are concerned about safety, especially in this new Covid era.

 

[ii] Geofencing

Geofencing acts as an excellent way to pull up users’ engagement with your app as it automatically captures the user location and personalizes service accordingly. This custom approach  can include mobile push notifications, text alerts, send targeted social media advertisements, and alerts to backend administrators using geofencing. This feature also allows you to promote specific restaurants that will pay you for doing so, which can serve as an additional revenue source.

 

[iii] Personalization 

Personalization is a popular feature in on-demand apps that tracks and analyzes an user's in-app activity and recommends services and products based on what they enjoy or are inclined to purchase more of. This helps you build stronger relationships with your customers and increases user retention as they get what they need with the least amount of effort.

 

[iv] Multiple Payment Options 

While apps like Uber Eats help customers avoid long queues in front of restaurants, the ability to pay in an app improves their experience by making it more convenient. So, incorporating as many popular payment methods as possible in your app, from credit and debit cards to UPI and even cash on delivery, can simplify your customers' payment experience while keeping them getting back to your app again and again.

 

[v] Integrating Chatbots

With AI-driven Chatbots integrated into your system, assisting users with their queries at any time of day, communicating with customers to collect feedback, or even answering basic questions like "What's the best restaurant in town" or “Where can I get the best cocktail snacks” becomes a lot more convenient, enhancing customer satisfaction.

 

[vi] Loyalty Programs

By incorporating loyalty programs into your Uber Eats like app, your customers can receive instant benefits from their purchases in the form of discounts or cashbacks. Such rewards encourage customers to share your app with their friends and family, which helps in the acquisition of a new customer base.

 

Comprehensive List Of Striking Features Of An App Like Uber Eats

What are the features of an app like Uber Eats?

That's probably the most common, yet tricky question you'll encounter while planning your app like Uber Eats. And, if the features are not chosen wisely, many of such apps remain as just another in the crowd, unloved. So, to stay on the right track, first determine who your Uber Eats like app is intended for, and then layer up the features based on their needs and add-on what can further improve the "food delivery" experience - just like you’d choose the toppings for your pizza. 

Here are some of the "must have" and "nice to have" features for your app to help you sharpen your competitive edge :

 

[a] Customer-Facing Features

 

[i] Quick Login

User login is a common feature in most apps that enable customers to sign up using their Google accounts or phone numbers. However, you can make this traditional login process more convenient for your customers by enabling them to log in via their favorite social media apps, increasing customer satisfaction with faster Log In while also significantly reducing the number of fake profiles.

 

[ii] Schedule Order Time

Many customers like to pre-plan their meals due to their hectic schedules and try to be organized by staying ahead of time. And the pre-order feature in your food delivery app precisely meets that very need of users by enabling them to place orders days or weeks in advance from any location based on their availability. This feature can also help restaurant operators figure out what they need to have in stock for a certain day, making meal preparation much easier.

 

[iii] Push Notifications

Giving users engaging notifications and alerts about their order status, delivery details, order tracking or even highlighting the best deals on food items will encourage them to spend more time on the app, as long as they can seamlessly enable or disable notifications of their choice.

 

[iv] Order Customization

Order customization allows users to customize their orders and add them to their cart for easy checkout. This way, you can satisfy your customers by preparing the food based on their preferences, increasing their engagement with your app.

 

[v] Order Tracking

With Order Tracking, users can track the food preparation and delivery in real time using Google Maps integrated with your app. And, by incorporating the internet of things (IoT) into your Uber Eats like app, you can ensure your customers receive faster deliveries by efficiently planning routes and identifying areas where order delivery gets delayed.

 

[b] Courier-Facing Features

 

[i] Profile Creation

Delivery agents should be able to simply build a profile and come on board by filling out details such as their name, verification credentials, and contact information. You can also include a field for them to upload their Covid vaccination certificates, which would increase safety in today's world.

 

[ii] Share Availability

By incorporating this feature into your Uber Eats like app delivery agents can simply share their availability for delivering food at any time of day via the app. This feature also allows restaurant owners to know beforehand the number of available couriers present in their area, giving them extra time to manage orders if there is a courier shortage.

 

[iii] Commission Tracking Report

With Commision tracking reports built into your Uber Eats like app, delivery agents can simply find out about their total earnings, monitor daily orders, and track incentives received from each order.

 

[iv] Navigation

When it comes to delivering an order, knowing which routes are the shortest and least congested in real time greatly simplifies the process. With a GPS system integrated into your app, you can get real-time updates on road conditions and even alternative route suggestions. You can also try incorporating geolocation into your Uber Eats like app, which will give your couriers an estimated time to arrive at a specific destination, as well as allow your users to get an estimated time on when their order will be delivered.

 

[v] Delivery History

Delivery History allows delivery agents to collect information and review the list of delivered orders, where they can make note of difficult-to-deliver locations or routes.

 

[c] Restaurant-Facing Features

 

[i] Order Dashboard 

Restaurant owners can get an overall view on their order requests, dispatched, canceled, or pick up orders using order dashboard. With an intuitive order dashboard, restaurant owners can reject or accept orders too based on their availability. 

 

[ii] Sales Report

With a Sales Report, restaurants can track their success with the food delivery marketplace using custom analytics. They can also generate reports on their sales, including taxes levied and the commission that the marketplace takes to obtain a clear picture of their business performance & profit.

 

[iii] Manage Menus

Restaurants should be able to add or alter items on their menus and update them with new offers, promotions, pricing lists, or special announcements using the ‘manage menu’ option incorporated in the restaurant app.

 

[iv] Business Hours

Restaurant owners should be able to simply highlight their opening hours with the “business hours'' functionality integrated with your restaurant app, as well as allow users to determine which restaurants are open at a given time, providing them with better clarity on when to order food from a specific restaurant.

 

[d] Admin-Facing Features 

 

[i] Database Management

With Database Management, Admins can manage a variety of data, such as the newly registered clients and restaurants, number of delivery agents, ratings and reviews of various restaurants and much more.

 

[ii] Order Management 

Order Management enables admins to manage their customers' information and check the date and time of their orders, as well as the number of orders placed in a month or day.

 

[iii] Manage Offers & Deals

Admins can also manage or add new offers & discounts available at specific restaurants, as well as promote special events. They can also generate promotional codes for customers to use at the checkout. In addition to that, it also tracks which users are eligible for them and checks the expiry date for promo codes and discounts.

 

[iv] Revenue Reports

Admins can generate revenue reports on specific orders using the centralized dashboard that is integrated into your Uber Eats like app. The reports provide detailed information on each restaurant's transactions, commissions received, as well as the payments made to delivery agents and much more.

 

[v] Feedback & Reviews

Feedback & reviews, can help admins keep track of the feedback their partner restaurants are receiving and what customers have to say about the delivery agents. This way, admins can have a clearer picture on which restaurants are performing well or which delivery agents have a high rating and where they can improve.

 

How To Develop An App Like Uber Eats? Step-by-Step Guide

To develop an app like Uber Eats and make it popular among users, you need to do more than just copy the features of other similar apps - you need to first determine a plan and see if it's aligned with your business goals, as well as identify your USPs to set your business apart from the competition. 

So, to help you make a mark among the  food delivery app market, we recommend taking the following steps :

 

[i] Conduct Market Research

The first step in developing an app like Uber Eats is to perform extensive research on your competitors, intended audience, and current food delivery trends. To get a solid understanding of the market situation, try finding the answers to the following questions :

1. Who are your competitors and what services do they provide to their customers?
2. Who are your target customers?
3. What’s your USP i.e. what your app is going to do in a way that nobody else is doing to ensure higher customer satisfaction?
4. What features should your Uber Eats like app have in order to stand out?
5. What are the reasons I expect people to interact with my app?
6. What are the latest online food industry trends & how valid it’ll be to include them in your app?

Answering these questions will help you understand how well your product will perform once it is released to the market, as well as what areas of the app need to be improved in order to stand out from other similar apps in the market.

 

[ii] Select Food Delivery Model

Following market research, the next step is to select a food delivery model that can meet both your business goals and customer demand. There are basically two types of food delivery model :

1. Order - Only Model
2. Order & Delivery Model

So, before you choose a food delivery model, let's first look at the basic differences between the two :

[iii] Create A Written Plan

The next step is to put your plan on paper. Document all of the features and functionalities you want to include in your Uber Eats like app, with the research data backing up your plan. And, once you've determined how your Uber Eats like app should look and feel, the development process will be much easier.

 

[iv] Hire The Right App Development Team

The most important step is now to find the right development team, as a great plan may fall flat  if it is not executed properly. So, finding an expert as well as an experienced development team is just as important as validating the product or service idea. And, in order to do so, research is essential - pay close attention to their testimonials and portfolios, and get in touch with their previous clients for a better clarification.

 

[v] Choose The Right Technologies 

When it comes to developing an app like Uber Eats, choosing the right technologies is critical as it serves as the foundation for providing a seamless user experience. So, try making a list of your requirements and see which technology meets them and aligns with your business goals to simplify the development phase while also making the usage easy.

 

[vi] Develop Your App

When you have the features and the right development team on board, there isn’t much you have to work on during this phase. The development team handles the entire process, and all you have to do is stay in touch to provide feedback and, if necessary suggest changes for improvement. 

 

[vii] Test & Fix Bugs

Without rigorous testing, development is never complete. Thus, it's critical to test the Uber Eats like app to ensure that all the bugs are fixed before the app is released cause you won’t like a defective app to be launched into the market and receive negative feedback from your audience.

 

[viii] Launch Your App

After development and testing, it’s now time to launch your app and watch it sell like a hotcake. 

 

How To Monetize Apps Like Uber Eats?

Food delivery app development requires a significant investment of time, money, and, without a doubt, enormous effort. So there's a good chance you're not making this investment without considering the long-term viability of your app ! So, as your development phase begins, start looking for opportunities to monetize your Uber Eats like app in order to maximize revenue generated from it.

Here's how Uber Eats like apps make money :

 

[1] Commission On Orders

Commissions from restaurants and cafes bring in a fairly decent amount. Uber Eats, for example, charges a whopping 30 % commission on every order. This is one of the most important revenue sources for apps like Uber Eats. So, you can also decide on a percentage of commission that you will charge restaurants or cafes for your Uber Eats like app.

 

[2] Delivery Partner’s Fee

Apps like Uber Eats collect up to 25% of the entire delivery fee, which is split into three parts : delivery, distance per mile, and pickup fee. Hence, the delivery partner's fee varies depending on location, availability of a delivery partner, and distance. Apps like Uber Eats also charge a fee for small orders. This way, you can profit from both the delivery partner's fee and fee from small orders.

 

[3] Promotions

Restaurants can sign exclusive deals with your food delivery app to promote their restaurant and events, allowing you to earn a good amount of commissions and fees based on the terms of the agreement. For example, McDonald's signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Uber Eats in exchange for promoting their restaurant and paying a huge commission to Uber Eats. This way, it's a win-win situation for both partners as it not only boosts a restaurant's sales but also serves as a revenue generator for apps like Uber Eats.

 

[4] Surge Pricing

During peak hours, apps like Uber Eats charge a "busy fee". This fee is calculated using a dynamic pricing algorithm that takes into account various factors such as the availability of delivery partners at the same time and location, among others, making it a viable revenue generator source.

 

[5] Subscriptions

Subscriptions are an excellent way to monetize your app if you make the app experience equally rewarding for all the members. It will only take great content combined with a great experience to persuade your users to subscribe to you. Consider providing free access to the first set of engaging content, such as ordering food from n - number of restaurants with minimal delivery charge, and charging a subscription fee for the next set of engaging content, such as receiving massive discounts when ordering food online with no delivery charge. Don't forget to include convenient payment methods such as G pay or Amazon pay to make it easier for you Uber Eats like app users to pay the subscription fee.

 

[6] Advertisements 

Many brands try targeting people who order food online and prefer to promote their products and services on food delivery platforms. Thus, these advertisements become a valuable source of revenue for your Uber Eats like app business.

 

How Much Does It Cost To Develop An App Like Uber Eats?

It's difficult to pinpoint a fixed price to the idea of "food delivery app development", as the entire cost of developing an app like Uber Eats is heavily influenced by the following factors : 

[i] What should be the look & feel of your app?
[ii] What all features do you want to incorporate into your app?
[iii] The platform you choose for your app
[iv]Time for development 
[v] Cost of hiring a development team

Although the above factors vary greatly for each idea of food delivery app development and your business needs, here’s a ballpark range for developing an app like Uber Eats :

For a very simple food delivery app that has basic features with a minimal design can cost in the range of USD 10K - 30K USD

But for a very advanced food delivery app with several third-party integration, very deep business analytics and other advanced marketing tools, the price can easily go upward of USD 50K

 

Why Does Food Delivery App Development With BinaryFolks Make For A Wise Decision?

Looking for a food delivery app development team that will provide extraordinary service and make your app climb up the growth graph?

BinaryFolks can undoubtedly assist you with this. Our skilled and specialized software developers have firsthand knowledge of delivering a wide range of projects for clients from various industries. With BinaryFolks, you can easily tap into the full potential of your food delivery app and accelerate your company's growth graph.

So, here’s what to expect if developing your food delivery app with BinaryFolks :

 

Conclusion

Now that you have most of the information on food delivery app development, it’s time to put your plan into action and develop your food delivery app that will help you succeed. 

Have another question in mind?

        

Let’s Brew The Answer