The food delivery business has grown exponentially. Almost every well-known restaurant has its website or smartphone app. Online food delivery platforms are high in demand. Therefore, designing a food delivery app is the first step to getting more customers. But launching a food delivery system won’t be enough. You must make sure it functions properly. How can you make your food ordering software for restaurants stand out? How do you ensure your customers have a hassle-free experience? What are the features every good food delivery website has? Read on to succeed in the highly competitive online food ordering and delivery industry.
Must-have characteristics in a food delivery system
- Push notifications
Most people don’t have time to eat at restaurants (except on special occasions). They prefer ordering food online and relishing delicious dishes in the comfort of their home. So, they have multiple food delivery apps on their phone. How do you create visibility and stay one step ahead of your business rivals? All you have to do is send push notifications. These messages will let your users know about the latest discounts and offers. They will get all kinds of important information.
However, your notifications must not be random. They have to be more than commercial messages. If they do not add value to the customer, he will turn off the notifications. Hence, you must customize the notifications to grab the attention of users.
- Rewards, loyalty programs, and discounts
How do you convince customers to choose your restaurant? Special offers and discount coupons are the best tricks. When people order food online, they always look for cashback and discounts. People will keep ordering if you can routinely offer good deals.
Customers also like to win loyalty points. You can boost sales by providing loyalty programs to your regular customers.
- Multiple payment options
Payment plays a crucial role in any business. It is the last step in any kind of order placement. Users tend to cancel the order if they face issues while making the payment. Hence, the payment procedure of your food delivery system must be straightforward and productive.
Having all the popular options is equally necessary. That’s because some customers like paying through their credit cards. Others might be more comfortable with net banking. Cash on delivery is another option that has to be there. In short, you should incorporate multiple payment gateways for people’s convenience.
- Ratings and reviews
How can you improve your products or services if customers can’t communicate with you? They need a way to let you know if they enjoyed the food made by your chef. You should also find out of the app meets their requirements. Therefore, every food delivery platform must have a rating and review feature. Reviews will tell you how you can better your services. Customers like to give elaborate reviews on everything from the quantity of the food to its quality.
Moreover, don’t be afraid of getting negative reviews as they give you a chance to rectify your mistakes. You can quickly make amendments to deliver a better experience to customers. Positive reviews, on the other hand, will help you get more customers.
- Real-time tracking
GPS tracking in real-time is a must-have feature for food ordering systems. Most food delivery chains allow customers to view the location of their food. It becomes simple for them to know the movement and progress of the delivery personnel. You too will benefit from it. You can track the delivery agent when he is on his way to deliver the food. This type of two-way tracking streamlines the process for restaurant owners and customers.
- Availability on social media
Social media is an excellent platform for online marketing. People love to spend time on social networking sites like Instagram and Facebook. So, having a strong presence on these sites will help you get noticed. Why should you integrate social media into your food delivery system? Customers will easily share videos and photos of the delectable food they ordered from your restaurant. Your food ordering system will become noticeable. So, you will be able to draw in more online customers.
- Easy placement of orders
Why do most people order food online instead of ordering over the phone or dining out? That’s because the process is straightforward. Hence, you must take note of the user-friendliness of your app. People will get frustrated if its user interface is complicated. It means that they should not face any trouble exploring what they need. They will migrate to another app if the UI takes too much time to load. So, all elements of the pages must load promptly.
- QR codes
A recent addition to food delivery systems is QR codes. QR codes permit customers to hastily scan the menu before ordering their favourite food. They use QR codes to share referral codes with acquaintances on social media. Many restaurants let users make payments by scanning QR codes.
- Search filters and order history
Spending hours searching for something to eat is the last thing a foodie wants. When someone is hungry, an elaborate menu can be irritating. Therefore, smart search filters are mandatory. People can select a filter like delivery time, ratings, preferences, cuisine, etc. Your aim should be to help a customer to find a food of his choice.
The order history is another essential feature. People like to repeat their orders when they savour something tasty. But they often forget the names of dishes. The order history will have records of their past orders. So, they can simply open the ‘My Orders’ page and reorder whatever they want.
The Bottom Line
So, you must offer customers something extra in the hypercompetitive food industry of today. Keep the above-mentioned points in mind when you create your digital food ordering system. You should also approach a trustworthy company that excels in designing food delivery systems. An advanced and user-friendly food ordering system will keep your customers satisfied. Your business is bound to flourish when customers are pleased.
