Online food Delivery has been there for a long time, but the idea has progressed unprecedentedly in the past few years. 

Remember all those direct calls you made to order a pizza at your doorstep? At that time, there were no Food Delivery apps, websites and online order aggregators. In the past few years, the likes of Swiggy, GoPuff, and FoodPanda have entered the online food delivery business, optimized the entire process, and integrated the food delivery process to eternity. 

Undeniably, the new way of ordering and delivering systems have swept across the globe. 

Amid the pandemic, the industry dynamics changed to a great extent. The current pandemic acted as the catalyst for restaurants to change their strategy. There is a need to push safety and hygiene to the forefront. Besides, the option of home delivery to customers has outgrown by leaps and bounds. 

So, in a time like this, it’s crucial to opt for app development to ensure customer as well as employee safety. 

Considering the situation, a food delivery app like GoPuff is an added advantage to your business. Besides, the net worth of the food delivery industry has witnessed an exceptional drift. Most entrepreneurs and businesses are all set to invest in the food delivery app watching the potential of the industry.  

A 360 Degree Outlook Of “GoPuff” 

You are busy, so I’ll keep it quick! 

As you know, GoPuff is a digital platform delivering food and drinks, daily items, cleaning supplies, OTC Medications in minutes in more than 650 US cities. And, as of March 2021, the net worth stands at mind-boggling $8.9 billion. 

Did You Know!

GoPuff was founded as an on-demand hookah delivery service. Later, it stepped into the food and goods delivery aisle.    

Unlike any other food delivery platform, GoPuff chooses the steepest road. It works on a completely integrated business model in which the order gets delivered directly rather than picking it from a specific store. 

All in all, GoPuff’s mission is to make daily life effortless. The customer can order within a few seconds and it gets delivered within minutes. So, if you intend to build an on-demand delivery app like GoPuff, you are at the right place. 

How Does GoPuff App Actually Work?

As you must know, apps like DoorDash, GoPuff or UberEats significantly depend on their app interface and architecture to ensure things are running seamlessly. Because companies like GoPuff have no tangible assets, it’s immensely crucial to ensure that customers and all other stakeholders get delivered with utter satisfaction every time.  

Simultaneously, for an app like GoPuff to work, it’s essential to make sure that app developers, delivery agents, sellers and customers play their roles seamlessly. 

Finally, when everything funnels to GoPuff, the company offers membership programs to its customers and ensures that they reach them within 30 minutes. Besides, it offers several payment options and rewards which benefit both buyers and sellers. Also, it has an intuitive interface which makes it easy for agents to deliver the products. Considering its futuristic platform, GoPuff has been able to operate in more than 1000+ cities. 

Step-By-Step Guide To Build An App Like GoPuff

#Step 1: Do Some Market Research 

Firstly and foremostly, you have to brainstorm your business idea. And, for this, you need to do some homework – “Market Research” with a sheer understanding of your target audience. 

Also, it would be best to know your competitors. This approach helps you to frame a successful business plan. Even it would be better if you decide whether you want to cater to the same audience your competitors are serving, or you are going to bet on a new target audience. 

Whatever you choose, be sure you have a clear vision of your business idea. 

#Step 2: Evaluate Your USP (Unique Selling Point) 

So, before you choose to partner with a mobile app development company, it is time you evaluate your USP (Unique Selling Point) that is specific only to your business. This certainly differentiates you from your competitors.  

If you are perplexed about what makes a USP, it can be in terms of features, service, advantages, revenue and much more. These unique offering helps to gain more customers and also pave the way to create a loyal customer base. 

#Step 3: Plan Your Budget Wisely  

The features and functionality set determine the total cost of developing an app like GoPuff. Besides, there are numerous factors affecting the app development cost. A handful of them are listed below:

• App design
• Third-party API integration
• App size and complexity
• App platform
• The technology stack
• Development approach
• Location and experience of the development team

Choosing The Right Monetization Strategies To Make Revenue

It’s important for your business to have a mode of income generation, especially if you have a mobile app like GoPuff. Below are some of the popular ways in which you can reap mammoth benefits from a delivery app.  

• Delivery Fees

You can always charge a delivery fee on every order from your customer.  Often, the delivery fees vary from $5 to $8, but GoPuff charges a minimal delivery fee of $1.95 every time.

• Subscription Fees

Most of the food delivery service platforms charge their customer’s subscription fees. This indeed allows the customers not to pay delivery fees. Also, you can enable your customers to pay the subscription fees on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. 

• Commission Fees

Like other delivery apps, you can also charge some percentage from the stores as a commission fee. Ideally, you can charge around 15% to 20% on every order delivered.

• Advertising Fees

A little aside from the commission fees, you can also think of charging advertising fees for the remnant places on your GoPuff like app from the vendors for advertising their services on it.

The vendors can generate more revenue through this approach as they get attention from a more extensive clientele base. 

Important Features List For A Delivery App Like GoPuff

As you know, the delivery app structure is quite complicated as it needs three different interfaces to be created for the three different parties involved. This is one of the significant reasons why the development of a delivery app costs far more than a conventional generic app. 

Precisely, the three parties I talked about were – customers, delivery partners and suppliers. 

And, as already known, the customers, delivery partners, and suppliers need their own interface because it can get complicated to do almost everything on one app. Thus, you have one interface where all the purchases are made (client-side interface), another where the sellers list their products (seller-side interface), and lastly the interface where all the processed orders are assigned for the delivery person (delivery-side interface).  

Simply put, all these types of apps have their own set of features that are essential and must be integrated in the app. So, let’s take a closer look at what these features are actually: 

#Customer Side Features

The following listed features are inescapable for a customer app:

• Hassle-free Signup

The registration process on these types of apps should be straightforward to navigate. Besides, ask your partnered app development company to make it easy for customers to log in through social media profiles, making it a lot easier to extract relevant information.

• Tracking location

After the order is processed, it’s necessary to integrate location tracking. This enables a customer to see where their delivery is in real-time and provides a clear idea about the delivery date and time. 

• Reviewing order

Customers should have the access to view the order details before confirming for the same. This will make sure that they have added all the products to the cart and have also entered the correct credentials.

• Payment option 

Delivery apps should allow different payment options. 

• Push Notifications

Including push notifications means the app will notify the user regarding the order and delivery details from time to time. Also, ensure your customers get relevant updates. 

• Discounts and Offers 

Offering discounts and providing irresistible offers acts as an incentive for customers to buy more through the app. 

• In-Built Chat/Call 

The in-built chat and call features allows the customers to contact the delivery partner through message. Also, they can make a call through in-buit call features.

#Suppliers Side Features 

• Admin Panel

The admin panel sheaths all the information regarding the menu or products listed by the seller. Also, the admin panel shows details about the product that are upsurging in demand and which type of products customers are purchasing. 

• Chat

Using the chat feature, the supplier can easily connect with the customers as well as delivery partners seamlessly, whenever needed. 

• Reports 

The app produces a report with the precise information regarding the supplier’s past performance. This helps to understand the customer’s preferences and behaviour as well. 

• Push Notifications 

Whether you opt for Android or iOS app development, notifications are crucial as they keep the suppliers aware of all the orders placed and the ones that are being fulfilled.  

• Editing Menu

The editing menu offers suppliers easy access to manage the products listed on the app. This can be done manually or through using inventory solutions. Also, the suppliers have the accessibility to change the price of the product.  

#Delivery Side Features

• Order Details 

Once the customer’s order request is confirmed, the delivery partners are assigned. And, depending upon the acceptance of the delivery request, the delivery partner can view the order details. This makes sure all the products are delivered.

• Customer Profile

The delivery partner must have the basic profile of the customer. This ensures that the right person has accepted the order while minimizing the risk of unsuitable deliveries. 

• Accept/Decline A Delivery Request 

The delivery partner has the authority to accept or decline the delivery request because of some valid reasons. So, the time the assigned delivery partner refuses the request, it will be eventually passed onto the next concerned person. Though, if the delivery person accepts the request, the order details and the pick-up details will be made available.  

• Inactive Mode

The delivery partner will allow this feature when they are not available to take the delivery request. Besides, it would lend a hand in efficiently assigning the work. 

The Final Note…

Despite the fact of the industry overflowing with companies and competitors, it may sound not very smart to launch your app. But, if you adhere to the points mentioned earlier, creating a unique app from your competitors will become a lot easier.  

Besides, with digitization, trends keep on evolving, and you may never know when your app sky-rockets and turns the buzzing word among the customers. All you need to do is mend your way, find your USP, and then work on it with the right Android and iOS app developers.

Finally, you know everything about the food delivery services in the business and what makes them the best in the competition. Now is the high time to start a food delivery app on your own, and the best app development company can help you with that.