The market of food delivery is warm enough to build a successful company that offers fast and cheap services. Customers want to make only a couple of clicks to receive a required package right in front of their home door. An instant callback is no longer a unique selling point and users prefer avoiding personal communication with customer support when they have no troubles.

According to the international consulting agency “Accenture”, 45% of customers would not switch to phone call if they had a better mobile service experience. So a mobile app for ordering food is a good solution. However, delivery speed matters even more. Ordered dishes have to be still hot before it reaches a client's doorsill. So, how to make a food ordering app that will succeed?

Step 1: Audience research

Deep market analysis is the very first step you have to make before starting to create a mobile app for restaurant ordering or food delivery.
●    Is there solvent audience that is willing to use your app?    
●    What do people order and how do they do that?    
●    What kind of an issue do they face while ordering?
●    How can you simplify the process and solve this issue?

If you can answer these and many other significant questions and if you know how you can help customers with your application, then go ahead and make a mobile app for restaurant ordering. However, an application itself will not bring you clients. It will only in case food you deliver is in demand. It will attract additional customers if services you provide (cooking delicious and unordinary dishes, delivery) are better than your competitors’ ones.

Step 2: Competition analysis

Knowing your opponents is crucial for conquering the market and making a decision whether to build a custom food ordering app for restaurant booking. Define competition level using following order.
Estimate general competition level in your area
At first, you should define following metrics:
●    A number of competitors — how many competitors you have;
●    Market growth rate — how fast the market grows;
●    Food market dynamics — how often competitors start offering new dishes.    

Create a competition map

You have to highlight main players that are on the area top: how fast they grow and how big market part every company possesses.

Make a comparative portfolio analysis

It means you have to create a table of all food categories your competitors have and mention categories are key ones for every market player. Then compare them with your offer: portion weight, presentation, and taste qualities. Key categories are food types and specific dishes that bring the biggest income for a bar, café or restaurant.
Make a comparative price analysis

Create a correspondence table where each competitor has its price policy:

●    low-cost;
●    medium-cost;
●    high-cost;
●    premium.

Define extreme prices: the lowest and the highest ones. Calculate an average cost of a dish or drink for each competitor.

Estimate competitors’ technological level

You have to understand which competitors have a website or mobile application. What kind of other technologies they use or offer their customers. What advantages do their solutions have and what can you do better? Focus your attention on those who have active apps. What features do their applications have? This information will help you choose right mobile app development services.

Step 3: Time and cost estimation

Mobile app development for restaurants can take from 2 weeks up to several months depending on requirements. Define how much time you have for launching your app without extra financial damage. You always have to organize your business in the way to have time reserve in case of emergency.

In fact, your restaurant mobile app development cost is not the only money you will have to spend for launching it. Learn the ways your competitors promote their application. Define how much they spend on advertising and which methods they use:

●    National TV advertising;
●    Regional TV advertising;
●    Internet (banners, AdWords,     guest posts, etc.);
●    Press releases;
●    Events.

This data will help you organize your own efficient advertising campaign.

Step 4: Design development

No matter which platform you choose for development: iOS, Android or both, app design has to be attractive and functional. It must be comfortable to use. Users have to be able to navigate fast through the menu and find a necessary function in maximum 5 clicks.

Step 5: App development

Responsible restaurant app developers usually also are responsible for technical optimization. They can consult how customers can interact with your application to have a better user experience. What features will your application include? What will it look like? Maybe think about making it multi platform. Just systemize a list of functions that will be useful for your target audience and hire developers.

Step 6: App quality assurance

Every just written text should be proofread, the same as every application should be tested before release. Make sure your application works in an appropriate way. Every function has to do what it is supposed to. Most developers include quality assurance (QA) as a standard package.

According to “Accenture’s” data, 57% of consumers become frustrated when they cannot make a purchase or obtain a service using their mobile device. Poor service makes 66% of customers switch companies. That is why it is so important to guarantee perfect app functioning.

Step 7: Localization

If your target audience has a wide demographic range, then localization is a “must” for your application. An app with various language versions will bring clients of different nationalities living on a territory where you provide services. Localization increases loyalty rate and Net Promoter Score (NPS) for you application. Make your app as comfortable for customers as possible. Every tiny detail in your application, which shows you care about your clients, will bring you more income in future.

How to build mobile app for restaurant to beat your competitors and attract more customers? Follow all the tips below. The more you know and the more data you analyze, the more demanded application you will have in the end. Remember that well done homework defines successful future for your startup or growing business. Provided by lunapps.com.