Delivery apps have become some of the most popular apps in the world. They are now available in many countries and allow users to order food, groceries, and other items that are delivered right to their door. Let’s look at the main reasons they are so popular. Why is delivery application development an increasingly relevant service?

Convenience

People today are getting busier and busier and can’t afford to waste time going to stores and restaurants. An app saves time and allows you to focus on other things.

Variety of choices

With these apps, users can order food and merchandise from a variety of restaurants and stores, allowing them to choose from a variety of options and buy them in one place. This is especially convenient for people who don’t want to waste time visiting multiple stores or restaurants.

Fast Delivery Guarantee

Most apps promise delivery within minutes or hours, which makes the service very attractive to users who want to get their purchase in the shortest possible time. This is convenient for people who can’t get out of the house because of illness or bad weather, for example.

Promotions and discounts

Various promotions and discounts attract users and make the service more affordable. Most apps also offer loyalty programs that allow users to receive bonuses and discounts.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when people tried to limit their contacts and leave home only in extreme cases, such apps became very popular. Users can also save their preferences, history and settings in their profiles, making the process easier and faster.

All of this provides convenience, accessibility, speed, variety of choices, security, and attractive terms.

Basic Types of Delivery Apps

Nowadays, delivery apps have become an integral part of our daily lives. They allow us to buy groceries, food, medicine, and other items that are delivered right to our door. Let’s take a look at the main types of delivery apps and their features.

For food

The most popular type of delivery app. They allow users to buy food from a variety of restaurants and cafes, have a wide variety of menus and online tracking and payment features. 

For groceries

Allows you to buy groceries and have them delivered to your door. This is convenient for people who don’t have the ability or time to visit a store.

For alcohol

Allow you to buy alcohol. They usually work with different stores and restaurants that are licensed to sell alcohol. 

For medications

Especially convenient for people who can’t leave the house because of illness or limited mobility.

For flowers

Work with various flower stores and florists who offer a wide variety of bouquets and floral arrangements.

Examples of Popular Delivery Apps

There are many delivery apps, but here are a few of the most popular:

  • UberEats — created by Uber. It allows users to buy food from various restaurants and cafes, pay online, and track it in real time.
  • DoorDash is another food app that offers the ability to buy food from more than 300,000 restaurants worldwide. 
  • Instacart is a grocery delivery app that allows users to buy groceries from various stores and supermarkets.
  • Grubhub is another app that works with many restaurants and cafes in the United States and Canada.
  • Postmates is a delivery app that allows users to order food, groceries, alcohol, medicine, and other items. 
  • Drizly — for buying alcohol, which offers delivery of alcoholic beverages in more than 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada. 
  • Shipt — groceries. Works in the U.S. and allows users to order products from various stores and supermarkets.

The Most Important Features of a Delivery App

Apps offer a wide range of features that make the process convenient and efficient for users. Here are a few of the most important features:

  • Search and Filter — This is a feature that allows users to search for products or services based on various criteria such as location, product type, price, and other parameters. 
  • Online payment is a feature that allows users to pay online through the app.
  • Tracking is a feature that allows users to track the status in real-time, from the time of confirmation to the time of delivery. 
  • Map and navigation is a feature that helps couriers deliver quickly by using a navigation map. 
  • Reviews and ratings are a feature that allows users to rate the quality of the services and products they receive through the app.
  • Promotions and discounts is a feature that provides users with discounts and special offers on products and services through the app. Helpdesk is a feature that provides the user with support in case of problems or questions. 

Basic Steps in Developing a Delivery App

Development involves several steps. The main steps are listed below:

  • Market research: Before you start developing the app, you need to conduct market research to determine the needs and requirements of potential users, study the competitors and identify opportunities to create a unique product.
  • app design: At this stage, the app design, the selection of technological solutions, functionality, and architecture of the app takes place. It is important to determine all the functions that will be available in the app, the user interface, and the way he interacts with the system.
  • Server and client design: This step involves writing the code for the server and client parts of the app. The client part is responsible for the app interface, and the server part for data processing and sending queries to the database.
  • Testing and Debugging: After the app has been developed, it must be tested on different devices and operating systems. All bugs and flaws must be identified and corrected to make sure that the app runs at a high quality.
  • Run and Monitor: Once the tests have been completed, the app can be run. You need to make sure that the app is continuously checked and if any problems are found, changes can be made.
  • Updating and Supporting: Once the app is launched, it needs to be continuously updated and supported. New features and improvements can be added to the app, and regular security updates should be protected.
  • Advertising and marketing: Once the app is launched, it should be promoted through advertising campaigns such as social media, blogs, etc. This will help to attract more users and increase the popularity of the app.

In general, developing a delivery app is a long and multi-step process that requires careful preparation and planning.