Mobile apps have long since ceased to be an addition to official websites and physical stores. They become the bridge that links users with all needed information about brands and services. Especially it concerns foodtech businesses and startups. Covid-19 and lockdowns caused a great boom in this sphere, worldwide installations of food apps increased by 19% in 2020, and 20% in 2021. According to Mobilemarketingreads reports, the best food app is DoorDash which takes 57% of the food delivery app market share in the USA, followed by Uber Eats with 26% and GrubHub with 16%.
Forced self-isolation opened up the possibility for users to place an order in a few clicks, without queues, and calls. It is quite unlikely that users will want to reject such convenience, so this tendency of food app development will continue to spread.
And that’s why food mobile app development is such an effective tool in launching startups in the foodtech space.
Concepts of Food App depending on the aim of the startup
One of the hallmarks of foodtech for startups is the variety of application types that allows brands to complement and develop existing application concepts as well as create new ones. The infinite number of concepts is a great opportunity for foodtech companies to build their way. Here are 7 of the most profitable and best food apps ideas.
1. Delivery
Food delivery apps became the most in-demand segment in the food apps area in 2021. Now food or restaurant delivery is an integral part of life and apps are the most comfortable and easy way to do it. 46% of consumers expect restaurants to use mobile apps to order and pay, therefore sometimes this factor becomes the crucial one in choosing between competing brands. Delivery apps fit not only grocery stores but also restaurants and cafés because the latest tendency shows that consumers prefer ordering directly from restaurants rather than multi-platform.
2. Table Reservation and Ordering
Time is a key factor in many matters, and the ordering and booking apps save it for both the customer and the restaurant runner. Users can easily select a suitable time to visit and even make a pre-order without calling or messaging on social networks. This, in turn, facilitates the work and staff of the restaurant, as you can control the necessary products and monitor the number of clients.
3. Recipes
Do you remember the multi-volume cookbooks? So, apps with recipes can be called innovative alternatives. The interest in this kind of food app was raised due to the coronavirus when people had time to prepare food themselves. Using recipes mobile apps allows users to find and save recipes, make up a product list to buy, and watch exciting content that more and more attracts users.
4. Nutrition and Diet
A healthy lifestyle is a gaining momentum trend over the last few years, and mobile apps related to nutrition or calorie control do an awesome job as a smart assistant in this case. Diet-tracking and nutrition apps are popular with both youth and people from 30-45 years old. This type of food mobile app can be either stand-alone applications or add-ons for customers of health and nutrition restaurants.
5. E-menu
Over 90% of customers research brands and restaurants before visiting. It includes reviews, social media, the interior, and especially the menu because delicious, taste-appropriate food is a goal of the visit to a restaurant. The menu availability is a key to a confident connection with customers and reducing the risk of unreasonable expectations.
6. Special Offers, Coupons, and Discounts
Special conditions for clients and app users are an excellent way to not only attract new customers and increase brand awareness but also to show the regular audience that they are valued.
Advantages of Food Mobile Apps
First, automatization makes all stages of brand and customer interaction easier, also it positively influences loyalty-building and the quality of communication. Using food mobile apps supplies brands with additional and useful information about consumers, which can help to make service more personalized and make relevant offers based on users’ preferences. From the marketing strategy side, there are plenty of interactive and gamified ads formats and more accurate targeting to reach the right audience compared to the desktop version.
How to Make an App Stand Out from the Many Others
The food app market is becoming more diverse and highly competitive every year, and players need to find their features to win a place under the sun. There is a list of options that every food app includes, but it needs something extra to become a unique app and attract more loyal users, so let’s see the most effective of them.
- User-friendly UI design is the first that users see after the download, and it should be visually attractive, functional, and intuitive even for every age.
- Tracking of delivery or order preparation in real-time makes the service transparent for customers and increases brand confidence.
- Search and filters are relevant for all kinds of food apps. The more criteria and kinds of content are placed in the app, the more difficult for users to find the required information. And this feature makes it easier.
- In-app communication: chat or call and push notifications are useful to stay in touch with users. Moreover, notifications are an effective way to remind users about the brand through personalized offers and promotions.
- Reviews are not just about the rate of apps and service quality, it’s also about the possibility to see what customers think about your business and improve it according to their feedback.
At the same time, a mobile app should be helpful and understandable from the admin side. It includes details for analytics: the possibility to monitor orders, payments, and registrations. All these features can take your app into the list of the best food apps.
Summing Up
The peak of the foodtech sphere’s popularity is yet to come, but the perfect option for competing and interacting with the audience is already here. Ease of use, accessibility, portability, a variety of content for users, and a wealth of possibilities for developers — all this is what food mobile apps contain. Isn’t it enough to take the first step in the food app development process and create a new best app in the foodtech business?