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The interest in on-demand delivery has been growing steadily over the last few years. The growth is expected to continue, as more goods and service companies find ways to serve their customers better, and as delivery companies find ways of reducing costs and improving the quality of their delivery services.
Mobile apps for on-demand services have made this service virtually painless for users. The success of these apps really comes down to having all the required features, as well as advanced features that can really make their service even more popular. These advanced features aren’t just a luxury any more, they’re really becoming the norm.
To be competitive and have a chance in this expanding market, on-demand app development companies need to ensure their apps contain these features, and that they’ve implemented them in the best possible way. Users expect ease of use, and flawless service, and it’s up to delivery companies to ensure the apps they create meet these high standards.
We’ll review some of the core features of an on-demand app, as well as several advanced features consumers are now beginning to demand.
Planning the needed features for your exact niche
What do your users expect? Do they need super fast delivery of their evening dinner? Or the most secure and private information exchange with a Doctor prescribing medicine over the app? Do they need safe delivery of furniture or home goods delivered over long distances that arrive without damage?
When developing and planning an on-demand delivery app the first order of business is to be clear on what the needs are for your target user. This will play a key role in determining what features you need to include, and what level of complexity you need for some of those features. Here’s an example of some considerations in developing a food delivery app.
Some of the features will be part of the app development process, and some of them are part of your actual delivery service. Both are equally important and both need to be taken into account so they both support each other. Your app should actually make the ability to deliver the products and services easier, faster and more efficient, as well as make your customers, contractors and partners happy so they continue to want to do business with you.
Core and advanced features needed
- Full detailed info on the services provided, before and after an order is made. This will vary greatly depending on what the service is, so care is needed in planning this out.
- Maps & Real-Time tracking are required. The complexity of this will vary greatly depending on where you’re located, and how much distance there is between the buyer and the seller.
- Specific delivery pick up and destination entry. Some apps will require users to be quite specific on where the pick up and delivery is by using maps. When users need to plot it on a map those maps need to be accurate and able to properly calculate distances and rates.
- Attracting and keeping drivers. Drivers should have the ability to easily accept or reject jobs, be given full disclosure on the rates they’ll receive, and particularly like to be paid immediately into their bank accounts. They also should be able to rate customers. Giving drivers some earning trackers, reports and records allows them to manage themselves. Giving bonuses and incentives goes a long way to keeping them happy and glad to stay with your company.
- Ease of user registration. Users like to have registration be easy, and suit their personal taste. That means providing a number of different methods of registration, whether that’s via social media accounts, mobile phone numbers, email, etc.
- Secure payment options. Users want to be able to pay knowing their bank info is safe and secure, and want the ability to pay in a variety of ways, such as PayPal, credit card and even via the Wallet app.
- Reviews & ratings. Both drivers and clients want the ability to leave a review. It makes everyone know they get some sort of say in the whole process. It can be an invaluable tool for the company as well, to get very useful input they can use to improve their on-demand delivery app.
- Both automatic and manual driver / delivery matching algorithm. The system used to plan out who delivers what to where will be one of the absolute most important features of an on-demand app. This is where economies of scale can really be put in place. The less wasted time and distance there is for drivers means more money for everyone.
- Easy to use full featured admin panel. A well designed admin portal should allow the company to manage everything from within it. They should be able to easily manage all the drivers, partners and drivers. There should be full reports on customer activity, payments, discounts, etc. The ability to deal with customer inquiries should also be built in with the appropriate response method, such as emails, direct messages, phone calls or video calls
- Advanced admin analytics. Owners need to have useful reports that will help them determine how successful their business is. A good analytics system will allow them to closely monitor and gauge their current strategies, and allow them to see where they can adjust to make improvements.
Added considerations
Once you’ve settled on the features you’d like in your on-demand app development, do user research to make sure it’s actually what users want and need. In reality, you’ll be wise to seek user input at several points in your planning stages, before you ever build your app. This feedback from users can go a long way to making your app a cut above the competition.
Conclusion
When you get to the point where you’re ready to start developing your on-demand app, be sure to contact us. We’ll work with you to create an on-demand mobile app that’s just right for your company and that will best serve your customers.
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