How To Make An App Like DoorDash

Customers can always buy their favorite food without leaving their homes. Food delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats have made it easier to order food from various restaurants and have it delivered to your home.  

Even with the pandemic and markets slowing down, delivery services like DoorDash were thriving and managed to cross $30 billion in the US alone. It is expected to reach $160 billion by the end of this year. This shows that the audience likes the concept of ordering food from the comfort of their home, which is why food delivery companies like DoorDash will never run out of business. 

The numbers define business success, but the question is, what features and tech stack do you need to make an app like DoorDash? Most importantly, what is the cost of building apps like DoorDash? 

Building an app in the on-demand food delivery market requires a deep understanding of the unique and new elements you can add to a food delivery app to make it stand out in the competition. After all, they are the features required to make the customer’s experience on the website. 

Let’s begin with what you need to know!

How to Make Apps Like DoorDash?

When speaking of a business, the most important thing one must understand and act upon is thorough research of every element of the project — the basic requirements, the project approach, the design, the developers, and, of course, the budget. This is to ensure that every step you take in developing your app proves to be lucrative for the business after the application is built and open for services in the market. 

To do justice by the investment put in app development, here are the integral aspects to build a successful food delivery mobile app.  

In-Depth Research 

Well, that’s a given. Conducting in-depth research is imperative when creating a delivery app like DoorDash. Look at your competitors, perhaps other apps like DoorDash, and their approach when they first came into the market. Try to identify loopholes and learn from others’ mistakes. Search for new features that can be added to the application to enhance the user experience. 

Choose a Business Model

Deciding on a business model is crucial and depends critically on factors including your target audience, competition, market trends, and business goals. Here are five models you can consider. 

• Commission-Based: 

In this model, you partner with restaurants and service providers, earning a commission based on each order placed through the platform. This is a standard business model for food delivery startups, requiring a low upfront investment for development.  

• Subscription-Based

In this model, customers pay a monthly or yearly fee to access discounts, promotions, and other perks based on the subscription they choose. This is an effective model for businesses with a loyal customer base, as it provides a predictable source of revenue and can drive customer loyalty. 

• Advertising Base: 

In this model, you generate revenue by selling advertising space on the platform. This model is effective, particularly for your food delivery business, which has a large and engaged customer base, as it enables you to monetize your platform without directly charging customers.

• Hybrid Model:

This model combines all the business models, i.e., subscription-based, advertising-based, and commission-based. Delivery services like DoorDash follow the same business model. This is an exceptional option for businesses that want to offer a wide range of services and monetization options to their customers. 

• Own Delivery

In this model, you need to have your delivery fleet instead of relying on third-party delivery services. This model requires a higher level of upfront investment and resources, but it can allow high-quality delivery experiences for the customers. 

Analyze your business/market, project, and budget requirements to determine which business model is most beneficial for you. 

Think: How to Create an App? 

You have three options to consider: hiring an in-house development team, working with freelancers, or outsourcing to developers for their services. 

• In-House Development Team 

Having an in-house development team means having more control over the project and process. It enables you to collaborate closely with developers to ensure your app is built according to your exact specifications. However, it also requires a substantial budget. Not just that, you also need time to find and hire a perfect resource to bring your idea to life, in this case, creating an app like DoorDash! 

• Working with Freelancers 

If you are looking for mobile app development services on a budget, freelancers are it! They typically charge low rates and are much pocket-friendly than hiring an in-house team. However, it can be challenging in terms of maintaining consistent quality and delivering projects on time. Moreover, the language barrier is another common problem with hiring freelancers.

 

• Outsourcing Services 

Outsourcing mobile app development services gives the best of both worlds. It is not hiring an in-house team, but having the expertise you need to build your food delivery app cost-effectively. This option is primarily for small to mid-size businesses that are on a budget and want to bring the app to the market and start generating revenue sooner. 

When deciding on your options, consider your budget, technical skills, the level of customization you need, and the functionality you require to build an app similar to DoorDash. Also, compare the different options to find the best fit for your needs. 

Choose Essential Features

It is essential to select the features of your app carefully. After all, it is the source of the customer and user experience within the app. Focus on the core features of the app, including: 

The Customer App Like DoorDash

• Personalized recommendations: It provides users with restaurant and menu suggestions tailored to their preferences and past orders.
• Order customization: This feature enables users to personalize their food with specific ingredients, sauces, or add-ons.
• Hyperlocal search: The app offers hyperlocal search results, enabling users to search for restaurants and menu items based on their current location. This can include options for search radius, cuisine type, and price range.
• In-app messaging: A messaging system that allows users to communicate directly with the restaurant or delivery driver for any questions and queries.
• Multi-language support: This feature accommodates users who speak different languages.
• Scheduled delivery: The option for users to schedule their delivery in advance.
• Reorder feature: This feature allows users to quickly reorder their favorite meals or past orders with just a few taps.
• Favorite Restaurants: This feature allows users to save their favorite restaurants for quick access in the future.
• Loyalty program: The program offers users rewards for ordering food and using the app, including discounts, points, or complimentary meals.
• Location-based promotions: This feature enables the offering of location-based promotions, such as discounts or special offers, to users within a specific geographic area.
• Data Privacy and Security: Implementing robust data privacy and security measures to protect sensitive customer information, including encrypted data storage, secure authentication, and two-factor authentication.

The Suppliers App

• Real-time order updates: The restaurants receive the orders close to their location so they can start preparing food for delivery. Similarly, the delivery drivers receive real-time updates on new orders, changes to orders, and updates on delivery status, allowing them to manage their deliveries efficiently.
• Navigation and routing: The app provides turn-by-turn directions to delivery drivers, helping them efficiently reach the restaurant and customer location.
• Delivery management: Delivery drivers can easily manage their deliveries, including accepting, declining, and updating the status of deliveries.
• Delivery Tracking: The app provides real-time tracking of the driver’s location as they deliver, enabling restaurants and customers to monitor the order’s progress.
• Communication with customers: Delivery drivers can communicate with customers through the app to coordinate delivery.

The Admin Panel

• Restaurant management: The admin has access to tools for managing the restaurants on the app, including adding, editing, and removing restaurants and managing their menus.
• Order management: To provide real-time updates on all orders placed through the app, allowing the business to track and manage the flow of orders.
• Delivery Management: The admin panel features tools for managing the delivery process, including assigning deliveries to delivery drivers, tracking delivery status, and evaluating delivery performance.
• Customer management: The app also features tools for managing its customer base, including viewing customer profiles, tracking order history, and managing customer feedback.
• Payment management: It also provides tools for managing the payment process, including tracking payments, processing refunds, and managing chargebacks.
• Reporting and analytics: It also features tools for detailed reporting and analytics, enabling the business to track key metrics, including revenue, order volume, customer satisfaction, and delivery performance.
• User management: The app also features tools for managing users, including adding, editing, and removing users and controlling user permissions and access.

Technological Aspects

Understanding the technical aspects before designing a project is essential, as a food delivery app differs significantly from a regular app. The solution you choose depends on the application’s specifications and your budget. 

You also need to choose between iOS and Android, whether to make the app from scratch or use third-party software, etc. 

Developing an app like DoorDash means creating three different copies of the same system: one for the users, one for the delivery staff, and lastly, for the supplier restaurant, all of which are connected to the admin panel. 

The goal here is to create an app that is user-friendly in all versions. Some aspects that need to be perfected are advanced search options for customers to skim through their favorite restaurants, a GPS-integrated app that is precise with the location for delivery, and efficient management of customers, their orders, and logistics. 

Cost 

The cost of developing an app like DoorDash can depend on several factors, including its complexity, the number of features, the platform, and the location of the development team. 

The expense of creating a food delivery app can range from $10,000 to $70,000 and even more. Again, the final cost depends on factors such as those mentioned above. 

However, it is important to understand that the cost of developing an app is just one part of the overall expenses associated with launching a food delivery service. There are also ongoing costs for hosting, maintenance, marketing, and customer support, which are important for the successful launch of the app. 

Additionally, working with experienced eCommerce development service providers with a deep understanding of the industry can also increase the cost. 

Before making a decision, ensure you understand your needs and requirements and have a flexible budget to facilitate a smooth development process. 

Conclusion

The most straightforward approach to app development management is to hire a team that can deliver a one-stop solution for your project. It won’t just save you time, but also help with budget management and won’t have any transparent costs. Not only that, the expert handles all the work, from planning to researching, designing, and finally developing. 

Read Also:

• Improve Time to Market with the Right Processes and Tools
• In-House Vs Outsourcing Software Development: Which is Better?
• Role-Based vs Attribute-Based Access Control: Which is better?

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