How To Create A Reliable Online Grocery Delivery App?
In the world brimming with technology, almost everything is now available on your smartphone. So to be shopping for grocery in an old school grocery shop is certainly out of trend nowadays. Going to the supermarket, rummage through aisles looking for things you need and standing in queues to pay the bill is certainly not one's cup of tea these days. After all, no one's got that kind of time or patience. With the growing market of online grocery shops, shopping has not only become easy but the industry is bringing good business as well.
With big kahunas like BigBasket, Grofers and Amazon Pantry, some have already made their mark while the market for more participants is certainly heating up. So what makes a grocery app a hit? The design and process plan that is so easy and hassle free that the user is able to buy what he is looking for. The aim is, in the process, to give the user an experience that brings him back to the site when he needs to buy grocery again.
Key Features Of An Online Grocery App
There are certain key features that you need to consider while building an online grocery app to make sure that your app will be able to attract users:
· Search Options: While it is always a good idea to segregate your items into categories and subcategories that can be filtered to ease the shopping experience. However, make sure that your programming is done in a way that enables smart search. Your app should be able to return with a list of suggestions when the user enters a keyword.
· Social Login: In a world where everyone owns a social media account, it is necessary to provide your user with login options that are easy and don't take up much time. A social media login gives your user the option to sign up through one ID they use everywhere and keep track of their shopping lists.
· Wishlist: It's not always necessary that your user will buy something every time he visits the app. Give them the option to shortlist what they want to buy so they do not need to search every time they visit the app. A straight link to their favorites will help them get access to all they want to buy within a second. Make sure that this process is also easy, suggestively in one click.
· Push Notifications: Every user is looking for offers and discounts on products they want to buy. Enable a system into your app that send notifications to your user's number through messages, email marketing and push notifications so he can use the best offers when they are live.
· Payment Gateways: Give your user as many options as you can to pay for their orders. Other than offering popular payment gateways like PayPal, also provide them other options like credit card, debit card, app wallets and cash on delivery. This will not only easy their buying process but also help them trust your brand more.
· Order Tracking: Give your user the facility to track their orders right from the moment they make a purchase. Every user wants to be informed of their order's progress. Make sure that you provide them live links of where their product is, when it will be shipped, the movement of the parcel once shipped, when it is going to be delivered along with the delivery executive's detail so they are also able to reschedule delivery in exceptional scenarios.
· Ratings: Every customer goes to various review and feedback sites to form opinion of a brand before using it. Make sure that your brand is listed on such websites. Also give your users the option to voluntarily rate and review your services. This will give word of mouth publicity attracting potential customers online.
· Customer Support: There are many users who face problems buying grocery online. Reasons can be various. They may not be a regular online store user, there might be glitches in your app, they can't figure out how to search for the product they are looking for or they are simply fishing for any impromptu discounts you may offer. Ensure that you have a 24*7 customer service executive available to help such customers. Instant solutions have been known to affect the sales ratio greatly. The earlier you can solve their queries, the better are your chances of converting it into a purchase.
· Security: A user's primary concern is to make sure that his credentials are safe with your site. Make certain that your app has tight security programming that is as per the standards.
While these were things that you need to take care of in the user panel. The other facet that you must customize is the admin panel.
Key Features of Admin Panel on an Online Grocery App
- Store Management: Build a system that updates the store inventory as the purchases are made. Stock updates are extremely necessary to keep the purchases go smoothly.
- Dashboard: Dashboard is from where you can manage all your customers, stores, vendors, purchases, order tracking and more that are taking place on your app in real time.
- Feedback Review: Ratings and reviews are extremely important in an online business. Keep track of the reviews you receive and make sure to answer those. It will build your goodwill when the user sees that you are concerned about their opinions. Introduce changes in your system based on these reviews so the customers can see you considering their remarks.
Things to Remember While Building an Online Grocery App
During the development process, you need to make sure that the afore mentioned points are taken care of efficiently. Moreover, you need to develop the best model for your business. There are various models operating currently like a single store grocery app which is best if you own a grocery unit of your own so the product can be dispatched as soon as the order is received.
There are aggregator store grocery apps where you only need to set up a grocery delivery app. This kind of app will list out all the grocery units nearby based on the user's location. The user can then choose one and make a purchase. The store will confirm and ship the order.
The most lucrative option in the coming days is the marketplace grocery app where you build your own virtual marketplace. The user will make a purchase and you will need to send in your own delivery boys to collect and deliver the products.
Determine your best fit business model and set up your app accordingly. Also pay attention to the app design. Your online store should not be virtually attractive but easily comprehensible. Every popular brand in the market boasts of a unique design and high functionality. Make sure you cover the key points when setting up your online store.
