The need for online deliveries is rising ever since we took a hit from the Covid-19. The way we shop is changing and due to repetitive lockdowns and restrictions, the use of web and mobile delivery apps continues to rise. Several vendors and brick-and-mortar shops have shut down and some utilities have almost run out of business as we speak. Since the outbreak, many major utility stores and essential shops have shifted base from their physical and well-established locations to online platforms such as mobile apps and websites. And this trend is not only seen with retail and wholesale businesses, but across other industries as well – such as healthcare, education, financial, real estate, and many more. Let us have a closer look at a few types of online shopping apps and the various industries that they have begun catering to while we were in quarantine.
Types Of Online Shopping & Delivery Apps?
- Business To Customer (B2C)
This is the most basic type of consumer applications that link businesses with their buyers/end-users. Companies such as Domino’s Pizza, Starbucks, and Amazon have been selling through their apps for a long time, and now many local grocery stores that have shifted to mobile applications are the perfect examples.
- Business To Business (B2B)
B2B apps have connected businesses with one another. The parties involved here are two enterprises and not the end-user. The service or product being exchanged is to create further utilities across several industries and sectors.
- Consumer To Consumer (C2C)
Person-to-person web and mobile commerce apps are extremely popular especially among the middle class and upper-middle-class income groups. They are a platform for consumers to become sellers for other consumers so that utilities, products and services can be created without going for a massive investment. Examples of such applications include Etsy, eBay, and self-driven cab services.
Industries & Product Categories That Boomed During Lockdown
Food And Grocery Delivery
We have seen long queues and lines outside departmental stores. Hoarding was something we all feared would become the new norm. Mobile applications for food and grocery shopping and delivery changed everything. Consumers are able to keep their families well-fed and healthy even during the most difficult times that we have faced this year. Essentials like fruits & vegetables, foodgrains and processed food items, milk & dairy products, meat, poultry & fish, cakes & bakery are being delivered to buyers practically everywhere in the world 24/7 as we speak only via a mobile app.
Pharmacy And Medicine Delivery
Timely medical checkups were made possible with the help of online medicine and essentials shopping and delivery applications. People are able to connect to their physicians for on-the-go consultations and can even get their critical medications delivered right at their doorstep. These services are functional 24/7 and are still being used by a significant user base.
Sports & Fitness Equipment
The global average rise in the sale of sports & fitness equipment during the pandemic lock-down was a stupendous 170%! People who remained conscious of their health and fitness even in the confines of their homes made this possible.
Gift Items
Gift item, Greeting cards and flower delivery businesses saw a massive boom during this period. People were looking for different ways to stay connected with their family and loved ones during this difficult time by gifting them art pieces & home decor items and paintings, small trinkets and souvenirs, etc. The biggest convenience that gift item delivery applications offered the user was the flexibility of adding their preferred delivery time slot.
Basic Logistics Delivery
The basic courier service never goes out of fashion. There will be packages that you will need to get delivered to your friends and relatives whether it is around the city or in another state. Regardless of what product is being delivered, a logistics and transportation application that serves the basic functions of efficiently transferring parcels from one place to another, inventory management, route assistance and the like is the need of the hour.
In order to find a readymade mobile app framework or create the most suitable and reliable online application for your business, you need to ascertain what all features and utilities you seek from it. The kind of experience that you want to ensure for your users and the host of advantages that you want to offer them will help you pick the most ideal and efficient mobile apmp for your business. The following section might be able to shed more light on this aspect.
What Is The Execution Flow Of The App?
- Ordering A Product
An initial request to get access to the product / or order a particular item is generated / registered. Its availability is checked with the seller prior to approval or order placement.
- Order Approval
Upon receiving/ placing the order/ request, the availability of the item is checked and the order is confirmed. The next step is order dispatch about which the customer is duly notified.
- Tracking Of Package
The user receives a confirmation notification and also relevant information about the dispatch and location of the product. The user can track the movement of the package with an inbuilt/ linked tracking interface.
- Product Delivery
The product is delivered to the user as per the terms of the service and on the stipulated date of arrival.
- Rate The Experience
The user gets to rate the entire experience and write an unbiased feedback for the app.
9 Core And Advanced Features That Make Your Delivery App Click With Your User Base
- Detailed Product Information
You will need to put in extra effort while detailing down all the information about the product being provided because it is going to help both the buyer and the seller. Both before an order is made and after it is approved, detailed information about the order should be displayed to the user including product name, category, product images and videos. A request feature through text messaging integration or with an in-app tool that enables the user to raise a request for a particular product that they can’t find on your app will be highly appreciated. Unlimited categories, listings, multiple stores and products for the seller to create and display will be a great feature too.
- Compatibility with Android and iOS
Any mobile app that you want to create for your users should always offer compatibility with various platforms and devices available in the market. Leaving out even one would cut down your market share by millions of users.
- Specifics About Delivery And Pickup Destinations
Properly calculated distances and rates will enable the user to track their package and should also assist the seller in delivery slots management. Specifics regarding the pick-up and drop-off locations should be mentioned whenever a user tries to find the whereabouts of their package. Google Map optimised delivery routes would be of great help to both your logistics partner and the final customer.
- Simple Registration Process
Users of your app like simplicity. Make the registration process fast and link them to their social media accounts if possible. Allow unlimited users to sign up for your mobile shopping app using just their social media logins such as Facebook and/ or Instagram to maximize your reach. Fetching their important details from the email that they have used to sign in on their smartphones is a good idea too.
- Highly Secure Payment Gateways
Users are going to use your app repetitively and will recommend it to other users if they know for sure that shopping with you is safe and secure.
- Review And Rating Options
The ability to read and write useful testimonials, ratings and feedback and reviews will be appreciated by both your customers and your drivers. This is an invaluable tool for your business which will give you repeat clients and an opportunity to improve your services.
- Simplicity of use
The user should be able to complete practically unlimited transactions and browse through endless categories of products to search and find what they are looking for. Filtering and sorting the search results should be made easy and fast too. Add a dynamic and customizable home screen, ability to create a favorites list, easy user profile management tools and real time push notifications with your company logo showing for a more personalized user experience.
- Feature Rich Admin Panel
A customizable and feature-rich admin panel for the seller and the buyer is going to make everything easy for the end users. It should facilitate easy management of products, the entire store inventory, categories, stores, orders, users, order history, product baskets, choice of payment, coupon codes, referral points and much more. The seller should also be able to administer, oversee and control any technical support being provided to their customers through a useful admin panel.
- Admin Analytics
Advanced admin analytics are going to help you determine how successful your business is through useful daily, weekly and monthly sales statistics . As a business owner, you will need access to reports and various analytics tools that will help you closely monitor your current strategies and the various changes that might help you make improvements in the future based on customer responses and sales revenues generated.
How To Minimize The Cost Of Development Of Mobile Ordering and Delivery App?
The creation of an app does not have to start from scratch. You do not need huge amounts of capital to come up with your very own shopping delivery app. MagikKart is a platform that allows you to set up your very own online store in a matter of just one week. You get a readymade framework of menus, backend support, user interface, home screen and various categories and product pages to name a few. Regardless of what industry you are in, you can get your very own mobile shopping app created within just a week.
You ensure the success of your brand by investing in an already existing platform that lets you customize your online presence and design your very own mobile app without having to shell out big bucks. It is like a ready-made showcase where you can display your products and services to the end-user. You can easily avail significant benefits of a completely customized mobile ordering and delivery app all the while reaping the benefits of local economies and adding more value to your business.
Conclusion
With the rising demand for mobile shopping and delivery apps, numerous businesses have witnessed a huge rise in their sales despite the Covid-19 outbreak. This is because your consumers’ needs and wants are not going to just magically vanish. They will need a more convenient way to shop and a safer means of satisfying their own demands and those of their family members. This is where your mobile shopping app comes in. For more information on how to take your business to the next level with MagikKart, contact us today.
