Here is a Brilliant Startup Idea of Online Office Food Ordering & Delivery Business

Food ordering and delivery is not a new online business idea; however, it has evolved with technology coming into the forefront. So far, we have seen startups based on business ideas like grocery delivery, meal-kit delivery, restaurant table booking, midnight food delivery, and more. The most recent being an online office food ordering and delivery platform, as analyzed by experts at FATbit Technologies.

Getting food from your favorite restaurants during the work week can often become a hassle. The online office food ordering and delivery business surely fill the void between busy professionals and delicious food from nearby restaurants.

Many follow food ordering & delivery ideas but only a few startups adhere to the office food-delivery business. This is the reason why new startups like Dejbox have managed to create a niche for themselves and seize the opportunity.

To know how you can earn from this startup idea, you need to implement the following business model and key website features. Without further ado, let us have a look at the workflow to get a clear understanding of its dynamics.

How an Online Office Food Delivery Business Works?

Same boring meals may upset any office worker. To bring deliciousness back into the lives of working professionals and removing the hassle of food delivery, this business idea clicks the perfect chord. Here is the breakdown of how things work in online food delivery business:

• The user will create a profile on the website or get registered with the platform.
• Every day at a given specific time (different for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), users receive a notification of the available meal options.
• Interested users place the order and make online payment. The order will then get forwarded to the associated restaurant. After the order has been processed, the platform will collect all the orders and deliver the same to the respective offices at a given time.

Possible Sources of Income

For those who want to start an online office food delivery platform, the margins on food are always a concern, which is why it is always advised to have multiple streams of revenue. Moreover, the delivery charges should not make the value of the food rise to a level where the consumers do not consider it value for money. One aspect that falls in favor of such a  business idea is that you have to deliver all the orders in a single time. This reduces the delivery logistics as well as cost.

The following are the main revenue models that such a startup can incorporate:

• Online Advertisements: Google AdSense can be one of the primary sources of generating revenue through advertisements.
• Offline Advertisements: Advertisements can be displayed on the company’s Food packages. In addition to this, more advertising can be made by sending printed pamphlets along with the meal.
• Strategic Partnership: People willing to open a restaurant or small kitchen can sign up by paying a small fee to the platform.
• Commission Percentage: Online office food delivery businesses can collaborate with restaurants on pre-decided commission rates based on the quantity of food order.

How to register on the website or application?

The signup process should be easy enough for an average user without much technical know-how. The following steps resemble an ideal signup process:

• On the sign-up page, the user fills details like first name, last name, office address, the number of employees, email id, new password, verification through OTP, and credit card details.
• After verification and an acknowledgment from the website, the user can start receiving a message regarding meal of the day.

Noteworthy, it is advisable to facilitate the user to register on the website or application via social media accounts or google account in easy steps. This not only quickens the registration process but also aids in providing a user-friendly experience.

How users order through the website or mobile application?

1. The User can simply access your food ordering website or mobile application with easy login steps.
2. Once logged in, he/she can view the meal (breakfast, lunch & dinner) of the day.
3. The user can also search for his/her favorite food from a specific restaurant.
4. Then, he/she places an online food order according to the number of employees. Payment can be done by digital mediums (such as Google Pay, PayPal, Credit/Debit Cards, etc.) or cash on delivery (COD).
5. After the restaurant confirms the placed order, a notification is sent to the user about the confirmation and estimated delivery time.
6. The hot meal is delivered to the user’s office (address mentioned by the user while placing the order) at the respected time.

Website Overview

Good user experience is the key to success for any business. When it comes to a website, the user experience is the most important thing for the survival of the food delivery platform. Here is a list of website features that we think should be there on any office food ordering and delivery website:

Homepage

The homepage is the first point of contact with the users. If your homepage is not able to garner the attention of the users, chances are that people may stop coming to your website after some time. To make your website’s homepage highly engaging, use the following tips:

• The banner should have a call to action.
• The homepage should not be stuffed with information.
• Use high-resolution images, but ensure they are not resource hungry.

The most recent trend is to use a banner video instead of the banner image. This approach is useful in decreasing the bounce rate of the store by keeping the visitor engaged.

Hence it is always advisable to adhere to these interactive homepage design practices to improve the UX of the website.

Process Workflow

You can dedicate a section on your website’s homepage to explain the entire workflow in few simple steps. This is really helpful for new visitors to better understand your services and signup with confidence.

Office Locations

Google map offers an API to showcase all your office locations. This is helpful to gain customer’s trust and make people believe that there are human beings that are running the business.

Contact us form

Plain and simple contact form is not good for user engagement. FATbit analysts went through several major websites and found that most of them have implemented the content of the form in paragraphs. Not only is this a unique approach to getting user’s attention but crafting a perfect contact page design also results in more lead generation while providing a personalized experience.

Testimonials

Trust in a brand is hard to come by. Showing what other people are talking about your brand is a good way to build trust. By dedicating a place for testimonials or user reviews on your homepage, you can easily build trust and earn more potential customers.

There are numerous methods of obtaining user reviews to continuously improve brand strategies and growth.  

Meal Section

This is the most important section of any office food delivery website. By showing today’s meal, visitors are more likely to order it. To increase the engagement, try to put a high definition close-up shot of the cooked meal.

The meal section can also have an “Upcoming / Tomorrow’s Meal” section, which can be used to showcase meals available on the next day. That way, users can also book meals in advance.

Help Center

The help center should have a proper documentation explaining the working of your mobile app and website. The entire process should be explained in a well-defined way so that the entire experience can instill trust in the visitor.

FAQ Section

Frequently Asked Questions is an important section to which many users will come and clear their doubts. Following are few questions that should be present in the FAQ section:

• Can I get a refund?
• I didn’t receive food on time. What should I do now?
• Can I cancel my order?
• Can I place a group order?
• What payments do you accept?

Mobile Application Overview

Sign Up

When a user opens your food ordering app on his/her mobile for the first time after downloading, a sign-up/sign-in page appears on the screen. Keep the process easy with third party (Social media platforms and Google)  integration.

Profile Page

Once the user signs in, he/she must be directed to the profile page. Here the user can add more details to his/her profile such as office address, number of employees, favourite food item etc. Also, let the user save his/her bank details or other preferred payment methods.

Food Search/ Restaurant Locator Page

It is the very first thing that the user sees on his/her mobile screen after logging in your food ordering mobile application. It has a search bar that allows the user to search for his favourite food or restaurant or both. Also, it displays “meal of the day” for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Easy Order Placement

After selecting their choice of food, make it easy for the user to order the food. Let them edit the order by adding or deleting food items before choosing the payment method and confirming the office address.

Multiple Payment Method

Ensure your users that the payment processing is secure and fast. Let your user leverage the facility of multiple payment methods via PayTM, Amazon Wallet, PayPal, Credit/Debit card or Cash on delivery.

Real-Time Tracking

Send food order confirmation notification to the user. Also, provide details about the predicted arrival of the ordered food at his/her office.  Real-time tracking keeps the user updated about the location of the delivery boy.

Communication capabilities

There should be an easy way to communicate for users and delivery team. The user can inquire about the food to be delivered and the delivery boy can contact the user when he arrives at the office address.

Rating/Review Integration

Allow your customers to share their valuable reviews about the food or restaurant. Let them rate the quality of food by integrating the review/rating system.

Provide Customer Care Helpline

In case the user faces any queries or has any complaints let him/her directly connect with your customer care team via email, chatbox or call.

Recommendations from FATbit

Profile Pages

Every person has his own eating preference. Some may like less spicy food while others may want spicy food. Being the owner of the store, you should respect the wishes of the user and give them exactly what they expect.

Some users may also suffer from certain food allergies and it is vital to allow the user to put such information in his profile. The profile area presents a great opportunity to offer a high level of customer satisfaction.

Social Media Login

Registering on websites requires time and effort. Instead of filling profiles, visitors should be allowed to use social login to just click and enter the website. Social login buttons are really helpful to drive the user engagement rate.

Cost

The challenge in the online office food delivery platform is to offer normal meals at an affordable price. People don’t prefer to buy expensive meals on an everyday basis. This is the reason why delivery cost should be less and more discounts should be offered. Moreover, discounts coupons increase the sales and engagement and help to create buzz around the brand.

Group discounts should be offered to large offices having more workforce.

Social Media and Blogging

Blogging and social media is the best way to attract attention and let people know that you exist. Consider starting a major campaign to generate maximum leads to solidify your presence on The Internet.

Conclusion

The office food ordering and delivery business is gradually increasing in parts of America and Europe. As for the startup ecosystem, it presents a tremendous opportunity to fill the need of feeding hungry mouths working tirelessly at the office.

Making a website for your online food ordering and delivery business with features mentioned in the above sections will definitely give you the perfect start in this segment of food tech industry. To get more tips on website design and development for better user engagement, consult experts.