Are you planning to develop a mobile app like Instacart? Well, that will be a great idea as online shopping apps are in great demand these days. And, people these days are used to purchasing everything from groceries to clothing as they want everything without making much effort. That is the reason why online grocery companies like Instacart are successful.
And after Instacart’s success, many entrepreneurs want to establish a business and develop an on-demand grocery app. If you want to make apps like instacart, let’s dig deep into how to develop such apps and the cost of grocery delivery apps.
What is an on-demand grocery delivery app and Instacart?
Grocery delivery mobile apps let users easily buy groceries in the comfort of their homes. According to Statista, the online food delivery industry market size was estimated at 130.2 billion USD in 2022, and it’s expected to grow by 223.7 billion USD by 2027 at a CAGR of 11.44 percent.
Instacart is an online grocery delivery app founded in 2012. It is an American company that operates in the USA and Canada. The app and website allow you to order groceries online.
Why is the Online Grocery Store a Perfect Business Idea Today?
There is a demand in the industry even when it is flooded with giants like Instacart and Amazon Prime. Many people now use online grocery delivery services due to the COVID-19 outbreak and statewide lockdowns. The demand for online grocery apps was already rising quickly before the pandemic, and covid-19 has just magnified it by a factor of 100. Lockdowns and social isolation during the COVID era have made it quite evident that individuals should refrain from shopping in person and instead order groceries online.
Customers have now experienced the convenience and developed a new habit, even after the crisis has been brought under control. And based on the reviews, people appear to be satisfied with that. In the end, there is a supply whenever there is a demand. However, despite such high demand, online grocery delivery app development services sometimes fail to meet everyone’s needs.
So, now is the ideal time to create an on-demand app like Instacart and capitalize on this emerging trend. The fact that people are now purchasing more groceries is another aspect that makes it a great concept.
We have all seen firsthand how quickly supermarket products have increased in popularity. In short, this circumstance motivates us to begin the development of an app similar to Instacart. But first, we must comprehend how the Instacart app functions before discussing “How to develop an app like Instacart”?
Must-have Features for the Grocery Shopping App
Every successful app is renowned for its advanced functions. Similar to how you would build the Instacart app, you need to offer necessary and unique features to stand out from the competition. Before moving further with grocery app development, it is imperative to compile a list of the features you absolutely must have in your application. Here are a few essential components that each grocery app has to include.
User Registration
The first thing a user notices is how well the onboarding is done. Users should be requested to register an account when an app gets installed. Several signup options, such as Google, Facebook, Email, and Phone number, would also be ideal for customers. A good welcome can be achieved with just one click during the signup process. Asking for too much upfront information can irritate the consumer and result in negative ratings. Instead, periodically request the essential details, such as a home address and phone number, when processing a transaction.
Search
The most critical component of any online grocery app is, by far, the advanced search function. In addition to doing advanced searches, filters, and suggestions that improve the user experience, it also makes it simple for users to locate any supermarket item they require. Users may quickly locate what they’re looking for, filter searches for thousands of products, and ultimately save a tonne of time using the advanced search tool. The grocery delivery app development experience is superior to the in-store experience because of this quick search feature.
A person can browse through thousands of relevant products from the comfort of their home. To develop an app like Instacart, it is advised to hire mobile app development services.
Shopping Cart
A shopping cart can only improve the user experience when the customer wants to save a product to purchase it later. Users can double-check their product information, save it, and then buy directly from the cart-in-progress using the shopping cart feature. To be competitive, an app like Instacart needs a shopping cart feature. But it’s equally crucial to keep the user interface essential and include a compelling call-to-action. So that it won’t be a hassle for the user. The user desires simple and seamless navigation between the store and the cart.
Notifications
Push notifications are crucial to keep users returning to the app frequently. Push notifications are crucial for updating users on cart items, price decreases, order status updates, discounts, and other information, especially for an Instacart clone app. Advanced notifications enabled by artificial intelligence can remind customers of the goods they frequently buy, such as a price reduction on milk or butter. The client will eventually become annoyed by notifications and delete the app if the developer doesn’t ensure that all notifications are pertinent to the user’s interests.
Payment
When it comes to finances, everyone is covered. A Grocery Android App should offer a variety of safe payment methods. More users can be retained, and their confidence can be increased by offering many payment options. The ability to pay with cash on delivery, credit or debit cards, Paypal, and even Payoneer is required by users. After a consumer makes a purchase, always present the invoice to reassure them of the purchase. A developer can incorporate the tip option for the delivery driver or several coupon code alternatives to engage the user further.
Order Management
Several functions are included in order management, including real-time product tracking, order cancellation, and delivery timetables. This feature is crucial for administrators as well as customers. Order management is an excellent feature that enables users to communicate with the application continuously. This functionality allows users to cancel orders as well. Customers will feel more secure knowing they have the application’s support if something goes wrong. In a nutshell, real-time tracking is the feature’s key selling point. Users may plan their workdays around how long the delivery boy needs to bring their purchase.
Comparison of prices and products
Customers can only see an accurate pricing comparison using a grocery app like Instacart. A consumer can compare the goods of his choice and see comparisons. In-store customers must gather every item to view a product and compare prices. However, application users can accomplish the same task in seconds. As a result, online grocery delivery app development services offer improved value. A developer needs to integrate price and product comparison tools into the app to create something similar to Instacart.
Users’ Localization and address search
Everyone wants to be speedy in these fast-paced times. They look for an app that is quick and simple to use. By including an automatic user location detector tool, you can give your consumers a speedy, user-friendly experience while saving them time. Additionally, the user location function provides additional advantages, such as allowing customers to order goods from the local store and accessing more location-based content.
Voice Recognition
As we previously discussed, users want to be quick in these fast-paced lifestyles, and AI-based technologies fit that need. The use of mobile phones has already changed thanks to Alexa and Siri. Therefore, adding speech recognition functionality to the program won’t cause any harm. Including cutting-edge technologies like speech recognition will be the only thing users will value about the application. Users will find the ordering procedure considerably more straightforward, and your user base will grow. Voice recognition features, however, are difficult to add. Therefore you must hire a reputable grocery delivery app development company to start with the development.
Feedback
In the case of an app similar to Instacart, who can forget about feedback? The “quality of service” pillar supports online grocery apps. And positive reviews will only improve the standard. Additionally, the admin can learn about the delivery boy’s status through a feedback option, such as if he fails to deliver an order, mixes up an order, etc., or if there is an issue with the product’s quality. Admin can then adjust as necessary and raise the brand’s worth. Positive evaluations are also essential for attracting new customers and fostering company loyalty.
How to Build an App Like Instacart?
Customization As per Users
It’s an excellent concept to draw inspiration from Instacart’s business model, but some originality is always best. Most importantly, customization is required if the service is intended to cater to a different audience than Instacart. This can be achieved by prospective polling clients and including the elements that satisfy the most common requests.
Matching Business Scale and Technology
The technology used to power the app must be sufficient to manage traffic as the company planned. This ensures that the program can function at its best level regardless of how many people are simultaneously using it. The finest technologies for creating apps for the Android platform are Java and Kotlin. Swift and C, though, might be your best bet if you’re interested in the iOS platform.
Amazon S3 and Microsoft Azure Server are the backend’s most widely used cloud storage platforms. Similar to numerous possibilities for other app components, it is best to speak with an established app development business to gain more knowledge.
Bringing together a Range of Stakeholders
From the customer’s perspective, it could appear that the company only needs one app, but multiple ones are needed to cater to various panels. These include the customer, delivery, and admin side.
How Much Does it Cost to Build an App like Instacart?
To develop an app like instacart, you need to look at factors like grocery delivery app development company’s location, which depicts the hourly rates, features, UI/UX, platform, tech-stack, and more.
To take an approximation, it will be around $106,2470 if we take the average price of around $45 per hour. And time will depend upon the team members, but to take an estimate, it requires around 2366 hours to develop an app.
The development team for creating a grocery shopping app
If you want to develop both Android and iOS grocery mobile apps, you’ll require:
- Android developers
- iOS developers
- QA specialists
- Project manager
- UI/UX designers
- Backend developer
Conclusion
The demand for online grocery shopping mobile apps will continue to grow in the years to come, and it is the right time to set up your customer base and increase your business revenue from time to time no matter whether you want to develop an app for Europe, the US, or Asia.
Having a busy lifestyle, people these days prefer to save time and want everything on a tap, so if you want to develop a mobile app, you can contact an Indian app development company.