There’s nothing as spread-out and feature-filled like Zomato when you talk about Restaurant Guide Apps we have around. Well, this was not the same as they started up with the app and the product was launched as a minimal viable product – allowing users to just find restaurants at different locations and look at photos and menus. Gradually though, the application grew into a social food community with a higher level of user engagement, with features including area-based dining suggestions, multiple search functionality, review and rating features, food collections, gamified foodie accounts, food delivery options and more. Which is not all and further expanding with advanced utilities like Table Bookings.
If we divide the app into different modules you will find it into five different facts of a solution.
1.Web Service
2.On-demand Food Delivery App
3.Restaurant Finder and Locator App
4.Gamified Social Media App
5.Restaurant Business app
So, if you are looking to build a restaurant guide app like Zomato of your own, you have to fist decide how you are going to cover it all and what all functionalities and modules you would like to have and what else in terms of features and presentation scheme you would like to add.
The major features that need to be included in an app like Zomato:
Social Component
Zomato allows users to integrate their social media accounts (Facebook and Google+) to sign-up with them. Thereby letting them create a full-fledged user profile allowing them to be a part of a complete community of foodies and connect with each other and discover other’s choices and recommendation and share likings with them.So, with this, it is not just an aggregator but a complete social metrics that is playing a big role in making it user-focused.
Search Functionality
Zomato offers an intensively organized and categorically rich search filters with a multi-level hierarchy. This means a user can exactly search places based on location, cuisine, facilities, offers and other parameters and further combine them with other search factors. Besides the major search criteria like distance, rating, availability, cost and popularity here are some other sorting types that allow users to reach exactly the result they are looking for with these sub-searches:
- 1> Buffets
- 2> Delivery
- 3> Pure Veg.
- 4> Bakeries
- 5> Luxury dining
- 6> Outdoor Seating
- 7> Cafes
- 8> Night-life
- 9> High-rated
- 10> Hot places
- 11> Open now
- 12> 24/7 service
- 13> Wi-fi
- 14> Credit Cards
If you look to build a reception and layout similar to Zomato, you would require having all these elements on your main screen:
- Closest restaurants based on your Location/Area
- Search area/restaurant, cuisine etc.
- Order food/nearby
- Trending categories/venues
- Food bookmarks
- In-App suggestions and popular venues in different categories
- Local User/Your connections’ Feed
- Quick searches categorized in Lunch, Dinner, Delivery, Breakfast, Cafes etc.
- Collections – curated list of suggested venues, saved and suggested places
- My account Tab with Order history, Favorite orders etc.
Of which the restaurant listing and ratings/reviews are the major attraction of the app. Which allow users to view menu, photos, expert reviews, nearby suggestions based on searches and locations from different sorted categories.
Here’s how the information is trended and details are displayed to the users:
- Header Photo Slider
- Bookmark/Check-in Buttons
- Native Calling
- Like/Comment/Share
- Listing details
- Opening/Closing Hours
- Order Food
- Address, Maps & Directions
- Menu scans
- Add photos
- Reviews with a button to submit yours
- Create a collection
- Average check/meal cost
Gamification components of the app:
- Levels/Points
- Achievements
- Verified user
- Checkpoints
- Rewards&Reputation
- Location/Area Expert
- Quests
- Competition
- Community of users
Starting with the development:
So, if you are looking to develop an app like Zomato first thing that you need to do is arrange for all that listing data and draw a digital road map for your product. This could be done by yourself or with the help of domain experts. Once you are all done with your primary research and have all the needed stuff with you, you need to connect with an
app developer who has expertise and experience working with such applications. Look at their portfolio and their knowledge with restaurant app development and shortlist the one who fits your bill the best.
