As the world fights pandemic, educational institutes or tutors are quickly turning to e-learning solutions to teach students at home. An online learning platform ensures a safe and continuous learning environment for students anywhere in the world.

But, before we learn about e-learning challenges there are a few traditional learning challenges that must be discussed first.

Traditional Learning Challenges

1. Geographical Challenge

For people living in remote areas or working professionals striving to enroll and learn something new, traditional learning (inside the classrooms) isn’t a feasible choice. They may have to travel far from a remote location to study or teach every day. And, while location-based challenges were hard enough for teachers and students, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, traditional learning methods are no longer safe. Schools and educational institutes have been shut in a bid to maintain social distancing norms.

2. Continuity of Teaching and Maintaining Quality and Standards

Amid the challenges faced due to new rules on social distancing, face-to-face teaching is deemed impossible. In order to fulfill teachers’ obligation to students, educational institutes and authorities are looking for reliable methods to teach remotely. However, there are still issues persisting like access to the latest technology and compatible devices, no physical contact, and other disciplines (like access to laboratories) that must be dealt with. Maintaining quality and standards while teaching during the pandemic has been tough for both the authorities and tutors. As per Statista, nearly 24% of online students in the US had concerns about the teaching quality, instructions, and academic support from the educational institutes in 2019. These numbers are likely to grow amid the pandemic.

3. Assessments, Exams, and Degree Classifications

2020 has been a stressful year for educational authorities as final exams and student assessments are either postponed or canceled indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While some universities have canceled all exams for non-final-year students, others are keen on taking exams (remotely or online) maintaining social distancing norms. The universities are even offering a safety net i.e. as long as students pass their final exams, they will not receive a degree classification lower than the previous year exams.

As the virus threat looms larger, educational institutes are doing their best to safeguard the university’s reputation and ensure students receive grades necessary to get a job.

E-Learning Challenges

While online learning portal may seem the right choice for schools, institutes or private coach/trainer to invest not just during the pandemic but beyond, there are some obvious challenges that must be addressed first:

1. Not User-Friendly Environment (Software)

Online learning solutions are equally new for students as they are for teachers. And, regardless of whether they believe that e-portals are a productive way to learn or not, teachers across the globe must adapt to the new challenges like using software that they are unfamiliar with. Amid the pandemic, tutors are striving hard to utilize technology and deliver timely lessons to students even if the environment/tools aren’t user-friendly for either of them.

2. Improper Class Scheduling

Neil Kapadia, LSA freshman (University of Michigan) moved back to his home in Mumbai as universities in the US were shut amid pandemic. Since his return, he faces difficulties attending the live learning sessions as EST (Eastern Standard Time) is 10 hours and 30 minutes behind the IST (Indian Standard Time) in Mumbai. Another university student and LSA sophomore Sydney Lum who moved back to Kailua, Hawaii faces similar challenges as her time zone is 6 hours behind EST in Michigan. While Neil has to be up at midnight to join live sessions, Lum’s class starts as early as 4 am in the morning. Improper class scheduling due to varied time zones has been a real concern for students and faculties alike. And, private teaching sessions – a viable (albeit paid) solution for scheduling concerns has been plagued with improper payment/fee management structure at several e-learning portals.

Yo!Coach with its multiple payment integrations and private lessons feature allows educational institutes to offer seamless one-to-one paid teaching sessions to students (with or without timezone difference) at their convenient time.

3. Lack of Security

Several video conferencing apps extensively used by schools and educational institutes for remote learning were recently forbidden from use in city schools by New York City, citing privacy and security concerns. Lack of security during session delivery or file-sharing online has been a headache for several educational institutes and organizations, especially during the crisis. And to overcome this challenge, robust e-learning software is necessary that allows secure file-sharing and uninterrupted live sessions.

4. Lack of Interactive Environment to Practice Online

Lastly, there’s a challenge for students to practice online while learning. Mostly live sessions are either through video-conferencing apps or video chats which unfortunately do not offer tools and environment to practice while learning. Several online classes overlook this lack of environment and focus solely on theoretical content. Fortunately, Yo!Coach offers whiteboard, text pad, text chat, and several interactive features for students to practice and clear doubts during live sessions itself.

How to Overcome Online and Traditional Learning Challenges?

As per the CNBC report, remote learning could be here to stay even post-pandemic. And, e-learning challenges would persist until we switch to a reliable platform that makes online learning fun and interesting. Yo!Coach is a feature-rich and completely customizable platform that can help launch an e-learning solution like LessonFace or Verbling with ease. To illustrate our point, let’s take a look at its key features:

1. Video Chat

Yo!Coach enables teachers to efficiently deliver lessons online using a reliable video chat feature. By integrating third-party API integration CometChat Go, the e-learning platform empowers tutors and students with a real-life learning environment to quantify educational skills. From screen sharing, collaborative document to audio/video notes, the remote learning portal offers extensive features to users.

2. WorkSpace/ File Sharing

Our e-learning platform presents a common workspace for teachers and learners to interact and share. Tutors get the option to upload files (in .doc or .pdf format) related to the course with the secure file sharing feature and students can download these files anytime they want, building a constructive learning environment.

3. Text Pad

A simple-yet-effective delivery tool, Text Pad enables teachers/learners to create documents in real-time during live sessions. It allows both tutors and students to write, share, and collaborate one-to-one. Using a Text pad, one can easily write text, change font type/size, undo, save, download, and do much more. Also termed as a collaborative document, text pad is a handy tool for online learning.

4. Multilingual & Multi-Currency

While English is a global language, there are several regional languages widely spoken around the world. And often students are comfortable interacting in their own regional language. For educational institutes offering e-courses to students worldwide (during and beyond COVID-19), multilingual and multi-currency are two essential features.

Yo!Coach with its multi-linguistic feature empowers users to manually select their preferred language with a dropdown. Here, except for the user-added content like profile creation, reviews & ratings everything else will be translated instantly.

Moreover, we even have a multi-currency feature that allows users to manually change currency just like language. Although the prices are displayed in the user’s preferred currency, the tutor or the teacher receives payment as per his/her selected currency. Plus, the exchange rates are solely managed by the administrator.

5. Reviews and Ratings

Reviews and ratings are an integral part of e-learning platforms like Yo!Coach that allows students to share feedback about the teacher and course package after its completion. Although learners may post reviews/ratings immediately after the course completion, the feedback will only reflect in the respective profiles once the admin approves.

For a complete list of Yo!Coach features, click here.

Why Starting an e-Learning Platform is A Good Business Idea during COVID-19?

While most businesses are struggling to survive during the pandemic, e-learning solutions are prospering.  From educational institutes to edupreneurs, online learning offers something for everyone. It is a great business idea to invest during COVID-19 and here’s why:

Online Learning is Gaining Popularity over Traditional Methods

Online learning platforms offer a significant opportunity for both teachers and students alike. For instance, students can learn at their own pace, get a one-on-one personalized learning experience, and schedule lectures according to their availability. Similarly, teachers benefit from freedom and flexibility of time and space. As the pandemic threat looms larger, online learning is quickly gaining popularity over traditional learning. For detailed analysis, click here.

Opportunities for Edupreneurs

According to UNESCO, nearly 1.3 billion learners have been impacted due to school closures worldwide as of March 23, 2020. Considering the current situation and other crucial factors like rising college tuition fees or changing expectations; the e-learning industry is expected to blossom. For professionals or entrepreneurs looking for an investment opportunity to grow amid the crisis, online learning is the perfect foil for them. It offers several Opportunities for EduPreneurs.

Conclusion

As e-learning becomes a standard for each school and institute worldwide, teachers and students must utilize the right tools that enhance their online learning experience. Trust Yo!Coach to create a reliable and robust e-learning platform to overcome challenges amid the pandemic.

The post Challenges Faced by Educational Institutes or Tutors During COVID-19 and How To Overcome Them appeared first on FATbit Blog.

With the incorporation of latest technologies, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, the healthcare industry has transformed tremendously over the last few years. This transformation has improved the entire healthcare experience for both patients as well as medical professionals by providing operational efficiency and improved patient care. 

According to a survey, one out of two patients reported the use of healthcare consultation apps on their mobile devices. The primary reasons behind such behavior of patients are access to the consultation of more than one medical professional, the reduced hassle of traveling and waiting in long queues, and the ease of use. As technology continues to advance and demand for online doctor consultation platforms rises, there has never been a better time to build a platform that connects healthcare professionals with patients. 

Whether you are a healthcare professional or an entrepreneur interested in entering the online healthcare industry, building an online doctor consultation platform can be a rewarding experience. Further, in this blog, we provide you the information on how to build a successful online doctor consultation platform. From understanding the business model and identifying the right set of features, we will cover everything you need to know. 

Table of Contents:

• Is it The Right Time to Start an Online Doctor Consultation Platform?
• Benefits of Starting an Online Doctor Consultation Platform
• How to Start an Online Doctor Consultation Business?
• Popular Online Doctor Consultation Platforms
• Business Model of an Online Doctor Consultation Platform
• Revenue Model of an Online Doctor Consultation Platform
• Essential Features of an Online Doctor Consultation Platform
• Other Recommended Features for an Online Doctor Consultation Platform
• Conclusion

Is it The Right Time to Start an Online Doctor Consultation Platform?

Considering the current scenario, experts are expecting a tremendous increase in the demand for online doctor consultation platforms. Some of the reasons why now is the right time to start an online doctor consultation platform are: 

• Increased Demand: The online doctor consultation industry is valued at $25.1 billion in 2023, and is expected to reach a market value of $35.5 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 8.76% in the forecast period (2023-2027). We anticipate that demand for online doctor consultation platforms is rising and will continue to increase in the coming years, providing numerous lucrative opportunities for budding entrepreneurs. 
• Connect Globally: With an online doctor consultation platform, you can connect patients and doctors regardless of the geographical barrier. Consequently, increasing the reach and revenue of your platform. Additionally, online consultation platforms make it easy for patients to leverage the expertise of specialists unavailable locally.
• Cost-Effective And Time-Saving: Starting an online doctor consultation platform is more cost-effective and time-saving as compared to building a full-fledged hospital with all facilities and infrastructure. 

Benefits of Starting an Online Doctor Consultation Platform

Online doctor consultation platforms efficiently bridge the gap between patients and healthcare professionals. The growing popularity of online doctor consultation platforms can also be attributed to the fact that it offers endless benefits to doctors as well as patients.  Some of the benefits offered are-

Benefits of online doctor consultation platform for doctors:

• Expanded global reach: Doctors can provide their medical advice and services to patients globally, breaking all geographical barriers. 
• Increased revenue: Online consultation platforms offer additional revenue streams for doctors like they can sell ebooks, and medical learning material to their patients. Additionally, doctors can refer services of other healthcare professionals such as specialists, diagnostic centers, or labs by charging money in return. Such lucrative revenue opportunities may not be possible in an offline setting.
• Flexibility: With an online doctor consultation platform, doctors have the flexibility to choose their schedules, set their own rates, and work from any location. 
• Efficient time management: Doctors can efficiently manage their time with an online consultation platform. They can attend to patients without dealing with the hassles of managing administrative tasks, waiting rooms, etc.
• Better patient management: Online doctor consultation platforms enable doctors to manage their patients more efficiently. They can access their medical history and records, track their progress, and follow up when needed. 
• Genuine feedback: Patients can provide feedback in the form of ratings and reviews for the doctors which will eventually help them in improving their services. 
• Improved patient satisfaction: Online doctor consultation platforms are more convenient and accessible for patients, hence, offering more customer satisfaction. Patients can easily manage their appointments avoiding the need to travel to the clinic. Satisfied patients mean more referrals, which translates to more patients coming in for your services. 
• Better work-life balance: Doctors can achieve a better work-life balance with an online consultation platform. They can work from home or any location and can see patients as per their schedule and convenience.
• Expert advice: In case of complicated problems or diseases, doctors can seek advice from their fellow senior/expert doctors through online discussion forums or groups.

Benefits of online doctor consultation platform for patients: 

• Convenience: Patients can avail of medical treatment from the comfort of their homes without having to travel to the hospital. This is extremely beneficial for those who live in remote locations or have mobility issues.
• Accessibility: Online doctor consultation platforms provide patients with access to a wide range of doctors, regardless of their location. Patients can easily connect with specialists across the globe depending on their health concerns and condition.
• Time-saving: Individuals with busy schedules or work life can save time who otherwise would have to take time off or spend time traveling to the hospital. 
• Cost-effective: Online consultation is more cost-effective than in-person consultation. They can save money on travel expenses and consultation fees. 
• Better monitoring: With digital reports and prescriptions, doctors can track the progress and monitor their patients more closely and efficiently. This is also beneficial for those suffering from chronic diseases and requires continuous support and care. 
• Increased privacy:  Doctors provide consultation in the privacy of the patient’s own homes, which is beneficial for those who are uncomfortable discussing their health concerns in a hospital setting. Additionally, online consultation platforms keep privacy of their patients at utmost priority by keeping the medical data encrypted and safe. 

Offering and integrating features that can cater to the needs of doctors and patients on your platform will eventually contribute to the growth and success of your online doctor consultation business. 

How to Start an Online Doctor Consultation Business?

Starting an online doctor consultation business may seem like a daunting task, to begin with. However, with the right information and knowledge, this challenge can be overcome easily. In this section, we discuss key things you need to consider while starting your online doctor consultation platform. 

Compliance

To operate an online doctor consultation business, one has to adhere to different rules and regulations. For example, to start an online doctor consultation business in the U.S, compliance with HIPAA is essential, and to operate in Canada, compliance with PHIPA is vital.

Research

It is vital to understand what society needs. Conducting market research will give the basic idea of how to proceed forward and establish an online doctor consultation business. Ideally, one may initiate market research by identifying potential partners and studying the competitors.

Define Unique Value Proposition

To separate a new business from the rest of the crowd depends on how well the unique value propositions are defined. Depending on the value propositions, the user experience, customer service, selection of products and services, and more, will vary.

Create a Prototype

Conducting market research and defining unique value propositions will generate an ample amount of data to create a prototype or a minimum-viable product. The prototype and the number of features one wishes to integrate depend entirely on the budget.

Opt For a Reliable Solution

It is essential to choose a reliable software solution that can streamline the operations of your online doctor consultation business. Yo!Coach is one such popular software solution that offers exemplary features and functionality essential for running an online doctor consultation platform. This comes pre-integrated with popular collaborative tools like video conferencing, text chat, etc. to make communication between doctors and patients effortless on your platform. It also offers multi-lingual and multi-currency features to help you serve your global audience. Learn more

Get Feedback

Once you have launched your platform, consider creating a list of hand-picked users who will gain access to the website or mobile app before everyone else. The feedback of these people matters, and after careful analysis, one may choose to include the learnings on the website or mobile app.

After knowing how to start an online doctor consultation business, the next important thing would be to know about the popular online doctor consultation platforms in the industry.

Popular Online Doctor Consultation Platforms

eGlobalDoctors

eGlobalDoctors is an online doctor consultation platform providing more than 40 medical services in 8+ countries around the world. This platform provides all the features of a hospital at a click of a button. More than 350+ renowned doctors from various medical fields with years of medical practice experience are associated with the platform. This platform generates revenue through commissions, offering subscriptions and various other services like health packages, diet programs, etc.

SteadyMD

SteadyMD connects patients with primary care physicians via video calls, secure messaging, etc. This online medical service provider earns revenue through multiple streams such as subscription fees and others. Its primary revenue stream includes different variations. For instance, they offer separate medical plans for single patients and family members. A one-hour welcome video call is generally scheduled between the patient and the doctor. The purpose of the call is to enable the patient to share his health history with the doctor.

Nexia Wellness

Nexia Wellness is a popular online doctor consultation platform developed by Yo!Coach. This is an online therapy platform that connects individuals with certified health and wellness practitioners They aim to provide an easy and accessible way for users to avail of wellness services such as counseling, fitness coaching, nutrition coaching, therapy, and more. People can search and find a variety of healthcare professionals on the platform. By making online payments they can book their appointments and start their healing journey.

This platform allows flexible communication through video consultation and chat support. Additionally, Nexia Wellness is a highly secured and encrypted platform to protect users’ information and ensure privacy.

Doctor On Demand

Doctor On Demand is a fast and easy way to see a doctor, nurse, practitioner, therapist, or psychiatrist online on your desktop or mobile device. Their licensed doctors have an average of 15+ years of experience. This platform offers services 24/7 and connects doctors with patients in minutes. Unlike other online doctor consultation service providers, Doctor On Demand has no subscription model. There is a flat-rate for those who seek consultation. 

Coupon code management, patient management, etc are some of the features offered by this platform. Doctor On Demand also accepts insurance coverage from a few.

iCliniq

iCliniq covers 80+ specialties ranging from obstetrics, and gynecology to psychiatry, and dermatology. It is a medical second opinion platform where users can get medical advice from certified doctors. Their doctor panel consists of medical practitioners from US, UK, Germany, Singapore, and more. To ensure the highest quality for the patients on the platforms, they verify online doctors’ licenses, qualifications, and experience before listing them on the platform. 

iCliniq generates revenue by charging patients for each consultation. The cost of consultation varies depending on the time for the video consultation, the starting price for a 15-minute video consultation is $79. 

Zocdoc

Zocdoc is an online doctor consultation platform that allows patients to find and book appointments with doctors based on their location, specialty, and insurance plan. After selecting a doctor, patients can view their availability in the calendar and can book an appointment by paying a fee. Patients can make informed choices with verified profiles, reviews, and ratings and can stay on top of important check-ups and appointments with custom reminders. 

The platform earns money from both a listing fee and a booking fee from healthcare providers. The fee is charged in the form of monthly and annual subscriptions.

Therapy Panda 

Launched by Yo!Coach, Therapy Panda is a global platform that connects people with qualified and experienced therapists, psychologists, and counselors. Those seeking therapy can search for the therapist around their personal preference such as price, specialty, therapy approach, availability, nationality, gender, age, rating, and more. Before making a booking, they can even watch videos of therapists to get a better understanding of what to expect from the therapist in the session.

Additionally, this platform is multi-lingual and offers multi-currency features to serve global clientele around the world. Therapy Panda is highly secure for online therapy as it is both HIPAA and GDPR-compliant.

After exploring the key players in the online doctor consultation industry, let’s gain insights on the business and revenue model of an online doctor consultation platform.

Business Model of an Online Doctor Consultation Platform

In an online doctor consultation business model, there are three different types of users. The three types of users are – Platform owner or admin, doctor, and patient.

Platform owner or admin

The admin manages all the operations of an online doctor consultation business. As the owner, he has to take care of everything associated with the platform, including marketing and customer care.

Patient

A patient can schedule an online appointment with a doctor. The conversation can happen over video or text.

Doctor

A separate dashboard is provided for doctors which can be accessed once the doctor successfully completes the sign-up process. A doctor also has management tools to keep track of patients.

The general operational flow is elaborated in the business model diagram below:

Revenue Model of an Online Doctor Consultation Platform

An online doctor consultation platform can generate revenue through multiple sources. Here are some of the popular revenue streams:

Commission

The admin can earn commission behind each appointment scheduled with a doctor. The online payment can come directly to the admin, who can then deduct the commission and send the rest to the doctor. One should consider the payment gateway charges as well before finalizing the commission.

Subscription

Patients can pay a monthly or annual subscription fee to access the platform and connect with the best doctors around the world. 

Partnership Program

The platform can generate revenue by partnering with other healthcare providers (dieticians, nutritionists, etc.) and insurance companies by providing them the opportunity to offer their services through your platform. 

Sponsored Placement

Healthcare professionals can list themselves on different web pages such as the homepage, search listing, and more on your platform. Using this feature, the admin can charge a fee based on time duration and the number of clicks.

Advertisement

The platform can generate revenue by displaying ads to users. In this method, specific space is allocated to different web pages for advertisers. To calculate the advertisement fee, pay per click method can be implemented in your online doctor consultation platform.

The revenue streams should be aligned with your platform’s value proposition, and business goals while ensuring sustainable growth and revenue over time. 

Essential Features of an Online Doctor Consultation Platform

Doctors Detail Page

The details page includes essential information about the doctor. This may include a video introduction, medical qualification, experience in years, language spoken by the doctor, area of expertise, availability, ratings, and review, consultation fee, direct message capability, and more.

Booking and Checkout

Booking and checkout are essential components of an online doctor consultation platform. The booking process should be simple with clear instructions and prompts for patients to follow. Patients should easily be able to cancel or reschedule their appointments. Additionally, the refund and cancellation policy should also be clearly communicated to the patients on the platform. 

Consultation Tools

For an online appointment to be successful, consultation tools play an important role. These tools improve communication between doctors and patients. Relevant tools that enhance the user experience for patients include file sharing, collaborative documents, text chat, text pad, screen sharing, screen recording, etc. 

Matching Filters

Matching filters could be a powerful tool for an online doctor consultation platform to effortlessly match patients and doctors on the platform. This filter allows patients to easily match with doctors based on their specific needs, such as doctors who are specialists in a particular field, speak a specific language, or are of a particular gender.

This efficient and quick matching of doctor and patient can save a lot of time and effort patients will invest in finding a suitable doctor. On the other hand, doctors with specific specializations can easily be found by patients eventually increasing their visibility and attracting more patients. 

Calendar Availability and Scheduling

This feature helps doctors manage their online availability and schedule more efficiently. With a calendar, doctors are able to specify at what time of the day they are available for consultation. Patients can book appointments with doctors as per their availability. This also helps reduce waiting time for patients, hence, improving overall patient satisfaction. 

Reviews and Rating

Reviews and rating helps in building credibility and trust among patients. Patients can provide valuable feedback to doctors based on their experience. Ratings also help patients in making informed decisions regarding their healthcare and whether to choose a particular doctor or not. Doctors should also have the option to respond to reviews, whether to thank patients for positive feedback or to address concerns raised in the negative feedback.

Multiple Payment Options

It is very crucial to smoothen the transaction process for global users on your platform. It is recommended to provide multiple payment options like eWallets, net banking, credit /debit card, etc. for quick transactions on your platform. In addition to that, consider integrating globally popular payment APIs like Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, etc. 

Multi-Lingual

In order to reach global users, an online doctor consultation platform must be available in multiple languages. This offers convenience and ease to users while using your platform and breaks the language barrier. 

Session Notes

Session notes play an important role in online doctor consultation, as they help doctors document everything from patients’ online visits accurately, including patients’ symptoms, treatment plans, and follow-up instructions. These notes also help doctors communicate with other healthcare professionals more efficiently by providing a comprehensive record of the patient’s condition. Session notes should be securely stored on the platform in order to ensure the patient’s confidentiality and privacy. 

E-Sign

Completing the admission process by using electronic signatures can streamline the process of documentation for both patients and healthcare providers while maintaining privacy and security. E-sign makes it easier and faster for healthcare professionals to share critical information and obtain consent. By using e-signs, physicians can quickly sign and share prescriptions with patients. 

Video Chat

Video chat enables face-to-face communication, thus, allowing doctors to assess the physical condition of patients more accurately. This feature lets doctors make the correct diagnosis of the problem and eventually provide immediate feedback, advice, treatment recommendations, and prescriptions. Online platforms must ensure end-to-end encryption and no audio or videos are sent or stored on the server. 

Security and Privacy

Offering high security and privacy is very important for an online doctor consultation platform. The platform should be secure and encrypted so that patient’s confidentiality is not compromised. The platform must have inbuilt features to ensure end-to-end encryption, and no accidental leak of patient’s information. Online doctor consultation platforms must be HIPPA and GDPR-compliant in order to offer maximum security to users on the platform.

Other Recommended Features for an Online Doctor Consultation Platform

Free Consultation Offer

Initially, it might be challenging for an online doctor consultation business to win the trust of users. To earn the trust and give a glimpse of the service to users, a free consultation can be offered. For example – if a user comes to a doctor consultation platform for the first time, he can be provided 30 minutes of free consultation.

Gift Cards and Offers

Users can give a gift card to someone who needs a consultation with a doctor regarding any health issue. For marketing, this may work well as people will bring other members of family or friends to the portal. Thus, increasing the overall user base. Additionally, lucrative offers can be shared with existing and new customers for promoting your platform. 

Conclusion

An entrepreneur needs to invest time and effort to understand the pain points addressed by an online doctor consultation platform. Once understood, entrepreneurs can start building their own doctor consultation platform. Building such a platform requires careful planning and execution, hence, to enable entrepreneurs to make an informed decision, this blog touched on important areas of an online doctor consultation business.

The post How to Build a Doctor Consultation Platform – Key Features & Business Model appeared first on FATbit Blog.

With the ease of accessibility and convenience, healthcare mobile apps are helping people lead healthy lives. By leveraging healthcare apps on iOS and Android devices, patients can now stay in touch with their healthcare service provider 24×7.

As people continue to follow healthcare mobile app trends, it has significantly eased the burden on the hospitals, improved patient monitoring, and provided better ways to connect with doctors. The mobile healthcare market, as a result, has prospered over the years.

To illustrate the importance of digital technology in healthcare, let’s look at the ten key healthcare mobile app trends in 2020.

Patient-Generated Health Data (PGHD)

As the name suggests, PGHD is a health-related data characterizing the history of a patient, including details of disease (if any) and recovery. The abundant data is what mobile app users themselves create or record almost unknowingly. It is a healthcare mobile app trend that offers a comprehensive picture of patients’ health, filling gaps in information.

PGHD mainly includes symptoms of the disease, treatment history (with health details), details on the healing process, biometric data, lifestyle, habits, and more. A careful analysis of this data can significantly reduce patients’ visits to a clinic.

Wearable Devices

Smart wearable devices offer constant monitoring of health at all times. For instance, Fitbit, with its impressive line-up of smartwatches and wireless-enabled wearable devices, measure personal metrics (like steps walked, quality of sleep, heart rate, and more) with ease. Wearable devices in North America are projected to reach 439 million connections closely followed by the Asia Pacific region in 2022.

From breathing, chest movement to heart rate, wearable devices have various sensors to track and monitor these health parameters. This makes them an attractive proportion of healthcare mobile app development.

Telemedicine and Telehealth Apps

With a 120% growth rate, Telemedicine is among the fastest-growing segments in healthcare IT. Estimated to reach $113 billion by 2025, Telemedicine is a current healthcare mobile app trend. As the name suggests, Telemedicine involves the use of technology to exchange medical information. It is convenient, cost-effective, and offers better access to reliable doctors reducing absenteeism.

Telehealth apps like “doctor on demand” or “HealthTap” provide video calls with board-certified doctors right away or by appointment to patients. Based on the diagnosis, the doctor will send you a digital prescription as well. Healthcare apps like these have been quite popular among patients as the majority of people prefer to schedule a video call over clinic visits.

Communication Channels

With an effective communication process, the chances of treatment success also improve. There are several communication channels like instant messaging, real-time video calls, emergency calls (SOS signal), and more. Lately, speech recognition has become the communication channel that is forecasted to dominate the digital healthcare industry. By leveraging these effective communication channels in a mobile app, businesses offer real-time support to patients.

As quality user feedback becomes crucial, medical application experts cite improvement in communication channels – a new trend in the healthcare industry.

Geolocation

Geolocation is one of the main features in healthcare mobile applications and here’s why:

• Geolocation allows a patient to locate the address of nearby hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and more
• In case a person gets injured at an unknown location, the feature helps him/her make an emergency call
• Provide medical news and information regarding emergencies (such as areas of the hotspot during the COVID-19 pandemic), and more

The active use of geolocation in healthcare mobile apps is crucial during this pandemic as it can help fight against the spread of the virus. For instance, the Government of India recently launched Aarogya Setu – a mobile app that uses geolocation and Bluetooth data to alert users if there’s a COVID-19 patient nearby.

Similar approaches from the Singapore Government and MIT with TraceTogether and Private Kit: Safe Paths app highlights the active use of geolocation – a healthcare mobile app trend in 2020. To develop an app for contact tracing in your area, check out our practical guide on healthcare mobile app development.

Contact Tracing

To contain the emerging cluster of coronavirus infections and restore normalcy, experts around the world suggest the use of contact tracing technology. When combined with a mobile application, contact-tracing allows silent tracking of individuals and notifies the user if any of their contacts have been tested COVID-19 positive.

For instance, the Government of India recently launched Aarogya Setu – a mobile app that uses geolocation and Bluetooth data to alert users if there’s a COVID-19 patient nearby. Similar approaches from the Singapore Government and MIT with TraceTogether and Private Kit: Safe Paths app highlights the active use of contact-tracing – a healthcare mobile app trend in 2020. To develop an app for contact tracing in your area, check out our practical guide on healthcare mobile app development.

Data Protection

The biggest challenge for healthcare mobile apps is the protection of sensitive patient data from unauthorized access. As patients and health care workers continuously use mHealth apps to collect and share health-related information, special attention must be given to mobile data security. With popular mHealth apps like HealthTap or Doctor On Demand being HIPAA compliant, patient’s data is restricted from unauthorized access. Moreover, as new technologies emerge, data protection is bound to improve emerging as a new trend in healthcare app development.

mHealth Payment Services

Arranging cash and making the payment during a medical emergency is no longer an issue. With the widespread adoption of mobile payments, transaction processing has been enabling easier access to healthcare services, especially during emergency situations.

Brands like Instamed and Cedar Pay are offering secure and hassle-free mobile payment solutions to the patients by partnering with healthcare service providers. There are several payment methods like mobile wallets, Near Field Communication (NFC), payment portals, and more that can be integrated into a healthcare mobile app.

Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT is widely used in healthcare systems to collect the necessary information from connected devices and transfer it to the healthcare service provider. Here, the connected devices mostly include fitness trackers in wearable devices allowing physicians to easily monitor the vitals of a patient.

It can alert the service provider if something happens to the patient or crosses the threshold value. A recent study revealed the use of the Apple Watch app to monitor and assess patients with depression. It demonstrates how IoT helps in dealing with depression and provides insight into a patient’s conditions.

Cloud-based solutions

Integrating Electronic medical records (EMR) and Electronic health records (EHR) with cloud-based solutions allow easier access to patient records, medical bills, insurance plans, and more. Cloud-based solutions make healthcare mobile app services more accessible. With cloud-based infrastructure, the healthcare service provider delivers better data security at a lower cost.

Conclusion

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of healthcare mobile app is increasing exponentially. It eases the burden on healthcare workers by connecting patients with doctors online and even offers contact tracing to prevent the spread of the virus.

With the Apple-Google partnership on COVID-19 contact tracing technology, efforts are made to offer a comprehensive solution. At FATbit Technologies, we strive to deliver healthcare mobile applications for healthcare businesses while implementing the latest trends to ease the burden on hospitals and patients. For a complete guide on healthcare mobile app development, click here.

The post Top 10 Healthcare Mobile App Development Trends in 2020 appeared first on FATbit Blog.

Technology has dramatically changed so many aspects of our lives and consultation is no exception. According to a report, 74% of millennials prefer teleconsultations over in-person appointments. Nowadays, consultants and clients prefer online interaction over traditional face-to-face meetings, resulting in rapid growth in the demand for online consultation platforms. 

This shift presents a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in starting their own online consultation business. However, before starting your online consultation business, it is important to select a business niche. Choosing the right niche can make or break the success of your business. It’s not just about considering the latest trends but also about finding the profitable consultant niche that aligns with your passion, business goal, and target market demand. 

Therefore, in this blog, we share the top niches to start an online consultation business that are profitable and have a bright future in terms of growth. 

Online Consultation Business Ideas

Determining the niche is crucial for a successful online consultation business. This helps you establish a loyal audience and create a more focused business. Starting a business catering to a specific niche also builds credibility and dominates a specific sector of the market. Therefore, it is important to gain an understanding of the popular niches present within the online consultation industry. Let’s dive in. 

Health & Wellness Consultation 

With the penetration of technology in the healthcare industry, online consultation is becoming popular among individuals. As per the reports, the health and wellness market is expected to grow to USD 4,332 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7% from 2022. Moreover, health and wellness consultation platforms are extremely helpful for patients who are unable to visit doctors physically.  The demand for virtual health and wellness consultations is on the rise, entrepreneurs can take advantage of this opportunity. 

Key Market Players: eGlobalDoctors, Nexia Wellness, Doctor on Demand, Zocdoc

Fitness Consultation

Individuals are becoming more interested in improving their physical fitness. However, due to busy schedules, they are seeking online fitness consultation platforms. Moreover, according to Allied Market Research, the global online fitness market was valued at $14.9 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $250.7 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 32.7% in the forecast period 2023-2032. The growth opportunities are tremendous for entrepreneurs with an inclination toward the online fitness industry. 

Key Market Players: Mindbody, Fitness On Demand, Wellbeats, ClassPass

Career Consultation 

In recent years, the career consultation market has grown significantly. The growth is driven by the intense competition among job seekers, and the need for assistance in making appropriate career choices. Additionally, the global career counseling market size was valued at $2.12 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $4.65 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.17% from 2021 to 2030. This presents a lucrative business opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Key Market Players:  The Muse, BetterUp, Mentorcruise

Astrology Consultation

Astrology is seen as a way to get rid of hardships people are suffering from in life. They use it as a tool for encouragement and to navigate concerns about their health, wealth, and more. According to reports, the global astrology consultation app market size is expected to grow 10 times in the upcoming years, going from $2 billion in 2021 to almost $20 billion in 2031. This presents a profitable opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to enter the online astrology market. 

Key Market Players: Nebula, Horoscope.com, Astrology Hub.

Legal Consultation

In this digital age, individuals are looking for convenient and efficient ways to seek legal advice without the need to physically visit the law office. Considering the trend, online legal consultation platforms are gaining popularity. The online legal consultation industry is expected to reach $13.4 billion in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% over the past five years. By launching an online legal consultation marketplace entrepreneurs can bridge the gap between lawyers and individuals seeking online legal consultation. 

Key Market Players: The Legal Room, The Law Room, LegalKart

Financial Consultation

A financial adviser helps individuals better manage their finances and money matters. People find it essential to review their investment choices and are looking for an online financial consultation. The global financial advisory services market has generated a revenue of USD 105 billion, growing at a CAGR of 6% for the forecast period (2024-2029). By creating a platform that can connect financial advisors, and wealth managers, with those seeking financial advice you can cater to the shortcoming in the online financial consultation industry. 

Key Market Players: Stash Wealth, GWA, Fintuity

Dating Consultation

In today’s dating scenario, individuals find it difficult to develop lasting relationships and need assistance in navigating through their dating life. An online consultation platform where dating coaches can provide insights on how to deal with relationship problems is high in demand. According to a survey, 70% of Gen Z feel overwhelmed and stressed about their love life and this creates a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in the online dating consultation landscape.

Key Market Players: Match Up Coaching, Vance, BetterHelp, Relationship Hero

Business Consultation

According to the reports, 9 out of 10 startups fail in their initial stage and entrepreneurs look for quick resolution from experts. Hence, increasing the demand for online business consultation platforms. Moreover, according to the statistics, the global business management consulting market size is anticipated to reach $2.8 billion by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 6.24%. Startup owners as well as established entrepreneurs seek expert advice to start and grow their business. 

Key Market Players: Cansulta, CorpNet, Business Consulting Agency

Revenues Channels in Online Consultation Business

Now that you have gained an understanding of different niches popular in the online consultation industry, next, deciding on a robust monetization strategy is essential for the sustainable growth of your online consultation business. Following are some of the recommended revenue streams for a successful online consultation business. 

Commissions: The platform owner charges a commission from the consultants’ fee.

Premium Listing: A fee is charged by the platform owner for featuring consultants on the platform. 

Subscriptions: A monthly or yearly subscription fee is charged to users for using the platform and its services.  

Advertisements: An advertisement fee is charged for showcasing banner ads on the platform. 

How Yo!Coach Can Help To Launch Your Online Consultation Business?

Yo!Coach is a popular software solution that can help you launch your online consultation business hassle-free. This software offers online consultation-specific features that make launching and running your online consultation business seamless. Moreover, Yo!Coach team offers free technical support for a year. 

Benefits offered by Yo!Coach include: 

• Lifetime ownership
• White-label
• Fully customizable
• GDPR compliant
• Source code availability
• Personalized free demo
• Global clientele
• Years of industry experience
• No recurring charge
• Pre-integrated with 10+ APIs
• Less time to market

Following are the key features offered by Yo!Coach:

• Intuitive and user-friendly UX/UI
• Collaborative tools like video conferencing, text chat, screen sharing, and recording
• Virtual whiteboard and document sharing
• Appointment scheduling and booking 
• Multilingual functionality 
• Multiple payment options 
• Ratings and reviews 
• Analytics and reports
• Robust admin features
• Marketing features
• User management
• Course management

Explore the demos to gain an in-depth understanding of the advanced capabilities and features of Yo!Coach.

• Front-End
• Admin Demo
• Consultant Demo
• Client Demo

A Versatile Software For Your Diverse Niche Requirements 

Yo!Coach offers versatile capabilities that can support multiple niches popular within the online consultation industry. In fact, this software is capable of supporting any unique business idea based on any niche or business model. In the last few years, Yo!Coach has successfully catered to the following business niches– Legal Consultation, Business Consultation, Career Consultation, Fitness Consultation, Dating Consultation, Health and Wellness Consultation, and many more. 

Online Consultation Platforms Built with Yo!Coach

Yo!Coach has helped several entrepreneurs enter the online consultation industry with feature-packed online consultation platforms. The team has successfully delivered more than 1000 projects globally. Let’s take a look at their client base in the online consultation industry. 

The Legal Room– A successful online legal consultation platform based in the UAE is effortlessly connecting legal experts with their prospective clients. 

The Story Ink– This unique online consultation platform for filmmaking caters to the creative needs of the entertainment industry. This platform bridges the gap between industry experts and aspiring artists looking for guidance to kick-start their career journey in the Indian film industry. 

Nexia Wellness– It is a virtual health and wellness consultation platform powered by Yo!Coach. Based in the US this online consultation platform is successfully connecting medical health practitioners with patients across the country. 

Therapy Panda– Therapy Panda is a virtual consultation platform for people seeking help to deal with mental health issues. This UK-based platform connects psychologists, therapists, counselors, and community listeners with clients. 

Explore the diverse client base of Yo!Coach

Conclusion 

The online consultation industry is growing tremendously and offers profitable opportunities for entrepreneurs interested in this domain. However, before starting with the development of your online consultation platform, it is important to decide on your business niche. We have provided all the necessary information regarding the popularity of each niche in the online consultation industry. Moreover, consider your business goals, future aspirations, and niche growth rate, before making the final decision.

The post Best Niches to Start an Online Consultation Business appeared first on FATbit Blog.

The world has witnessed a digital revolution in the past few years where every sector including education has undergone significant advancements. Further, human reliance on technology has led to the advent of e-learning portals. According to Forbes, the worldwide eLearning market is projected to be worth $325 Billion by 2025. That said, in this post, we discuss traditional and non-traditional learning methods and why eLearning platforms are gaining popularity. 

What is Online Learning?

Often referred to as eLearning or remote learning, online learning is an umbrella term for learning that takes place over the internet and not in a traditional classroom setting. Students interact with teachers in real-time using digital tools, attend online classes or study online courses. Moreover, by using online learning platforms, students can go through the curriculum at their own pace without having to go to any place.  

What is Traditional Learning?

Traditional learning or brick and mortar learning refers to conventional form of learning where students attend classes in physical classrooms on campus. It is a more teacher-centered learning as the emphasis is on direct instruction and learning for students. Both students and teachers need to be physically present in the classroom for this type of interactive learning. Furthermore, it involves strict classroom timings, fixed schedules, set curriculum and daily attendance.

Online Learning Vs Traditional Learning

The primary difference between traditional and online learning is the setup. Traditional learning takes place in a physical classroom environment whereas online learning takes place in a virtual environment. The only prerequisite for online learning is a stable connection to the internet and a device to connect to it, whereas for traditional learning, infrastructure is needed. Additionally, online learning is more convenient and cost-effective as learners do not have to travel. 

Why Students Prefer eLearning over Traditional Learning?

The Convenience Factor

As mentioned above, convenience is one of the most important factors that make online learning preferable for students. Online courses are completely flexible with respect to time and space for students. Students can schedule lectures on e-learning portals according to their availability. They may decide to devote 2 hours a day or 20 hours a week depending upon their learning pace and availability. Also, it does not require them to be at a specific place, all thanks to the distance learning solutions. All they need is an internet connection and their device, and they are all set to take online lectures.

Students Learn at Their Own Pace

According to a study by IBM, students learn 5x more material through online courses than they would learn in traditional classrooms. Since every student has a different learning pace, digital learning allows them to take as much time as they want on any particular topic without feeling discouraged.

Better Engagement with the Tutor

This has been observed that students get to interact with their tutor or teacher better through online courses. E-learning programs provide more time and space for students to talk with the teacher. Students who feel uncomfortable interacting in front of others can easily share their course-related problems through messaging or any other digital means. The Research Institute of America states that eLearning increases retention rates from 25% to 60% while retention rates of face-to-face training are very low in comparison: 8% to 10%.

Personalized Learning Experience

In a traditional classroom, approximately 30-40 students learn together and a teacher attends to the whole class. The teacher, in this case, might not be able to attend every individual student and address specific student needs. E-learning platforms leverage technology and individualized teaching models to provide personalized learning experiences to students. Digital learning platforms are equipped with the necessary tools that enable students to connect with the teacher for a better learning experience.

What Makes Teachers/Professionals Choose Online Teaching?

Freedom

Traditional ways of education do not provide complete freedom of teaching. With limited classes and time-bound lectures, it makes it difficult for passionate teachers to give their best. Online platforms provide absolute access to teachers for designing and planning lectures. They get to tailor the courses and teaching hours as per their preference. It enables them to connect with students from all over the world.

Additional Source of Income

Who doesn’t like to earn from the comfort of their home? Of course every one of us. Online teaching has made it possible for professionals or teachers to teach from the comfort of their homes and generate an additional source of income through it. Some teachers even choose online teaching as a full-time career considering the growing interest of students in online learning. The pay can be quite lucrative, especially if you are experienced and good at it. Teachers can earn a good amount even if they teach for as little as three hours a day as fees charged is per student per lecture.

The Flexibility of Time & Space

What can be better than working on your own terms? Online teaching through remote learning platforms allows teachers to set their own schedules. They may record the lectures and upload them for students or deliver live lessons, time and place don’t pose an obstacle. Also, a scheduled lecture can be easily rescheduled in case there is some issue in delivering the lesson on the planned date and time.

Download our whitepaper to learn how e-learning impacts memory and recall.

Thinking of Launching an eLearning Platform? Here is What it Has in Store For the Admin

Starting an online learning platform can prove to be extremely beneficial for you taking into account the popularity that e-learning platforms are gaining. As digital learning platforms provide absolute ease of use for both teachers and students, it is widely preferred over traditional learning. You may be a teacher willing to expand your reach or a professional planning to launch an online learning marketplace as an additional business. No matter what your role is, starting a digital learning marketplace brings a lot of benefits.

The admin of the e-learning portal is the person who owns the marketplace and is in charge of managing every activity. Various professionals or teachers register on the portal by creating a profile that is verified and approved by the admin. The admin gets a portion of fees as a commission for every lecture or session delivered. As your learning portal starts gaining popularity among students and teachers, your profit percentage starts rising simultaneously.

You can also collaborate with various universities and help them implement online learning programs through your E-learning platform. This way you would be able to expand your business and enhance the ROI. Also, your online learning portal can help you contribute to society. You can start scholarship programs for economically weak students and help them achieve their dreams.

Cost to Set up An Online Learning Business

As discussed, the benefits of eLearning significantly outweigh those of classroom learning. Still, a few entrepreneurs can shy away thinking of the initial development costs. Whereas one might think that traditional learning is cost effective, but it has ongoing costs related to infrastructure, teacher salaries and so on. Online learning businesses on the other hand, cut down overall costs and hence increase profitability. Let us discuss the factors that influence the cost of setting up an eLearning website.

Factors Influencing the Cost of Building an eLearning website

eLearning websites can be different in terms of complexity and functionality. Hence, the biggest cost driving factor include:

• Complexity: This factor corresponds to the complexity of the platform, i.e. the features. The more customized platform you will build, the costlier and more development time it will take.
• Region Wise Development Rates: Depending on from where you choose your development team, i.e. offshore or nearshore can greatly affect the cost of development.  

So, an elearning platform can cost around $20,000 approximately. But with customizations, it can cost more.

Why Yo!Coach Makes the Best Fit To Launch Your Online Tutoring Platform?

Another way of building an elearning website is through ready-made software. Websites built with these software usually cost 3x times less than custom developed from scratch. 

Developed by FATbit Technologies, Yo!Coach is one such ready made software that is built with state-of-the-art technology. It is a fully customizable and cost-effective solution that enables one-to-one tutoring along with group sessions. The software is designed around a brilliant information structure that renders a stunning user-interface. Furthermore, Yo!Coach encapsulates rich features that make it the perfect software solution to launch an online tutoring and consultation marketplace.

Key Features of Yo!Coach

Payment Gateway

The e-learning marketplace solution has in-built multi-currency processing payment gateways that make the transactions smooth and easy. PayPal and Authorize.Net are two of the integrated payment gateways that enable hassle-free transactions.

Advanced Dashboard

Yo!Coach comes with an advanced and easy to operate dashboard that makes it convenient for the admin and other sets of users to perform various functions. Admin can monitor various activities occurring on the e-learning portal like new sign-ups, profile updates, scheduled sessions and payment through the dashboard.

Engaging UX/UI

The e-learning platform is built with the latest front-end technologies and designed around brilliant information architecture that renders a stunning user-interface and fluid user-flow. The UX/UI is precisely and aesthetically designed to create exceptional experiences for all sets of users and provide top-notch performance.

Multi-Currency Support

One of the most enticing features of Yo!Coach is the multi-currency support. With its multi-currency feature, it enables you to trade all across the world and expand your business without any hurdles. The users can select their regional currency and the course prices get displayed to them in the selected currency. The final payment at the gateway gets converted and accepted in USD. The admin manages the exchange rates of currency.

Video Chat Option

In addition to multiple functional tools like white-board, TextPad, and Chatbox, Yo!Coach enables one-on-one video chat option to provide personalized learning or consultation experience.

Conclusion

The success of online learning websites like Verbling and Live Music Tutor demonstrate the growing market demands and market shift towards e-learning. The shift of students and teachers towards digital education has led to the success of online learning portals making it one of the most profitable online businesses and hence there is no dispute in the fact that online learning has become an essential part of the education industry. It takes a thoughtfully designed platform like Yo!Coach to turn your business vision of building successful online tutoring and learning marketplace into reality.

The post Why Online Learning Platforms are Gaining Popularity Over Traditional Learning appeared first on FATbit Blog.

The online food delivery platform provides customers with the choice and convenience of getting food with a few taps on their mobile phones. Earlier too, restaurants used to deliver food, but the process has undergone a rapid change in the past few years. Online food delivery platforms enable restaurants to make the most of both digital and traditional marketing mediums.

Food delivery apps allow customers to browse their favorite restaurants and food with ease. According to Statista, the revenue of the online food delivery industry is expected to show a CAGR of 12.33%, resulting in a market volume of U.S dollars 1.45 trillion by 2027.

Grubhub, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats are a few examples of these online food delivery apps that promise to deliver healthy & delicious meals right to your doorsteps. It’s no surprise that this business model has quickly become popular. FATbit Technologies conducted an in-depth analysis of various mobile apps and platforms that are popular in the online food delivery business.

Entrepreneurs looking to launch an online food ordering and delivery business can choose an existing platform like Yo!Yumm or can hire developers to build a Custom App & Platform for them. But before deep diving into the know-how of this industry, entrepreneurs must know why they need to create a food delivery app for their food delivery business.

Why Create a Food Delivery App & Platform?

The popularity of food delivery apps is increasing as they conveniently connect consumers and restaurants with each other. There are numerous advantages to integrating a food delivery app into your online food delivery business. Let’s explore the reasons, why you should definitely consider creating a food delivery app. The food delivery services market size is growing exponentially at a CAGR of 13.4% generating an estimated revenue of USD 90.3 billion by 2030. Moreover, the number of users on the food delivery app solution is expected to reach 2.7 billion by 2029 with the user penetration reaching 30.6% in 2025.

This is eventually creating a huge demand for food delivery apps. Hence, it has become a necessity for entrepreneurs to invest in a food delivery app in order to survive in the industry.

1. Reduced Operational Costs

Opting to build a food delivery app is an ideal solution for the seamless management of operations eventually cutting down operational costs. When you choose to invest in a food delivery app, you can avail of some of the intuitive features that can help you bring down your operational costs by providing

• Real-time tracking
• Live order status to customers
• Automated management for delivery persons
• Multi Payment options
• Advanced analytics dashboard and reports for quick analysis

All these functionalities can be performed with a single click and need no human assistance, hence, reducing errors and operational costs.

2. Reach a Wider Customer Base

As per reports, there are over 3 billion people worldwide who used online food delivery apps in 2024. The numbers illustrate the fact that people are finding it more convenient to order food online and are inclined towards this trend. By creating a food delivery app entrepreneurs can efficiently cater to a larger customer base, eventually increasing their revenue.

• As the number of mobile phone users is increasing, the popularity of ordering food online conveniently has also significantly increased. 
• An in-depth assessment revealed that an average person has two food delivery apps and uses them a minimum of three times per month.

All the factors mentioned above show that creating an online food delivery app is a necessity for food entrepreneurs. Therefore, further, in this article, we provide you the information on how you can create your own food delivery app, along with its workflow, revenue models, and must-have features. Before that, the next section acquaints a new business owner with top market competitors for quick market insight.

Top Players in the Food Delivery Industry

The food delivery industry has widely transformed with the changing lifestyles, and capitalizing on this booming industry presents a remunerative business opportunity. An aspiring entrepreneur interested to create a food delivery app should conduct thorough market research on their competitors before entering the business. Given below is a detailed analysis of the food delivery app giants aimed at assisting these new businessmen in making research-driven decisions.

1. DoorDash

DoorDash is known for having one of the largest market shares in the United States. It is a popular food delivery app founded in the year 2024 in California, USA. With a market share of 67% in the US, DoorDash has produced over USD 8.63 billion in 2023 as market revenue. Moreover, the app has registered over 550,000 restaurants for its user base all around America.

2. Food Panda

Food Panda is one of the major players in the food delivery market. It is a subsidiary of Delivery Hero and was founded in Singapore in 2014. The platform has expanded its services in more than 11 Asian markets, working with 115,000 restaurants and 80,000 riders. Food Panda has managed to generate revenue of around 3.8 billion in Thailand and has acquired 65% of the market size in Bangladesh alone.

3. Uber Eats:

Uber Eats is one of the top food delivery apps recognized globally for its online food delivery services. The delivery app was founded in the year 2014 and has secured over 85 million in the industry ever since. Today, Uber Eats is successfully delivering food and comfort to 45 countries and 11000 cities generating annual revenue of USD 12.1 billion in 2023.

These were the market competitors, a new businessman can cater to the pain points encountered by customers on these food delivery apps to launch a successful business. Next covered is the workflow on these platforms that will acquaint the platform owner with the business model of a food delivery app solution.

How Online Food Delivery Apps or Platforms Work

The workflow of an online food delivery app can be explained by categorizing the working of four main stakeholders: admin, restaurant owners or merchants, delivery agents, and customers.

The Admin

The admin has complete ownership of the platform. Using the admin panel dashboard, the admin can easily manage the UI of the food delivery platform and keep track of various activities like placed orders, deliveries, newly registered users, and customer reviews.

Restaurant Owners or Merchants

The merchants register on the platform and add information about their restaurants and offerings. The merchants can either register as a single restaurant or multiple restaurants depending upon the subscription package selected by them. Using the merchant dashboard, restaurant owners can manage and customize menus, accept or reject orders, create offers and discounts for customers, and keep track of their sales and profit.

Delivery Staff

The delivery agents can register on the food delivery platform by creating their accounts on the mobile app. Once the order is accepted, it is broadcasted to the delivery agents present near the restaurant location on the delivery staff app. The delivery agents can accept or reject the order as per their availability.

If the order is not accepted by any delivery agent, the admin then reserves the right to assign the delivery to any delivery partner.

Customers

Customers can either create their accounts on the food delivery platform or place orders as guest users using the food delivery app. The customers can choose to place an order from the number of restaurants delivering to their location. Once the customers select the food items to be ordered, they can place their orders with a few clicks on their mobile phones.

After placing the order, the customers select one of the many payment options available to make payment. The payment is directly transferred to the admin’s account which is later credited to the merchant’s wallet after deducting the commission amount. Customers can track their orders and delivery. Once the order is delivered and marked completed, the customers can give their reviews and ratings for the restaurant.

Revenue Channels For Online Food Delivery Platforms

One of the most important factors to consider before starting an online food delivery business is the possible revenue streams. As an entrepreneur, you must set up efficient revenue channels in your food delivery system.

The four major ways of revenue generation for the admin of the food delivery platform can be:

1. Commission From  Restaurants

The admin sets a specified percentage of commission on every order placed through the platform. The payment made by the customer is received by the admin. The admin credits the amount to the restaurant’s wallet after deducting the commission.

2. On-site Restaurant Promotions

The admin can charge additional fees from registered merchants who wish to run on-site advertisements/promotions on the platform for their restaurant promotion.

3. Subscription model for the merchants

The admin may set up various subscription packages (individual & corporate) for merchants to register their restaurants on the platform. When a merchant creates an account on the food delivery platform, he/she can choose the subscription package as per his requirement.

If the merchant wants to register a single restaurant on the portal, he can select the individual package whereas to register multiple restaurants, the merchant can subscribe to the corporate package. To subscribe to these packages, merchants would pay pre-decided fees to the admin.

4. Third-Party Advertisements

Another effective way for the admin to generate revenue from the food ordering and delivery app is to run third-party advertisements on the platform and mobile app. The admin can charge from the third party for displaying their ads on the food delivery platform.

5. Delivery Fee

The admin can also generate additional revenue from the orders whose delivery is managed by him/her. The platform owner can charge the delivery fee from the customers. The amount charged as the delivery fee is decided by the admin, therefore, he/she can charge an added fee to generate revenue from it.

Essential Food Delivery App Features 

To drive exponential business growth and provide exceptional user experience, a delivery platform must be equipped with trending food delivery app features. Below mentioned are some of the features of a food delivery app categorized on the user types.

Admin

1. Registration and Managing Profile: The admin should easily be able to register and manage restaurants, customers, and delivery staff on their platform. A dedicated dashboard can help in achieving this goal. 

2. Offers/Deals Management: This feature is very important to stay connected with your customers and also improves engagement rate. You can notify your customers about loyalty programs, offers, deals, discounts, etc. 

3. Geo-Fencing: Geo-fencing allows the admin to define the area they want to serve. If they are serving in a specific area, they can review the demographics of that local population and can customize and promote their services accordingly.

4. Restaurant Management: The admin has to manage multiple restaurants listed on the food delivery platform. With this feature, the admin can seamlessly add or remove restaurants. 

Restaurants

1. Loyalty Program for Customers: The restaurants can offer lucrative discounts, offers, and deals for the customers and can improve their user engagement and retention. It is a wonderful approach to earning revenue and bringing new customers to your platform

2. Order and Menu Management: With dedicated dashboards, restaurants can easily manage orders and can update their menus with just a click. It also streamlines all the operations for restaurants. 

3. Instant Updates and Alerts: This feature allows restaurants to instantly receive alerts and notifications regarding orders and other important information. 

4. Delivery Tracking: With real-time tracking, restaurants can easily track the delivery staff and the status of the order. 

Customers

1. Search Filter: The search filter helps customers in finding their preferred restaurants and dishes easily and quickly with specific keywords without having to navigate through the entire app.

2. Multi-Payment Options: Customers must be offered multiple payment options so that transaction is quick and easy. You may choose to incorporate popular payment APIs such as PayPal, Stripe, and other options like eWallets, internet banking, etc. In addition to that, it is very important to ensure that the payment procedure is secure. 

3. Real-Time Order Tracking: The order tracking feature updates the customers about the current location of their food and the estimated delivery time of their orders. 

4. Ratings and Reviews: This feature lets customers give their ratings and reviews for the food and restaurants they order from. Furthermore, this feedback can be efficiently implemented by business owners and restaurants to improve their services. 

Delivery Personnel

1. Easy Registration for Delivery Person: With an easy registration process, the delivery personnel can conveniently register themselves on the platform, customize their profile, and begin accepting and delivering orders. However, the verification can be completed by the admins. 

2. Order Management: This feature lets delivery personnel efficiently manage and check out their order requests. Delivery personnel can streamline multiple orders and manage them better. 

3. GPS Tracking and Route Optimization: With the help of this feature, delivery personnel can work more efficiently. They can deliver more orders in less time with route optimization. 

4. Status Update: The delivery person can provide information on whether an order is in progress, delayed, or completed and on the way to delivery. 

These are some of the important food delivery app features that must be integrated to build a food delivery app that promotes business growth with its user-friendly features and functionalities.

How To Create A Food Delivery App & Platform in 5 Easy Steps

Businesses are changing their approach and becoming increasingly mobile-driven. Due to the increasing rate of mobile usage by customers and ease of use, most companies have launched their mobile apps. These mobile apps allow customers to order from a wide array of restaurants on the go and track delivery.

With easy access, fast ordering, and secure online payments, online food ordering mobile apps offer many advantages and are definitely worth an investment. Follow these easy and comprehensive steps to develop your online food delivery app effortlessly.

Step 1: Conduct research & analyze your niche

The first step is to conduct research and analyze your market. You should thoroughly examine your competitors, determine their strengths and weaknesses, and learn from their mistakes. Along with a look into the potential competitors, identifying the pain points determined thoroughly by detailed user feedback is also crucial. This analysis presents emerging trends in the industry that can be catered to by developing a niche and a unique value proposition. All these measures assist a business owner in identifying your target audience when you decide to make a food delivery app. Also, this in-depth research would help you make an app that can cater to the demand of the market.

Step 2: Choose your business model

After you have researched your competitors and have a sufficient understanding of the market, the next step is to choose a reliable business model to build a food delivery app. It is very crucial to make a well-informed decision regarding your business model. Your business model should meet your business requirements and must help you in achieving your business goals. The food ordering and delivery industry can accommodate diverse business models such as order only, scheduled delivery, reservation booking, order and delivery business models, and more. Create a food delivery app that caters to the latest demand of the industry and makes remunerative returns for you.

Read this blog to gain more information on various business models for a food delivery business. 

Step 3: Finalize Your Revenue Streams

Once you have decided on a reliable business model, the next important step is to finalize your revenue streams. Profit-making is one of the essential factors for investing in any business venture. Therefore by choosing the right means for entering the industry a new businessman aspiring to build a food delivery app can leverage multiple revenue streams. Some to name are the commission model, subscription model, delivery fees, restaurant promotion, and more. These revenue models ensure a constant flow of income for the platform owner. Multiple revenue streams can help you generate financial gains, hence, you should know all potential sources of revenue for your platform.

Step 4: Select functions and functionality

The next step after finalizing your revenue streams is to select the platform’s functionality. Selecting the right set of features and functionality for your food delivery app will help you create an app that is user-intuitive, efficient, and easy to use. Choosing industry-specific functionalities to ensure an unmatched user experience shall help the platform owner retain customers on the food delivery app solution. Furthermore, the credibility of your platform can be amplified through the reviews and ratings feature on the platform. A feature-rich website will help you achieve your business requirements and meet the needs of your target market.

Step 5: Build Your Food Delivery App

The final step is to choose a development process to create a food delivery app. There are several solutions available in the market and each offers unique features and functionalities. Entrepreneurs can either go for custom development or can opt for a ready-made solution. To elaborate further on the two development methods.

• Custom Development: The custom development method involves a dedicated team of developers and designers who develop the platform from scratch. This approach is a time-consuming process that requires a huge financial investment. 
• Readymade Software Solution: A ready-made solution is pre-built with industry-specific features and therefore assists in the quick launch of your food delivery platform. It is quick, hassle-free, and cost-effective compared to custom development and aids businessmen in quickly entering this proliferating industry and leveraging its benefits. Yo!Yumm is one such cutting-edge turnkey software solution powered by FATbit Technologies that can support an entrepreneur to make a food delivery app for your online food delivery business. The software has an intuitive, user-friendly interface and all the essential features. Additionally, Yo!Yumm has also assisted its global clientele of young entrepreneurs to create a food delivery app. 

You can choose a solution depending on your business requirements and budget to build a food delivery app. These were the primary steps involved in entering the food delivery industry. Now, that you are informed about the essential features and steps it is ideal to cover the cost involved to create your own food delivery app.

How Much Does it Cost to Build the Food Delivery App and Platforms?

The cost involved in creating a food delivery app majorly depends on the developmental approach chosen by an aspiring entrepreneur. Along with that, the cost of building a food delivery app also depends on the feature requirements, design complexity, customization requirements, API integrations, and more.

The two developmental approaches as discussed in the previous section are- custom development and readymade software solutions.

• Custom Development Method: This approach involves higher financial investment than a readymade software solution as the platform is developed by a dedicated team of developers from scratch. It requires an investment of USD 15,000 to USD 200,000 Which is tenfold more than the price of turnkey software. Additionally, it also demands total dependency by the platform owner who has little to no technical knowledge. 
• Readymade Software Solution: A readymade software solution can be acquired at a reasonable price. These solutions are cost-effective and efficient for entering the food delivery industry and leveraging its benefits. It is a more suitable alternative to the custom-developed platform offering an affordable price bracket for a new business owner. 

Respectively, selecting a resonant developmental approach that is ideal for your business requirements is essential. A well-planned investment strategy is ideal for developing a sustainable as well as successful business model. Now, that you have a conception of the development cost it is the right time to delve into the promotion factor of your online food delivery platform.

Tips to Market The Food Delivery App Solution

After the launch of your food delivery app, a business must promote the platform for a higher return on investment. These tips if duly implemented can ideally deliver propelling results. So, a businessman investing in the industry should execute it to ensure business growth.

1. Promote on Social Media

The impact of social media is huge in the present times. A successful app promotion can be initiated through media platforms. A robust social media strategy to create a food delivery app solution drives proliferating business growth. Business owners must market the menu items, cuisines, and listed restaurants on their social media handles. Another way to promote the platform through social media and increase downloads is by running contests to interact with a large consumer base. DoorDash has used social media successfully, attracting several consumers to its food delivery platform.

2. Referral Programs

To successfully promote the platform referral programs are also a tested market strategy that employs current customers by incentivizing them in the form of discounts, reward points, coupons, and more to promote the platform to their references or acquaintances. This strategy creates a mutually advantageous system for the referring individual, the referred party as well as the restaurant to secure a new customer.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves referral sale generation by an external affiliate member. A newly launched online food delivery platform can benefit from affiliate marketing that enables members to earn revenue using links that are used by the referrals to register on the platform. It is a widely used marketing approach that helps in increasing the traffic on a website.

4. Discounts and Offers

Increase traffic on the website using in-app discounts and offers. Strategies such as free featured listings, lower service platform fees, delivery fees, commission rates, and more all help in increasing website traffic. A new business must introduce high discount rates and offers to its customers to retain and provide users with an unmatched platform experience.

These are a few measures to ensure a positive market response to a budding food delivery app solution. Marketing a new platform is an essential step towards a flourishing business. An increase in restaurant numbers leads to a rising user base ensuring extensive impact of these promoting tips.

Final Thoughts

In recent years, the food ordering market has grown rapidly. Rather than going to an eatery, people prefer to order food online. This has resulted in huge demand for online food delivery and the outcome is the rise of platforms like Grubhub, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats.

Although there are many startups that have launched in different markets, most of them are making decent progress. That’s because this niche relies on locality, which makes it easy for a new startup to generate income from an untapped area. If you want accelerated growth for your online food-delivering business, your solution should be equipped with exclusive functionalities and impressive features.

This would surely help you in capturing the bulk of the market share and driving exponential business growth.

FAQs

Q 1: How can I create a food delivery app in the USA?

Ans: There are majorly two ways to make a food delivery app. One is to build it from scratch with the help of a team of developers and designers which takes a huge amount of effort, time, and money. On the other hand, you can consider a ready-made software solution that is cost-effective, affordable, and less time-consuming. Yo!Yumm is one such ready-made software solution that saves entrepreneurs from all the development pains and builds a food delivery app hassle-free. 

Q 2: Can Yo!Yumm create your own food delivery apps like DoorDash, JustEats, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo ?

Ans:  Yes, food delivery apps like Doordash, JustEats, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo can be built by customizing Yo!Yumm. The software solution is feature-packed with in-built industry-specific functionalities that fit the requirements to create food delivery app like DoorDash, JustEats, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo. The software is a self-hosted fully customizable and scalable solution that can be modified according to the business requirements along with accommodating a large number of users without compromising on the platform performance. 

Q 3: Can Yo!Yumm build android, iOS, and web apps?

Ans: Yes, Yo!Yumm can build Android, iOS, and web apps for the online food delivery platform. It offers readymade mobile apps to business owners with mobile apps for all its user types- restaurant merchants, delivery personnel, and customers on both android as well as iOS. 

Q 4: How much does it cost to create a food delivery app?

Ans: The cost to create a food delivery app depends on several factors like budget, the development process, and the number of integrations. The cost of the development increases with increasing customization, features, and complexity. However, a ready-made software solution like Yo!Yumm is a cost-effective and affordable way to build a food delivery app. To know about the pricing of Yo!Yumm, visit here.

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