Depending on your view, dating apps are either controversial or they’re wonderful. People have met their spouses and the love of their lives through dating apps. But there is also a flip side. There have also been several horror stories and cautionary tales where potential love was lost through these apps.
But even still, the popularity of these apps remain at an all-time high. Obviously, love and dating have been around since the beginning of time. But with the rise of mobile apps and devices, it’s only natural for the love business to have exploded the way that it has.
From gay dating apps like Grindr to Shinder – the app matching all women to just one guy…you will find any kind of matchmaking app out there that you can think of. But what about the dating app development? How would one go about joining in on this dating app party by starting an app of their own?
Why you should build your own dating app
So you may be thinking by now, “how to make a dating app?”
Well, for one, dating apps are probably the most likely apps to NOT be abandoned by users. This means that your app will have the potential to bring in huge profits if the majority of your users download and never uninstall. For comparison’s sake, Tinder has been downloaded over 100 million times in the Google Play store alone. And I guarantee you that even at a retention rate of 15 percent, that’s still 15 million active users that you can make money with. And I’m being cautious with my estimate.
With the variety of apps for dating, apps for hookups or escort, you will have to put a new spin on things. The Hater dating app, for instance, connects people based on things they dislike.
Find out a new niche, attract an audience, introduce paid plans with extra features. And that’s it in a nutshell. Make it easy as “swiping right.”
Tinder has 50 million monthly users, Zoosk app has 30 million. Even regional and culture-specific dating mobile apps are trending. There have been several research studies proving howl men and women of all ages use dating apps. From teens and adults to men of age, above 50.
Dating app users spend approximately 90 minutes a day looking for matches. Dating is a $2.5 billion worldwide market with 40% of all US citizens engaging in online dating.
These are all reasons as to why you should build your own dating app.
What features should you have in your dating app
To make a dating app you start with defining the features. Do you want swipe-right functionality or do you want to match on location? Or are you planning on incorporating totally new unique dating app features?
Here are some of the most essential features to have:
- Profiles – User accounts with editable information – bio, images, interests, age, sex, etc.
- Matching – System algorithms to match people, to offer possible matches, adjustable settings
- Push notifications -Real-time alerts about events within an app – messages, matches, reminders, etc.
- Chat / messaging – For users to communicate with each other, often available as a premium (paid) option
- Social integration – Login with social media accounts, app integration to collect data for user-profiles and matching
If you can twist these features or add on to them in a unique way, that’s a good start.
How to make money with your dating app
There are five basic dating app business models:
- Subscription – Premium features available within monthly/quarterly/annual pricing plans
- Freemium – Basic functionality for free with additional features for a fee
- Gifts – Digital stickers, gifts, emojis, flowers, etc. for a fee
- Advertising – In-app ads, native ads, in-chat ads, etc.
- Offline services – Book movie tickets, reserve a table, call a taxi, etc.
You can probably add merchandise sales to this list as well and sponsored content from within the app.
How to make a dating app
If you see a gap in the dating market and wish to create your own mobile app, you’re welcomed to go ahead. Maybe your idea will become the next Tinder. We’ll all adore it and you’ll make huge profits. A win-win situation.
If you have little knowledge of making apps, you should look into outsourcing. Outsourcing mobile development is possible as a whole, or partially.
It’s best for you to interview firms and see examples of similar work done.
There are even courses that you can take if you wanted to dive into app development yourself and give it a twirl.
