Let's go back in time a little. In the 90s, men and women used to hit bars or coffee shops to find dates. Then, a decade later, Match became popular and help people arrange dates online. But in 2012, an online dating and geosocial networking app called Tinder came into existence and ushered in a new era in the history of virtual romance.
Today, dating apps are helping millions of people meet potential partners from the comfort of the couch. No wonder, more and more entrepreneurs nurture the dream of launching a revolutionary niche dating app.
In this blog, Techosquare will share everything crucial to launching an ace dating application. From benefits to functionality and development process to cost, we will cover all crucial aspects.
Let’s first look at some online dating industry stats.
Grand View Research - a US-based company specializing in market and consumer data - said that revenue in the global online dating segment hit $7.5 billion in 2021 and will grow at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2022 to 2030.
According to Bedbible Research, the number of dating app users grew to 323.9 million in 2021. Still, there are some entrepreneurs who are not sure about the basics and cost of dating app development.
A few even don't know what goes into the development of a dating app. If you are one of them, keep reading. Let's discuss how exactly a dating app works!
If you use e-commerce websites like Amazon, eBay, or Newegg, you might be aware that they use your browsing history for delivering a wide array of personalization experiences, including product recommendations and product re-ranking.
Dating apps work just like these websites. They use algorithms to make match recommendations while utilizing your data including personal information (name, age, and location), personal preferences, and app activity. Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble even use AI and machine learning techniques to provide the best matching experience to the users.
Location-based approach: The focus on location during the dating application development enables app makers to match profiles on the same criteria. That's majorly because most people don't want to be at the helm of challenges involved in long-distance relationships.
The location-based approach makes it easy for us to find people from nearby regions using GPS-oriented data.
Mathematical approach: Dating apps developed using this approach fetches data from the questionnaire filled by users. The feedback form comprises fields. Users have to write in the required information and their interests in them. Dating applications then compare user data and notify matches with a high score.
Behavior matching: Although there is no problem with using a mathematical approach, it carries the risk of people filing false information. By using a behavior matching approach, your dating app can fetch users data from different sources including their Facebook or Instagram profiles, Spotify playlists, and other online interests.
Advanced matching approach: Remember we told you that apps like Tinder and Bumble use AI and machine learning for making matches? All of it is part of an advanced matching algorithm. Dating applications that capitalize on this greatly improve matching possibilities.
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Revenue generation: We really don't have to tell you how much money your dating app venture can make. After a slump in the early 2010s, the dating app revenue increased every year since 2015. And in 2021, it reached $7.5 billion.
Investing in niche dating app development is an excellent idea because it is one of the hottest segments right now. Users are growing epidemically. And so are your chances of generating more revenue.
Safety and privacy: Dating apps are considered to be more secure and private when compared to legacy websites like eHarmony and Dating.com. They keep users personal information safe and offer more control in the hands of users.
Fast and efficient: No one has time to sit in front of a big screen to browse dating websites and look for a date. Everything needs to be on the go. Dating apps are fast and efficient. All they ask is to just flick your finger. This is one of the biggest reasons for entrepreneurs to think about launching a dating application for smartphones.
The facts and benefits that we mentioned above prove that the dating app market is booming and that investing money in dating application development is totally profitable. However, if you are not sure how much money you need to spend, we want to tell you that developing a basic android and iOS dating app in a country like the US can cost you anywhere between $30,000 to $60,000.
The overall development cost also depends on the country you have hired your app developers from. If you are hiring developers from the North American continent (the United States or Canada), they will come at an hourly cost of $50-$160 per hour. The hourly charges taken by app developers from Australia and the United Kingdom are somewhere around $45-$110.
Dating application developers from India, however, will charge you around $25-$80 an hour for designing and developing a top-notch dating application like Tinder or Hinge. Truth be told, that’s not the only factor to affect the overall cost of niche dating app development!
The latest research found that more than 25% of men and women uninstall a dating app if they don't find it delightful. It was also discovered that users, on average, spend 90 minutes on a dating platform. These figures tell that you need to design and develop an application in such a manner so men and women get a kick out of it while using it.
Consider the following steps to develop a remarkable dating application for iOS and Android devices:
Many mobile applications that are developed without ample research face a stroke of death. Don’t believe us? A study by Prismetric found that 72% of the new smartphone apps fail to make an impression because of awful research work. Meaning, you need to understand what excites people in dating apps.
Ask yourself the questions like these to get a proper vision for the end product:
Done with your research? Now, it's time to select the monetization model for your dating application. Why do you ask? Nobody wants to develop an application for personal use, especially when it comes to dating. Plus, you are providing a platform to men and women for dating, that too for free. So, your clear and cut objective should be monetizing and earning from your app.
Here are the best monetization models for dating apps:
Freemium: Freemium model tends to work well for lifestyle applications. It can help businesses drive faster recurring revenue and profit growth than a premium model. Choosing a freemium model will allow users to use your dating app for free but with limited functionality. Ask them to pay for a premium version so they can put their hands on advanced features like profile boosting, advanced swipe, unlimited likes, and gift purchasing.
Subscription-based model: As the name itself suggests, the subscription-based model is when users have to purchase or subscribe to a dating app's services for a specific period of time for a set price. While using this model, introduce various dating subscription plans so users can select accordingly.
In-app purchase model: Another popular monetization model used by entrepreneurs during dating application development. In-app purchases are basically extra content or subscriptions that your users can buy inside your dating app. Companies like Tinder use a virtual-in-app currency designed to help men and women spend more time on its application and eventually pay real bucks.
Just like beams are used to support the weight of floors, walls, and roofs during the construction of a house, the right technology stack is essential for developing a mobile application. Also called the backbone of an app, choosing the wrong tech for your dating application can sabotage app prospects.
Here are some popular tech stacks to use in 2022:
Programming language: Kotlin, Swift, Objective C#, Java
Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis
Frameworks: React Router, Express.js, Next.js, Node.js
Utilities: Optimizely, Google Analytics, Vonage, Google Maps, Infobip
Cloud Storage: Microsoft Azure, Amazon S3, SpiderOak One Backup, Digital Ocean
Payment Gateway: PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, GPay, PhonePe
The better the features involved, the more robust, intuitive, friendly, and simple a dating app becomes to use. Once you have decided on the monetization model and technology stack, start thinking about what the customer actually wants.
Conduct online surveys and ask customers what they want to see in your product and what they don’t. Try to meet their needs because if you don’t, you could lose significant business.
Here are some features that make a really great dating app in 2022:
Here comes the most difficult part of developing a dating app in 2022. As the subheading itself suggests, it’s time for you to start working on creating a visually pleasing and easily navigable dating application that not only satisfies the needs of users but is also in accordance with Google and Apple’s guidelines. Work on both the front-end and back-end of your application and make certain they function in one fell swoop.
But wait a minute! Do you have an understanding of developing a dating app? If your answer is YES, you’re all set to make headway. However, if your answer is NO, it will be best for you to hire a team of mobile app developers.
Learn more about the best mobile application development services.
App testing is a crucial step of a dating app development process. It will help you eliminate the bugs and ensure a smooth user experience. During this stage, you have to put your dating application under a rigorous testing process which comprises the following parameters:
After discovering and eliminating all errors and bugs, you can easily submit and launch your dating app beyond the shadow of a doubt.
There you go!
We told you everything about dating application development!
Investing in a dating app in 2022 is an excellent business idea as it is one of the hottest trends in the tech world right now. Of course, designing and developing one isn't going to be a cakewalk. However, if you choose the right road and collaborate with the best app developers, you can take your business to new heights of success.
Highly skilled mobile app developers at Techosquare also follow the aforementioned steps and do a lot more to deliver premium quality dating applications for their clients. Email us at info@techosquare.com in case of queries regarding mobile app development.
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