In a global pandemic, when the majority is sitting in the comfort of their apartments, the need for communication is felt more than ever. And against this background, the popularity of various dating applications is growing rapidly. Analysts estimate that global dating app revenue exceeded $3.08 billion in 2020. This is clear evidence that the niche is extremely promising. However, what if you want to create your own dating app? Our answer is to read this guide. We created it specifically in order to tell you about various aspects of the development process, the main features, and the approximate cost of creating such an application. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
How to Create a Dating App
In short, to answer the question of how to make a dating app, it is recommended to follow the next algorithm:
- Stage 1. Analyze how such applications work.
- Stage 2. Understand the main benefits such applications bring.
- Stage 3. Decide how the application will be profitable.
- Stage 4. Work on the design aspect.
- Stage 5. Make sure to integrate high-quality app development services
- Stage 6. Implement the MVP feature.
So let’s go through each step in more detail so that you have a complete picture of the development process.
What’s Behind Dating Apps: Main Functionality
Dating apps are kind of social apps with their own set of features and special functionality. Popular solutions like Tinder, OkCupid, Bumble, Grindr have a single concept that helps people meet their halves. Let’s talk about this in more detail.
The main “engine” of such applications is matching algorithms. They, in turn, are based on the following aspects:
- Location awareness. Everything is pretty apparent here. The user can always weed out other users who are outside the geographic area of interest in the flesh up to hundreds of meters.
- Mathematical basis. Here everything is a bit more complicated since mathematics comes into play. Such algorithms calculate the percentage of matches based on the answers given by each user in the application. Thus, the user will more often see other users with similar interests and outlooks on life.
- Advanced matching methods. All the previous methods are only auxiliary. All the magic happens in these algorithms, which are often built on Artificial Intelligence. The application analyzes your every action, every swipe left or right, remembering and trying to give out the profiles that best suit you.
Main Benefits of Dating Apps
Dating apps would hardly be so popular if they didn’t bring certain benefits. It’s time to talk about them.
- Fast and convenient. It would be foolish to ask with the fact that native mobile applications that are tailored to work on certain devices are many times more convenient and faster to use than standard sites. In addition, such applications can provide additional features related to devices (voice messages, video chats, location-based features)
- Suitable for people with a busy schedule and modest ones. The modern pace of life sometimes does not allow people to get to know each other in establishments or other crowded places. And in such cases, dating apps really help out. In addition, there are introverts who find it much easier to get to know each other online, and dating applications are also extremely useful for them.
- Find interesting people nearby. Dating apps make it easy to find people with similar interests and outlooks on life who will not live thousands of kilometers away from you.
- No unwanted connections. If you do not want to receive messages from a specific person, all dating applications have the ability to restrict access to view your account and send messages to other users.
- Variety. Thanks to a large audience, you can meet people whom you would hardly have crossed paths with in real life. Different interests, professions, life experiences, and much more are at a distance of a couple of clicks.
Structure and Design Aspect of Dating Applications
When you plan dating solution creation, consider a number of factors related to the dating application’s look and potential means of promotion. A set of such factors is prepared for you to think about.
Pick a Catchy Name
The app’s name is the first thing consumers will notice – look at such succinct and unique names as Badoo, Tinder, and so on. These examples show that the name itself should be simple to recall in addition to having a memorable and vibrant basis, so you should instantly toss out any lengthy names. Such activity may require several brainstorms.
Identify Your Core Market
If you evaluate your target market before the app creation, it will be more successful and stand out from the crowd. This will help you set your digital product apart from the competition. It means you need research where your core audience situates, what age, gender and so on, what killer feature can attract them to your product.
Work Out Design
An intuitive and simple interface that stands out from the crowd of other applications is the path to success. Users won’t give you a chance if they find the interface complex. The main thing is that users want to feel comfortable inside the application and understand that everything was invented specifically for their convenience. Just don’t overcomplicate the design aspect, and you will prevail.
Create a Marketing Strategy
It will include a promotional campaign, an advertising campaign, SEO optimization inside app stores, and much more to spread the word about your product. You can help your application get traction in the market by using a well-thought-out advertising plan.
Tools Required For Dating App Development
To turn your idea into a finished application, you must use a variety of tools and programming languages. The picture below illustrates some of the tools you may utilize while creating dating software. However, keep in mind that this toolkit may be expanded based on the objectives of your project and company and is far from complete.
Main Features of Dating App
Composing a dating app feature list is typically recommended to be divided into MVP (basic) features and additional ones. Let’s find out what it means.
MVP functionality means those features which are vital for the proper functioning of the dating app. We prepared a list of such features for you – let’s discuss it.
- Social sign-in. You should provide a login option through well-known social networks in addition to the password and email required for the standard login process.
- Customer profile. People are given the option to personalize their profiles by including information about themselves, images, interests, and much more.
- Geolocation. This functionality is required to look for users nearby and several other functions.
- Matching. You must like the person before receiving the match, and you will be unable to send a message until that user likes you back.
- Chatting. An application feature that is quite commonplace for user communication.
- Push notifications. The software may send alerts regarding matches, communications, and other occurrences.
Additional Features Worth Implementing
These features are optional and intended to make you stand out from the crowd. They may begin to be put into practice after you have a functioning product that generates revenue.
- AI chatbots. As strange as it sounds, chatbots are extremely useful in dating applications. The chatbot can help you select the first phrases to start communication, notify you of new messages in the chat, and much more.
- Video calls. This is a way to transfer ordinary communication to another plane. Give users the ability to arrange video calls and communicate in a variety of ways beyond regular chat.
- Profile verification. This feature can help against the influx of bots and scammers. It is always nice to understand that you are communicating with a real person. Often, this feature asks the user to send a photo with a certain gesture, which the moderator further examines and approves that this is a real person’s account.
How Much Does it Cost to Make a Dating App?
It should be noted right away that the estimate below is indicative. You will know the exact numbers only when the development team studies your idea in detail and calculates the development time for each feature.
The cost of developing the dating app is calculated regarding the European hourly rate of $50. As a result, we will receive an approximate dating app development cost equal to $160,000 for developing such a solution.
Dating Apps and Their Monetization
Every entrepreneur wants his application to be profitable. Dating apps are no exception, and you have several ideas for monetization, and you can choose the one that suits you (or combine them all):
- Account boost. The user can buy it and raise his account in the search results so that he will often come across to other users of the application.
- Unlimited right swipes. Such swipes are a kind of likes in dating applications. Users can buy this package of services and get an unlimited number of likes in order to swipe other users as much as they want.
- Advertising. This is a passive way of making money since you need to place a banner with ads in the application, and you will receive money for the number of views. You can also add the option to disable in-app ads for a one-time purchase.
- Gifts. This category can include all sorts of stickers and other virtual objects that users can give each other as sympathy.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, dating application development is a complex process that requires certain knowledge and training. You must clearly understand the target audience, decide on the list of features and how your digital solution will be monetized. Only a thoughtful approach will help you transform an idea into a successful application that will generate income.
