Dating App Builder

How to Create a Dating App for Free

Dating apps are an excellent way to socialize with people in the modern world. Hectic work-life schedules and the lack of a good social life can be balanced with the help of dating apps. Given their success, investing in a new dating platform is an excellent business opportunity. In this blog, we will discuss what makes up a dating app and how to create a dating app with Appy Pie’s App Builder!

Introduction

Dating apps have been around for more than a decade now. Dating culture, however, continues to expand slowly and steadily and the dating app market keeps expanding similarly. The major players in the dating app market are starting to go stale. There is always space for a newer dating app and ‘fresh’ dating apps continue to pop up and steal the show. There are a lot of opportunities if you’re looking to create your very own dating app.

In the blog that follows, we are going to talk about various dating apps and case studies of the most successful of them. Grab a snack and get ready to learn more about the dating app world, how dating apps work and the revenue models they follow.

Meeting Consumer Expectations from a Dating App

Dating apps won’t be successful until they’re meeting consumer’s expectations. Meeting them is crucial for all businesses and dating apps are no different. So, what are the main consumer expectations from a dating app?

You’d be surprised to know that the most important expectations for users on a dating app are privacy and security. Many surveys and polls conducted show that they continue remaining a top priority. You can turn this into a USP for your app. Investing in the security of a dating app and marketing it can be a great strategy.

The next most important aspect of a dating app is an intuitive user interface. Tinder started the dating craze with its iconic, elegant and effortless swiping interface. We will read more about it in the blog but that gives you an idea of what I mean. Another example of an intuitive user interface is the dating app Happn that shows you the people you’ve crossed paths with who have the app and allows you to connect with people who you tend to pass by while going about your daily routine.

Other consumer expectations are fairly based on personal preferences. For example, some people like the detailed profile creation of OkCupid and CMB. Some prefer simplistic profiles of Tinder and Bumble. There are dating apps catering to niche communities like Grindr and Her for the LGBT population and JSwipe aimed at Jews.

How Do Dating Apps Work?

An important question to answer is how dating apps work. Almost all dating apps are location-based. The algorithm for a dating app is a two-part process. The first part is a perfected system of showing you potential ‘matches’ according to your real-time location.

This location-based display allows you to meet people that are nearer to you and makes it easier for both people to meet up in a real-life. The location-based algorithm is simple, and a user can increase or decrease the range of their matches. The second part of the dating algorithm is more complex.

Each major dating app has its own secondary algorithm. With evolving techniques, the second part of the algorithm varies wildly across apps. Let us take two examples of Tinder and OkCupid. Before we go on, do remember that the location-based algorithm always plays first.

Tinder’s original algorithm was based on the number of likes profiles got. This boosted how likely you were to see a particular profile. Well-liked profiles appeared to more people and if a well-liked profile liked a profile, their rating would rise too. This internal scoring system ranked people. In simplicity, people with better appearances ranked higher. Since Tinder does not take much personal information about a person except for their preferences and photographs, it is a very simple system.

However, Tinder announced a change in this algorithm. The current algorithm works on categorizing people into similar groups based on behavioral analysis of various people on the app. The scoring system may tie into this algorithm. That may not be the case, because this algorithm change is very recent and most of it is still under wraps.

OkCupid, on the other hand, has a more detailed and older format algorithm. If you ever use the app, you will know that it categorizes people based on the various internal questions and surveys that the app asks you. The questions keep on coming and your answers keep on trimming or increasing your matches making them better with each match. It gives you a wider array of people to see and helps you match with people who have similar tastes.

However, Tinder is still the best dating algorithm simply thanks to its simplicity.

Just like the two apps above, each app has its own matching algorithm and newer apps keep on tweaking their algorithms. The ‘correct’ algorithm for a dating app doesn’t exist since predicting human behavior and preferences aren’t possible with the help of an algorithm.

How do dating apps make money?

Coming to an important aspect of having a dating app, making money on dating apps is really simplified. Advertising and subscription-based plans are the most common ways to monetize a dating app. In more professional terms, 90% of dating apps work on the ‘freemium’ model. The subscription plans for various dating apps have various ways to get users subscribed. Tinder, for example, boosts your profile every day once you buy its subscription pack. The subscription, in a way, allows you to go around the algorithm and become more likely to be swiped.

Given below are the case studies of various dating apps on the market. You must know about them before you start creating your own dating app.

Case Study 1 – Tinder

The ‘Iconic’ Swipe:

Tinder was among the first dating apps to become a watershed moment for the dating app industry. It is quite simply the Match.com of the current generation. The success of Tinder lies in its unique and simplistic approach to dating. Tinder has over 1 billion swipes every day. Remember that that figure is in an app which is 7 years old.

The success of Tinder will never truly be crossed and even today, it remains a solid app for the dating industry and the industry leader. Its iconic ‘swipe’ interface gamified dating in a way no one else could. So many have followed Tinder’s approach to dating and literally, every app incorporates some way of swiping.

Tinder’s Business Model

Tinder’s business model has by and large remained the same. Tinder is not as keen on advertising itself to the masses. Its popularity comes from word-of-mouth marketing. When Tinder was new, it marketed itself to sorority girls as an exciting way to connect. This followed an influx of men onto the app looking for a way to connect and socialize. This proved to be a massively successful marketing strategy and Tinder caught on like wildfire.

Tinder basically uses the strategy of creating ‘value’ for potential users. The ‘value’ is people near you that are like you and are looking for the same thing. Tinder’s business model also incorporates maximum gamification of the dating space. The swiping mechanic psychologically feels like ‘gambling’ making users question themselves if the next profile is the one for them. This addicting user interface is what makes this app insanely successful in the dating space.

What sets Tinder apart is that it also softens rejection. Other dating apps keep asking for more information and not getting matches after filling 10000 questions makes you feel sad. Tinder is simpler. It is a modern take on love at first sight and first appearances. It’s weirdly more realistic than other dating websites.

Tinder’s business model also incorporates various features like Boosts, Super Likes, and Subscription Plans for more matches. This aspect has been discussed in detail in the revenue model.

Target Audience

As mentioned above, Tinder began through sorority students and made its way to literally everyone on the planet. Tinder’s target audience is everyone from the age of 18 to 60. Tinder doesn’t have a true target audience, but it is most popular among people in their 20s. However, the later age demographic of people from their 20s to 30s keeps rising ever so steadily.

Revenue Model

Tinder works on a ‘freemium’ model. Tinder’s founders have promised that the base app and swiping for matches will continue to be free. Tinder does provide an upgraded Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold subscriptions. Aside from this Tinder has also monetized its app for advertising. Every 4-6 swipes you see a clickable advertisement that you can swipe away.

The premium subscriptions have upgraded features over standard Tinder. The subscriptions allow you to have infinite swipes a day, allow you to ‘boost’ your profile for more people to see, give you ‘super likes’, let you rewind a swipe if you left swipe accidentally and remove advertisements. You can also buy boosts and super likes as in-app purchases for your profile individually.

Boost: Boost is a mechanic in Tinder that allows you to surpass the Tinder algorithm and have your profile appear to more people and at the top of people’s recommendation lists for a day.

Super Likes: Super Likes highlights a profile that has liked you and can be used to display a more enthusiastic engagement towards a person. In the free version, you have one super like per day and in the subscriptions, the super likes go up to 5 per day.

Case Study 2 – eHarmony

Business Model

eHarmony is a more ‘serious’ way to date. At signup, eHarmony creates a personality profile for you. The personality profile has evolved over the years. It originally had 450 questions and it was reduced to 50. Prospective members complete a proprietary questionnaire about their characteristics, beliefs, values, emotional health and skills. The eHarmony algorithm then takes these and matches it with people in the database showing you potential matches. This questionnaire has worked like wildfire to ensure eHarmony survives in the modern markets. eHarmony is both a paid and free service.

What sets eHarmony apart is that it can even reject applicants if they don’t meet the necessary criteria. They have certain pre-placed rules for who is approved and who is not. eHarmony’s subscription rates for paid members are more expensive than other dating websites.

Target Audience

eHarmony tries to deter casual dating with its expensive subscriptions and its target audience has always been people serious about long-term dating. eHarmony is one of the most trusted dating websites in America and has an excellent brand reputation for the same.

Revenue model

eHarmony has a simple business model and uses the website as its main channel. It also offers a mobile app that works completely only when your questionnaire is approved on the website. It has a subscription-based service with a single premium subscription and a basic free one. The free service provides you with limited services, matches and how much you can see about a person. The premium model goes out of its way to provide you with the best possible matches there are.

Case Study 3 – OkCupid

Business Model

OkCupid is like Tinder in its business model. However, it has its differences. Unlike Tinder, OkCupid’s traction comes from both word-of-mouth and social media. OKC concentrates on its social media channels to generate traction.

OkCupid targets an even larger demographic than Tinder and combines Tinder’s addictive gamification with traditional dating website personality questions asked through multiple choice questions and quizzes.

However, OKC’s business model gives more power to the user and allows you to freely choose which questions to answer and which to skip. While you’re swiping a profile, OkCupid allows you to see the questions and answers of other people.

OKC has a highly data-driven business model and it allows users to message an icebreaker even before they’ve swiped on each other. OKC’s combination of data and user-driven dynamics create a flowing and continuously evolving database. This approach has worked and OkCupid is one of the fastest-growing dating apps on the planet.

Target Audience

What sets OKC apart from other dating websites is its balance between casual and serious dating. It has something for everyone. It also targets a larger audience than other dating websites.

OKC gives more control to the user and this simple dynamic has made it one of the most reputed modern dating apps. Its target audience is literally everyone from 18 to 80. OKC also gives relationship and dating advice actively through its blog helping people get better at relationships.

Revenue model

OkCupid has a freemium software model, with three levels of higher subscription. The following subscriptions are provided by OkCupid:

1. A-List: Removes ads, unlimited likes, allows you to see who liked you, more search options, allows you to see who reads your messages.
2. Premium A-list: Adds features like daily profile boosts, allows you to see all answers people have answered for every question.
3. Incognito Mode: profile become invisible except to people you like or message, allows you to block people permanently, lets you turn it on and off.

Case Study 4 – Match.com

Business Model

Match.com is the oldest online dating website on the Internet. It has a large business history and its business model has evolved over time. Match.com is a content-driven website and it follows a different approach to most dating websites.

Profiles on match.com are available to be viewed by everyone for free but contacting a profile requires you to purchase a subscription. Match.com also has a ‘ProfilePro’ option where a profile consultant helps you design a profile for match.com

Target Audience

Match.com is currently a compromise between a long-term dating and a matrimonial website. It has always discouraged casual dating and its rare for casual daters to take up match.com today.

Revenue Model

Match.com is technically a paid service but it makes surfing around free. Match’s subscription fees are higher, but it has been a successful strategy. According to reports, it generated 888 million in revenue last year and continues to grow with passing time.

How to develop a location-based dating app?

Developing a location-based dating app is harder than most people think. There are a lot of intricacies involved in developing an app. To succeed in the modern-dating app space, you need to involve machine-learning algorithms to know your user’s preferences and wants. You also need to USPs and an intuitive user interface. There are many more features required as a rule for dating apps. Then comes the revenue model you’d like to follow. Let us learn more about this step-by-step.

That’s right! It is Time to Create Your Tinder-Like Dating App with Appy Pie’s Dating App Builder

‘How?’, you ask. It is very simple. Appy Pie’s Dating App Builder is a no-code app building platform that allows you to make Tinder-like dating apps within minutes. The best part?

Just follow the steps given below and create your very own dating app.