How to Create a Dating App: Trends, Features and Costs
A lot has changed in the past 10-20 years. The most ambitious and adventurous companies have proposed to the world alternative ways of communicating, dating, shopping, interacting with the media content, etc. We are living in the era of AR, VR, AI, Big Data, and even more incredible things are waiting for us around the corner.
The last decade shows that online dating services have become an essential part of our everyday lives. People may like it or not, but these services provide more opportunities to find one’s significant other. In this fast-paced world, so many of us don’t have the time to keep meeting new people in order to find “the one.” However, with online dating, the whole world is now open to us at any time.
How the Coronavirus Has Changed Online Dating
According to Statista, at the beginning of 2019, approximately 47% of online American users met online or at least knew someone who started to date after an online meeting. Moreover, by the end of 2019, around 77% of adult online American users went on a date with a person they had met on the dating website or app. This is more than 30 million people in the US alone!
But what is most important about this trend is how people find each other doesn’t influence the future of their relationship. The relationship’s success is determined by the initial personal meetings.
Even though online dating is very popular nowadays, the growth rate of the dating apps market was relatively slow compared to previous years. eMarketer experts had to change their forecasts for 2019 from 9.8% growth to 5.3%, which is only one-sixth of the growth rate in 2016.
The events of 2020 have caused irreversible consequences, and we can observe how fast the world is changing now. COVID-19 has influenced all spheres of life, especially those where in-person contact is required. Quarantine has set up new rules. It is no surprise that the world of dating has changed significantly.
Online dating is not only a source of new acquaintances now but also a kind of psychological and emotional escape from not-so-friendly reality. After COVID-19 broke out, the engagement numbers showed dramatic growth. The popularity of online dating jumped by 82% worldwide at the beginning of March.
reported the raise of messaging by up to 26%. stated that the average duration of a conversation increased by up to 30% and reported the biggest number of swipes in the whole app history — over 3 billion times — on . also reported an increase of messages up to 116%. reported a 30% increase in messages sent. informed about 30% growth in messages and 10% growth of matches worldwide. The number of conversations increased by over 20%.
The increase of online communication https://datingranking.net/escort-directory/san-diego/ during social distancing has been dramatic, and companies realized the necessity to up their game in response to the pandemic. Online messaging can’t replace real-life communication. That’s why dating platforms started to implement video and audio technologies.
Soon after the quarantine started, a popular dating app Hinge launched a Date From Home feature that lets users join a video chat if both agree. Hinge founder and CEO, Justin McLeod, explained : “At this time, technology is helping us bridge the gap between the isolation we’re experiencing and the connection we’re craving. Video and phone calls are currently a safe way to date someone you’re interested in, and I believe digital dates, as a precursor to meeting in person, will be a trend that stays with us beyond the current climate.”