Busy finding the love of your life in one swipe?
Well aren’t we all are! Today online dating applications have changed the face of dating across the world and has given new ways to people to connect with each other. Apps like Tinder have refined the way people connect with each other and find their potential partners.
There are so many different types of online dating applications which are helping people to connect with each other. According to Statista, the market share of online dating applications suggests that the market is expected to grow by US$3.39bn by 2027. So, if you are wondering how to create an app like Tinder in current times, you are absolutely at the right place.
Herein, I will walk you through each step on how to make an app like tinder in detail.
So, let’s begin!
Table of Content
How to Create a Dating App
Define the Market Niche and your Target Audience
For your dating mobile app development, you will start with carrying out market research and knowing your users. In this phase, focus on primary research and try to understand the market gaps and then how your product will fill those gaps. Having this knowledge will help you to define your market value and your unique selling point compared to your competitors.
Once you have knowledge of the market needs, your next step is to define the target audience. Having a clear understanding of your target audience will allow you to empathize with your users and fulfill their needs. Additionally, it will also help you to make a clear and strong persona which will help you with overall dating app development of your product.
Competitor’s Research
Researching about your competitor’s will help you to know their strengths and weaknesses which in turn can help you to define the opportunities while you are working on dating mobile app development. To do so, start with listing down the top 4 competitors from whom you can learn. Next up, to create a dating app, you can start with defining things like: their features, design, business and revenue models.
Some of the common competitors you are likely to have are:
- OkCupid
- Hinge
- Tinder
- Bumble
Focus on what works for them and what not, this will help you and your team to learn a lot as you start with dating app development. Moreover, each of these dating apps might have the same target audience, but their motive, voice, tone, and branding is completely different. This in fact even helps them to stand out from each other and even have strong market presence.
Define the Scope of your Product
Once you have a clear understanding of your market, target audience, and competitors, your next step is to define the scope of your product. For this, you can start with listing down the features which you and your team thinks that users are likely to use. The importance of defining the scope of your product is that it will help you to build your minimum viable product more efficiently and quickly.
Below, I have listed down some common and must have features you should have.
Features for Dating App like Tinder
Following are certain common features which you must have before you start working on dating mobile app development.
- Authorization and User Login
- Profile
- Geo Location
- Push Notifications
- Profile Matching
- Private Chat
- Private Chat
- Video Call
- Discovery Settings
- Social Media Integration
- Calendar
- Payment Methods
- Security
- Customer Support
- Feedback and App Ratings
Must Have Features for your Dating Application
Following are some of the must have features in as you start to create a dating app:
This feature is useful to help your users lead the conversation with their right match. A simple way to retain users and also help them lead the conversation.
Best answer to a @hinge prompt I’ve seen yet 😂 pic.twitter.com/QpsTnpqVqg
— Jonathan Levitt (@JWLevitt) November 9, 2019
Are you trying to focus only on the dating aspect in your application, or do you plan to elaborate your focus in terms like “Networking”, “Friends”, and “Dates”? Think through it and focus on your long-term goals. In my opinion, it is better to have different modes in your application as it helps you to target a wide spectrum of users.
Having a strong verification process will help you to upscale the security on your online dating application. It will help you to ensure that there are no spam activities going on in your dating application.
This feature will work in collaboration with the verification process to help decrease the chances of any spam on the platform. Making sure that every user is feeling quite safe and sound while using your online dating application.
Leverage the power of AL/ML to help enhance the overall match-making capabilities in your Tinder clone app. Having advanced AI algorithms will also ensure that you are able to successfully retain and gain new users. The success of a dating app heavily relies on its matching algorithm. Implement a sophisticated algorithm that takes into account user preferences, location, and behavior to provide accurate and relevant matches.
UI/UX Design
Design has a crucial role to play when it comes to retaining your new users and also marketing it. Since your dating application is likely to be targeted towards the younger generation, your design team will need to include some fun design elements targeted towards it. You can also try to focus your branding towards your users and try to make it appealing and intuitive.
Either you can hire experienced designers who help you to build an appealing interface or you can outsource your work. Hire a dating app development company like ours who can help you to build a successful online dating application. Remember, to have an application which appeals to your target audience and also helps you with your business goals.
Develop an App Like Tinder
Once you have wireframes and prototypes ready, your next step is to focus on developing an application. Since this is an application, you will have two platforms to focus on i.e. Android and iOS. Depending on your users and markets’ needs you can choose the platform which appeals to your audience.
In our experience to create a dating app, we often tell our customers to start with developing for the iOS platform. Reason being, the iOS platform has a closed ecosystem which provides a better and easy learning curve to developers who might just be starting out. iOS also has a pretty decent amount of market share so it will also help you to know how well your users are using the application, their needs, etc. This information will help you to make your tinder clone app even better before launching at global level.
If you are planning to outsource your tinder clone app development to a dating application development company? Feel free to reach out to us! Our experienced developers will help you build an efficiently create a dating app in an MVP version and launch in the market.
Testing your Dating Application
Before the final deployment, be it your first sprint or the final, testing your application is important. It is important to test your application, in order to provide your customers with a bug-free application. Remember, having an application which runs hassle-free and bug-free is a basic requirement of any users. It also reflects your brand value and what you stand for as a company. So, remember to have all your applications tested throughout. If you are outsourcing the development, the partner company is likely to have a team of testers who will help in making the application bug-free.
Deployment
Hooray! You are all set to launch your online dating application. Your IT partner company will help you to launch your application on the Play Store and App Store. Now, you are all set to promote your application via various methods.
Next phase of Tinder like app development is to focus on various marketing tactics.
Marketing Strategies
For online dating applications, the target audience will be the younger generation and to gain their attention you will need some GenZ style of marketing. Whenever putting your marketing strategy together remember that our attention span has decreased a lot. In today’s time it is all about making an impact in the first 30-40 seconds and making your users’ remember you.
Social Media Platforms
Of course you have to run various ad campaigns on it to widen your reach and gain the attention of your users. However, the content should be unique which caters to your users and helps them to connect emotionally. Create content like Reels, social media posts, and other things which will help you to connect with your product and use it.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO has a huge impact to help you reach a wider audience at a global level. For this, you can start with building a marketing website and then slowly carry out various SEO practices. There are multiple ways to help rank your website on all the major search engines. Some of the common methods are: Pay per Click (PPC), Blogging along with keywords, image optimization, etc.
Influencer Marketing
Attract GenZs in their way! Influencers are increasing thanks to various social media platforms. Leverage the power of these influencers and they will help you to promote your dating application. When contracting with influencers, remember their branding and how it aligns with your business and value.
Media Outreach and Newsroom
Connect with local newspapers and media companies to help you with marketing and can outreach to your customers. Various media can help you promote your application via their newspapers and news channels. Relying on their reach is essential as you never might start using your application.
App Store Optimization
Market your dating application on the app store so you rank on it. This will enhance your chances of getting attention and reaching your target audience. With better designs might also have a chance of ranking on the App Store and becoming an editor's choice.
Launch Campaigns and Events
Create buzz around your app by organizing launch events, contests, or giveaways. Engage with your audience and encourage them to share their experiences on social media.
Reach out to us and our experienced marketing professionals will help you with planning the latest marketing strategies to help you reach the right audience. They will also help you to define how to make an app like tinder
User Acquisition Strategies
Implement effective user acquisition strategies, such as referral programs, discounts for inviting friends, or limited-time promotions. Offer incentives to both new and existing users to boost engagement.
When you outsource your marketing strategies, dating app development company like ours can help you. Experienced and new marketers are a perfect blend to help you stay ahead of your game and target your users.
Next up, let's talk about various business models which you can implement in your application.
Business Model
In-App Ads
Partner with a wide range of companies like travel brands or coffee brands depending on your users’ choice. You can then integrate this with your users’ location and demographics and target personalized and curated in-app ads. Remember to not overdo it so that you don’t lose users.
Subscription Model
This method of monetization is quite common nowadays and people are used to it as well. You can limit the number of features available depending on subscription tier users choose. Additionally, it will also help you to stabilize your revenue model. Some of the common models are Freemium and Premium versions.
An amalgamation of all these models will be a perfect treat for your business and revenue model.
Conclusion
Creating a dating app like Tinder requires a combination of technical expertise, market research, and strategic marketing. By following this comprehensive guide, you'll be well-equipped to navigate the complexities of Tinder like app development and launch a successful product in the competitive dating app industry. Keep refining your app based on user feedback and market trends to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of online dating. Reach out to us to help you get started with online dating app development. We can also provide you with a breakdown of dating app development cost and are just a call away!