As there is an increasing demand for virtual activities, it seems that dating has moved into the online realm too. Now more than ever before, people turn to their computers, tablets, and cell phones, hoping to connect with their forever person. There are countless dating websites and apps available online, catering to a specific age, religion, interest, or hobby. There are currently dating sites available for people who love cats. Trying to compete in this realm isn’t easy. After all, with so many places on the market, standing out is often tricky. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
Here are five tips for building your dating website to help you attract users, build your brand, and stand out above everyone else.
Consider the website’s purpose
Every dating website is going to attract different audiences. For example, there are considerable differences in the audience of SugarDaddy.com and a platform built for dog lovers. It’s crucial to not only know your audience but define where your customers are coming from. Do you want to attract the young, technologically savvy crowd? Is your audience looking to build a life with someone?
Spend some time defining how your website is going to help people connect with potential matches. Understand what the current market offers and how you believe your website is going to be different. After all, you can’t possibly have a successful website if you don’t know what success looks like long-term.
Figure out the design of your platform
The design of your website is not only the first thing potential users see when they visit your domain; it’s also the deciding factor in registering. Websites that are complicated, loud, or irritating to the eyes can confuse potential users. Likewise, minimalist websites appear boring, dull, or outdated. You want to find a happy medium between the two. Carefully review top-performing dating websites and see what they have in common. Are the layouts similar? Could your website incorporate any similar elements?
Look for areas that don’t appeal to you too. The idea here is to understand what looks and functions well and what needs improvement within the dating realm. Whether you opt for a bright, fresh website or a minimalist corporate-looking design, you need to stand behind your website.
Understand the importance of geolocation
Geolocation is simply the ability to pull specific user profiles online based on the geographical location. Users can see different profiles depending on location at the time of sign-in. This feature is beneficial when trying to find local matches within their area. Likewise, geolocation is often used in addition to the other matching criteria, meaning your users will be able to search quickly through the profiles without having to sacrifice distance or interests.
If you’re going to implement geolocation, consider what search functionality you’d like to offer your users. Will they be able to search by the city? Would users prefer to have a numerical distance calculator for the time or location they’d be willing to travel? The search functionality will set your dating website apart from other platforms. Users want quick, efficient, and effective matches. They don’t want to spend their time wading through profiles that don’t work with their lifestyle, including the distance.
Determine Your Membership Levels
Monetizing your website is how you’re going to make money, especially when you’ve become well established. As users begin to join the platform, understanding memberships are essential. Are you going to charge for a basic profile? Will you select a hierarchy type membership that prioritizes different profiles above others?
What other costs are you going to charge your users? While some websites charge fees for instant access to various features, others will charge a specific gender a monthly fee to participate online. Knowing how you’re going to arrange your memberships will help prioritize the features you see important. It will also help your users understand the site’s functionality from the beginning instead of upsetting people down the road. It may be beneficial to have free membership status for initial members that join the platform (for example, the first 10,000 profiles on your dating website will have free access).
Establish Important Features and Functionality of Your Dating Website
Every website is different, especially in the dating industry. While some platforms will prioritize having chat functionality, others will assume the access to profile photos is most important. Features can make or break a dating website’s popularity. With too many features, the platform becomes confusing to use, especially if there are fees or expenses to use them.
Stick with basic features with your dating website and prioritize their importance. Understand what brings people to the site, how they want to use the site, and what they see as important when visiting the website. If your website is live, look through your website’s analytics for a real-time review of where people spend their time online. Consider emailing your registered users for feedback on the website. Most dating websites offer instant communication with matched profiles, whether that’s free or at a monthly fee. Photos are another vital component of dating websites. After all, online matches want to see who they’re talking to. They need to establish whether there’s a physical attraction between them.
Understanding the impact of website features
If your dating website is missing key features, users are going to leave the site quickly. For paid features, users need to believe the fee charged is justified. Offering a price to unlock potential matches may be helpful, but if it’s too high, no one will pay to use it. Having unlimited free features will likely attract the most traffic to your website but leave additional income off the table that you could have been capitalizing on.
