Despite the popularity mobile dating apps like Tinder, OKCupid, or Bumble enjoy, a large portion of the market is still occupied by various web dating platforms. The issue with Tinder and its likes is complicated but in short the smartphone might’ve commodified the dating process just too much after all and people may be looking for something more elaborate elsewhere. If you happen to have an idea of how to bring people together around a central concept for the purpose of dating, you can develop a successful niche online dating site and live chat can be a significant factor in its growth.
If mobile dating apps were fast food chains, web dating platforms would be singular, sit-down fine dining spots putting more emphasis on quality and experience. You don’t come to a place like that just to satisfy hunger. You expect service that will leave a lasting impression and enrich your life in some way.
Importantly, dating sites often specialize, which is a great preliminary filter improving the quality of potential mates. There’s really no limit as to what theme you can build your online dating service around, however, you’ll have to keep it broad enough to attract sufficient number of users and keep growing.
Tips on starting a professional dating website
When developing an online dating service, keep the idea of specialization at the forefront. This is something you want to start with. Finding a niche within the online dating field which isn’t yet filled is paramount to your project’s success.
Trying to compete against the big dogs of general dating may not be the best idea, especially if you don’t have major cash flow and/or innovative ideas on how to differentiate yourself. At the same time, pinpointing a great niche to start in will make your life easier down the line.
Even operating within a niche, you should aim to provide an extra value to your future members.
As with all sorts of projects, researching the target demographic to figure out if they’d be interested in the service, what they may expect, and whether they’d be willing to pay for what you offer is a good starting point.
In a nutshell, launching a professional dating site will require you to:
- develop a monetization plan
- choose the most fitting dating software / CMS or build your own platform
- attract users (pro tip: get women on board first)
Why live chat is particularly important for a dating site
Once you start seeing people sign up to your online dating service you’ll want them to start mingling. Regardless of the niche and other features available, the users’ main goal remains the same – they want to be able to interact with their potential partners.
Considering how many of the top dating sites and apps ask members to pay for the option to text message their matches or just someone they’re interested in, making the interaction possible with no obstructions may be a major selling point of your project
Live chat can constitute that extra value I’ve mentioned earlier.
Offering a free chat room feature may be a growth hack for you. Being able to talk to other members with no constraints could be a huge encouragement and a deal-maker for many of the users thinking about signing up with you. This is where you can differentiate your social dating site from others, which jump to charging for messaging right away. This is how you can disrupt the status quo of the online dating market and win a lot of users.
Keep in mind that live chat doesn’t have to be available on the site at all times. It can be available only to a certain class of users or you can enable it only occasionally. One idea may be for you to set up social events involving the chat, like a Speedy Dating Saturday, for example, where people freely engage in a chatroom only for a limited time.
Live chat for an online dating site
Here at Chatwee, we offer an advanced social live chat solution specifically designed to serve all types of online communities, including dating sites. The goal of our web app is to promote and facilitate real-time interaction between community members and keep them coming back.
Chatwee will allow partner seekers to engage in private chats and public rooms in a number of ways including text, emoji, links, and files.
You, as the chat owner, have full control over all aspects of its functioning. You can customize the layout, choose what login methods to allow for, make some of the chat rooms password-protected (this is perhaps one of the ways you can monetize), moderate the discussion in real time if you maybe decide to run occasional events only, and basically switch every other available feature on or off, depending on the needs of your community.
On top of everything that’s readily available, we’re also open to and capable of adjusting the app to your specific needs by custom developing new features to create a truly seamless fit with your online dating platform.
In conclusion
The very launching of a dating site is relatively easy. There are certain dating CMS available to get you going instantly, or you can invest in building your own, truly specialized platform.
On that note, it’s imperative that you explore a particular niche and target audience first in order to increase your chances of succeeding in the online dating business.
Since seeking a partner, be it in the real world or online, is inherently social, communication plays a huge role in the process. Your dating platform will have to make it possible for members to connect and develop rapport and this is where an extension like Chatwee comes into play.
Its wide array of features will provide for an exciting style of public and private communication while leaving you in full control of what is and isn’t possible within the app. The interaction aspect of your online dating site is crucial and Chatwee will be perfect to fill in that role.
Use the form below to sign up for an account and give it a go. You gotta shoot your shot to win, right?
