The online dating world has experienced a drastic surge over the course of the last decade. Nowadays, it is estimated that around 30% of all adults have signed up to use an online dating website or app at least once. The 18-29-year-old demographic’s statistic is even more impressive — with almost 50% of these individuals having embraced online dating in recent times.
With these figures in mind, there is no wonder why you might be considering embarking upon a new business venture in the online dating realm. Here are some tips for getting started.
Maintain Strong Ethics
Dating websites should be reserved for adults only. This is why many online dating platforms opt to make use of age verification services or KYC ‘Know Your Customer’ technology.
Wondering why KYC is important? It helps to ensure that any risk of underage individuals gaining access to the platform is minimized for the sake of your business, as well as that of other daters. Luckily, KYC and age verification technology is usually affordable and exceptionally accurate.
Choose Your Target Market
Niche online dating sites often tend to be more successful and popular than generic dating sites that anybody can join. For instance, you might want to think about creating an online dating platform specifically for a certain age group, such as middle-aged singles or seniors over the age of 60.
Alternatively, another great idea is to create an online dating website or app geared towards individuals who share a specific interest, like online dating for online gamers, dancers, or writers, or for people who are big fans of TV shows or movie franchises like the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or Game of Thrones.
Offer Incentives to Your First Few Members
The key to a successful dating business is to ensure that your members have plenty of access to potential matches. This is obviously only possible if you have several individuals registered on, and actively using, your platform.
One way to attract new members, especially when you are just starting out, is to offer worthwhile and exclusive incentives, such as discount membership fees or vouchers that they can use on their dates. It’s a great opportunity to partner up with other establishments, such as restaurants, to help boost your credibility.
Craft Proactive Strategies for Dealing with Any Problems
You will need to think carefully about how your website will deal with problems that may crop up along the way, such as sexual harassment claims, as well as credit card or identity fraud. For example, make it easy for users to flag suspicious members or to report any conduct that goes against the website’s rules.
If ever you receive these notifications, take action swiftly, and make direct contact with the users affected to assure them that you are actively looking into their concerns.
It is definitely recommended to meet with an attorney who can assist you in drawing up an alliance contract that will protect you from any mishaps that might take place as a result of online matchmaking via your site or app.
Best of luck!
