Dating Apps Focus on in-Person Connections
Contributed by: kellyseal on Friday, May 05 2017 @ 12:15 pm
Last modified on
Online dating has become more accessible than ever, but unfortunately, it’s also created a culture of ghosting and messaging among users that often doesn't lead to an actual date. Apps like Tinder made online dating easy and fun, but many daters have become frustrated with the game-like interface and the lack of any real connection with other daters. Many apps are trying to address this pain point by helping daters meet in person more quickly, which is key to forming romantic connections.
Dating app Stay launched last month in the iTunes store (called "Stay Dating" on iTunes) with a focus on in-person connections. The company encourages all matches to schedule dates; it's built into the app’s functionality.
With Stay, users can’t message right away, eliminating the ghosting problem that is so problematic with other dating apps. Users can only suggest times and potential locations to matches to set up a date. Once scheduled, users can start messaging (but only 24 hours before the date). If a user cancels the date or fails to show and gets reported, that user is blocked from viewing matches over the next 24 hours.
Another interesting feature for Stay is the focus on follow-up. After the date, the user can chat over the app, but has only three days to set up the next date (and the date has to be scheduled within two weeks of the first date). If you don’t meet the deadline, you are disconnected from that match and can no longer message that person.
Sound harsh? Perhaps, but daters are looking for apps that are more relationship-friendly, and are having a hard time getting past the flakiness and poor behavior of many online daters. How can you find “the one” if it’s so difficult to meet, even for a coffee or drinks?
Match is focusing on creating more real-life connections, too. The company recently launched its Missed Connections feature, allowing users to see who they crossed paths with in real life that are part of the Match database. The goal is to get people to connect more in person. If you grabbed a coffee and someone caught your eye, you have a chance to introduce yourself and a conversation starting point (you’re both on Match).
Even Tinder understands the challenges its users face with meeting matches in person. The company recently began testing a new feature called Matches Up For, which allows users to set their status to “available” if they want to meet up with someone that night, and lets them choose an activity that they want to do, like go for a coffee, take a walk, or grab dinner, and see who else is available. The point is to get people together in person more quickly, so you can see if there’s a spark.
In-person connections are a way for daters to build trust and from there, a relationship. Online dating companies are focusing their efforts on better ways for their users to connect.