Let’s begin with some fundamental facts first: If you manage to create a working dating website, you can – figuratively speaking – print money.

According to the “Statistic Brain Research Institute” online dating generates approximately 2 billion USD – every year. That’s a whole lot of cash! But then again, there are some very big crocodiles in this pond, who have been there for decades. Competing with these accomplished dating websites is close to impossible. But only close to …

1. Finding a dating niche for your website

How about a dating website for scuba divers? How about one for vegans, cat lovers or couch potatoes? In order to get a nice slice of the 2-billion-dollar cake, you need to target a certain group of singles. But don’t get carried away and get your facts straight already before you start! If you are going for a dating site for rich gentlemen, where they can hook up with beautiful models and pay them handsomely for the pleasure … you’re launching a website for a high-class escort service.

2. Check out the other crocs in your pond

You need to know who you’re up against! Browse the web for competitors who target the same or a similar customer group. If the Niche you’re going for is already packed or if your competition is too well established and already sucking up most of those cat loving, scuba diving and chain-smoking vegans … you need to find another target group! Speaking of which …

3. Who is your target group?

You need to define who your potential users are going to be. Do you want to target young people looking for social contacts, some flirts and maybe the one big love story? Or would you like to attract a somewhat more mature audience, who either want to engage in an easy-going relationship, find a loving partner after a divorce (here’s a niche for you!), or just aim for a short, sweet and unemotional erotic adventure?

4. To pay or not to pay …

… that is the question you must ask yourself as well! If your plan is to target a younger audience, the services you Offer on your dating website should be free. People love free stuff and offering your service free of charge will make it so much easier for you to find users. Or – if you take the paid dating site “Taleja” as an example – you could offer only the registration for free and then make your money by selling coins which the users need to communicate with each other in order to arrange a date. A third option is to offer the use of your platform for a certain fee. This gives the dating app a more trustworthy appearance – especially for an older audience.

5. The domain name needs to stand out!

The name of your dating website is one of the keys to success! It must radiate passion, love, happiness, trust … if you want to bring people together for a lifetime. Or – if you’re going more for a down and dirty approach – the name must promise adventure, sensuality, no commitment, fun and … well … you get it, right? Choose a name which people will easily remember and if possible, contains a word which users will search for when looking for your niche dating website.

6. Landing page, navigation and site layout

When it comes to building your dating website, you really need to know what you’re doing. If you don’t – ask someone who does know to do it for you!

The landing page (as part of your website) is the first impression all users get from your site. If they don’t like the feeling or don’t find what they are looking for within a few seconds – they split up faster than a crappy blind date!

Next, you need to offer intuitive navigation on your site. If a user needs to search for the menu, look for little text links to get the information he or she needs – the only navigation path they’ll use after a few clicks is exiting your dating app.

The page layout is another key element! The first pages of your website need to show a lot of pictures in order to get the attention of the user and only give a small amount of information. The longer a user browses through a website, the balance between “attention” and “information” needs to shift.

Again: Building a professional website is a work of art. There are so many things to put into consideration you cannot even begin to imagine if you’re not an expert on that field. If you’re not – get one on board!