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MEET BEFORE MEETING – The Future of Online Dating Has Arrived

By Author: Team Agora In Business Topics: , , , ,

We’ve been exploring applications that are a natural fit for live streaming video, and there are few that are a more obvious slam dunk than dating apps. Live video brings a whole new level of immediacy and intimacy that more closely matches real-life encounters.

Many dating apps still only offer still images and text-based messaging options. In the real-world, people meet in a social setting and engage in live face-to-face conversations that are far more forthright, engaging and revelatory. Each person can more accurately sense whether they feel a connection and whether they want to take the initial interactions to the next level.

For those looking for Miss or Mister Right, the ability to see and speak with a potential match in real time via live video is an ideal way to find out whether the chemistry is right.

Less Hassle, More Depth
In online dating apps today, users who are ready to take the next step after a few exchanges within the app are forced to take their interactions outside the app via third-party conferencing or an in-person meetup. With live streaming video as an integrated app feature, matched users can cut right to the chase and get a deeper and more natural feel for each other in a way that mimics real-life encounters.

The setup of a dating app can enable a pair to either begin their conversation via live video or have the option to hit a button to jump directly onto a video call within the app to get to know each other better.

Video Adds Real Value
Adding live video to dating apps is a win-win for dating app providers as well as users. The richer and more memorable the experience, the happier users are to pay for the dating app.

The excitement of engaging in live video chats with potential mates keeps users glued to their screens. With more and more apps fighting for consumer’s attention and screen time, stickiness is a valuable metric for any dating app, and the average video chat session lasts longer than the staccato bursts of text messaging seen in dating apps.

For dating service providers, adding live streaming video to mobile dating apps is an investment that will pay back handsomely in user satisfaction, new and returning business, and a competitive edge vs. dating apps that lack live video engagement, all of which translates into higher revenues.

Low Barriers to New Opportunities
While real-time video used to be an elusive feature reserved for those with the resources and expertise needed to build the tech in-house, the recent democratization of cloud communication technologies has opened the floodgates to new opportunities for developers large and small. Now, embedding high-quality live video takes no more than a few lines of code with the help of dedicated video APIs like ours.

As with telehealth, entertainment, sales events, product launches, mobile gaming, news broadcasting, and many other businesses and social activities, adding live video to dating apps has become an easy and inexpensive process that makes the experience richer and more valuable for the providers and users alike.