Video Chat Sites Boomed During Covid-19
With the containment linked to the fight against the spread of Covid-19, dating applications are experiencing a strong increase in their traffic.
In the midst of confinement due to corona virus, one sector is not experiencing the crisis: that of online dating. This industry is even booming with an increasing number of users who are turning to the Internet to find love. “Since people are not allowed to go out, online dating is currently the only option to meet new people, even if it is only by chat, telephone or video conference,” comments the media manager of the Parship site. , Stella Zeco.
Indeed, confinement and fear of contamination during meetings in public places lead to an increase in fragmentation and online exchanges. Thus, on March 29, Tinder recorded with 3 billion interactions, the highest number of daily “Swipes” since its launch in 2012. The dating application also recorded a 20% increase in daily conversations whose duration also increased by 25% according to adult cam reviews. The users, confined to their homes, have and take, in fact, more time to communicate and to know each other better.
Other online dating sites like Meetic and Bumble have also seen an increase in traffic in recent weeks, between 10 and 25%. The Parship site has also noticed a positive trend in the communication activity of its members since the extensive contact restrictions came into effect in Switzerland in mid-March, says Stella Zeco. “However, it is still too early to identify a general trend,” said their media manager.
One in five couples met online
According to John Placards, investment specialist at Mira baud bank , “Social media companies have identified this growth and are working to provide online dating experiences that appeal to almost all consumers.” Thus, most of these sites offer, in solidarity, during this crisis, free tools (video chats, partial subscriptions) in order to facilitate the exchanges of users during the confinement period.
The industry has a younger economy than its cousins, cinema, audiovisual and publishing. There are thus 250 companies in the sector, 50% of which were created less than 5 years ago. In general, studios still suffer from limited access to bank financing (31% of companies in the sector, according to the SNJV) and public subsidies, precious for enabling studios to finance the pre-development of their games without resorting to publishers, are still too limited. Fundraising exists – it concerns 12.9% of companies – but remains rare in the case of a project economy.
For a few years, marriage agencies have no longer been popular, explains John Placards. To multiply the possibilities of dating, singles are turning more and more to the Internet whose apps and other sites are practical, fast and fun. Online dating allows you to better target and identifies the person you are looking for. “On the Internet, you lose much less time than in real life because you have at your disposal all the tools necessary for the pre-selection of your potential partners”, indicates a user of Parsnip, the application which is the most successful.
Even if the theme is sometimes taboo, the number of couples who have met online has more than doubled over the past decade to around one in five, adds Mira baud analyst: “Nowadays, you’re much more likely to meet your next partner online than through family or co-workers. ” Indeed, the chances of meeting a partner online are 19%, while through a friend, they are 17% and in a bar 15%.
Today, almost all dating applications (45% of the market) belong to the Match Group (Match, Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish) created by a conglomerate called IAC. The group reported revenue of $ 547.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019.
In May 2018, Facebook announced the upcoming integration of a dating platform into its social network called “Dating”. The profile used for meetings will be separated from the classic profile of the social network with 2 billion active users. “The subject may make you smile, but dating is a growing market which should grow strongly in the coming years,” adds John Placards.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
