OPW – Sep 17 – “We will see dramatic changes in the idating industry in the next 10 years,” said Fabrice Le Parc. The online dating industry is evolving, new players are entering the industry from new angles such as social networking and mobile apps. Good examples are Zoosk and Badoo. Online dating in 2020 will be more ubiquitous.
The growth of other idating leaders is flattening and the distinction between online dating and social networking is growing stronger. Social networks can be used to generate better matches and simplify registration, however they can't replace dating services. Users require discretion in online dating. Online dating services introduce people to each other, whereas, social networks reconnect people who already know each other.
Mobile access to online dating is on the rise. There has been a 52% increase in mobile access to dating sites in Europe from June '09 to June '10. Mobile dating apps are changing the landscape of the idating industry. We see more and more people using just dating apps vs going to a website. This rise in the user base makes new features possible, like geolocation. The LBS user base will increase to 526M in 2012 from 96M in 2009 according to Gartner. By 2015, there will be 1.2 Billion mobile internet users in BRICI countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Indonesia). - Fabrice Le Parc, Founder & CEO of Smartdate
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