Let's assume that dating apps are a lot like night clubs, in that some are better than others when it comes to places singles mix. This often happens for no reason other than the people who go there. One look at night club and bar reviews and a large factor for success or failure is often the nature of the clientele.
It appears that dating-app stalwart Match.com ($MTCH) is on a steady decline in users. After a favorable 2016-2017, the dating app has been seeing a steady decline in logins (at least via Facebook, the preferd login method) since January, 2017, as seen below.
Is Match.com destined to become a dating graveyard, a place that's no longer favorable to those looking for love? It certainly is possible.
We asked some young singles how they see Match.com, and the results are telling.
"I think match.com is outdated, and overly publicized on TV," said a 20-something single woman who is active among dating apps. "None of my peers use it, and you when you hear about match.com you would think that it's for people who are 45+ in age."
A similarly aged single man we spoke to corroborated the sentiment.
"[Match] feels more like something for older people looking for something serious," he noted.
In other words, Match.com isn't cool anymore, and usage data reflects this. Zooming in on the past year shows just how much the app (and site) has declined:
Indeed, Match.com's current messaging is focused on the end goal of marriage, which is potentially putting off singles who aren't looking for "the one" and instead are looking for "the right now".
That all said, as old dive bars become cool again among young people, perhaps Match.com can lean into its stodginess, make some changes to its advertising strategy, and once again become the place for singles.
