Product Perspective: Hinge
This week on Product Breakdown, we will be covering the dating app Hinge.
Product Breakdown we talk about our experiences with different products and what are some things we would possibly improve to the product. In addition to hosting these rooms, I share my own personal perspective on each product that we cover.
1). Company/ Product Overview
Hinge was originally founded in 2012 by Justin McLeod & launched the mobile app officially in 2013.
Similar to Tinder, they fall under the parent company Match.com after being acquired in 2019.
Their mission statement is “ We built an app that’s designed to be deleted.”
The market that Hinge is primarily after is for folks who are looking to meet other who are interested in pursuing something a little more serious relationship wise.
As of 2020, Hinge has around 6 million active users and 400,000 subscribers.
Just like other apps that I’ve covered, Hinge follows the Freemium business model, where customers get to use an app for free with the option to upgrade by paying for premium features. Some apps/products have this structured as a recurring monthly subscription fee or a one-time fee from what I have seen.
Preferred Hinge comes in at 3 different prices based on term length, and at first glance there doesn't seem to be too much of a price difference between paying upfront and monthly.
During the pandemic Hinge introduced Video Prompts, which allows users to answer video prompts to better connect with matches aside from going back and forth via text.
It is the perfect intermediate step between chatting over text and meeting in person as it allows users to gauge potential chemistry between folks.
This past winter Hinge partnered up with Chipotle to provide users with free food which was a brilliant PR move in my opinion. Considering that a lot of dates tend to revolve around food, I could see why Hinge would take a possible calculated risk like this.
One thing that stood out to me was how Hinge is now enticing folks to go on dates as various parts of the world open up.
2). My Perspective on Hinge
Similar to the previous weeks’ responses, I have used Hinge previously on an occasional basis.
One of the things that I enjoy about Hinge, is that they really allow users to make their profiles more personable compared to the other dating apps.
They have done good job of incorporating various prompts people can answer that allow for other users to get a feel for who you are as a person.
Other dating apps tend allow for folks to link their social media profiles & Spotify. However I would say in my experience Hinge, has done the best job in terms of allowing people to choose how they want to present themselves.
It allows for more fluid conversations to start once users match with one another.
Another thing that stands out to me about Hinge in my opinion is the seamless user experience and how users can go from one action to another without any complication.
3). Conclusion
Overall, Hinge is a great way to meet folks based off the actual user interface and what the company’s mission is.
The pandemic actually allowed them to build more momentum in terms of user acquisition and revenue.
It will be interesting to see how once things go back to normal if the uptick in usage sustains or drops when people can meet in person.
Would love to get other people’s thoughts as well on their experience with Hinge so far.