With an internet population of over 70 million, Germany is one of the most attractive countries in the EU for online businesses. A specifically interesting industry is online dating. The increasing number of singles, living mainly in cities like Berlin and Köln, attracts a wide range of online dating players to the German market.

A relatively new one is LOVOO. The dating app was created in 2011 and is now growing faster than all of the longer-existing players like Parship, NEU.de and eDarling. Week after week, Lovoo is in the top most downloaded social apps in Germany, right after evergreens like Facebook and Whatsapp. The free app for iOS, Android and web uses your phone’s location data to find nearby matches for you. Potential matches can be approached by messages, kisses and virtual gifts.

German singles have embraced the app. An estimated 4 million Germans downloaded LOVOO to their phones, and the app scores 4 respectively 4.5 stars in the iPhone and Android stores. What is the secret behind the success of LOVOO?

Reason 1: the number of users
There is a very large user base in Germany. In almost every area users will found someone they like. The main drivers of growth are the continuous media campaigns the company has. LOVOO follows a multi-channel approach, with TV commercials and a YouTube channel to reach a large audience, and several performance-based campaigns to get more app downloads. Also, they run an affiliate program, paying between €1,00 and €1,50 per app download.

Reason 2: the quality of profiles
Overall, the quality of profiles is quite high. One of the reasons is the push to verified users. Once logged in, LOVOO will ask you several times to verify your profile by uploading a photo of yourself showing a unique code. Those who want to be sure that potential matches are real, can limit their search to find only verified users. This is a particularly smart move for the German market, where many users are prone to fakers and aching for quality labels.

Reason 3: the pricing
Basic features of the app are free to use. To get the most out of the app an upgrade using the credit system is required. Users can either buy credits (starting at €2,99) or pay a monthly fee (maximum €7,99 per month, depending on length of subscription). For those that do not want to pay there is an alternative. By watching videos, subscribing for e-mail lists or by downloading apps of Tapjoy partners, users with much time or a high spam-tolerance level can earn credits.

Reason 4: the feature set
While competitor Tinder is focusing on simplicity, LOVOO has much richer functionality. The result is a user interface that is more complex. On the positive side: there is much more possibility to connect with users that are in the same area. In addition to the matching feature that made Tinder so famous, the app also included a Live Rader (like in Blendr and Grindr) and a user search with filters.

What’s next for LOVOO?
The future for LOVOO in Germany looks bright. With the national success in mind, the founders are looking to capture the attractive North-American market. Until now, the Americans are not impressed; they still find Tinder, Hot or Not and OKCupid most valuable when looking for a date.