Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/156274 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Citation: 
[Journal:] Business Research [ISSN:] 2198-2627 [Volume:] 8 [Issue:] 1 [Publisher:] Springer [Place:] Heidelberg [Year:] 2015 [Pages:] 139-170
Publisher: 
Springer, Heidelberg
Abstract: 
Our study applies empirical scrutiny to the network effects of a leading European online dating platform. While one might expect equal gender representation on such a platform to yield the best user experience and the highest revenue per user, our analysis shows that the platform requires only 36.2 % of its user base to be female to maximize revenue, primarily because women exert stronger positive cross-side network effects on men than vice versa; this optimum results in 17.2 % higher sales than a 50/50 split. Intermediaries of two-sided markets can use our model to improve user acquisition strategies.
Subjects: 
Network effects
Two-sided markets
Online dating
Willingness to pay
Revenue optimization
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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