Table of Contents
- Introduction
- History of Astrology
- Overview of an Online Astrology Consultation
Marketplace
- Why go for an Online Astrology Marketplace?
- Types of Online Astrology
Consultation Marketplaces
- What makes an Online Astrology Marketplace so popular?
- Top
Features of an Online Astrology Marketplace
- Creating an Online Astrology Consultation Marketplace
- Online Astrology Consultation Marketplace - Revenue Models
- The Future of Online Astrology
Consultation in the Digital Age
- Conclusion
The life-altering conditions caused
by the pandemic brought times of despair. And, it is in such
times that
people follow various methods to cope. Astrology is one such way.
Statistics prove that
several astrology-based online startups saw a
growth of 10 to 30% in 2020. Another study revealed that
online
astrology revenue grew by 64.7% in 2019 to $40 million in 2020, in the
United States alone. Even
personal astrologers digitalized their
businesses and shifted to online channels. That said, in this blog,
we
cover everything you need to know about starting an online astrology
consultation marketplace in
2022, but first let us have a look at the
history of astrology.
History of Astrology
Since
the dawn of civilization, human
beings have been tracing stars and planets. They hunted, planted, and
migrated with the stars. Living in the rhythm of nature's cycles helped
civilizations to survive. More
so, people thought they were at the mercy
of nature, and so they viewed the heavens with fear, superstition,
and
even awe as the right amount of rainfall could guarantee a good harvest.
And, a flood could wipe out
the food supply just as easily.
But, modern astrology, like
humanity,
has evolved. Shared below is the rough timeline of this practice which
has existed for nearly
as long as humanity has.
Timeline of
Astrology
Overview of an Online Astrology Consultation Marketplace
Online astrology consultation
marketplace facilitates consultation with
astrologers. The clients are
given advice and guidance based on their zodiac signs, birth charts, and
more. So individuals can register themselves and choose among the top
astrologers listed on the marketplace
as per their requirements. Once
the astrologer is narrowed down, a booking request can be sent. On
acceptance, individuals can get real-time answers to their questions
from astrologers.
Why Go For An Online Astrology Marketplace?
Potential Industry to Invest
As already
mentioned above, astrology
is not new. It has been going on for ages. Especially if we look up to
ancient times and different mythologies. So the growth in the market is
there while the competition is
low. Also, as per research, astrological
and mystical services capture around 2.2 Billion US dollars
market.
Millennials - The Potential Audience
Every generation is different and is
generalized on the basis of their attitudes
and values. Baby boomers are
considered optimistic, while millennials are considered pragmatic and
full
of entrepreneurial spirit. In comparison to other generations, they
are also the ones to be considered the
least religious. But millennials
also show an increased interest in spirituality (not necessarily tied
to organized religion). According to Pew Research Center, more than 60%
of American millennials believe
in New Age Spirituality.
This can also be due to their
stress-induced lives. A study conducted after the 2007-2009 recession
revealed that symptoms of
depression and anxiety were greater for
millennials when compared with baby boomers. The difference also
explains the older generation's tendency to use active coping
strategies. On the other hand,
google-fluent millennials who are in
search of guidance, fall on astrology as a coping mechanism.
Venture Capitalists'
Interest
According to Google Trends, searches
for
astrology and birth charts have been on a rise since 2020. As
millennials have been drawn to the system of
charts and transits, in
order to seek some form of spirituality, venture capitalists have been
eyeing
large returns from a range of digital-first businesses dealing in
the mystical services market.
Types of Online Astrology Consultation Marketplaces
Vedic/Indian Astrology
In the Vedic astrology system, the predictions are done
based on
planetary conditions. The birth charts (Kundli) are designed by
calculating the position of planets
at the time of birth and accordingly
the predictions are done.
Western
Astrology
Similar to the Indian astrology style, Western astrology is based on
the
calculations of Zodiac signs, i.e. calculated according to the birth
date and month.
Chinese Astrology
There are 12 animal signs like a dragon, pig, snake, tiger, and
more.
The astrology here follows lunar calendar principles. They follow the
12-year cycle. Each year is
dedicated to one of the animals that are
decided by the revolution period of Jupiter and Sun. Further, the
future
predictions are based on 5 important planets including, the sun,
comet's position, and moon at the
time of a person's birth.
Numerology
A prediction is based on numbers
derived from the user's birthdate.
The whole birthdate is calculated. For example, the date of birth is 5th
June 1995, so the addition will be 05+06+1995. The addition will be
done till it comes to a single-digit like
5+6+1+9+9+5= 35 = 3+5 = 8.
Palmistry
Palmistry, also known as
chiromancy, chirology, or palm reading, is
the practice of fortune-telling by the interpretation of lines on the
palm of the hand.
Tarot Reading
In this type of reading, the future
is predicted with cards that are
shuffled and laid down. The card that comes for a particular question,
tells what the future holds.
Crystal Ball Gazing
In this type of
fortune practice, a person gazes and observes the
crystal ball, and on the basis of what is seen, predicts the
future.
Additionally, this practice of fortune-telling has been followed in many
countries for centuries.
What Makes Online Astrology Marketplace so Popular?
Personalized Astrology Services
Astrology is and always will be a personalized
service. Though
newspaper columns offer information related to astrology, such as
horoscopes based on Zodiac
signs for a group, it is still not
personalized. On the other hand, the online astrology consultation
platform offers tailored predictions to an individual.
Convenient and Cost-Effective
Astrology Services
It is almost impossible to visit a top astrologer who is located
miles away, just for a consultation. With an online astrology
consultation platform, you can pick the best
astrologer after analyzing
the profile and user reviews. As far as the consultation charges are
concerned,
you can filter astrologers according to your budget.
Time-Efficient Astrology
Services
Astrology is a high-level form of mathematics and through algorithms,
online astrology consultation becomes simpler and time-efficient. You
even save a lot of time waiting for an
appointment as you do not have to
visit the astrologer in person. You just consult your favorite
astrologer
by scheduling an appointment online.
Privacy Concerns
Certain people
are more cautious when it comes to privacy.
Fortunately, an online consultation marketplace is designed in a way
where your identity is not disclosed and 100% privacy is offered.
Top
Features of An Online Astrology Marketplace
Easy Listing
and Profile Creation
Listing an astrologer on your marketplace should be easily done. You
can also choose the services each astrologer offers, their area of
specialization, hourly rates, and more. A
customer should be able to
sort and find the astrologer from the list of astrologers listed on the
marketplace without any hassle.
Ratings and Reviews
This is
one of the major metrics based on which the customers choose
an astrologer. Online astrology marketplaces should
pay attention to the
ratings and reviews system. Customers should be able to filter through
the search
results as per their preferred well-rated astrologer.
Live Sessions
The
marketplace should facilitate real-time conversations between the
astrologer and the client. Hence, basic
features like audio, video
calling, group sessions, and live chat should be available.
Media
Upload/Download
An online astrologer marketplace should allow the uploading and
downloading of horoscope details. It will be even better if the media
format of the horoscope copy can be in
a printable format.
Easy Booking of Appointments
A good astrology
consultation marketplace should be intuitive so that
clients can book appointments with astrologers of their
choice with a
click of a button. Further, an easy-to-use dashboard should allow
clients to take a look at
their appointments at a glance so that
appointments are not missed. Push notifications should also ensure that
clients never miss an update on their astrological readings.
Having Multiple Payment
Gateways
Building an online astrology coaching marketplace involves
integration with
multiple payment gateways. As a client can be from
anywhere in the world, so it is important to have multiple
payment
gateways.
Creating an Online Astrology Consultation
Marketplace
There is a lot of research, planning, and execution that goes into
turning an online astrology consultation marketplace idea into a
reality. For the sake of simplicity, we
share the process of creating an
online astrology consultation marketplace below:
Method
1:
- Analysis- In this step analyze the market.
Conduct competitor analysis so that you are aware of what is in the
market. What are the requirements of
the audience? What is something
that you can provide better than your competitors?
- Select a Niche- Online astrology consultation
is a vast arena.
You can choose a particular niche from the various
types such as Indian astrology, Chinese astrology, Tarot
Reading, and
more.
- Design- This is the next step toward
starting
an Online Astrologer Consultation Marketplace. In this phase, wireframes
based on the above
parameters are created, i.e. draft designs are
prepared for the software. It helps with the development of
the overall
architecture of the marketplace.
- Development- Post design, the platform development process begins, i.e. where the actual coding
starts.
- Testing- In this phase, the astrology consultation platform
will be tested
extensively so that it is free from bugs, faults, and problems.
- Release- Once the platform is free from bugs and errors, it is released.
- Support- After deployment, it is important to
have a support team that looks after
any problems that might occur in
the real-time scenario.
Method 2:
You can select a readymade consultation software that is built by integrating trending features so that popular
monetization channels can be accommodated.
Online Astrology Consultation
Marketplace - Revenue Models
An online astrology consultation
marketplace can earn revenue via the following methods:
Commission
This is the most common method of revenue generation as it allows the
admin of the online astrology consultation
marketplace to charge a
nominal commission fee from the client and the astrologer.
Ad
Campaigns
To make the most of an astrologer consultation marketplace, put up
ads for
personal counseling sessions, gemstones, astrology books, and so
on.
Selling
Merchandise
In the Astro space, you can offer an array of products and services
to
choose from. Further, you can make the most of it by providing an
individualized reading on the online platform
of astrology and
horoscope.
Subscription
This method is a great source of
revenue generation for an online
astrologer consultation marketplace, as the admin can earn from daily,
monthly, and yearly horoscope subscription plans.
Featured Section
Online
astrology consultation marketplaces can also generate money
via having a featured section where astrologers
offering premium
services can be highlighted. But for the same, a certain amount as per
the placement is
charged.
The Future of Online Astrology Consultation
Just as
the world gets more connected with the evolution of
technology, the dynamics of astrology prediction have also
started to
change, paving the way for machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Moreover, as the
prospect of building an online astrologer consultation
marketplace can be arduous, software solutions like
Yo!Coach will have a
significant role to play. The solution not only allows you to set up an
online
consultation marketplace in less time but also incorporates
advanced features and functionalities, pivotal for
setting up an online
astrology consultation marketplace.
Conclusion
The pandemic-led paradigm shifts in consumer
behaviour have given
online astrology services a definite leg-up. For certain people, major
life decisions
such as starting a new business, or finalizing a business
deal are determined by astrologers. Certain others
enquire about their
health, career, and relationships. Hence, online astrology consultation
is a growing
segment, so if as an entrepreneur you are looking to launch
an on-demand astrologer consultation marketplace,
this is the right
time. To get more information regarding starting your online astrology
consultation
marketplace, you can get in touch with us.