Like China, the current level of Internet penetration in the Middle East is around 10 percent, can be compared to the market of more developed countries a decade ago and is emerging as one of today’s hottest growth markets; with a 491 percent increase in Internet usage from 2000-2007, according to www.internetworldstats.com.
Again, as with China, your business model when selling to this market will probably need to be revised – pitching a $29.90 monthly credit card subscription to a surfer without one is wasting both his time and yours.
Furthermore, you must bear in mind that the average earnings on these countries are low. So, even if he had the means to pay you, thirty bucks to him would be prohibitively expensive.
The solution therefore is to offer such surfers access for (say) a day, by inviting them to make a simple phone call. The telephone is a device that practically all surfers have access to – not least since it effectively powers the Internet – and cellphone penetration in these countries often rivals those in the West.
Remember, thanks to the open global architecture of the web, these people already have access to your sites – so the implementation of such billing will hand you an instant new revenue stream from surfers who are visiting your sites anyway, all without any additional marketing efforts on your part.
As for niches that convert, we are finding that gay converts particular well with traffic from these countries. Despite Persian Kings historically pleasing themselves with boys; homosexuality is strictly outlawed in these countries, which might explain why online gay porn is selling so well there and our billing is highly ranked on Alexa in these countries!
Another medium to consider if you want to take this market seriously is that of satellite television which allows you to promote your product cost-effectively to all Arabic-speaking countries, all of whom can access your website(s).
Thankfully, a picture really does say more than a thousand words, so an entire translation of your tours and promotional materials in not necessarily necessary. However, when it comes to the important bit – paying you – it is imperative to communicate with such prospects in Arabic. Your phone processor should be able to provide you with tools needed to accomplish this.
With some developed countries already demonstrating signs of saturation, such emerging markets represent a fantastic opportunity for any adult webmaster wishing to fully capitalize on the global reach of the web and who is in this business for the long haul.
Money talks in every language, including Arabic.
