3rd world countries and the internet

[cwinhall]

Hi everyone, :hi:

Long time since I was last here, I lost interest in domaining quite severely for the last 6months or so. My interest is picking up again with some recent changes in my life.

I am soon going to be migrating to a 3rd world country (aka developing country), where the internet boom has not happened yet, but is inbound within the next few years. I have looked into the numbers and there is a steady increase in internet uses in this said country of 3000% annually and with the recent introduction of fibre, this is sure to increase further. I am therefore looking to get a foothold in some prime internet sectors. However I am not sure which are the easiest to monetise and maintain.

My short term objective is to run service/industry sector websites, and charge annually for advertising on the site. I was just wanting hints and tips for this. What CMS options are available for easy duplication and maintenance for such websites?

I am talking strictly ccTLD here. co.XX

If you were in my shoes, what would you be looking to acheive a foothold on the net in a developing country?

 

[cwinhall]

They said $35 to me from out of the country.. they scamming you!! :lol:

I was chekcing with 101domains registrar

 

[Soofi]

I was chekcing with 101domains registrar

:lol: go direct to the registrar if you really wanna do it and get yourself a bargain, however I'd still like to suggest not going for it.

Why do you want to get your money stuck for next couple of years, or maybe even more.. when you can invest somewhere else and settle down wit far better opportunities, a decent business investment for self with nice return on investment coming right away for you!!

 

[cwinhall]

:lol: go direct to the registrar if you really wanna do it and get yourself a bargain, however I'd still like to suggest not going for it.

Why do you want to get your money stuck for next couple of years, or maybe even more.. when you can invest somewhere else and settle down wit far better opportunities, a decent business investment for self with nice return on investment coming right away for you!!

I gave the .com domaining a try and my names were merely average/low on the newbie scale. I don't think I can be bothered again with it. I'd rather stick with a few fantastic keyword names that I know I can market in the country where word of mouth travels like wildfire. I just would need a simple minisite on the domains and then sit on them. A rcent turn of events means I may have someone who can develop a fully functional website for them and release the full potential of the domain. I have looked into popular websites in neighbouring countries with a high web presence and most of the big ones are ccTLD's. So I think I have a good chance if I do it right.

Just to prove to you how bad I was at it, check this link.

http://www.namepros.com/domains-for...rtfolio-for-sale-make-offers.html#post3797926

If you want 1 of the names you can have them for free for your help :P

 

[Soofi]

I gave the .com domaining a try and my names were merely average/low on the newbie scale. I don't think I can be bothered again with it. I'd rather stick with a few fantastic keyword names that I know I can market in the country where word of mouth travels like wildfire. I just would need a simple minisite on the domains and then sit on them. A rcent turn of events means I may have someone who can develop a fully functional website for them and release the full potential of the domain. I have looked into popular websites in neighbouring countries with a high web presence and most of the big ones are ccTLD's. So I think I have a good chance if I do it right.

Just to prove to you how bad I was at it, check this link.

http://www.namepros.com/domains-for...rtfolio-for-sale-make-offers.html#post3797926

If you want 1 of the names you can have them for free for your help :P

:lol: I liked your portfolio :P jk.. give it up or let it expire to be honest!!

 

[netfleet]

Sounds like a good opportunity. Increasing internet penetration is the key here but you also need to look at:

Population. If it's less than 5m, is the market really big enough to support your efforts
Language. Do you speak the local language? Should you be considering/waiting for IDN?
Culture. Local nuances can render an otherwise decent domain terrible. It ties in with language too
GDP. Is there enough money flowing around to justfy an investment
Politics. Is the country relatively stable otherwise your investments could be at real risk
Domain Regulations. Are you able to freely buy & sell domains? Is monetisation acceptable? Is local presence required for reg/buy/sell? Are any changes in this are imminent?

If there are no major obstacles with above list, I suggest you take a punt & go hard. Grab that first-mover's advantage...

 

[cwinhall]

Sounds like a good opportunity. Increasing internet penetration is the key here but you also need to look at:

Population. If it's less than 5m, is the market really big enough to support your efforts
Language. Do you speak the local language? Should you be considering/waiting for IDN?
Culture. Local nuances can render an otherwise decent domain terrible. It ties in with language too
GDP. Is there enough money flowing around to justfy an investment
Politics. Is the country relatively stable otherwise your investments could be at real risk
Domain Regulations. Are you able to freely buy & sell domains? Is monetisation acceptable? Is local presence required for reg/buy/sell? Are any changes in this are imminent?

If there are no major obstacles with above list, I suggest you take a punt & go hard. Grab that first-mover's advantage...

Thanks for the fantastic advice. Rep added! :great:

 

[afako]

PM me your country.

I can help you.

 

[Jaco]

Good post Netfleet...

Domain Regulations... Are any changes in this are imminent?

This is the greatest fear of any ccTLD speculator/investor, since it's the sort of thing that can 'jump out of the bushes' without much forewarning.

Aside from .us I speculate very lightly in ccTLD, but when I do my focus is mainly on India.
They liberalized their namespace requirements in 2005, but that absolutely, positively does not mean that they cannot add retroactive 'requirements' after the fact, much like China did with .cn. It's one of those things where everyone convinces themselves it 'cannot happen' until it happens.

The .cn bloodbath shows how dicey speculating on ccTLD can be and how little recourse the average-Joe 'domainer' really has. Having a local presence is a good thing. Were it not for a trusted friend and associate who I have in India who can quickly take possession of my India names should such requirements go into play, I'd probably avoid it altogether.

 

[Soofi]

Great post Netfleet... repd+

 

[netfleet]

Thanks Guys that's very kind of you

Dongsman, change in regulations can be a positive of course.

Local presence required rules being relaxed
Prohibition of trading being lifted (as happened in .AU)
Premission of monetisation (as happened in .AU)

Although I take your point re .cn!!

 

[Sameh]

PM me the country as well.