Thread: English sites vs native language sites

I think that this will be a useful topic for non-native English speakers.

It will be easier to understand it if I explain it by relating it to my own experience so here we go.

I was born in Poland and English is my second language. I want to build a fastlane business by creating a website business, preferably by having an e-mail list and creating and selling virtual products such as membership sites, e-books and stuff like this.

My sites work like this:
1. Create a squeeze page
2. Get traffic and convince users to sign up to a mailing list (offer a freebie such as an e-book to convince people to join a mailing list)
3. Send them great free content (besides for a freebie send additional e-mails with useful content)
4. Build a relationship by solving problems and fulfilling needs
5. From time to time send offers (my own products as a primary income, affiliate offers as a secondary income)

I think it's a great NECST business model.

Thanks to autoresponders it's very easy to automate it and don't spend too much time on it (of course after the whole process of creating it, writing content and promoting the site).

Anyway, back to the main topic. I have a few English sites and a few Polish sites and I don't know if I should concentrate on building a business for an English-speaking audience or for Poles.

Since English isn't my native language, if I want to do business in English (for example write content for my English sites) I need to pay an experienced translator to proofread my writings to make sure that there are no mistakes.

If I want to do business in Polish, I don't need to do it but making money is way harder because Poles don't have as much money as English speakers do and they aren't that eager to spend money online (especially when it comes to virtual products).

Most virtual products for an English audience are for 40-50 dollars. In Poland most people won't pay that much money (if at all) and prices need to be like three times lower. There's less competition but audience is way smaller so it's harder to have impact.

I found out that while making money with more competition (English sites) is usually harder, if I make money, I make a few times more and with less effort than when I try to do that on a small Polish market (especially when it comes to smaller niches). And it's also easier to promote my sites on English market - there are simply many more places to do it.

I created a list with advantages and drawbacks for each option:

English-speaking audience

Advantages:
- HUGE audience so it's way easier to have an impact and there are more needs to fulfill and more problems to solve
- people have much more money
- people are more eager to spend money online and buy virtual products
- I get paid more and can save more money since I earn in dollars and spend in zlotys (geoarbitrage)
- many ways to promote a site, it's easier to find affiliates, easier to advertise, word of mouth is more powerful (especially when it comes to bloggers)

Drawbacks:
- stronger competition
- I need to pay to proofread my writings (however maybe eventually, thanks to writing in English every single day and improving my writing skills, I won't need it)
- it takes more time to create content

Native language (I'm relating to my own experience and Polish market)

Advantages:
- less competition so it's easier to stand out
- better understanding of this reality
- I don't need to pay to proofread my content (however maybe eventually, thanks to writing in English every single day and improving my writing skills, I won't need it)
- I can create content more quickly than in English

Drawbacks:
- way smaller audience
- prices need to be a few times lower
- people aren't that eager to spend money online and especially on virtual products
- few potential affiliates, bloggers, sites etc. that can help promote a product

Even though it's harder to write content in English, I'm more convinced to do business in English. It takes me more time to create good content in English and I need to pay to proofread it, but eventually I can earn more since the audience is multiple times bigger, I get paid in dollars (and spend in zlotys, so it's geoarbitrage in practice) and there are more needs and more niches.

What is your opinion? Focus on the English-speaking audience or on the native language speaking audience?

Thanks for your opinion Thearia.