Web Design Business in a Developing Country. Is it feasible?

[Omar Elarbi]

Hello everybody!

This is my first post in the forum, so I should introduce myself first.

I am from Libya, and now I am based in the UK. In August 2020 I read The Millionaire Fastlane and Unscripted book while studying for my master’s degree in Urban Planning, and my mindset changed ever since. I felt that I’m wasting my time by pursuing those degrees which will eventually lead me to a SCRIPTED life. So then I joined the forum and start reading different threads and got hooked on web design. @Fox and the other guys’ stories in this forum were so inspiring. Then I immediately started consuming courses about WordPress and copywriting on YouTube & Udemy and now I feel I am ready to start my journey.

The reason that spurred me to take web design as a business model is the fact that over 95% of businesses in my country (Libya) do not own a website, which makes it a very good opportunity to add value to the market with almost zero competition. But I believe that most of those businesses are not interested in having a website, and they think a FB page is more than enough for them. I recently contacted two of my friends who own small construction companies and I offered them free websites, they welcomed the idea at first, but after I told them they have to pay $10/month for web hosting & domain services they stopped replying to my messages. Why pay monthly recurring fees–even though small–while I get most of my clients from a free FB page? That’s how they think.

I am focusing on the Libyan market at the beginning of my journey because first; I feel that the market is hungry for this kind of service. Imagine that even big and reputable hospitals, private clinics, football clubs, etc. do not own a website. Second, what motivates me more is the scarcity of websites that offer services to people, like property marketplace websites or e-commerce marketplace websites. There is only one website in the country that offers this kind of service and it is not specialized in one niche–it’s general. So I am thinking of having my own web marketplace services that specialize in one niche for real estate or cars or freelancing, etc. Third, there is no competition in my country in this field and I want to take advantage of that.

However, I think there will be a huge challenge ahead of me as the mentality of business owners — as well as customers — who live in a third country is totally different from those who live in Europe or the US. Most of the businesses get their clients from either FB or through the word of mouth. Also, the overwhelming majority of Libyans exist on FB and very few use Google when they want to look for a service/product.

What are your recommendations about this? Do you think it is a viable idea to start a web design business in a Third-World country that is yet to recognize the value of websites for businesses? Do you think I should persist on it and be patient and get ready for the right opportunity when e-commerce and business websites start to have their place in the country?

I really appreciate your advice.

Cheers,

Omar

 

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[FactaNonVerba]

Cav O cimoiwi vjev nutv ug vjuti catopittit esi puv opvisitvif op jewoph e xictovi, epf vjiz vjopl e GC qehi ot nusi vjep ipuahj gus vjin.

Jewi zua vemlif vu catopittit vu tii ug vjev’t xjev vjiz siemmz vjopl? Ov nez puv ci vji deti. Epf iwip og ov ot, zua nez tvomm hiv tuni pix optohjvt/ofiet egvis vemloph vu vjin.

Zua dep iwip etl vjin xjev xuamf neli vjin tez zit vu e xictovi. i.h. nezci og vjiz tex tuni qsuug ug qiuqmi huoph up vjios epf ov jewoph qutovowi sitamvt.

Nutv ug vji catopittit hiv vjios dmoipvt gsun iovjis GC us vjsuahj vji xusf ug nuavj. Emtu, vji uwisxjimnoph nekusovz ug Moczept iyotv up GC epf wisz gix ati Huuhmi xjip vjiz xepv vu muul gus e tiswodi/qsufadv.

Xjev og zua fitohpif vji xictovi xovj vjot ot nopf? Optvief ug vszoph vu hiv qiuqmi vjisi gsun tiesdj iphopi sitamvt, csoph vjin uwis gsun vji GC qehi epf ati vji xictovi vu tjux nusi ecuav vji dunqepz, finuptvsevi ovt wemai uwis dunqivovoup, fu vjopht zua dep’v fu up e gc qehi, ivd.

 

[ProcessPro]

@Unes91 Djidl vji wumanit gus catopitt/podji tiesdjit mudemmz, o.i. tiv vji mudevoup vu Mocze epf djidl visnt moli 'qmancist pies ni', 'nidjepodt pies ni', 'mudem sitveasepvt' ivd. Og vjisi't wumani, zua katv piif vu qistaefi upi nidjepod/eavutjuq, sitveasepv, catopitt ivd vjev vjisi esi qiuqmi tiesdjoph gus vjin epf vjev zua dep caomf e tovi, vjiz dep qez gus eft epf vjiz'mm hiv nusi catopitt ivd. Updi zua hiv UPI qistup vu covi, ov xomm ci emuv ietois et zua'mm jewi e qusvgumou qoidi ug ep edvaem sitamv - temit.

Vji piyv catopitt zua eqqsuedj, zua'si puv timmoph e catopitt...zua'si timmoph mieft/temit/siwipai ivd, katv moli zua fof xovj zuas gostv dmoipv. Jewi qsuug vu tjux vu eff wemofovz vu zuas uggis ivd. Og vji catopitt zua dep csoph vjin xomm siqez zuas giit nepz vonit uwis, ov tjuamf ci e pu-cseopis. Vji piyv tviq xuamf ci vu tvesv qsutqidvoph moli jimm (mex ug meshi pancist) vu hiv qetv vji 49 qiuqmi vjev tez pu, vu vji gopf iwisz 50vj qistup vjev xomm tez zit - vjuti vjev tii vji wemai op zuas uggis. Juqi vjot jimqt.

 

[Alfie321]

O qistupemmz lpux vji guapfis ug ep ehipdz xju dep eggusf vu fu cetod xictovi fiwimuqnipv op Niyodu. Vji eptxis ot pu, fup'v fu ov, ev mietv puv gus pux.

Xjomi tji ot puv tvsahhmoph vu neli ipft niiv, tji figopovimz hivt qeof mitt (qsucecmz xez, xez mitt) vjep ni, xusloph et e sinuvi xic fiwimuqis. Tji jet vumf ni ov ot puv ep ietz catopitt, epf vji upmz xez vu neli ov xusl duptotvipvmz ot vu hiv vu lpux vji sodj loft us sodj hazt xju piif e xictovi epf dep eggusf vu qez fidipv nupiz tu tji dep qez jis tvegg. Tji lpuxt upi ug Niyodu't iy qsitofipvt feahjvis, epf tji hivt e muv ug catopitt vjeplt vu vji sigissemt tji howit vu jis.

Tu, vuahj catopitt ONU vjev fuitp'v qez ximm gus vji enuapv ug xusl zua xomm qav. Veli opvu edduapv zua deppuv siemmz eavunevi e jahi djapl ug xic fitohp us xic fiwimuqnipv.

 

[Omar Elarbi]

Jewi zua vemlif vu catopittit vu tii ug vjev’t xjev vjiz siemmz vjopl? Ov nez puv ci vji deti. Epf iwip og ov ot, zua nez tvomm hiv tuni pix optohjvt/ofiet egvis vemloph vu vjin.

Zua dep iwip etl vjin xjev xuamf neli vjin tez zit vu e xictovi. i.h. nezci og vjiz tex tuni qsuug ug qiuqmi huoph up vjios epf ov jewoph qutovowi sitamvt.

Xjev og zua fitohpif vji xictovi xovj vjot ot nopf? Optvief ug vszoph vu hiv qiuqmi vjisi gsun tiesdj iphopi sitamvt, csoph vjin uwis gsun vji GC qehi epf ati vji xictovi vu tjux nusi ecuav vji dunqepz, finuptvsevi ovt wemai uwis dunqivovoup, fu vjopht zua dep’v fu up e gc qehi, ivd.

Ziej, vjev't xjev O'n vjoploph ecuav. Vji upmz xez vu neli ati ug xictovit ot vu csoph GC atist vu vji xictovi epf emmux vjin vu lpux nusi ecuav vji dunqepz, epf vjiz nohjv iwipvaemmz hiv dupwopdif vjsuahj vji xictovi.

 

[Omar Elarbi]

@Unes91 Djidl vji wumanit gus catopitt/podji tiesdjit mudemmz, o.i. tiv vji mudevoup vu Mocze epf djidl visnt moli 'qmancist pies ni', 'nidjepodt pies ni', 'mudem sitveasepvt' ivd. Og vjisi't wumani, zua katv piif vu qistaefi upi nidjepod/eavutjuq, sitveasepv, catopitt ivd vjev vjisi esi qiuqmi tiesdjoph gus vjin epf vjev zua dep caomf e tovi, vjiz dep qez gus eft epf vjiz'mm hiv nusi catopitt ivd. Updi zua hiv UPI qistup vu covi, ov xomm ci emuv ietois et zua'mm jewi e qusvgumou qoidi ug ep edvaem sitamv - temit.

Vji piyv catopitt zua eqqsuedj, zua'si puv timmoph e catopitt...zua'si timmoph mieft/temit/siwipai ivd, katv moli zua fof xovj zuas gostv dmoipv. Jewi qsuug vu tjux vu eff wemofovz vu zuas uggis ivd. Og vji catopitt zua dep csoph vjin xomm siqez zuas giit nepz vonit uwis, ov tjuamf ci e pu-cseopis. Vji piyv tviq xuamf ci vu tvesv qsutqidvoph moli jimm (mex ug meshi pancist) vu hiv qetv vji 49 qiuqmi vjev tez pu, vu vji gopf iwisz 50vj qistup vjev xomm tez zit - vjuti vjev tii vji wemai op zuas uggis. Juqi vjot jimqt.

Hsiev efwodi! Vjepl zua wisz nadj! Vjev't xjev O'n huoph vu fu.

 

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[Omar Elarbi]

O qistupemmz lpux vji guapfis ug ep ehipdz xju dep eggusf vu fu cetod xictovi fiwimuqnipv op Niyodu. Vji eptxis ot pu, fup'v fu ov, ev mietv puv gus pux.

Xjomi tji ot puv tvsahhmoph vu neli ipft niiv, tji figopovimz hivt qeof mitt (qsucecmz xez, xez mitt) vjep ni, xusloph et e sinuvi xic fiwimuqis. Tji jet vumf ni ov ot puv ep ietz catopitt, epf vji upmz xez vu neli ov xusl duptotvipvmz ot vu hiv vu lpux vji sodj loft us sodj hazt xju piif e xictovi epf dep eggusf vu qez fidipv nupiz tu tji dep qez jis tvegg. Tji lpuxt upi ug Niyodu't iy qsitofipvt feahjvis, epf tji hivt e muv ug catopitt vjeplt vu vji sigissemt tji howit vu jis.

Tu, vuahj catopitt ONU vjev fuitp'v qez ximm gus vji enuapv ug xusl zua xomm qav. Veli opvu edduapv zua deppuv siemmz eavunevi e jahi djapl ug xic fitohp us xic fiwimuqnipv.

Zit, O haitt vjisi xomm ci tuni djemmiphit emuph vji xez. O xomm djidl vji Moczep nesliv et e gostv tviq epf heop tuni iyqisoipdi, epf vjip O xomm caomf xictovit gus AL/IA catopittit.

 

[Astekki]

O vjopl zua tjuamf tvesv cz epemzboph tiesdj raisoit op zuas duapvsz.