I know for a fact that at least one major advertising firm in Jamaica is planning to hit the web hard in 2008 and start promoting their clients’ products and services. Most Caribbean businesses have limited online advertising presence and it seems that the online advertising fever in the US is spreading, which bodes well for site owners. This particular firm spent 6 weeks researching content-based Caribbean websites and they said that the most important factor they were looking at was…professionalism. Traffic was secondary because they would rather work with a professionally-run website that had little traffic because the traffic would grow (and they don’t mind getting in early). They especially looked for the following as signs of professionalism on these content-driven sites:- clear navigation and organization- privacy policy and terms of use pages- contact forms or contact information- quick follow up to requests.2008 is shaping up to be a great year for web entrepreneurs who can create content-driven websites that reach the desired target markets - usually Caribbean people outside of the Caribbean. Targeting locals is however becoming more lucrative as well.Those sites that offer geo-targeting stand to benefit even more since they will be able to run local and international advertising. The pie is about to grow significantly so get ready to capture your slice.Do you think these companies are prepared to spend real money on the web or do they expect to get a banner ad for 1 whole month and only pay US$200?
4 Comments on “Caribbean Advertising firms plan to take Web seriously”
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Nothing these days excites me, as I’ve seen most of it, but this article right here got me very excited. Not because of the money that can be made, thats the cherry on top, but this is fresh new uncharted territory for the Caribbean. Something to give the ole brains something to work on. I think I like this very much. Please keep us updated on this
November 13th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Great article David. It’s great that companies are looking to maximise use of online communications. Although some Caribbean countries have low Internet penetration rates - Trinidad measures just 12% - the fact is that the demographics using the Internet represent some of the markets companies are trying to reach. Some countries like Barbados record 59.8% penetration. So usage varies across the Caribbean. I always say, online communication may not reach everyone, but if you do it right, you can reach exactly who you need to reach, especially the influencers.
December 8th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Interesting article. My experience with Caribbean advertisers is they fail to realize that it takes consistency and effort when you place an banner/advertisement online. You have to try different banners and messages. The first step is creating an awareness. It is a long term effort. I find many Caribbean advertisers expect a banner placement for 1 month to be the “silver bullet”.
December 17th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
[...] as opposed to moving in a tribe-like fashion.According to David Mullings, a columnist at Silicon Caribe, and CEO of Real Vibez, Caribbean advertising firms plan to take the Internet seriously in [...]
January 7th, 2008 at 8:20 pm