Foreign Web Designers in Cyprus - An Endangered Species?
Published: 22nd February 2007
Out and about in Larnaca yesterday evening, I ended up
having an interesting conversation with a local technical
writer.
It would appear that during the past few months, web
designers in Cyprus have faced increasing competition
from their foreign counterparts looking to take advantage
of the island’s continuing shortage of competent
web developers, techies and copywriters.
An ever-growing number of overseas companies have set
their sights on Aphrodite’s island and are touting
their wares here in the hope of attracting large numbers
of local clients.
But alas, there seems to be a fly in the ointment, since
the majority of Cypriot business owners would rather deal
locally than take their chances with a faceless outsider
based thousands of miles away.
Moreover, whilst there may be a shortage of competent
web designers in Cyprus, there is also still a high level
of uncertainty within the local business community about
what exactly constitutes a ‘good’ web site
and just how it can benefit a ‘real world’ business,
especially in a country where the proportion of internet
users using the web to search for local products and services
is still relatively small.
Indeed, it is amazing how many Cypriot business owners
only consider the internet and web sites on a national
scale, whilst seemingly ignoring its global potential.
Whilst it is true that not many users outside the island
are likely to look for ‘Plumbers in Larnaca’,
Nicosia or any of the other towns of Cyprus, there are
plenty of businesses in the Republic which could easily
market their products on an international scale or seek
to attract foreign clients to the island.
Another major hindrance for foreign companies looking
to attract potential clients away from existing web designers
in Cyprus, is the fact that most people on the island
much prefer to do business face to face, oftentimes over
lunch or dinner, and actively shy away from entering any
kind of binding contract over the phone, let alone by
email.
The Republic of Cyprus is an easygoing, welcoming place,
a country where handshake agreements are still legally
binding.
This laidback attitude to business however, is oftentimes
confused with stupidity or ignorance by foreign salesmen
trying to deal with Cypriot company owners who by and
large are rather shrewd operators.
It would seem then that for web designers in Cyprus there
is no immediate threat from international rivals at this
juncture.
However, as the past decade has demonstrated, the internet
is a constantly evolving, fast-moving commercial environment
where, as they say, anything could happen in the next
five minutes. Depending on future developments, it may
well be prudent for established Cypriot web designers
to set their own sights further afield and seek to attract
clients from other countries as well as the Republic of
Cyprus.
Only time will tell.
Web Designers in Cyprus may need to look further afield
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