Can Black-Focused Web Sites be Profitable?

Many wonder if Black web sites are making money. So many have come and gone in the last 5 years. However, there are some that have managed to survive.

Long Beach, CA (PRWEB) February 21, 2005 -- With the recent closing of Africana.com and hundreds of other Black web sites that you probably never heard of, the question arises - Can Black-focused web sites be profitable? Well, the answer is yes and yes - that's two affirmatives because there are two types of Black web sites that can be and have proven to be very profitable.

Online Black Retailers:

The first type is online Black retailers - that is, Black web sites that sell products and goods online. For instance, BlackExpressions.com is an online retailer that sells African-American books and DVDs online. Last year, they generated about a million dollars in online revenue. Other successful online retailers include CushCity.com - which sells Black books, movies, and music; and AmberBooks.com - which sells African-American self-help books.

There are even sites like ZanaCakes.com and ComfortCake.com - Both sell specialty cakes through an online mail-order system, and have managed to be profitable.

In addition to products, there are Black web sites that sell services, such as BlackPR.com, a web site that sells PR distribution services. Last year, the site generated sales of over $150,000.

Online Black Publishers:

The second type of web site that can be profitable is online publishers - that is Black web sites that depend on advertising revenue. Several have profited millions, such as BlackPlanet.com, BET.com and BlackAmericaWeb.com

Others like BlackNews.com, HBCUconnect.com, and BlackStudents.com have reportedly generated revenues either close to or over $500,000.

Another major site, EURweb.com, was not available for comment, but they too have proven to be extremely profitable.

Overall, these are just a few, but there are many more Black-focused websites that are making money. The idea is to not only come up with a good concept, but to come up with a good marketing plan.

Dante Lee of Diversity City Media, comments, "We have several profitable online ventures, including BlackNews.com and BlackPR.com. The key is to develop unique marketing ideas. When you put a web site up, it doesn't mean that people will automatically flock to it."

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