I am thinking about how to open a free internet cafe in Ecuador. Would it be possible to customize a web browser so that it would have a banner ad built in that would refresh and show a different banner everytime the user goes to a new page? P.S. - I am open to other ideas on how to monetize a free internet cafe.
Would it be possible to force the banner ad to be on the top of whatever page they visit instead of it being built in to the browser application? By the way: The normal cost to a user at an internet cafe in ecuador is $1 or less per hour.
In Brazil, internet cafes are a disaster from a financial standpoint. I know two people who opened two different cybercafes and they have both closed doors.
Nice idea. But having ads with browser may not work! You can monetize the room space with any other products. I mean, you can sell computer hardwares. It should be like a Computer Hardware shop which is providing Internet access for free. But You have to think more before going into this. Giving out Internet for FREE is a great idea. have a rep!
Yes, it would be possible, most easily using a transparent proxy server between the client PCs and the net. However, I really question whether it would ever be worth the effort. It takes a huge number of ad clicks to make any real money. How many net cafe users, many of whom are just checking their email or chatting on MSN, are really going to click ads? It's not like the lucrative audience of online shoppers that most advertisers are looking for. Plus you may run into problems because all of the clicks on your account are coming from the same IP address.
I would Rater Say offer a business oppurtunity For your Customers. Ask them to give a free trail. More details Click here
This could be done with the Firefox browser and a javascript type addon. I dont think this would make much money though.
I've seen so many cyber cafes with a traditional revenue model go belly up, it makes me seriously doubt that something like this would generate sufficient cashflow to stay in business.
I am actually not trying to make a lot of money. I am a missionary in Ecuador. I am trying to figure out a way for some Ecuadorian friends to make some money. I was thinking of charging $5 per 1000 impressions instead of a pay per click model. Maybe even selling the advertising to local companies. Thank you for your ideas. Keep em comin'!
Can you point me in the right direction about how to accomplish a transparent proxy server between the client PCs and the net?