One of the unassuming annoyances of running a commercial site within Iran is not having access to online advertisement payment systems. The largest and most well known of these international and successful services is Google Adsense, a service provided by the internet giant, which allows publishers in the Google network to serve automatic text, image video or even interactive media advertisements.
The online commercials are targeted to site content and audience specifically and are administered by Google itself, through special algorithms. The ads can then generate revenues for the site owners on a per-click or per-impression basis, depending on which is more suited.
However, this service is not available in Iran, due to the ongoing sanctions levied on the country’s banking system.
Though, all is not lost as a new indigenous company called Clickyab is not entering the market offering the kind of service Google would if it were allowed to deal with Iranian websites.
First reported in Mobin Ranjbar’s Techly site – an English language local technology blog – Clickyab is an Iranian startup with a difference. The site founded by Pooya Rajamand in April 2014 aimed to fill the void in the local market by offering ads based services for users for as little as 250,000 rials ($7). Rajamand in an interview with the startup promoter said that their mission is to bring modern techniques of advertisements to Iranian businesses and enterprises.
He added that Clickyab takes advantages of many methods not just by local online context, but also can be designated and directed to specific provinces, city or even foreign countries.
Clickyab stated that they have received a warm reception by the local industry and have signed clients like Picuu, Ponisha and Zarinpal (local Paypal style company). Rajamand said that their targeted ads are viewed 15 million times a day and his company is the first in Iran which provides the ‘retargeting’ method of online advertisement. The creation of an online advertisement service, paid for in Iranian rial shows how the industry is seriously tackling the void left by international giants due to the ongoing financial restrictions facing the country. Developments such as Clickyab show how the online business industry in the Islamic Republic is beginning to mature and strengthen. It’s not known what would happen if companies like Google would eventually enter the market, and what their effect on the local variations would be. However, as that is not likely to happen in the short term, it is more than likely Clickyab will be able to hold its own as it is completely homemade and more catered to local users.
