Iran's website sector continues to expand in every which way. The latest example of this trend is a site that Webna reported earlier this week called WikiDrink.ir.
The Persian language site, started in 2012 by Mehdi Mansoomi, aims to give Iran's cafe goers the full list of cafes and a variety of healthy drinks among some of its services.
Financial Tribune contacted the website's owner to seek his thoughts on his website and how he expects the website to develop.
Mansoomi said that his site began as people struggled to find different recipes in the Persian language. "For many people drinking beverages it is not just a reason to relieve thirst. They love coffee or other [non-alcoholic] beverages."
The businessman was asked where he thought his service would be moving to in the next few years. "Personally, I am really hopeful about the future of the web market in Iran. If you compare the status of the web development with the past five years, you will realize its improvement." He added that he thinks over the next few years, the situation will develop much more.
With regard to his own service, WikiDrink, he said he provided good services to users and received lots of feedback. "Subsequently, we planned some new programs for the future of the website and the mobile application."
He hoped that in the near future he would add a new English language version of the site.
The Tribune then asked Mansoomi what surprised him most about the growth of his site and the interest it has garnered in recent years. "In less than a month after launching the website, we received great feedback from our users," he replied.
He noticed that users are researching about non-alcoholic drinks through Google, where he gets the majority of his "hits". Mansoomi also noted that social media is playing an ever greater role for his brand, and he believes this site will build a good base for research on Iran's soft-drinks market over the next year.
Asked about which trends he noticed through his site, Mansoomi noted that herbal teas were increasing in popularity, along with an increase in cafe reviews.
The web developer also said that his website plans to grow in some unusual ways. Firstly he said that he has had to change the website multiple times to deal with movement in usage. "In the past year, we launched the international café reviews section on the website," he said, hoping that foreigners will also begin to use the site.
Competition is a major factor with Iran's growing online market and WikiDrink.ir is likely to face its fair share. Other competitors have come to the market in recent years offering their own versions of guides to food and drinks. The Tribune asked Mansoomi his thoughts on the growth.
"A competitive market will bring opportunities to develop activities and programs, but what distinguishes WikiDrink from others is how we run this project according to the users' requirements."
Commercial tie-ups are an important factor when running a business and it seems that WikiDrink is no exception. They currently have one venture with Badrsun, the local distributor of Moulinex kitchen equipment.
The interview ended with Mansoomi discussing his views on how startup companies like his can team up with traditional companies to cross promote their products. The website, if it remains popular, is likely to continue to be a major hub for people searching for non-alcoholic drinks and beverage information, and also likely a dream come true for soft drink manufacturers getting that illusive information on consumer habits.
