A chance to have your own website

and hosting averaged US$800, which the majority of Zimbabweans could not afford.
This resulted in the facility remaining a preserve of a few corporates who could afford the websites.
However, with the changes in the business landscape that have seen more and more entrepreneurs setting up their own businesses, websites have become a critical tool to promote businesses.
This has necessitated the need for cheaper packages that ensure that more people come on board.
In this regard, I recently met entrepreneurs who are determined to make websites accessible to all Zimbabweans.
The entrepreneurs are the brains behind Zimhost.com, which is leading the pack in affordable web hosting and designing solutions.
For as little as US$30 you can now have your own website, designed and hosted thus empowered to benefit from the opportunities that are available online.
Zimhost.com’s US$30 package offers a professional fully functional database-driven website that would be ready in 24 hours plus 100 free SMS to text any network – Netone, Telecel and Econet.
It is a Zimbabwean-based company with its offices in Harare, Bulawayo and the UK where their mass hosting servers are located.
Zimhosts managing director Mr Pearson Pfavayi said users do not need to have any technical skills or employ a web designer as the sites can be done by individuals and managing content and pictures is as easy as using Microsoft Word.
“Domains, websites and hosting should not be out of reach for any ordinary Zimbabwean due to cost and technical limitations and every Zimbabwean business should be visible on the World Wide Web or Internet,” he said
Mr Pfavayi said their package comes with all the basic features that are expected in any standard website including logins, contact forms, search, database, customer managed solution and search engine optimisation.
He, however, warned those seeking to establish their own websites to be cautious when choosing service providers.
“Getting a website online alone will not bring you any direct benefits. You will need to ask your web hosting company about the benefits of choosing them as your provider.
“You need to ask them how they will help your website to be visible online when there are million others competing for the same space and how the website is going to attract, convert and keep your visitors continuously glued to your site,” he said.
Mr Pfavayi also headed a free bulk SMS project called FREE SMS Zimbabwe, which enables users in or outside Zimbabwe to send free text messages to mobile phone networks in Zimbabwe using any web-enhanced devices such as computers and mobile phones.
The recipients of the text messages do not need to be online to get the messages as it is delivered straight to their mobile phone and can reply directly to the sender’s phone number reflecting on their screen.
The service, which would be supported by advertising, will help customers minimise SMS costs.
When asked how they will be able to sustain this free service, he said Free SMS Zimbabwe allows SMS signature advertising on every outgoing message.
“Free messages being sent by registered users are limited to 100 characters leaving the 60 (a single message has 160 characters) for commercial advertising through advertising thus an opportunity for advertisers as the last 60 characters will carry personalised adverts.
“With a ratio of 6:1 of mobile phone users to PC users in Zimbabwe and following the introduction of the 3G and some promising 4G network capabilities plus the fibre optic, and text messages having a 94 percent read rate and 25 to 40 percent of received texts are being forwarded means advertisers are guaranteed a high direct read rate,” he said.