adminAt the click of a button interested parties can now learn more about you, your product or services.
What defies the odds is to see many people operating without this vital tool.
In order to get an insight and demystify the website concepts, we caught up with the Zimhosts.com Project Manager, Mr Pearson Pfavayi, an expert in webhosting and web designing concepts.
Tonderai Rutsito (TR): Mr Pfavayi, before we delve deep into the websites concepts for the benefit of readers out there tell us a bit about yourself?
Pearson Pfavayi (PP): Well, I’m the project manager for Zimhosts.com, one of Zimbabwe’s biggest website hosting and designing companies in Zimbabwe.
We started off in the United Kingdom eight years ago as PFP hosts. That is where our servers are located and today we have a Harare and Bulawayo branch hosting thousands of Zimbabwean websites and many other countries.
TR: So when you say you have the servers in the UK is that not a disadvantage for the local companies in terms of speed and page ratings for the local populace comparing to a Zimbabwean-based company?
PP: Well, I may start by asking you, have you ever used a Gmail account, is there any latency, is it any slower, is the speed difference any noticeable comparing to a .co.zw mail? Obviously not. With technology everything really comes with great speed beyond geographical limitations.
TR: Maybe before we even talk of the technicalities, let’s explain to our readers, what is web hosting?
PP: This is basically the technology behind the storage of your website. This is where the actual website files are stored, on our servers.
TR: So what do I require to get a functional website?
PP: There are basically three simple things, first you need something that we call a domain name. This is the name that you actually type in a web browser to be able to reach a website, it’s also commonly called the web address.
TR: So that’s the name that comes after the www?
PP: Yes, that’s the domain, ours is www.zimhosts.com, but to get the domain you go through the registration process. If it’s an international domain like our dot coms, co.za or the dot org, etc, you can instantly register those with us directly. However, for local ones like the dot co.zw, you go through the local authorities which is Potraz, ZISPA does these on their behalf and it may take few days.
TR: So basically when you register a domain that means it’s now yours and you can’t share it, just like your phone number?
PP: Yes, once you register it, it is yours for a year and this we charge only US$15 the whole year. After that you proceed to the actual design of the website. This will vary with the clients’ needs and the type of a website required from the kind of the database to the style and appearance with other functionality like compatibility, security and usability among others.
TR: Let’s say I run an SME, and I need basic online visibility what package design would suit me?
PP: We have incredible offers for start-ups, these are just US$30 package website. It has all the necessary basic pages for you to go live and in few hours the whole world will know about you. Of course, this is our entry basic platform and we can have a blog, database driven or e-commerce-based website which may cost thousands of dollars.
TR: A website for US$30 is that a functional one?
PP: Of course, as our starter package it really serves the job, these are basically template based, we have already designed thousands of these which are all different. It’s a convenient way for the client and it’s also faster for us to deliver, that’s why we can afford to do it quickly, but it also comes with all the basics like security and compatibility plus email accounts.
TR: What’s the other third component that is needed?
PP: This is the web hosting now, so basically there is registration, web designing according to one’s needs then the hosting like I said the actual storage of the files. This, however, comes at a very cheap price too depending with the category chosen. Our minimum is just US$6 per month to host your website and it comes with email addresses of your own choice.
TR: Can you elaborate on the email address, storage and bandwidth. How many e-mails I am I allowed to have and what kind are they?
PP: These are actually personalised emails to your own domain, for example, [email protected], not the public mails like Gmail or Yahoo. These are the professional tools you need for your corporate image. You can have a minimum of five email addresses of your choice. Our bandwidth offers a very good contention ratio unless dedicated bandwidth becomes necessary and storage space is also unlimited online.
I hope that after such an insightful interview, owning a website is now a basic need, which almost everyone can afford to have with the current offers in the market.
The importance of a website cannot be understated and its time we all get connected to the global world.
The writer is an award-winning and founding editor with TechnoMag, More on Tech on www.technomag.co.zw or join us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/technomagzw and enjoy free airtime quiz games. Email: ictarticles[at]technomag.co.zw
Online Reporter