Which web hosting company?
Dear Reader, Before we dive into the detail: can we agree on your requirements for a "web host" or "ISP" to host your site? How about this:
A company to supply a internet connected computer that will serve html pages to internet browsers and send and receive your email. Hu? True, but not useful.  It's like saying the Atlantic ocean is a large pool of water.  A more workable definition for a web hosting company would be: a company with the technical know-how and resources to make your site available to everyone on the internet - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for as many years into the future as you need it. In fact, when your web site (and email) becomes a real contributor to your business, you also need the assurance that the ISP will be around at least as long as your own business.  They should be able to help you with guidance, advice and practical tips on how to improve the efficiency of your internet presence too. While we are writing this wish list: you will also be needing the same people to handle your email for you - in other words, to send your email out to other internet users and to receive your email until you are ready to download it.  You want your email protected against spam and virus attacks.  You also want some level of control over what email you choose to receive and the power to dump junk before it clutters your inbox. As a computer user you know that things go wrong.  Your ideal web host should know when something is wrong (and be working to fix it) long before you do. There is a considerable amount of competition in the  industry, and this keeps prices down.  You can run a business on the internet for less than the price of a couple good hamburgers at a steakhouse.  You will see "web hosting companies" who promise to host your web site for a few cents or even for free.  Use your common sense, and critically review the objective FACTS.  If it is all hype and warm-fuzzy consultant speak with the key selling point being a ridiculously cheap rental, then tread lightly gentle reader: there is a snake in that grass.  There is no such thing as a free lunch. Our clients choose us because we offer value for money, solid reliability and top notch service.  They choose us because we have a sustainable, common sense approach to our business and theirs. Now that we are on the same page, let's have a quick look at  why you need a web site, what services you need and how your site can increase your profits, and finally we will cover Cozahost's web hosting service.

 

why an internet site is important to South African business

As South Africans we might be tempted to think that internet sites are more effective in the first world than here in "dark" Africa. In 1998 this might have been a pretty accurate way of looking at the  internet, but a lot has changed: There were 4.6 million internet users in South Africa in 2006 - (10.5% of the population) The number of African internet users grew by 879.8% during the 2000 - 2007 period 70% of South African internet users say they will shop online in the future Although we are still far behind the developed world where up to 70% of the population in first world countries have internet access, a large percentage of the economically active people in South Africa do have internet access: a sizable and very important market.  Perhaps even more significant is that these internet users can (and do) influence the purchase decisions of their unconnected friends and contacts - because they are often asked to "research" companies / goods using the web. As a "brick-and-mortar" business (ie not purely internet based), a web site still plays a vital role because: Potential customers do company and product research on the internet. When asked to decide between two competing companies with roughly the same product and price, the customer will most likely pick Company A where lots of quality information is available on their web site - above Company B where he has to wait till Monday to get detail and quality information, or where the sales person is not knowledgeable or persuasive enough. Your customers look for you on the internet Internet users use search engines to find products, services and companies several million times per day.  Most of these people are in search of a solution to a problem.  Not having a web site is the equivalent of hiding.  Not a good strategy for a business.   Quality information sells It is either impractical or very expensive (or both) to provide your potential customers with the product (or service) information they want when you use traditional mass media like print, radio or TV.  With a web site you can identify what your customer's interests are and lead him directly to the right page with heaps of quality information.  Educate your potential customer on why your product or service is the best. Build a relationship with your market Your web site allows you to build a trust relationship with your customers - if you supply good quality (honest) information on your product or industry.  You can do this by using discussion forums on your web site, email newsletters, how-to-guides, evaluation guides, surveys, ratings, etc.  As an honest provider of quality information (of direct help to your potential customer) you automatically build customer loyalty - which supports the long term growth of your business. The most cost effective way to reach your market.  Full stop. Compared to the miniscule investment in running a web site, all other forms of marketing is over priced and ineffective.  Not paper flyers, radio or TV ads, classified ads in the paper - nothing - is as cost effective as an efficient web site to drive sales and retain customers.  A business can only survive if it markets effectively  - and for this a well designed web site just cannot be beat.  That is a fact. (See our optional web designer service if you prefer we build and manage your web site for you.)

is good enough, good enough?

Most entrepreneurs and businesses have the same knee-jerk reaction when sales drop:  They either reduce prices and or they tinker with their product.  Surely prettier or cheaper mouse traps will catch more mice? Few realize that even if you can build a car that runs on water and sell it for peanuts  - your business may still fail. You have to SELL your product to survive in business. No matter how good your product is: you must SELL. We obsess about making our products better and cheaper - as if that drives sales.  The sad news is that it doesn't. Look around you and you will see hundreds of products and companies selling junk - and making a profit at it! Understandably most of us know little about marketing on the internet or elsewhere.  The good news is that it is considerably easier to market your product on the internet - provided you have the necessary tools and you know the tricks of the trade. The internet allows you to draw potential customers: by using targeted information, you can present each one of your potential customers with exactly the information they are looking for your "sales pitch" can be perfect every time. No other medium can help you do this. On the internet, you don't have to be a marketing genius, because you can use: Tools to identify other internet sites are willing and eager to send customers to you Tools to ensure customers looking for your solution will find you on search engines Special information guides to tailor your site to a razor-sharp selling machine Email tools to directly and personally contact existing and new customers to close the sale and follow up on potentials. Easy to use yet sophisticated software to build and maintain your web site quickly You won't get a top performing web site for "free" - because you have to do the work and spend the time (or hire someone to do it).  You are intelligent enough to know that there is no such thing as a free lunch and we certainly will not insult your intelligence by telling you that there is.  We can however help you to dine at a table you may have thought is completely out of your reach financially, knowledge and time-wise. :-)

full control over your servers

It is a fact that sometimes you need things done NOW.  Not 30 minutes from now, not 5 minutes from now, but RIGHT NOW. There is no ISP in the world that can help you immediately every time.  The delay may be only a few minutes, but the point is that there will always be a delay. This is why we enable our clients with full control over all their servers.  They can do exactly what we can with an easy to use web based control panel.  Set up a new email address, create a new FTP account, add a new domain name, delete a file on the server, change passwords, etc. etc.  Instant service.  You can do it yourself - right now.  You don't have to wait for even one minute to create that new email account for a new staff member.  Or to delete that large attachment you are struggling to download via email.  Or remove FTP access for the guy you just fired. In a way we place the remote control in the hands of our clients.  Some people don't know how to change the channels, but after we show them, they no longer have to call us to switch channels - they can do it themselves. If you are thinking that it sounds to complicated, then you have not seen how easy the control panel is to use, and, besides, just the fact that you have access to the control panel does not mean that you are on your own.  We will come change the channel for you as many times as you need - for as long as you need us to.  But at least now you have the choice. :-)

Highlights

Below you will find the highlights of the Cozahost service.  You will find that it contains everything you need to be successful online; other than our moral and technical support - which we don't brag about. ;-) There are no hidden costs and no contracts to tie you down. Everything is backed by an unconditional life time guarantee.

Prices Trusting your web site to Cozahost guarantees you professional service and personal attention. We quote the subscription fees excluding VAT (for South African residents) as registered companies can re-claim the tax from SARS.  Come to think of it, your entire invoice fee may be tax deductible! :-) Once-off setup fee = R 175.00, which includes: setup of user ids and passwords setup of email setup of web server and stats remainder of month's rental Monthly rental = R 165.00 (per debit order or automatic credit card debit) No contracts required. Free MySQL or MSSQL database February 2012 Bonus: 1 GB free ADSL account February 2012 Bonus: Free fax to email number 30% discount on all sites subsequent sites you host with us	February 2012 Bonus Gift: Self learning and planning web marketing manual A 370 page ebook with step by step chapters and exercises to dramatically boost profits from your web marketing efforts! The manual include chapters on: Developing a web traffic plan Registering at search engines Using events and online communities to pull in prospects Identifying your target audience Using classified ads Competitive intelligence And more.... In this 370 page ebook you will find real and practical strategies to market your business on the internet. If you don't know where to start or can't imagine how to use the internet to grow your business - then this book is a must read.
More about the free bonuses	Value added services
Free ADSL: Your web hosting account (paid by debit order) comes with a free ADSL account loaded with 1 Gb of data.  That's right - 1 Gb per month free ADSL access if you host with us in February 2012! Free fax to email: Your hosting account also includes a free fax to email account.  Use the 086 telephone number we provide to receive faxes, convert them to email attachments and deliver them anywhere in the world to your email account.  Automatically and instantly. Offer valid for February 2012. Free content management system: To drive your content management system (eg Wordpress, Joomla or Dotnetnuke) or other sophisticated scripts, we provide free installation and hosting to any of the aforementioned PLUS free MySQL or MSSQL database to drive them.	Our philosophy is that we would like to have you as a life-time client, so our services are designed to grow with your business: Additional disk space, bandwidth and email accounts are available as your web site grows. Up to 10 additional web site domain names are hosted free of charge  Join our affiliate program (free) and get 15% commission on every new hosting client you refer. Use our web designer and management service to outsource your site.  Leave all the technical details to us - we take care of all security, backup, optimization, tuning and upgrading issues for you.  And if your site breaks for any reason...we fix it for you -free of charge.
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