Name of your website?Safaris in Botswana
Your name?
Zina Mathambo
Your Location (city, etc)
Kasane
Please give us a short summary of your website?
My website is about Botswana and all the adventures that it offers. In addition to that it is also a travel guide that can be used by anybody planning a trip to Botswana.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I wanted to share the Beauty of my country with the rest of the world and also help any people that need any specific help from a person that is was born and raised in Botswana.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
I launched my first website in 2006 and it was a flower site. I was still in University at the time and wanted to try out selling flowers online. Unfortunately the work load did not permit me to give the website enough attention, so i stopped working on it in 2007.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Botswana is famous for its wilderness conservation and safaris. And i myself go on safari several times a year, so i thought the best name should resonate my passion as well as what my country is famous for.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
The main difference is that i am o local. Most websites about Botswana are done by people that have never even lived there. So i give my website visitors an idea of what this country has to offer, all from the perspective of a local.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
Keep it for income and also find many ways of helping the local community with jobs through tourism, and help those people visiting with very high quality free information that is up to date to make their visit worthwhile and easier to plan.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
I have limited time and money to work on the website , however i try my best.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would do more traveling within the country, and try to do more marketing and advertising to spread the word about this beautiful country.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes i would. Its more of a passion than anything, so i would find it enjoyable and easy to work on it all the time.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
MI have found that marketing on expensive directories is almost impossible and sometimes i need to visit places that are far and expensive to travel too in order to write about.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Balancing time, money and passion.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
It seems like most people like my website and they link back to it so their visitors can also enjoy the great content i have on it. So my most successful promotion method would be writing excellent and helpful content that people spread the word about.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Yes. I have to learn to be patient. Things on the internet happen at a very slow pace.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
Since December 2008. So that about 18 months. I want to keep it for as long as i can.
What do you love most about Botswana?
The people and the culture. My fellow men are some the kindest and helpful in Africa and we love our culture.
What is your website address?
Safaris in Botswana
