To celebrate Ireland’s Internet Day on Thursday 25 October, and Blacknight’s sponsorship of Blog Awards Ireland, we’re giving away a €500 gift voucher for Ireland’s Blue Book of Hotels & Country Houses!
Why? Because we’re nice like that. And because we have an important message for Ireland’s bloggers, businesses and anyone who finds opportunity online.
Many people have discovered the power of an online audience to network and develop their business. Those who do it best work very hard to build their reputations and grow their audiences. But is their work benefiting themselves, or the platforms they publish on?
Platforms like WordPress.com and Medium are great: you should use them! Social media is all about community: go and find your tribe! The internet is a marketplace of ideas and influence: but don’t forget to fly your own flag.
Credibility, Security, Brand Awareness
A domain name costs just a few cents a day in most cases – sometimes a lot less. But it gives you real credibility, security and brand awareness.
A new range of descriptive domain extensions opens up new possibilities – all the good names aren’t gone!
As the leading Irish provider of web hosting, we think that self-hosting offers flexibility and control for bloggers and businesses. It’s where you need to get to, ultimately, but it’s not necessarily the first step.
If you’ve already begun to build an audience on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or any popular platform, the first step you need is to take control. That means registering a domain name of your own.
Sure, you should continue to use social media platforms – look at all the big brands who are doing that too. But it’s not all they do.
Your Piece of The Internet
A domain name, registered in your own name, is a haven in the changing fortunes of the Internet. Fads will come and go; some will thrive, and some will not. But a domain name is your piece of the Internet – and comes with the same rights and status as any other registrant, corporation or individual, big brand or Joe Soap.
Once you’ve registered your name, it can be live within minutes, simply by pointing it to your current social media page. And this is when you realise the power of the Domain Name System: hosting and domains are not the same thing!
Once you have a domain name, you are free to host wherever and however you like! Your followers will know your domain name, but where that leads them to is up to you.
You can start with a Twitter account, and point your domain name to that. Change to Instagram – the domain name will point there also. Or set up a home page that pulls everything together, or a blog, or a business site.
Take The First Step
At Blacknight, we’ve made it a mission to help individuals and SMEs claim their place online, and our experts can advise you on our range of services from email to ecommerce, cloud and dedicated servers. But every single journey begins with a first step, and that step is a domain name.
We offer hundreds of domain extensions, including popular .IE, .COM and .CO.UK, as well as newer favourites like .ME, .CLUB and .BLOG. Want to take the first step? Talk to us and find out more. Follow us on Twitter; message us on Facebook (see, we use those platforms too – it’s where people live!) – or check out our website (get the idea?)
This article is the first step in an information campaign which Blacknight is running, to coincide with Ireland’s Internet Day on 25 October, and Blog Awards Ireland which will take place that night in Dublin. Want to find out more about The First Step? Stay tuned!
Win a €500 Voucher for Ireland’s Blue Book
We’re launching a competition to give one of Ireland’s hard-working bloggers a break! Following extensive consultation, we’ve decided to offer a €500 Gift Voucher for Ireland’s Blue Book, a romantic collection of Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, Castles and Restaurants. Located throughout the island of Ireland, these charming and stylish hideaways are the perfect choice for your holiday vacation in Ireland. Ireland’s Blue Book Hotels are also ideal for midweek or weekend breaks and for those seeking a romantic getaway or relaxing escape.
To enter, simply follow the instructions below. Complete different tasks such as tweeting or commenting, and visiting our Facebook page. You can enter once per day up until 8pm on 25 October, and the winner will be announced on stage at Blog Awards Ireland 2018, at Tramline in Dublin on 25 October! Go n-éirí libh!
About the Author: Conn Ó Muíneacháin
23 Comments
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Why do I believe it is important to own my own domain name? So all the other Pat O’Mahonys can seethe with jealousy, of course. ?
It’s important to own your blog domain so you can have full control of all communication points and opportunities relevant to your brand! And you can’t risk someone else creating an experience that could harm and detract from your brand equity.
I believe it’s important to own my own domain name to own my own online content!!
We are nothing without our own domain name. (Well, we are not unique without our own domain name) ?
Wow looks great!
So no one else can be me !
Get a domain name….stand out from the crowd!
Why do I believe it is important to own my own domain name?
Because it looks more professional, it also the first look people get of your blog or website.
Why do I believe it is important to own my own domain name? Because it helps build a brand and gives your readers a sense of security and trust!
A domain name is sooo important because it is effectively your unique identifier online! Its particularly important for businesses – and can help with credibility.
I own my domain name and believe everyone should because that way, I can control the content my visitors see. First impressions matter and with my own domain name, I can control the first impression.
My domain name is unique! It’s mine, and it is the idea behind my life in general, and I want to keep it safe. That’s why owning my domain name seems important!
It’s important to have your own domain name to personalise your own brand/blog/service. It is an essential element of any business.
Have had my own domain for years. Inexpensive way to improve the look of the site
I’ve been with Blacknight for longer than I can remember, I’ve setup ShaneMcDonald.ie , Shane’s Queen Site and also ShaneMcDonald.me for which I’m up for Best Photography Blog at this year’s Blog Awards Ireland this week.
Having your own domain name says so much about you and your business. For me it is a very useful piece of personal branding and it’s nice to have your email address at your domain name. Plus, it’s not expensive.
I’ve been with 4 different hosting companies since 2001 prior to Blacknight and none of them came close to the level of service I got from Blacknight!
Be who you are! Recognisable | Individual | Unique. Be yourself!
I think it’s important to have your own domain especially if you are a business as it gives your business more credibility and is easy for potential clients/customers to find out more
Two words: Own It!
Thanks in advance 😮
Determining genuine quantity of incoming links for a web presence doesnt seem possible thoroughly.
As a result that precisely the first few sites the particular results get all the traffic.
Great presentation at #InternetDay2018 in Gorey, bravo
It’s so important to have your own domain whether you are a business or a blogger especially with how the www is evolving!! It’s add personalisation and you will stand out from the crowd!
To make my content stand out as my own brand because I am proud of it!