We’ve had a terrific response to the free .IE or .COM domain names offer we launched a couple of weeks ago. To recap: if you register a .IE or .COM domain name with us and add web hosting, we’ll give you the domain name, free for the first year.
It’s good business for us to run promotions like this – but we only win if our customers win as well. And our primary purpose in offering this deal is to highlight how easy and inexpensive it is for even the smallest business or individual to have a domain name of their own.
You see, in a cost-benefit analysis, a good domain name is incredibly good value. It enhances your brand, boosts your marketing and smartens your image. And all for just a few cents per day. Research shows that Irish consumers place more trust in businesses that have their own domain than in those who don’t. So if you’re not using a domain of your own, then what’s stopping you?
It’s not cost. While we’ve got your attention with the offer of a free domain name, we promise we’ll charge you the full price to renew it next year (we think price transparency is important). But at less than 20c per day for a .COM domain with hosting, we don’t think you’ll find it a burden.
You may have heard that it’s complicated. It’s really not. You can set it all up in a matter of minutes, or call us in Carlow and we’ll be happy to assist you.
We’ve just issued a press release with more information. You can read it below.
Christmas Comes Early with Free Domain Names for Irish Businesses
Research shows that Irish consumers have more trust in businesses that use a domain name of their own
14 NOVEMBER 2017, CARLOW, IRELAND
SUMMARY
Blacknight, Ireland’s leading domain name registrar and web hosting company, is offering Irish businesses a year’s free .IE or .COM domain registration, when bundled with new website hosting packages from the Carlow-based company. The pre-Christmas promotion is aimed at highlighting the benefits of a domain name for businesses. Research shows that 64% of Irish consumers have “little to no trust” in businesses which rely on free email addresses like Gmail or Eircom. “Not having your own domain prompts the question: why not? Domain names are inexpensive and easier than ever to set up, and that’s the message we want to convey with this promotion”, explained Michele Neylon, CEO of Blacknight.
Blacknight, Ireland’s leading domain name registrar and web hosting company, is offering Irish businesses a year’s free .IE or .COM domain registration, when bundled with new website hosting packages from the Carlow-based company.
The pre-Christmas promotion is aimed at highlighting the benefits of a domain name for businesses who want to enhance their trust and brand recognition with consumers. Research shows that 64% of Irish consumers have “little to no trust” in businesses which rely on free email addresses like Gmail or Eircom.
“Having your own domain name, and using it, is a signal of your commitment and professionalism”, explained company founder and CEO Michele Neylon. “More to the point, not having your own domain prompts the question: why not? That’s because domain names are inexpensive and easier than ever to set up, and that’s the message we want to convey with this promotion”, he added.
There has been an explosion of new top-level domains in recent years, like .BLOG, .WEBSITE, and even .CHRISTMAS, and Neylon is an advocate for many of those. “But we find that the traditional names like .COM and .IE are enduringly popular with businesses and have a high level of recognition among consumers – that’s why we’ve chosen them for this offer”.
However, he warns that customers should beware of domain registrars whose pricing is not transparent.
“We’re giving away .IE or .COM domains for free for the first year, when you buy hosting. But we make it crystal clear that the normal pricing will resume after 12 months. For .COM that’s €9.95 ex VAT; for .IE it’s €19.99 ex VAT. Sure, it’s good to get something for free, but the reason we’re doing it is to emphasise the fact that domain names are incredibly good value, and a tiny outlay for the benefit they provide, in comparison with so many other overheads.
On its own, a domain name is just an address: an entry in the internet’s ‘address book’ which can be pointed to services like websites and email. The provision of those services is called ‘hosting’, and the addition of a hosting package is what triggers the Blacknight offer.
“Our web hosting plans are extremely good value by themselves”, Neylon explains. “Starting at just €4.95 ex VAT per month (or €49.95/year) you can have a complete domain and hosting package for less than the cost of a weekly Sunday newspaper.
“It all starts with a domain name – and a good domain name is an investment in your business’ brand and reputation. Your first step is to put a professional-looking email address on your business cards, signs and marketing material. Even before you’ve thought about a website or anything else, you’ll have smartened up your image at a stroke”.
Domain registration is easier than ever before he says. “You can do it over the phone with a member of our team in Carlow. We can even set it up to forward to your existing email”.
Even the .IE registration process, which had a reputation for being complicated, has been greatly simplified, says Neylon.
“It’s easier than ever to have your own domain name. Now, we’ve taken away a good chunk of the cost as well – what are you waiting for!”
For more information, visit blacknight.com/freedomain.
About the Author: Conn Ó Muíneacháin
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