Domain hosting company Blacknight has introduced a new website builder to its services for small businesses.

The BaseKit Website Builder allows businesses to easily create responsive websites, blogs or online stores, and is aimed at those who aren't tech savvy enough to code a site from scratch.

Blacknight CEO Michele Neylon said that while a lot of businesses might opt for WordPress or another CMS, the downside is that maintaining the software can be a chore.

“By using our BaseKit website creator, they don't need to worry about software updates, security concerns etc.”

Neylon also stressed the importance of small businesses operating through their own website, rather than relying on services like Facebook to maintain their online identity.

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“I cringe when I see a business solely using Facebook for their online presence, because if Facebook should suddenly close its doors or change their policies, all of their data will be lost. Creating your own website that you control ensures that all of your data remains secure with you,” he said.

The Blacknight BaseKit Website Builder will be available in a variety of packages, including a basic monthly option that starts at €8 per month and an enterprise annual package that includes unlimited storage and bandwidth for €240 annually.

Blacknight customers can log into their control panel to manage their account and website building options securely and quickly.

Dot Irish Domains

Blacknight is also inviting businesses and individuals to apply for .Irish top-level domain names, ahead of the free-for-all purchasing period that starts on June 25.

The current, so-called 'landrush' phase, continues until June 20 and is the period during which premium names may be applied for before the domain becomes available to everyone.

Businesses, startups, companies and anyone who wants a keyword or 3-5-character domain can apply for it through Blacknight. General availability is the period when customers may register any available domain through Blacknight without an application.

Blacknight is offering .Irish domains to customers or the price of €99.95 during landrush and €34.95 during general availability.

According to Blacknight's CEO, Michele Neylon: "We want Irish businesses to be able to succeed internationally and we believe that this domain is another route to success in the global market.

"On a personal level, we acquired blacknight.irish and are currently pointing it to information about the .irish domain on our main site."