Global Web Hosting Company, HUB8, has recently rolled out hosting services targeted at customers in the Nigerian technology hemisphere – HUB8 Nigeria. The launching indicates an increase in demand for internet technology tools in the country for communications, information, and business transactions. With more Nigerians embracing the use of the internet for financially-related transactions, which in turn is generating a preference for online purchase platforms compared to traditional platforms, the use of the internet for multiple business objectives and as an alternative to traditional business models could be on the verge of an unprecedented rise. Web hosting in Nigeria has witnessed progressive growth since its inception more than a decade ago, amidst the request for quality, affordable and reliable hosting. As more individuals turn to the web for different reasons, and confidence is increasing with respect to carrying purchases and conducting payments online, the registration for new domains and hosting requirements could be set to rise even further. The Nigeria Internet Registration Association states that the requests for new domains would continually rise, with 4,122 domain name registrations carried out in the month of May only.
The Internet Registration Association has also called for assistance from journalists and media channels to create awareness of the availability of the .ng string. Dean of the NiRA academy, Sikiri Shehu, states that the adoption of the .ng domains has the potential to cause a ripple effect in the economy, through the creation of jobs, the investment of capital back into the economy, and other income generating ventures. He acknowledges that the preference for foreign domains would reduce the amount of income coming into the economy, as Nigerians spend money to purchase these domains. Currently as it stands, he says, the number of .co.uk domain names is getting to the 11 million mark, the .cn 22 million, while the number of the .ng domain names is at a paltry 100,000. The arrival of HUB8, web host and domain registrar resident in several countries, with a domestic team to respond timely to the demand for services, could be poised to accelerate the growth of domain registration and hosting in the country. To the end of purchasing domain names, the company has also affirmed her commitment to having the .com.ng and .ng domain names included in her portfolio. The company’s business model is based on the premise that with a domain name, and a few minutes to spare, subscribers can have a website designed and ready to go live in as little as 10 minutes. – all for free. Observing the need for more storage and bandwidth, subscribers can opt for the paid packages. A quick breakdown of product offerings: – Domain Name Registration – Required to establish a unique identity on the web. The registration of a domain name involves deciding upon a name that would suit the impression to be created or the service to be offered via the web, and then a payment made for the registration of the name. Promo packages presently available dictate that a domain name can be purchased for a minimal fee of N350 With the domain name in hand, subscribers can take advantage of the company’s free website builder and hosting packages. – Website Builder: Constructed for individuals with no coding skills – however with an eye for design, the website builder offers the opportunity to have a website designed, up and running in as little as 25 minutes. The availability of different themes and the possibility of modifying the final outcome offers the opportunity to create unique, eye-pleasing designs. – WordPress Websites: Similar to the Website Builder, the WordPress website package offers the avenue to have a WordPress website designed and published for free. The storage and bandwidth for this package is 500 Mb and 100 GB. The paid packages offer larger bandwidth, storage capacity and additional websites hosted, at the same costs. – The final package is the Free cPanel Website Hosting. This is the most attractive option for web developers. Subscribers can start, without any payment commitments, with a 500mb storage and bandwidth of 100 GB. The paid plans offer as much as 10 GB storage capacity, installed on SSD disks, with unlimited bandwidth. With the ecommerce terrain gaining momentum and influencing customer purchasing, the free website hosting remains the optimal option, to begin with the idea, the objective, in the long run, to host sites similar to Amazon, Ebay etc. With the availability of the standard cPanel control panel, owners of existing domains on other hosting platforms can easily move their files, to take advantage of the free website hosting. Regardless of hosting plan selected, the availability of the free options offers the opportunity for anyone to publish the desired information on the web. Discounting the possibilities of the hidden fees and adverts on websites on the free plans, the company states that there would be no hidden fees or adverts, enabling subscribers of these plans to focus on profitability and growth, until there is the requirement for the paid packages. Web developers, business owners and bloggers looking for more information and additional resources can visit the HUB8 blog.
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