Web hosting in 2018 - Interview with Checkdomain

We are delighted to have the opportunity to speak with Katja Gauder and Timo Heinrich from Lübeck about the changes in the hosting sector in 2017 and the future.

ht: Good day, could you briefly introduce your company?

cd: checkdomain went online in 2000 to make domain search and registration easier for internet users. We now offer registration for over 1,000 top-level domains, providing users with the largest domain portfolio in the German market to choose from. In addition to domains, we also offer web hosting. Our various packages provide the optimal technical foundation for both beginners and larger companies for their internet projects. For a secure internet, we also offer the right SSL certificate for every requirement - starting from 0 euros. For larger projects, we have recently added Managed Servers to our portfolio. At checkdomain, it is important for us to never stand still. Therefore, in the coming year, we will be launching a website builder, an SEO tool, standalone email & WordPress packages to ignite some rockets.


(Katja Gauder, Marketing Manager)

ht: How did you come up with the idea to start checkdomain?

cd: The idea came to our founder and CEO, Johannes Herold, when he was still a student, trying to find out if a domain was available. In 2000, checkdomain went online - a website with a domain check laid the foundation.

ht: Your company specialises in the domain area - do many of your customers also use your hosting services?

cd: In our early years, we indeed focused heavily on domains and grew to become one of the leading domain providers in Germany. Especially with the introduction of new top-level domains from 2013, we were able to further differentiate ourselves. We consciously decided to offer all new TLDs that are not tied to a specific brand or organisation. Currently, we can register over 1,000 top-level domains, including exotic domain extensions such as ".car" or ".okinawa". Opinions in the industry vary on the topic of nTLDs. However, as fewer good .de or .com domains are available, we believe that the new domain extensions are a good way to find attractive domain names again. Additionally, they allow for more direct targeting of audiences or conveying a local presence through the domain.

Hosting packages have always been part of our strategy. It is important for us to regularly adapt our hosting offerings to technological advancements and growing requirements. Soon, we will be offering http2 in our hosting packages. As we are not a large ship but rather a small speedboat, we can react very quickly to current developments. For example, we recognised the need for SSL certificates early on and were one of the first registrars in the market to offer SSL certificates for free. Many of our customers appreciate our agility and willingness to innovate, and therefore host their projects on our servers. Despite all the technical finesse, we aim to make the internet user-friendly. And if there are any hiccups, we rely on personal contact. We consciously avoid using an external call centre and offer Fantastic Support directly from the Hanseatic city.
ht: Your offering targets both private and business users - in which segment have you seen significant growth in recent years?

cd: The internet is increasingly being used in its full capacity by private individuals. This is evident in the fact that we are hosting and supporting more and more websites for private individuals. Many people want to actively shape the internet and not just limit themselves to commenting on pictures on Facebook. With new technologies such as easy-to-install blog systems or intuitively operable website builders, everyone can actively contribute their part. In addition to our software installer, we will also be offering a website builder from spring 2018. We have extensively tested many providers and are currently in the process of integrating with our partner. Smaller providers will therefore find it increasingly difficult to find a buyer, as the threshold for critical mass (for acquisition) is likely to rise.

Many companies have been present online for a long time, with only smaller businesses that previously could not allocate resources for their own online presence lagging behind. However, we also see a strong upward trend here: when the local tradesman no longer needs to hire an expensive internet agency because he can create his website with a website builder on the weekend, even small businesses have a good chance of being found online.

ht: As one of the few larger web hosts in Germany, you do not offer server solutions on your website - are there any plans in this direction in the future?

cd: In fact, we have recently (05.12.) started offering Managed Servers to all customers - yeah :) Previously, we only offered this on request. What sets our server offerings apart is that customers can customise their hosting packages in our server manager according to their own needs or the requirements of their customers.

ht: In your data centre, you use electricity from renewable sources - do you see the demand for "Green Hosting" influenced by the energy transition?

cd: In recent years, the demand for CO2-neutral hosting has been steadily increasing. We place a high value on our ecological footprint, which is why it was unquestionable for us to quickly switch to "Green Hosting". Our customers can additionally highlight the green hosting with a special seal, thus indicating the environmentally conscious use of our energy resources.


ht: In your opinion, what are the products that will be particularly in demand in the coming years?

cd: We believe that the use of a domain will become much more central. Users want to bring their domain to life and present themselves or their products on the internet. Currently, 87% of our customers actively use their domain for a website. This is already a very good figure, but we will not rest on our laurels. Some users would surely like to run a website but are still faced with a lot of question marks in this area. Therefore, it will be important to offer products that make this easy and accessible for everyone. Whether through a website builder, a CMS, or integration with their profiles on social networks. To break down these barriers, it is our task to make internet-related topics, websites, and everything related to them understandable and accessible in modern formats. In addition to our guides in the blog, the FAQ database, and our video tutorials, we will be offering webinars next year. The topics range from creating a website to search engine optimisation and website statistics. It is very important for us to address the questions and topics that concern our customers. So, if anyone has wishes or suggestions for topics, they can write to us at marketing@checkdomain.de.


 

The interview was conducted by Marco Keul

Profile

Name: Timo Heinrich / Katja Gauder
Position: Online Marketing Manager Company Type: GmbH
Employees: approx. 22
Company founded in: 2000
Products offered: Domains, Web Hosting, SSL Certificates, Managed Servers
www.checkdomain.de
Provider Profile