BT cuts price of web hosting starter pack

BT's 5GB web hosting package now costs £2.99 a month for the first year

BT Business is giving a helping hand to small businesses that want to create an online presence by significantly cutting the cost of its web hosting Starter Pack.

The telecoms giant has reduced the price of its 5GB package from £5 to £2.99 a month for the first 12 months.

The Starter Pack also includes a free web site building kit with 400 templates, and a few other tools to help small businesses promote themselves with a professional and secure web presence.

The pack gives customers a domain name backed by 5GB of online space, business email for up to 10 accounts and 24/7 support.

BT claimed that one in five small businesses in the UK do not have their own web site, adding that, with around £78bn expected to be spent online in 2009, there is a growing demand for organisations of all sizes to have a suitable online presence.

"Having a professional web site could mean the difference between winning and losing customers in the current climate," said Jerry Thompson, director of online at BT Business.

"We are listening to small businesses that are citing overall cost, ease of use and 24/7 support among their top considerations when getting online. By offering a complete range of high-value digital marketing services, we want to ensure that small businesses can compete as effectively as bigger companies and can grow their online presence."

Those hoping to snap up the reduced price will need to sign up to a 12-month contract after which the cost will return to the normal £5 per month.