How to choose a domain name to register

It is always a good idea to register a domain name which suits either your business activity or which is an exact match for your business name.

Registering a domain name such as flyfishing.com could be more handy when it comes to people finding you on the net when they type in keywords related to fishing, whereas if you had registered jimmysriversidestore.com your site may not be found. Try to imagine what people will type into a search box when they look for your services or products. If you can use your most important keywords in the domain which you register, it will be beneficial for search!

If possible, try to register a short, memorable domain name. It's far easier to remember flyfishing.com than it is to remember realcotrading345.com.

Protect your domain name

Even if you don't want a website now, another good reason to register a domain name is to protect the name for your use when you are ready to create a website. Domain names are being registered every day and therefore the options are being reduced on a daily basis. Register your domain name today and keep it safe!

If someone else has already registered the domain name you want, you may be able to buy it from them. Contact us if you have further queries about obtaining a domain name which has already been registered.

Be specific

Try to be specific when choosing a domain name to register. If you focus on a small community then you could register a domain name like flyfishinghexriver.com . The name is relevant and now contains more valuable keywords which could count in a search.

If you focus on certain brands, it would be valuable to add the brand name to the domain name. So if you were selling cars you could have a domain name like fordcapetown.com which covers the brand and area. It is also very easy to remember.

How long can the domain name be?

Domain names can be up to 67 characters in length. Although it is good practice to keep your domain name as short as possible, it is sometimes necessary to have a long domain name. A good reason for a long domain name would be a long company name or a person's name.

Shorter domain names are less susceptible to typographical errors, while longer domain names can describe a company or activity more accurately. A good domain name is achieving a balance between describing the business aptly and keeping the name relatively short.

It's usually not a good idea to go for obscure domain names like acronyms eg. agrmsa.com where it may be easier to remember agrimartsa.com. Generally if you can say the domain name comfortably, you can remember it comfortably. See if the domain name you have in mind passes the test by saying it out loud.

Hyphenated Domain Names

Hyphenated names can be handy if the domain name you want is not available. So you can register fly-fishing.com if flyfishing.com is not available.

However they are not remembered well. If you tell someone you visited "Fly Fishing dot com" they may remember it as "flyfishing.com" and go to your competitor's website instead.

If you can't get the domain name you want, try registering a variant or the plural version, eg. flowers.com instead of flower.com

Should you get a .co.za or a .com domain?

.com is more internationally recognised, but if you plan to do business only in South Africa it's best to have a homegrown .co.za domain. This shows support for South Africa and South Africans, and shows that you yourself are a South African enterprise.

If you want you can register both the .com and the .co.za versions of your domain name to protect the name, and decide which one to use as your main domain (if you are a shipping or export company dealing with an overseas market it may be better to trade with the .com as your main domain). Some people set up a different website for local customers in South Africa on their .co.za domain, and a different site for international customers on their .com domain.

Where can I get expert advice on choosing a domain name?

You are welcome to call us to chat about possible domain names to register. We have done this for many years and will be able to give you great advice on what domain names would be suited for your business.