Your domain name goes on your website, every email address and every business card, so it’s worth an hour of thought before you register it. Changing it later means new email addresses, new printed material and starting again with search engines.
Keep it short and easy to spell
Say it out loud to someone and ask them to type it. If they hesitate, add a hyphen or get a letter wrong, keep looking. Avoid numbers and unusual spellings for the same reason.
Make it fit your business
The name should tell people who you are or what you do. A local business can add its town or area, like smithplumbingdurban.co.za. Don’t make it so narrow that it stops fitting when you add a new service.
.co.za or .com?
If your customers are mostly in South Africa, choose .co.za. It tells visitors you’re local. If you sell internationally, .com is the most widely recognised. Many businesses register both and point one at the other.
Check it isn’t too close to someone else’s
Search for the name before you register it. A name close to a competitor’s confuses customers and can lead to a trademark dispute.
Register the variations you’ll need
Once you’ve chosen, consider registering the other extensions and common misspellings. That stops someone else from using them and catches visitors who mistype.
Stuck for ideas?
Domain name generators suggest names from a few keywords. Use them for ideas, then put the best ones through the checks above.
When you’re ready, search for your domain. If you already have a .co.za with another registrar, you can transfer it to us for free.