It is not unusual to notice a spike in new domain name registrations during the first quarter of every year. Generally, the holidays offer entrepreneurs and startups with clarity surrounding great business ideas, whereas the hype of the New Year in turn, offers enough motivation to turn these ideas into viable businesses. And as we like to say: “It all starts with a domain name”.

A domain name is an incredibly important part of creating and setting up a business. The physical location of your business is something no company will take up lightly. It should be the same when you choose a domain name. Your domain name is where your business will live on the World Wide Web. A domain name contributes towards your online visibility, that’s why the domain name itself and its extension should be chosen with extra care.

Domain name registrations for second level domains ending in .za surpassed the 1.2 million mark according to recent statistics. Africa’s time is now and the popularity of geographic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) is a clear indication of this. Over the past year .africa has taken the continent by storm with large companies like Absa and Adams & Adams adopting the gTLD. Similarly, .joburg, .capetown and .durban are becoming increasingly popular to businesses wanting to gain more traffic from locals.

Before registering your domain name, consider the following:

• Your business name and domain name do not have to be the same
• If appropriate, a unique domain name extension such as .joburg or .online can help your business stand out online.
• Memorability is key, so choose something that isn’t difficult to spell or confusing
• Keywords in domains are great but does not affect your Google rankings
• Research if your name isn’t already being used as trademark issues can create a nightmare for your business

Search for your ideal domain name here