connection – Tech Warrior

What is a domain and do I need one?

Matthew Green — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 12:50:18 +0000

What’s in a name?

A domain or domain name, e.g. techwarrior.co.za; nike.com; 5th.place or worldwildlife.org works in much the same way as a physical address for a home or business. It’s an easy-to-remember way of reaching the person, organisation or business on the World Wide Web.

Anyone starting or running a business that requires an online presence (and what business can afford not to be online these days?) must have a domain name. Iit represents the only piece of web based turf or real estate over which the owner has total control, when compared to other web based online offerings such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Youtube.

Domains, also known as domain names, are essential to building brand identity and awareness both online (the Internet and web world) and offline (the real, everyday world). Domain names usually match the name of your business so when someone is searching for you online, your domain name will appear, hopefully near the top of the page.

So do you need one? Yes you do. Make sure the domain is registered in your name and that the email address on the website comes to you. It is yours after all.

If you would like more information or assistance purchasing and registering a domain, email us at info@techwarrior.co.za.

Purchasing domain names carefully is a very important aspect of owning a website. Having a website is an important part of running a business. Make sure you are the rightful registered owner of your domain name.

I want a domain, how do I get one?

How do I get a domain?

The easiest way to get a domain for you or your business is to engage with a web developer or your Internet service provider. They will guide you through the process. Much like a company registration process, domains are acquired in a similar way. It is possible to register a domain name using a third party even if you are going the DIY route.

The availability of the desired domain name is checked against a list of already existing domains. If you are looking for a name that is popular, eg Smith & Co, you may not get the exact name you want. Companies offering additional bundled services such as marketing and web development will advise on a range of names available for registration. Thereafter they will facilitate the registration process. If the domain name you are after is already taken (registered to someone else) negotiations to purchase it from the current owner can ensue.

Domains are permanently leased and you pay an annual domain registration fee, the same amount you paid to register it upfront, to keep it.

If you would like more information or assistance in purchasing and registering a domain, email us at info@techwarrior.co.za.

How much does a domain name cost?

Domains vary wildly in price, depending on a number of factors. The main factors affecting the price and value of a domain name are:

The type of domain name (.com; .co.za; .org)
The demand for the actual letters or words used in the domain name
Whether someone else owns the domain

A new domain name can cost anything between R80 for a simple .co.za to R220 for a .com if you register it yourself. If you go through a third party it will cost slightly more as the process will include searching for alternatives if your chosen name is not available and potentially negotiating to buy a domain name owned by someone else. Domains can be extremely valuable as an example, in 2015 Property.co.za sold for $350,000 or R4.3 million at the going dollar/rand exchange rate. At Tech Warrior we have first hand experience and knowledge of domains reselling from R5,000 all the way to R1 million.

How is the value of a domain name worked out?

The first two factors - type of domain and letters used in the domain are easiest to explain.

How the type of domain affects its value

When the Internet began, domains were split into categories. These were broadly defined by usage: .net for networking; .edu for educational institutions and .com for business use.

As the Internet grew, so did demand for more and varied categories. Countries were given their own sub-categories e.g. .de for Germany, .au for Australia and .za for South Africa.

The categories have recently broadened to include a large number of usage type domains such as .app for phone apps, .green for the environment and .jobs for employment.

The category a domain lives in as well as the demand for domains in that category will affect the value of these new domains. The more unique and unusual the type of domain, more expensive it can be. A quirky example is when Google restructured into Alphabet in 2015, it registered abc.xyz for the newly formed parent company.

How letters used in a domain name affect its value

The letters and words used to make up the name part of the domain will have an effect on the value. There is a demand for generic domain names, that is domains that are related to an industry or activity as well as short names, usually three letters in length. As an example, sex.com resold in 2010 for $14 million. Lasvegas.com sold for $90 million in 2005. These are nothing compared to the reported sale of business.com in 2007. It went for a mammoth $350 million. In 2010 Facebook purchased fb.com from the American Farm Bureau for $8.5 million.

Many domain sales are kept private so it’s difficult to know what the most expensive domain sale has been to date.

How domains owned by someone else affect the value

Owning and investing in domains is similar to owning and investing in real estate. Typically a smart investor saw the future opportunity and purchased the land way ahead of anyone else. Imagine being savvy enough to register business.com.

The only real measure of a domain's value when someone else owns it, is how much are you willing to pay for it. Some domains have been owned for 20 years or more waiting for the right buyer to come along.

Choosing the right domain name for your business

It’s important to remember to get a domain that reflects where the business lives and what it does. It may be appealing to look for a .com domain name but South African internet users are accustomed to seeing .co.za domains as German internet users are to seeing .de domains. Your business may have aspirations to become a global player but make sure you make the right choice for now. The focus of a domain name, like your website, is around your customers. How will they best remember your domain name and find you?

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The post What is a domain and do I need one? appeared first on Tech Warrior.

Facebook or a Website, which one is better for business?

Matthew Green — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 12:14:07 +0000

At Tech Warrior we often get asked the question: “Should I take the time and effort to build a website for my business or is a Facebook page enough?” Put another way, the question is sometimes spun like this: “Why do I need a website when I can get a Facebook page for free?”

The question about “Facebook or a website” has a very simple answer. But before I get to it, I’m going to go through some considerations. A “pros and cons”, if you will, for both Facebook and websites and at the end of the article I’ll give you my conclusion on which one is better for your business.

There’s no free lunch

Facebook is free. In spite of what some of the South African populace think about getting things for free, you do get what you pay for. For this reason, if you only have a Facebook page prospective customers may consider you to be a cheapskate because you went the free route. This can also have an adverse effect on the perception of your product or service.

Yes, a website can also be free if you do it yourself. We’ll explore this in more detail in another article and see if free is actually free.

What’s in a brand?

Facebook has limited options for branding. You can add your logo and change the masthead but that’s about it. Mostly you are limited to the homogenous blue and white branding of… Facebook! By contrast your website can be coloured and branded to your liking. You are in charge on your website whereas on Facebook you have fit in with its guidelines.

Who owns what?

You don't own Facebook and are therefore at the mercy of whatever they do. Being a for-profit corporation, publicly traded, their first priority is to their shareholders. If they implement a policy change, you just have to toe the line. If Facebook thinks a new feature should be added which best serves them, they do it. Equally the converse applies. If you are using a feature that Facebook deems irrelevant to their strategy, they will take it away. Where does that leave you if you are dependent on it?

Furthermore, Facebook has a shifting goal post when it comes to what kind of content it deems appropriate to post and share. In May 2019 Facebook removed a popular Low Carb High Fat (also known as Banting) group with over one million members. After some protest, the group was reinstated. The group now has 2.3 million members. To date the reasons why the group was initially removed remain sketchy. Perhaps the power of a million members carried some weight. Do you have the power of millions to protest against Facebook’s potential actions?

Owning your own website gives you complete control. You can be as audacious or conservative as you like. You can say what you like in whatever way works best for your business. Want to run a competition on your website? Do it! Want to list all of your products so people can buy them? Do it!

Better yet, who owns the customers?

It's better to establish and cultivate relationships on Facebook, and then invite them to your website. These are your customers, not Facebook's. When last did you download your customer list from Facebook? Remember too, Facebook is where people typically already know you so they like you. What about new prospects? Yup, you guessed it that’s where your website comes into play again.

Take them home

Don't give away the keys to the Kingdom. Yes, Facebook makes it super easy to create content and then engage and interact with your customers. But once the interaction is done, you need to take them home. And where is home? You guessed it - your website. So while Facebook has a place, don't lose sight of what is needed to protect the integrity of your brand, the relationships you have created, and the best return from your on-line investment, namely your website.

Searching and longevity

Facebook gives you a page. Okay, a few pages to promote your business. Your website gives you potentially unlimited pages. Each page can be crafted to specifically target people looking (aka searching) for the product or solution written about on that particular page.

Remember that interesting post you saw on Facebook last week but forgot to save? Try finding it again. Ever tried engaging with a restaurant menu on a Facebook page? Not so easy is it? The very nature of Facebook is a stream or flow of organically created, never ending information. On the other hand, Google, Duck Duck Go and other search engines are all about structure, searching and more importantly, finding content on websites. Specifically content that solves customer problems and issues.

Can you predict the future?

Twenty two years ago two university students approached the Top Internet Company of the time, looking to sell their product for one million dollars. They were turned down. At its peak, this Top Internet Company was valued at over 100 billion dollars. Fast forward to the present. The Top Internet Company is effectively no more, having sold its core assets for 4.48 billion dollars in 2017. What of the two students? They stuck it out and their company is today part of Alphabet, a trillion dollar company. This is the story of Yahoo and students Larry Page and Sergey Brin who started Google.

Facebook is one of the most popular, wait for it, websites (ironic isn’t it) on the Internet today. But it might not be that way forever. The short history of the Internet is rich with many stories of disruptive websites appearing out of nowhere and claiming top spot. Put another way, Facebook may fall out of favour and where would that leave your efforts? Facebook is already known by the youth of today as a medium for "old people" with fewer and fewer teens to early twenty year olds using it.

So what is the answer?

Earlier I said the question “Should I take the time and effort to build a website for my business or is a Facebook page enough?” can be easily answered. For a business, it is always best to have a website first and use Facebook as part of your digital marketing efforts to build relationships and connection with your clients.

Still not sure?

If you are still not sure, my recommendation is to register a domain (that’s the .com or if you are South African, the .co.za thing) and get a website going. Your website is where you will have total control over your branding, content and message. You will future proof yourself against any upstarts who may dethrone Facebook as well as any changes Facebook may make in their best interest and not yours. Thereafter, additionally, setup a Facebook page, email marketing and other social media tools like Twitter to support what you do on your website.

Request pricing for your next website project

The post Facebook or a Website, which one is better for business? appeared first on Tech Warrior.