Domain Name Registration

Domain Registration
.com
R 300
per year Domain Registration
.co.za
R 160
per year

Make sure people come to your site instead of a competitor's

yourdomain.co.za and yourdomain.com can take you to the same place.

With professional email accounts at your domain, you can make an impact with email accounts at your own domain, together with your website.

What is a domain name?

A domain name like www.your-domain-name.co.za is a website address that people will use to find you on the internet. Domain names are used as an address to locate businesses, organizations, or other entities on the Internet.

The domain name is the foundation of your website (www.your-domain-name.co.za) as well as your email address (me@your-domain-name.co.za), using a well thought up domain name allows your customers to identify and remember you more easily on the Web.

A great benefit of using your own domain name is that regardless of how many times you change your website hosting provider, your Email and website address will always remain the same.

A domain name allows people to find your website when browsing the internet and provides a virtual postal address to which all your email will be routed.

A Domain name is just an internet website address. The actual address used by computers is numerical in format and is referred to as an IP (Internet Protocol) address (for example: 196.34.149.154) and as you can see, it's not the easiest format to remember. The Domain "name" system was created and has made remembering and referring of websites much easier and creative.

A domain name is a unique combination of letters and/or numbers which makes up the web address of your website. For example, cwd.co.za is our domain name.

Having your own domain name is the first step towards creating an online presence. If you'd like to know whether your preferred domain name is available, or if you're looking to renew or transfer your domain, CWD is here to help you.

Why do I need a domain?

In the business world, domain names are as common as telephone and fax numbers. If your advertisements or business cards do not display a domain name, you run the risk of being passed over by customers that prefer to browse merchandise and services online. A good domain name is vital for a business's branding and awareness, but more importantly aids in protecting copyrights, trademarks and product information.

Registering a domain is the first step in establishing an online identity for you or your business. Having a good domain name allows you to create a customised website and have professional looking email addresses.

For individuals, Domains allow families, authors, artists etc. the opportunity to register a unique and memorable address which can promote your cause. For instance if your name is Tom Smith, you could try and get the Domain name of "tomsmith.co.za", so anyone looking for you online would easily find you. If you had a family website then a Domain name such as "smithfamily.co.za" would give it a nice touch.

Start building your online presence today. Having your own domain name ensures the integrity of your brand.

Domain name as a brand name

When you start a business your register your business name and trade marks at this time you should consider to register a domain name, as all of these items is regarded as a brand name for your company.

Why register a brand name?

If someone else beats you to it, they may use it for other purposes, which may be distasteful and harm your business.

Even if you don't have immediate plans for a website, securing your domain name now will avoid dissappointment later on. If someone beats you to registering your business name as a domain, it may be very costly, if not impossible, to purchase ownership of the name from the registrar.

I don't have a website yet, why do I need a domain name now?

Registering your domain name now ensures that you own the domain name that may not otherwise be available when you want it.

Once registered, the domain name is yours, provided the domain renewal fees are paid each year.

You can park the domain, use it, sell it or lease it to other individuals or companies.

Domain parking is available with all our domain name registrations and transfers.

Choosing the right domain name.

When customers want to find a business, whether it's a local drycleaner or a global store, the Internet is the first place they look.

You will want a domain name if your company:

Supplies unique products or services.

Has one or more registered trademarks and/or brand names.

Would like to be associated with a concept, e.g. if you are in the business of selling anti virus software, you might want a website called "www.internetsecuritysecrets.com".

It is also possible for you do have all your email at your domain name i.e. yourname@yourdomain.co.za

What's a good domain name?

A good domain name is short, easy to remember and represents your business.

Short and sharp

Easy to spell

Easy to remember

Remember at times you will be giving your domain name or e-mail address over the phone so the shorter the name and the easier the name sounds the less chance you have for spelling errors.

Benefits of Domain names

A great benefit of having a unique email and web address is that you own it, not your Internet Service Provider (ISP). If ever you need to change your ISP, you get to keep your valuable email address. This will prevent any lost sales or orders, missed messages and save you money by eliminating the re-printing of all your letterheads, business cards, etc.

Not only make it easy for customers to find your business on the Web, they also give you a place where you can create your own unique online presence, from a simple online business card with your contact information, hours and location to a full-blown Web store.

How you choose your domain name depends on where you are with your business. If you're already up and running with a brick-&-mortar location, you'll want to choose a domain that matches your business name. You've worked hard to create a name and a brand that customers know and love, so you having the matching domain only makes sense for your customers.

What else do I need to get my website or email up and running?

Your domain will be automatically parked with cwd until you choose to link it to a hosting or email package. If you want to set up hosting and email, purchase a hosting package from us, starting at just R50pm.

How long does a domain registration take?

Your domain will be registered instantly, once the subscription form has been received.

www.yourname.co.za usually takes about 24 hours.

www.yourname.org.za (non profit organisation) usually takes upto 5 days.

The .org.za domain is for South African non-commercial organisations, including but not limited to charities, NGOs, Section 21 companies, trade and industry associations, trade unions, political parties and religious organisations.

Requirements: A copy of the organisations section 21 certificate or a formal declaration on the organisations letterhead confirming that they are non-profit.

www.yourname.com usually takes about 24 - 48 hours.

How long will it take for a domain to start working?

It will take around 24 hours for the domain name system records to be updated (or propagate), after which your domain, e-mail and web site will work perfectly.

My preferred domain name is taken, what should I do?

You can try adding a hyphen between words e.g. "web-site-hosting-sa.co.za" or try alternative Top Level Domains (TLDs), such as .net or .biz. You can also try reformulating your name e.g. "midrandbestwebdesign.co.za"

If CWD registers my domain, who will the legal domain owner be?

You will be the Domain Name Holder. Technically domains are never owned, but are leased from a registry on an annual basis, giving the registrant legal right to the use of the domain.

CWD is listed as the technical and billing contact, as we manage the nameservers and domain renewal on your behalf. You will be listed as both the registrant and administrative contact (unless specified otherwise by yourself), therefore having full legal right to the use of your domain name.

Which domain extension should I choose?

There is no difference, it comes down to personal preference. However the most popular types are .co.za and .com. A .co.za is the South African domain extension while a .com is for commerce, we would suggest registering a .com if you want to attract overseas markets.

For protection of your brand we would recommend registering both the .co.za and the .com domain names. To protect your brand from competition on local and international markets.

What type of domain names can I register at CWD

We offer all South African ccTLD and gTLD domains (ie: .co.za .org.za .net.za .web.za .joburg .durban and .capetown)

International TLD's and gTLD's domains are also available, including all the most popular .com .net .org .biz and .mobi.

With more than 1000 new gTLD domains being added to the internet, we will constantly update our list of available domain extensions.

Question: Do I have to take a hosting package to host with CWD?

Answer: Yes, Domain parking is best if you are just planning on reserving the domain.

We are able to register the following domain extentions

TLD

Min.

Years

Register

Transfer

Renew

co.za africa xyz com net org joburg durban capetown blog org.za net.za web.za co co.uk za.bz tv de eu

us asia mobi xxx travel info in biz co.nz za.com name pw bar bz cash africa.com de.com eu.com ink

rest uk.com uk.net us.com wiki host website site party design fans feedback love rent space tech bid trade webcam

cricket science faith accountant loan online men win racing download stream date me

60 day Domain Transfer Lock period

Domains are locked at registrars for 60 days after initial registration or previous transfer and can’t be transferred from one registrar to another during this period.

Domain Renewals

Domain names are automatically renewed on your behalf, and you are billed in the next billing cycle. You will receive a renewal email, or you can view the date that your domains are due for renewal

If I cancel my domain, will registration or renewal fees be refunded to me?

Domain name registration and renewal fees are not refundable. If a domain is cancelled and there is an associated hosting account, the account will be downgraded to Domain Name Registration Only.

CWD will not post a renewal request when the renewal is due. Instead, a deletion request will be sent to the registrar to release the domain name for others to register.

You will receive a copy of the deletion ticket (only if it is a .co.za domain) as a reminder that the domain name will be deleted. If you do decide to renew at this point, you should contact CWD immediately so we can attempt to renew the domain name for you. Do keep in mind however, there is no guarantee that we can renew a deactivated domain name.

Domain redemption periods in the gTLD life cycle

gTLD domains which are registered through CWD are renewed on an annual basis. If a domain is not renewed, it will be set to expire with the Registrar. However, a 30 day Auto Renew Grace Period follows which provides customers with the option to renew the domain and avoid deletion.

Should a domain not be renewed during this time, it will proceed to a stage which ICANN refers to as the Redemption Grace Period. The domain remains in this stage for a further 30 days. ICANN has required that registries implement this facility to allow the original registrants to redeem a deleted name. The Redemption Grace Period process is to provide additional time to catch erroneous deletions before the name is made available for re-registration.

When a name enters this period, it is removed from the zone file (a file on a nameserver that defines a domain name with its associated sub-domains, IP addresses and mail server). As a result, any Internet services for the domain name will be disabled (e.g. email or website facility). The registrant must act immediately if they want to keep the name. It is possible to renew a gTLD up until this point, although redemption fees may apply.

If no action is taken, no further grace periods are offered and the domain moves into a 5 day Pending Delete stage, before deletion follows and the domain is released for public registration.

What are the key differences for domains on the legacy system versus a domain using the EPP system?

Billing
The legacy system only invoices for domains at the end of the month that registration occurred. The EPP system is a real-time billing system. This means that all domain renewals that took place will have to be paid for. This would also include all domain registrations that were not cancelled within the 7 day grace period.

Voting
The legacy system allows for 3 contacts to vote for a ‘WHOIS update’ i.e. the admin, registrant and technical contacts. The EPP system only sends an authorisation token for a Registrar change request to the Registrant (i.e. the person or entity in whose name the domain has been registered) and the current Registrar (i.e. Hetzner). An authorisation token for a Registrant change will only be sent to the current Registrant for their approval. It is therefore very important to keep the current Registrant email address up to date, reflecting the existing person or entity who is regarded as the rightful ‘owner’ of the domain.

Registrant vs Admin contact
The Registrant on the EPP system replaces the Admin contact of the legacy system. It is vital that the Registrant and Registrant email address are correct as the Registrant will be responsible for voting and acting on any notice of changes that are received.

Update period
The voting ticket for a Registrant update on the Legacy system was valid for 24 hours. With the introduction of EPP, a Registrant update will take 5 days to complete. This change brings CO.ZA domain administration in line with international best practice. DNS details are updated immediately.

Order today