the engine of your online presence By Amukelani Ndlovu-Holme My clients are generally people who are looking for all-round IT solutions. That means, they want us to handle every part of their IT, because they are so used to also leaving it all to their service providers. One of the most common problems we come across, is moving domains from their current service providers to their own hosting accounts that they have full control over. The other is that they are being billed ridiculously large amounts, or even that they are being held at ransom over their domains for no good reason. This is when I realised just how few people understand what a domain is, and why it is very important for your online presence. Your domain is the address of your website on the internet. Similar to how customers would use your physical address to find your business, a domain name is the address that they will use to find your business online. With over 3.2 billion users on the internet, you not only need to guard that address really well. A domain name is important for various reasons, and it is important for a domain owner to have full responsibility of that domain.
credibility Owning your own domain name makes your business look professional. Many people tend to use free web hosting sites, but that can often negatively affect your credibility, as potential clients wonder just how invested in your business you are.
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deter squatters Domain Squatters buy the domains of businesses in the hope of selling them back to the rightful owners for large profits. Own your domain, so that when customers search for your business and find a blank domain, they will move on to your competitor.
a brand boost Registering a domain name that matches your company name makes it easier for customers to remember. When the domain name matches your company name it boosts your SEO, making your name pop up when a potential customer does a search.